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. 

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

Eternal God, always our father, forever our mother … source of light, wellspring of love … alpha and omega, the beginning and the end … 

All glory, laud, and honor to you, dear God … our praise, thanksgiving, and hope … in the company of Christ, led by your Holy Spirit, we are your people, in this place, and for these times.

We take up our cross of care and service, with gratitude and with reluctance … bless our gratitude and deepen it, we pray … manage our reluctance that it not win the day.

In such times, O God, times of uncertainty … competing narratives, truth and lies commingled, power worshipped, glitz and glamour overwhelming our capacities to think.

By your Holy Spirit, dear God, help us to maintain our balance … keep up our spiritual health and that of our bodies … give to us , we pray, the discernment of the Prophets, the passion of Moses, the wisdom of Solomon, and the focus of Christ.

We pray for our Food Pantry … giving thanks that we can make a difference for people who are food insecure … for whom life is difficult and sometimes dangerous.

We pray for our communities, O LORD, our government leaders, our schools and teachers, our police forces and firefighters … a host of people who protect and guide us … public servants for the common good.

We pray for loved ones, dear God … keep them safe in their comings and goings … where there is illness, provide relief and healing … where there is death, grant the comfort of Christ … where there is despair, O God, grant the light of hope … where there is conflict and anger, give refreshment of spirit, and a new determination to build a better world.

Help us, O God, to fulfill our purpose, in this life, and for the life to come … to be servants of love, to create hope and peace, to seek what’s best in the human story, and that which is eternally true, and forever good.

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. 

6.12.22 Prayers of Church & Community - Westminster Presbyterian Church Pasadena

Eternal God, ever-present to your world, we give thanks for this day of worship, a time to remember one of your servants, the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. - you called and gifted him, O LORD, to awaken our nation’s conscience to the evils of racism, and to the hope of our Democracy.

On this day, O God, remind us that much work remains to be done … racism remains a part of our nation’s narrative, with Confederate flags and racial epithets.

Help us, O God, in this church, to proclaim the truth of justice, to honor the memory of Dr. King, to bring to bear upon our communities the gospel of our LORD Jesus Christ, the gospel of welcome and inclusion, the gospel of peace and hope, the gospel that liberates and sets us free, free to be fully human, to enjoy the gifts of your world, O God, and to insure that all of your children will enjoy the gifts and goodness of life.

In our worship this day, O God, bless us with the fullness of your Holy Spirit … awaken and refresh our courage and faith … bless our preacher of the day, Pastor Harlan Redmond … bless his wife and children, his work, his soul - grant to him, we pray, the eternal vision of a redeemed world, a world faithful and true.

We pray, today, for our loved ones - their wellbeing, their hopes and dreams, whatever physical needs and emotional distress may darken their days … financial worries … employment cares … family conflict, personality disorders - life is complex, O God … we’re always a mystery, even to ourselves … yet in your grace, you provide a way through, pathways to walk upon, and daily encouragement.

We give thanks for doctors and nurses and medical staff - for research facilities and the scientists who seek solutions to the diseases that plague our world. Bless all who strive every day to deliver health care the nation, to meet every need, regardless of of class or race or location. 

Bless us we pray, in the remains of the day - whatever comes our way, O God, you are already there with grace, mercy, and peace. Thank you for calling us to Christ, for redeeming our souls, and giving us the highest of all possible purposes - that of loving you with all that we are, and with all that we hope to be, loving one another.

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. 

What Is Creationism?

A friend recently asked, "What is Creationism?" ... and so I wrote the following email:

Dear Friend,

The following wikipedia article explains quite well, I think, creationism.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Creationism

In the broadest sense, anyone who believes God created the world is a "creationist" - as such, huge numbers of scientists are creationists, too - people of faith - and see faith and science as partners in life - one God, one world, and truth - material or spiritual - is consistent, not contradictory.

The struggle, especially in America under the influence of fundamentalism, has been Literalist Creationism - which begins with a literal reading of Genesis (the article is really helpful on this point). 

If this were merely a tempest in a teapot, or Christians squabbling with themselves, who would care?

But across the nation, fundamentalists have made a concerted effort, successful in some areas of the country, to take control of local (and state) school boards. Where that effort has failed, many fundamentalists have opted for home-schooling or private schools - their science curricula is rather strange … and so is their history curricula (I've seen and read some of it on line).

At this point, the issue: quality education, the reliability of science (because God created an ordered world that we can accurately see, measure and even understand), the partnership of faith and science, and the accurate and faithful reading of the Bible and its many literary forms - some are quite literal: Jesus dies on Calvary (no metaphor there!) and some are metaphoric (Jesus is the shepherd, the door, bread and water - all metaphors).

Earliest Christians had no trouble reading Genesis as metaphor - searching Genesis for the spiritual meaning. Only in America here, and in the last 150 years, has literal creationism taken hold, and become an educational and political issue (literal creationists tend to be reconstructionists) - that is, to make the United States a theocracy (based upon Old Testament law) - ultimately doing away with the Constitution, which is often called "a godless document," because there is no reference to god in it) - similar to fundamentalist Muslims who want to impose Sharia Law.

It's complicated, for sure, and a lot is at stake.

Anyway, thanks for asking, "What is a creationist?"

Hope the above makes some sense.

Merry Christmas.

Tom

Kindness is always in season! And so is truth!

Whom to Choose? Pilate or Jesus?

Pilate asks: “What’s truth?” and Jesus remains silent.

Why?

Because truth is Jesus the Christ, standing there in front of Pilate – now get the picture: here’s Pilate, wearing expensive clothing, hair well-done, in a palace, surrounded by Imperial Guards with shiny weapons, beautiful draperies, servants attending to Pilate’s every need, fine food and drink … the lap of luxury … and then Jesus, hands bound with tough leather straps, blood seeping through his tattered robe, hair tangled with spit and sweat … already half-way to death …

Between these two, you’re standing there in the corner – you’re witness to this encounter – a Jewish prophet from Galilee and mighty Pilate in his palace … and you ask yourself, “Who’s telling the truth?”

How might you answer?

Come one now, tell yourself the truth?

Might you not be inclined to go with Pilate?

Rather than this beaten and tattered man swaying unsteadily on his bloody feet.

Pilate questions him with an imperious voice.

Jesus is horse from thirst, his mouth swollen from the fists that easily found their mark.

Who might you choose?