2.23.25 prayers of church & community - Westminster Presbyterian Church, Pasadena, CA

 Prayers of Church & Community, Feb. 23, 2025

Westminster Presbyterian Church

I lift up my eyes to the hills— from where will my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.

O Thou who art the first and the last, 

the beginning and the end, 

to you we turn with enduring joy, 

to find our way, 

to see the truth, 

to save our souls from the beguiling lies of the day.

On our own, O God, we cannot do these things.

But with your Spirit guiding our steps,

We can and we will:

embrace the love of Christ,

follow in his ways, and proclaim to the world 

the goodness of his grace 

and the power of his peace.

Teach us, we pray, to know and practice the gifts of compassion, mercy, welcome, and honesty …remind us, O LORD, of the great calling of Christ, to follow where’er he lead … to heed his word and welcome his love …  

We pray, dear God, for loved ones and friends … 

we pray for those who’ve lost their homes … 

and now must find a place to live … 

we pray for the resources of help … 

government agencies, private charities … 

We thank you for the signs of hope … the human spirit rising to the occasion, great in mercy and courage.

We thank you, O God, for the goodness you pour into our hearts and into world.

In days when strength fails us, O God, when the burdens of sorrow weigh us down to the dust of the earth, you stand by us, we know … though we cannot see, though blinded by tears, thou art there.

I lift up my eyes to the hills— from where will my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.  

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.

2.16.25 prayers of church & community, Westminster Presbyterian Church, Pasadena, CA

 Prayers of Church & Community, Feb. 16, 2025

Westminster Presbyterian Church

Holy God, Eternal Light,

Our hearts yearn for your presence … 

For so you have made us in this way:

we seek your goodness, 

we hunger and thirst for righteousness, 

we reach upward to the heavens, and downward into the soul … 

we weep with those who weep … 

we laugh with those who laugh … 

we run the race of life with joy and wonder … 

and when toil and trouble come our way, 

we bear these burdens with patience and peace … 

for you, O God, are at work in all things for good … 

when we cannot see the way ahead, 

you are at our side … 

when we cannot walk, you stand with us quietly … 

when we must lay down, you lay down beside us … 

in our life, you live within us, 

in our death, you surround us with mercy … with a love that cannot be broken.

We are grateful to be here, O God … in this sacred space, bathed in the music of faith … reminded of those who have gone this way before us, who have made straight the way of the LORD, who have cried in their sorrow, and laughed in their joy.

To their journey, O LORD, we add our days … we add our prayers and our energy … we take up the flames of faith and carry them in our heart … we walk in the ways of Christ, and we heal our world … we breath deeply the clear air of love … and with humility and hope, we give ourselves to you, O God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

With simple words and heartfelt dreams, we pray for loved ones, friends and family … those who lost so much in the fires, those who travel afar … those in search of employment … those who need blessed assurance and your divine comfort.

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. 

2.9.25 prayers of church & community, Westminster Presbyterian Church, Pasadena, CA

 Prayers of Church & Community, February 9, 2025

Westminster Presbyterian Church

Holy God, Eternal Light,

We pray for our families and friends affected by the fires … severe losses, O God … disorientation … wondering what’s next, how to rebuild, where to go, how long it’ll take, and can we do it?

Come Thou fount of every blessing

Tune my heart to sing Thy grace

Streams of mercy never ceasing

Call for songs of loudest praise

We pray for those beset with deep anxieties of mind and spirit … for whom the days are long and wearisome, and the nights, longer still.

We pray for those with physical needs, broken bones and various ailments … aches and pains … and loss of strength.

We pray for doctors and nurses, medical staff and technicians … folks whom you have called and gifted to care for our bodies.

We pray for our nation, O God - a time of testing, with many questions .. 

We pray for the nations of the world … your world,  dear God, the world you love, the world for which Christ gave his life.

Come Thou fount of every blessing

Tune my heart to sing Thy grace

Streams of mercy never ceasing

Call for songs of loudest praise

In such times, O God, our needs are deep, our fears so strong and wild … be kind to us, we pray, do not abandon us to our willful ways, but hold us in the hollow of your hand … speak tenderly to our trembling hearts, encourage us for the day, and for the long haul … remind us, O God, of all the good being done, women and men of good conscience and sound spirit, your love at work all around the world … every prayer, every song, every dream … 

Come Thou fount of every blessing

Tune my heart to sing Thy grace

Streams of mercy never ceasing

Call for songs of loudest praise

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.

2.2.25 Prayers of Church & Community, Scout Sunday, Westminster Presbyterian Church, Pasadena, CA

 Prayers of Church & Community, Feb 2, 2025

Westminster Presbyterian Church

Holy God, Eternal Light … 

We pray for those who lost loved ones in the Potomac plane crash … our hearts are broken, our minds awhirl with sorrow … 

We pray for the families and friends who lost homes to the fires, and those who lost loved one … we’re mindful of our Scouting Family, dear God, many of whom lost their homes - all the things of life: mementos, the bits and pieces of memory … souvenirs … awards and trophies, childhood toys, and good books.

On this day, O God, we lift up our Scouts - we give thanks for all who have taken up the mantle of Scout leadership, to help our youth find their way in life … we thank you, O God, for the great values represented in the program … patriotism, honor, decency, and faithfulness.

Bless our Scouts, we pray, with your Holy Spirit … bless their families and see them through the challenges and crises of the moment … give to them, we pray, the solace of your mercy, the guidance of your wisdom, the courage of your love … to face forward and to look upward … to reach out to help others, and from others, to be helped  … to maintain the human bond, the commitments and loyalties that keep us connected and working together … help us all, we pray, to be good Scouts, good citizens of this land.

We pray for our nation … caught up in political distress … help us, we pray, with the light of Christ, to discern what is true and what isn’t … to cling to the ideals we all share … to help one another, to level the playing field, to confront bigotry, racism, discrimination - all the ways, O God, we have of hurting one another … help us, we pray, to rise above the evils of nationalism to find true patriotism, to seek justice for all, and peace for the world.

Bless, we pray, the churches of our land … bless synagogues, mosques, and temples … communities of faith and prayer … may the light of truth shine brightly … may the lies of pride and power be exposed … may courage be the hallmark of faith … may open arms be our life …  

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.

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

 Prayers of Church & Community, January 26, 2025

Westminster Presbyterian Church

Eternal God, light of the world, comfort us, we pray, in our time of need and loss …

We pray for our nation … and those who govern us … 

We pray for Wall Street and Main Street, we pray for businesses, large and small … we pray for the captains of capital and America’s working women and men … save us, one and all, from the gods of greed; that we might embrace the wisdom of true wealth, that in giving, we receive … in receiving, we learn the great truth of life - to find what we want, we must give what others need.

We pray for the frightened … folks deemed unworthy by misguided politicians, and fanatical preachers … we pray for those who proclaim hate, and call it good … we pray for those who claim the name of Christ and reject their sisters and brothers.

We pray for writers and historians, journalists and podcasters … who search for the stories behind the stories, the truth of the matter, to help us see clearly. 

We pray for our universities and colleges … professors and administrators … those who touch the minds of the young, who stir the conscience … and awaken the best kinds of dreams.

We pray for houses of worship and prayer … we pray imams and priests, rabbis and pastors … we pray for spiritual leaders and their congregations … for elders and deacons, Sunday School teachers and choirs … 

Especially we pray for those who speak truth to power, who lift up the cross of Christ, who hold forth the hands of mercy … we pray for the Rev. Mariann Budde, and the National Cathedral … 

We pray for Westminster, O God, here on Lake Avenue … fill this building with your glory, fill our hearts with your love, fill our minds with your thoughts … help us, to love justice, to do good, and to walk humbly with you, our God and Savior.

We pray for our own souls, dear God … that we might possess the integrity of Christ, the vision of your salvation, the strength of the gospel … that we might never give up on our journey with Christ … that we might have divine strength, to bear the cross and follow Christ where e’er he lead.

That we might be the light of the world, the salt of the earth … 

By mercy untold, and grace ever bright, the Tower still stands, dear God, a beacon of light, a tower of hope.

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. 

1.19.25 prayers of church & community, Westminster Presbyterian Church, Pasadena, CA

 Prayers of Church & Community, January 19, 2025

Westminster Presbyterian Church

In the smoke of our sorrows …

In the winds of our lament …

In the ashes of our tears …

O LORD, our God, creator of the heavens and the earth, we cry out for your mercies and your guidance … for your love and your strength … for the comfort and consolation of your Holy Spirit, for the gentle touch of Christ … to take our hand and lead the way … the way forward, the way through it all …

With heavy hearts, we pray for those who’ve lost their homes … and those with damaged homes … communities lost to us forever … the stores and the shops, the gatherings places of commerce and conversation … schools and churches and a billion memories …

We are, dear God, creatures of this earth … we are material through and through, and to the material things of life we belong, and in their loss, our lives are depleted … from tooth brushes and toothpicks … to cars and clothes, to pots and pans … and screwdrivers and scotch tape …

We pray for those coming to our aid … government agencies and private organizations, and personal generosity from all around the nation, the world …

Bless our nation, we pray … as we transition to a new administration … may the better angels of peace and goodness sound the trumpets of hope … may wisdom and mercy prevail.

For the Middle East, O God, we pray … may the peacemakers be heard, may arms be laid down, may justice be done …

We pray for our troubled world … we pray that humanity will find its way … we pray for all houses of worship … for imams and priests, for pastors and rabbis … for all lift their voices in song, who fold their hands in prayer …

Holy God, Eternal Light, teach us of Christ … help us, we pray, to bow the knee in humble prayer and faithful love … guide our footsteps along the difficult pathways of life … when we’re weak, O God, you are our strength … when we’re sad, O God, your love remains our joy.

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.