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

Holy God, everlasting love, we bow our hearts to your glory … 

Be merciful to us, we pray … we are not always in our right mind … there are times when we stubbornly refuse the guidance of your love … when we speak before we think, when we act imprudently, when we judge others so easily, even as we wink at our own behavior. 

Be merciful to us, we pray … that we might come to a more accurate assessment of who we are, with a more generous respect for others … heal our souls, guide our steps, keep us close to Christ.

We pray today for Syria and Turkey … the pall of death hangs over these lands … grief and hardship prevail for tens of thousands of families … 

We pray for the peacemakers in Sudan … and peacemakers everywhere … who see the better way … who put their lives on the line to promote a just and righteous peace.

Bless our nation, O LORD … we’re rich, we’re powerful … our military stretches across the globe … help us, we pray, to keep our balance … to find our strength in our character and not in our weapons … to find the America envisioned in the heart of Abraham Lincoln, inscribed on the Statue of Liberty’s pedestal … fought for on the beaches of Normandy.

We pray for those who have bowed down to the false gods of power … preachers who have lost their way, spiritual leaders who abuse … we pray for those who’ve been harmed by it all … those to whom the doors of the church have been slammed shut and barred … so many, O LORD, have felt the sting of narrow religion - their souls battered by rejection and shame.

We pray for America’s schools - teachers struggling to balance learning and bad politics … school boards besieged by angry mobs … librarians under attack; books censored … children judged and shamed by ignorant adults.

We pray for those trapped in drug abuse … bound in the chains of something so deadly and powerful … have mercy upon them, we pray, and help us build the resources needed for treatment, healing, and recovery …

We pray for the lonely, the sad, the frightened, the confused and wandering, for whom the burdens of life press down so hard, life no longer seems possible. 

We’re glad, O God, to have this time to pray, to think and sing, to lift our hearts up to you, to offer our hands to one another … in this place of peace and beauty.

Help us, we pray, to be wise in our thoughts, kind in our behavior, generous with our lives. 

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. 

4.23.23 Prayers of Church & Community, Westminster Presbyterian Church, Pasadena, Ca

Eternal God, thank you for bringing us here today …  your grace at work in our hearts, your love pulling and tugging us along the way, moving us throughout the day … speaking to us in hushed tones, gentle and warm … and sometimes, O God, you have to shout at us, shake us by the scruff of the neck, because we can be a stubborn lot.

We thank you, O LORD, for those who were here in times past, who poured our their hope and energy to build a church on Lake Avenue … with a tower reaching high … a tower to bless the earth and all its creatures, a tower to point the way, to lift up fallen spirits, to encourage the dispirited … holy God, preserve us, we pray, with your great love, sustain your work here in our midst … forgive our sins, our faults, our failings … empower our dreams, and grant us what’s needed for ministry on Lake Avenue.

LORD God Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, we give thanks for the Rev. Harlan Redmond, for his family, for the church he serves, for his dreams, his hopes, his ambitions; for all who guided him and guarded him throughout the journey, to this very moment in time … may your Holy Spirit watch over him, may your love guide and guard him, may mercy be his strength, may grace light his way.

Bless now, we pray, these moments of worship for us, and for folks all around the world, who take the time, and make the time, to give some time to you.

May hearts be touched, minds enlarged … may the love of Christ be lifted on high … may all of us, O God, step a bit closer to the reality of your creation, the goodness of your love, the purpose of our lives … to know Christ more fully, to serve him more completely, to love one another more ably … to tell a good joke now and then, offer a generous hand, challenge the nonsense of the day, speak kindly of everyone we can, and if we can’t speak kindly of someone, to keep our thoughts to ourselves.

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. 

4.16.23 Prayers of Church & Society, Westminster Presbyterian Church, Pasadena, CA

Eternal God, from whom flows all the goodness of our world, the hope we have for better days, the courage we possess to challenge the lies and speak the truth … and your daily grace, our daily bread, dear God, to see us through.

Eternal God, in your wisdom, we find our intelligence …

In your love, we find our direction ..

In your mercy, doors are opened, pathways cleared …

In your goodness, O God, we find ourselves, what it means to be human, created in your image, commissioned to care for your earth, called to follow your Christ.

Eternal God, we offer ourselves to you … lest we offer ourselves to the lesser gods of the day, the whims and fancies of the marketplace … the latest promise of salvation …

Save us, we pray, from these lesser gods, that we might remain in Christ, clear of mind and heart.

By your Holy Spirit, teach us the way of Christ … the way of compassion and mercy … hope and peace … grant to us, we pray, fresh courage, to face the demands of our age … to endure the pitfalls of life, to walk bravely through the valley of the shadow of death, for thou art with us … the eternal companion, in whom we find our future … that we are your, in body and soul, in life and in death, now and forevermore.

We pray this day for the flashpoints of our world … the war in Ukraine, tensions between China and Taiwan, fresh fighting in Sudan … we pray for politicians and leaders, for women and men of good conscience, who choose the pathways of virtue, faithful to the highest ambitions of heaven and earth - human dignity, freedom, safety, and welcome.

We pray, dear God, for loved ones and friends, those in need, some in grief, searching for their way … grant to them all, we pray, the kindness of your Holy Spirit, the assurance of Christ, the comfort of many friends, and the strength of wise mentors.

We pray now for Westminster, dear God - a place of worship, mission, and peace … we give thanks for everyone here today … for all who join us via YouTube … for all who’ve been here in the past, for all who shall take our place one day, the great company of saints, the church of Jesus Christ, a voice of hope in a clamoring world.

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. 

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

LORD of might and mercy … 

LORD  of cross and sorrow … 

LORD of victory and hope eternal, 

We seek you in the nooks and crannies of our life … we look for your in Word and Wisdom … we search our memories and plumb our hopes … 

Ever-grateful that you have looked for us - first of all … that you, O God, have come to us, a thousand times over … your hand is upon us … your love guides and guards our journey through time, from here to eternity.

You are the God of our journey, the God who seeks the lost, the God who finds and saves …

You make the journey, to be with us:

In spirit and purpose, lest in our loneliness, we despair … 

In our wandering, we lose our way … 

In our sorrows, we lose our hope … 

In our sin, forfeit all grace …

You preserve us in our comings and our goings.

You anchor our life…  

You are the God who crosses every boundary and moves through time and space, to be with your creation … all its creatures, great and small.

To the Garden you came, in the cool of the day … 

Upon the Mountain you stood, to write the Commandments … 

In Bethlehem’s cradle, born of sweet Mary … 

Along Jerusalem’s crowed streets, you carried the bloody cross.

Time and again, you have found us … and in finding us, dear God,  we - find - you.

With gratitude and hope, we give to you our loved ones … we pray for their well-being … their safety, in body and soul …  

We pray for our parents and grandparents, our sons and daughters … all the networks of love, and family, and community that give us life, so many countless souls who’ve made the journey with us, who still walk beside us, to whom we owe a debt of gratitude.  

We pray for the children of the world … may nations be moved to act with justice … may multi-national corporations be moved to act with wisdom … may our leaders seek peace, may they strive for the best ideas, may they reach upward for justice, and outward with compassion … may our better angels prevail in all matters of state and religion … that the children of the world might play in peace … dear God … dear God we pray:

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. 

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

Holy God, Creator of the heavens and the earth … 

On this Palm Sunday, on this Sabbath Day, a day of rest and recollection, a day of good

cheer and sober reflection, we welcome Christ into our church … our homes … our world … our hearts!

We welcome the One who blessed the widow and her tiny, tiny, coin … who gave hearing to the deaf, sight to the blind, a fresh chance to everyone in need of a better day.

We sing Hallelujah, we wave our palm branches … we lay down our cloaks … to honor the Christ, our LORD and our Savior … 

Help us, dear God, to follow Christ with heart and mind, to engage well with the times in which we live … to be the salt of the earth, and the light of world …  

Eternal God, we lift up the nation to you … in these moments of sorrow, that try the soul of the strongest, and bring tears to every heart …  

O LORD our God, 

~ I, as a minister of the Gospel, cannot abide with those who parade about with flag and Bible in one hand, and a gun in the other … 

~ Help me, I pray, to take a firm and faithful look at Christ, to read the Scriptures with care and wisdom, to consider the ways of love, to measure well what is claimed by some, and offered by others … that I might walk with Christ, clearly, conscientiously … to seek the common good, shape my personal rights, form my life, by the needs and rights of others.

As a nation, O God, I pray:

Do not forgive us …

Do not let us off the hook …

Do not ease the pain of this moment …

Until we find the resolve to do what’s needed and right … until we can rise above cheap politics and empty piety, to find the heart and soul of America’s greatness, a nation devoted to liberty and justice for all.

This day, O LORD, we pray for our families and friends, those close to us, those for whom we care … grant healing and health as needed, hope and peace … prosperity and strength … safety and assurance.

Bless Westminster, dear God, in its journey unto a new day of mission, with new works of ministry … may we hold high the name of Christ, in season and out season, in the best of times, and the worst of times … in all times, and in every place, to be, unto your glory, the church where the Tower still stands.

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.

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

 

Holy God, creator of the heavens and the earth …

Holy Trinity, forever our guide and our stay …

Eternal God, the anchor of all our hope …

Loving God, our inspiration, and our courage …

Deliver us, we pray, from the distractions that dull our spirits and weaken our faith … deliver us, we pray, from all that moves us away from peace, away from love, away from hope … 

Deliver us, we pray, unto your self … that we might, in these few moments of prayer and pondering, recenter ourselves in Christ, reclaim our spiritual legacies, regain our composure, and renew our confidence …

And so to face the world with a sense of what’s real and what isn’t … what matters and what doesn’t … what needs to be done, and what can be set aside … give to us, we pray, the priorities of Christ our LORD … to be prophets of truth, heralds of love, champions of faith, defenders of freedom, messengers of learning, wisdom, and knowledge.

We pray for family and friends … where healing is needed, may there be grace … where peace is needed, may there be mercy … where there’s hurt and sorrow, may there be the touch of friendship, and the gentle presence of your Holy Spirit.

We pray for our nation, dear God - for our President and Vice President … for members of Congress, for judges and juries  … may there be a great presence of mind in our midst, deep convictions for the welfare of the nation, a commitment to preserve our Democracy, to be a beacon of hope for the world … living proof - that justice for all, is possible.

We pray for all who are in transition … from one job to another, from a home here to a home elsewhere … and for those who cross the threshold of this church, established members and faithful visitors, some new to the neighborhood, looking for you, loving God …  

For each of them, this day, and for those with us via YouTube … may they all, in their own way, hear the gospel … behold the glory of Christ, experience the power and redemption of Lent … may the wonder and beauty of faith rise up strong in each of them … may the call of Christ be their joy, may the life of Christ be their assurance, may the peace of Christ be their strength.

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. 

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

God of light, God of love,

Open our eyes that we might see something of your glory … 

To look upon the mountains, moved by their majesty … 

To hear the smallest of birds greeting the morning sun, to feel something of the joy expressed

in that morning song of praise.

To watch clouds form and move and merge into an endless parade across the sky … 

To look upward at night, and beyond the horizon, to worlds far and beyond … where a thousand years are but a day, or day a thousand years … 

And for a few moments, O God, to be lifted up and taken away in praise and wonder … for the healing of our souls … a closer walk with Christ, and more love to you, O God, and more love to those around us … 

Heal us, we pray, in mind, body, heart, and soul …  

Awaken within us the deep longings of our spirit - it is your love we seek, your love we need, your love that constitutes the framework and the energy of the universe … the universe of galaxies unnumbered … the smallest bits and pieces of mystery that constitute our bodies … how we think and talk, and what we want, and how we live.

In our youth, O God, life is endless and full of possibilities … as we age, things change, dear God, as they should, as they must … in the last third of our life, we look back with gratitude, and some regret … we’ve done our best, and we hope for the best, for those we love, and the world in which we live.

You have prepared us all along the way, dear God, prepared us to live, to live with purpose, meaning, courage, hope … in the final third of our life, you help us give way to others who will take up the work justice and peace … in the end, O God, you are there to greet us … as you were in our first breath of time, then in our first breath of eternity.

For all who came before us, saints and sinners, we give your our thanks and praise … and for all who shall follow in our footsteps … bless them, we pray, one and all. 

Grant to us, this day, we pray, our daily bread, wisdom for the living of our lives, dreams to seek, dreams to fulfill, a world to make, and a time to live.

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.