A Pentecost Prayer

Oh Lord we feel the pain of all that perishes and dies.

We suffer and it feels as if your will may be turned against us.

Even in our suffering, we will not fear change, for Christ  is the agency of Creative Transformation.

Heavenly Host, we feel the advent of something new.

We groan inwardly and outwardly to discern what it is. We suffer and it feels as if your will is breaking through us.

Even in our suffering, we will not fear change for Christ  is the agency of Creative Transformation.

Mysterious Holy Spirit, sustain the dance between our intuition and reason.

We suffer to rationalize one and to fully embrace the other.

Even in our suffering to understand, we will not fear the continual birth of your church, for Christ is the agency of creatively transforming all toward your wisdom and way.

Amen.

Read Full Post »

Prayer for Acts 19:1-7 and Genesis 1:1-5 on January 8th, 2012

Image via Wikipedia

 

 

 

I enjoyed writing these prayers after reading very helpful commentary from  The Interpreter‘s Dictionary of the Bible vol. 2 “Holy Spirit”  and The Lord of Life:  Perspectives on Constructive Pneumatology David H. Jensen Editor and specifically chapter five “Guests, Hosts and Holy Ghost: Pneumatological Theology and Christian Practices in  World of Many Faiths” by Amos Yong.

 

 

CALL TO WORSHIP:

Leader: Some say that faith, in the larger world,  has lost its tact.

People:  Our parents always told us to mind our manners.

Leader:  Minding manners allows individuals to arrive at shared understanding and behavior.

People:  Even in Jesus’ day there were a diversity of beliefs and this required etiquette and manners.

Leader:  There was no Emily Post, but there was and is attunement to the Holy Spirit.

All:  Let us reconnect with the Holy Spirit who inspires bold tact, as we worship the God of Jesus.  Amen.

 

PRAYER OF PRAISE:

Holy Host, you are not an ethereal ghost but a salient connector.  When we have a need to be loved, you connect us with those who need love from us.  When we need adventure, you connect us with demanding individuals and circumstances that build stamina.  When we are in need peace, you present us with people in need of comfort that only we can give.  Hear our praise that when you connect us though we seem to be meeting the needs of others, our own cup runneth over.  Continue to come and connect our lives o Great and Hospitable Spirit.  Amen.

 

Read Full Post »

Mary’s Song

A Call to worship and a prayer of praise for this Sunday.  I love how prayers of praise can be easily adapted to become a meaningful prayer of confession ….

CALL TO WORSHIP:

Leader:  Before there were notes on a page, there was rhythm.

People:  Before there was a song in our brain, our heart’s synchronized rhythm could rouse or calm us.

Leader:  Before there was radio or iPods, rhythm could travel.

People:  The first rhythms were occasional in celebration of ordinary stories.

Leader:  When stories found their rhythm, singers lost their fear and trepidation, they found their courage to answer God’s call.

All:  Let us worship our God who loves our rhythm and song.  Amen.

PRAYER OF PRAISE:

God of our lives, we marvel at the transformation of the mundane.  We can go through the motions and cook a meal, change a diaper, write a card or change a filter but there is no gratitude in going through the motions.  We give you thanks for the emergence of a hum or a whistle that moves our mundane to great fun and joy. Thank you for the people whose rhythms are freely given and infectious. Let us treasure each moment by setting it to rhythm.  We offer this prayer as we remember Mary’s song that surely affected the rhythm of Jesus’ heart.  Amen

Read Full Post »

Sharing Vineyard Prayers for Sunday’s Lectionary Reading

The Book of Common Worship is an excellent and even critical resource for pastors, but I find writing my own prayers an even more essential discipline in the homiletic process.  Writing my own prayers is a weekly discipline.  Here are prayers inspired by Exodus 16:2-15 and Matthew 20:1-16.  BTW prayer of praise can be easily written to the negative to function as a prayer of confession.

CALL TO WORSHIP

Leader: The Kingdom of God has been imagined as a future promise or a present invitation.

People:   The Kingdom of God is mysterious.

Leader: Jesus’ teaching tugged at the mysterious veil in order to explicate God’s Kingdom.

People: His parables, age-old, remain unsettling and surprising.

Leader:  Perhaps we will recognize The Kingdom as a tireless seek and find.

All: Let us worship the God who allows us a robust reward through exertion and purpose.  Amen.

PRAYER OF PRAISE

God of a divine economy, in our dollar and cents society, we struggle to express what we value.  It is a great mystery that some valueless things are priceless.  It is another mystery that some valuable things are a burden.  From some place deeper than our pockets or wallets we have come to know value.  At times, we have been undervalued and almost talked into our worthlessness.  In other moments we have walked into a profound purpose and felt great humility and privilege.  Let the evidence of our praise be in our ability to call one another to purpose within this place.  For this church does not belong to those of us who have been here the longest.  Your house and ministry belongs equally to the next one who walks into your ready space.  Hear each prayer in whatever hour it finds itself, through Christ.    Amen.

 

 

Read Full Post »

A Prayer of Confession and Praise for a Communion Sunday

God of all savory truths and digestion, we have gathered this morning to cleanse our palates.  For we have partaken of things too sweet and ravaged what was excessively sour.  We have indulged in the bland and gorged ourselves.  We have avoided the more complex and nourishing diet because we have been in a hurry.  We give you thanks for bread and cup that will remind us of adequate portions.  May what sustains us be a balance between appropriate satisfaction and appropriate hunger so that we may strive as your servant people.  Hear our prayer as we consider the brain of Jesus who enjoyed fellowship and the mind of Christ‘s communion. Amen.

Written by Rev. Dr. Leslie King for March 6th, 2011 worship at the First Presbyterian Church of Osawatomie, Kansas

Read Full Post »