6.23.24 Prayers of Church & Community, Westminster Presbyterian Church, Pasadena, CA

 Prayers of Church & Community, 6.23.24

Westminster Presbyterian Church

Holy God, Eternal Light, 

Thou art the way, the truth, and the life … 

You reveal vital things to us, dear God … you reveal yourself, in a million different ways …  the momentary glimpse we have of you in the corners of our mind … hints of holiness … notes of indescribable joy … comfort in the midst of our sorrows and sins … a way forward, O God, when all doors are closed … the rebuilding of life, the making of a new day, forgiveness, fortitude, faith … you keep us going, dear God, you lift us up, you walk with us, you sit beside us, you cry with us.

Holy God, Eternal Light, we pray for our trembling world … troubled by lies and false gods … broken by war and rumors of war … unsettled by fears and forebodings, promoted by people devoted to the destruction of Democracy.

Help us in our private lives, we pray, and in our lives together, to climb the high mountains of virtue and there to find the glories of your salvation, for all the world … to embrace the best of human goodness, and the still greater goodness of the Cross and the Empty Tomb, the mysteries and wonders of Christ our LORD.

Help us, we pray - to face the indignities of the day with the dignity of Christ … to bear patiently the faults and failures of others, even as you, O God, deal kindly with us, in our fractured and fearful moments. Remind us that we are precious in your sight - that our tears and our joys are deeply connected to everything you are.

In the waters of baptism, O God, give us eyes to see your glory … a world washed in your love, a world crowned with glory, and love abounding … 

Bless Markus Christian Thomas, we pray, his family and his future … thank you for this child, and the promise he holds in his wee little hands.

In the name of our LORD Jesus Christ who taught us to pray, saying:

Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors; and lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory, forever. Amen. 

6.16.24 Prayers of Church & Community, Westminster Presbyterian Church, Pasadena, CA

 Prayers of Church & Community, June 16, 2024

Westminster Presbyterian Church

Holy God, Eternal Light,

Thank you for the good we’ve done this week … we’ve made some mistakes along the way, and we’ve done some harm … but help us, dear God, to focus on the good, to keep on working at it … to grow in Christ, we pray, all the more.

We pray for our new members, dear God, their families and friends, their homes and their work, their dreams and ambitions … together, O God, great things happen … arm-in-arm, side-by-side, we seek your kingdom … your peace and your love.

We pray for our communities … those who lead and bear the burdens of the day … we pray for Los Angeles and its mayor, Karen Bass … we pray for the homeless, dear God, for whatever reasons, they’re on the bottom of the heap, and life is hard … we pray for those in government and NGO’s and private philanthropies working to resolve the problems and build a society wherein folks are safe, dear God, especially the children, we pray … to believe in America, that we’re a good country, and we care deeply … to believe in themselves, we pray, to have confidence to try, and the opportunity to work.

Bless us, we pray, in the remains of the day … Father’s Day … we give thanks for those who have loved us into life, for those who have shared their wisdom and guidance, who have walked with us, and ran beside us, when we learned how to ride a bike.

In the name of our LORD Jesus Christ who taught us to pray, saying:

Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors; and lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory, forever. Amen. 

6.9.24 Prayers of Church & Community, Westminster Presbyterian Church, Pasadena, CA

 Prayers of Church & Community, June 9, 2024

Westminster Presbyterian Church

Tiger Lilly, Monte Vista Grove

In the quiet of this moment, O God,

We catch our breath and regain our balance.

In this place, Dear God, we discover ourselves all over again … who we are in your eyes … we learn of your will and we learn of your purpose … your kindly ways … the ways to which you call us … that we might lead good lives, lives for the sake of Christ, lives of generosity and kindness, lives filled with wisdom and grace.

Here in this place, O God, we learn the realities of life … the pain and sorrow of others, the hurt we’ve experienced … the hurt we’ve done to others … here, in this place of light and love, we see the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth … the good and the bad, the worst of it, and the best of it, where we have failed and fallen, where we have risen to the occasion and fulfilled the high calling of Christ.

We pray for our nation, O God … we pray our leaders … we pray for our President and his family, we pray for the members of Congress and their constituents, we pray for the judiciary and those stand before them … in all regards, dear God, may the common good be the center-point of concern, may justice and liberty for all be the guiding light, may peace be sought, may peace be secured, may our children be safe.

Holy God, Eternal Light, we pray for ourselves … we need your guiding light, we need your mercy and your love … our mortal flesh needs your eternal glory to fulfill its purpose and complete its tasks … our souls need your goodness, your grace, that we might dream the dreams of your creation, dream the dreams of Christ on the road, dream the dreams of the Risen Christ, to give life to the world around us.

We pray for loved ones and friends … we pray for the family and friends of Terry Flach … may your great love, O God, be their guide and comfort in the valley of the the Shadow of Death.

Bless Westminster, we pray, in its quest for a new minister … bless our present moment, that faith, hope, and love would fill this place to overflowing … that all who enter its doors will enjoy the goodness of Christ, find a place of welcome and friendship and affirmation - a place to heal, a home in which to spiritually thrive and emotionally gain strength …  

We remember D Day, O God, the beginning of the end of fascism’s death-grip on Europe … the militarism that terrorized the Pacific … we commemorate the memory of tens of thousands of men and women who carried the torch of freedom, who did what was necessary, in distant lands and faraway places. 

All of this, In the name of our LORD Jesus Christ who taught us to pray, saying:

Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors; and lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory, forever. Amen. 

6.2.24 Prayers of Church & Community, Westminster Presbyterian Church, Pasadena, CA

 Prayers of Church & Community, June 2, 2024

Westminster Presbyterian Church

Holy God, Eternal Light …

We give thanks for this moment of time, to step aside from the rush of life, pause for a moment and catch our breath, remember who we are in Christ, that we might more ably return to our world, refreshed in spirit, and ready to make our mark.

Remind us, dear God, our prayers count … our thoughts and tremblings, our tears and our dreams … prayers hurriedly said, or hardly said … prayers said in anger and fear … prayers poorly framed and more selfish than not … prayers of glory, and prayers of frustration … prayers full of faith, and prayers barely able to lift their heads … O LORD, our God, we are what we are, in our Sunday best, and in our Wednesday worst … we rise up to serve Christ, we turn away in casual disregard … we are saints, and we are sinners … all jumbled up together … but we pray, O God, because your Spirit within us calls out to you … your voice within us is our voice to heaven … you help us all along the way, you are mindful of our frailties, our faults and failings … you know us through and through … and here in this place, your Spirit encourages us to find our bearings, discover your image within our souls … to see how gifted we are: strength, virtue, courage, love, talent, ability, intelligence, mercy, gentleness … we have it all, O God, and your Spirit leads us into the light of Christ, to see ourselves more clearly, to see one another more dearly, and to serve the cause of Christ more thoroughly.

We pray for the grieving families in Papua New Guinea … those stricken by midwestern storms … those with long covid … those held in the hard grip of grief and sorrow.

We pray for the peoples of Palestine and Israel … Ukraine and Russia … for the nation states of Africa … 

We pray for our nation, dear God … from sea to shining sea …  … we pray for our leaders: members of Congress, the White House, and the Judiciary … 

The world is so large, O God, our prayers so small … but we send them from our heart to your heart … we send them in love and care … we will not cease in prayer, O God, because even a smidgen of love is amplified by your grace … to move mountains and calm troubled waters.

Holy God, Eternal Light, we pray for ourselves … for loved ones … for Westminster and our communities … for mayors and city officials, those who bear the burdens of leadership in a troubled world …  

We pray because Jesus prays … we pray because the saints pray … we pray because it’s in our DNA, O God … we pray because our soul years for it.

In the name of our LORD Jesus Christ who taught us to pray, saying:

Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors; and lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory, forever. Amen. 

5.25.24 Prayers of Church & Community, Westminster Presbyterian Church, Pasadena, CA

 Prayers of Church & Community, May 26, 2024

Westminster Presbyterian Church

Holy God, Eternal Light …

The origin of our life, and the destiny of our journey.

We give thanks for the world around us … from the stars above to the creatures of the sea … all of it your handiwork, all of it mysterious and glorious … and we, O God, a part of it, created in your image, full of hope and love, courage and intelligence … mighty gifts that we have used well to further the hopes of humanity … freedom and democracy … the welfare of children and the building of a just society.

We thank you for the good we’ve done … and of the good we haven’t done, we pray for your forgiveness and mercy … for a troubled conscience to push us ahead, to strive all the more for the goodness of life.

We pause in our hurried days to worship you, O God, the triune God of mercy and peace: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit … Mother, Daughter, and glorious Love … thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.

We remember those who have carried the flag and served our nation … with gladness we note their sacrifice … with sadness, we confess our warring ways … nation against nation, the powerful upon the weak … vanity of might, and the foolishness of greed. On this day of holy remembrance, help us see the truth - not only the good that so many have sought, but the evil that even the good commit. Help us, O God, as we think about ourselves, our nation, our world, to be truth-tellers … to not lose ourselves in discouragement over the human condition, nor lose ourselves in moral blindness and self-interest.

We pray, dear God, for loved ones near and far … we pray for their well-being, their safety, their health … we pray for Westminster - we pray that our faith would reach as high as the Tower, and higher still, to the very reaches of heaven itself. That we might love you with all that we are, and with all that we are, love our neighbors with all that we can.

Thank you for the blessings of life … we are a most fortunate people, a nation blessed beyond all measure … and here, O God, in this place of worship and wonder, we give thanks for Christ … his life and his love, his work and his devotion … the cross he carried, and the tomb he conquered … to live forever with you, dear God, and to live forever in our hearts and minds.

With gratitude untold, we commit ourselves once again to Christ our LORD … we will follow him where e’er he lead … we will speak in his name, and love with purpose.

In the name of our LORD Jesus Christ who taught us to pray, saying:

Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors; and lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory, forever. Amen. 

5.19.24 Prayers of Church & Community, Westminster Presbyterian Church, Pasadena, CA

 Prayers of Church & Community, 5.19.24, Pentecost Day

Westminster Presbyterian Church

Holy God, Eternal Light … 

grant us thy mercies:

that we might see with our eyes the beauty of your world - 

the rise of the mountains, 

the clouds on high … 

the flight of a gull in the morning sun … 

trees tall and green … 

flowers bright with red and yellow, purple and white … 

give us such eyes, dear God, 

that would see your world 

in all of its glory, wonder and mystery … 

eyes to see one another - images of your goodness and love.

By your Holy Spirit, O God, open the portals of our minds and hearts … open wide the gates of learning, the wellsprings of love … give us, we pray, a fresh start, a new beginning, a chapter of untold goodness and hope … on this Pentecost Day.

Wash our souls of the weary dust … the dust of our mortality, that we might see within ourselves the evidence of eternity, the very breath of your love, O God - given to us in our creation, and given anew in faith, hope, and love … our very own Pentecost, dear God, when the flames of love burn bright and true, when we find ourselves as never before - as those beloved of your eternal majesty … as those crowned with glory … creatures of immense ability and imagination … 

In these moments of quiet reflection and adoration, Holy God, help us to see Christ high and lifted up … to see Christ on the cross of self-giving … Christ in the tomb of struggle and sacrifice … Christ risen from the dead, creating the world anew, setting free tired souls long held in chains of superstition and gross materialism … souls that have loved things undeserving of love, and missing the point of life … to love, and to love again what is true and good and eternal … to never give up, to never turn away, to never cease in our quest to be the creatures of your love, to be servants of Christ, to be kind in our ways, learned in our thoughts, humble in achievements, and always seekers of justice for the widow, the orphan, and the stranger at the gate.

Help us, O LORD, when we are tired, to find rest in Thee.

Help us, O LORD, when we have given our all, to take a deep breath of faith … 

Help us, O LORD, to walk slowly when we cannot run, to rest when body and soul have reached their limits … to wait upon you, dear God … to wait for the mercies that come in the morning, the love that comes in the night … to heal and renew, restore and rebuild, forgive and empower.

On this Pentecost Day …

In the name of our LORD Jesus Christ who taught us to pray, saying:

Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors; and lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory, forever. Amen. 

5.12.24 Prayers of Church & Community, Westminster Presbyterian Church, Pasadena, CA

 Prayers of Church & Community, May 12, 2024

Westminster Presbyterian Church

God of time and eternity,

God of light and truth,

God of music, song, and dance

We are your people …

Help us, we pray, to pay attention … to live with care and awareness … 

Give us, we pray, ears to hear the cries of those in need and pain … eyes to see their distress and sorrow … hearts to feel the afflictions of life … 

And the will, O LORD, to be on the right side of history …  

In the times we live, O God:

Calm our spirits with the great love of Christ … keep us steady at the helm, keep us hopeful in the face of difficulties, keep us loving and kind.

Help us, we pray, to see the value of what we do here, in this place … there is goodness in remembering your Holy Name … there is peace and righteousness in our prayers and meditations … there is goodness in our being here … because you are here.

Dear God:

We pray for diplomatic services around the world … we pray for our armed forces, and those who command them … we pray for the nations of the world … why, O, why, must we wage war? why must we fight? why shed one another’s blood for what gain? 

O LORD our God, one by one, we’re a remarkable creation, but together, O LORD, we are capable of such horror as to shame the powers of hell. Forgive us, we pray, forgive us again and again, and maybe we can learn how to chart a better course.

Dear God:

We pray for family and friends …  

We pray for ourselves, too, O God …

We pray for Westminster … we thank you for what has been, what is, and for the future coming our way.

In the name of our LORD Jesus Christ who taught us to pray, saying:

Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors; and lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory, forever. Amen.