Almighty God, your gentle hand spins our
planet and moves us around our sun. You
bring around the changing seasons and the cycle of life, death and resurrection
that we face each year. We enter this
season of transformation, where the colors change, the temperature drops and
the harvest is reaped. Help us to enter
autumn grateful for the gifts of this earth,
and thankful for the bounty of the harvest you provide. Allow us to accept that the fading colors and
dying leaves are necessary parts of the rebirth that is ahead next spring.
This morning we honor up to you those who
have answered the call to teach our children, youth and adults the beauty of
your words and the lessons of faith.
May our prayers uplift our teachers, shepherds, staffers, lay advisors
and facilitators. Active and creative
God, may your spirit become alive in each of them and inspire their words and
actions. Help our educators create an
atmosphere where questions are encouraged, struggles are shared and wisdom is
collective. Prepare those they teach to
receive the lessons and to open their hearts to a life walked in Christian
faith.
Living God, we come before you with our own
wounds, struggles and doubts. Some of us
are in need of your healing … our bodies
seem to betray us with pain, illness and fatigue; our minds are clouded with
depression, anxiety and fear; and our souls sorrow and fear for the life that
is before us. We feel weak and alone
and ignored. God, bring your wholeness
and healing like a warm light into our bodies.
Transform those dark places in our lives, help us to ask for help when
it is needed and allow us to be open to those you have sent to serve, assist
and love us.
Merciful God, we pray for
people around the world who are displaced from their homes and living under
constant fear. We hear stories of the
Syrian refugees and feel helpless. We
know your call to welcome the stranger and love our neighbor, but guide us as a
church to discern where we can help those who are displaced and in desperate
needs. Hear our prayers on their
behalf, and brighten a path for us to follow that will serve others in need.
Loving God, you and your son walk among us
and are fully aware of our human failings.
We know that we are like the Disciples who ignored the gift of Christ in
front of them, and focused instead on jockeying for position. In our own ways, the desire for recognition
and power blinds us to what is important to You and the Kingdom. Our need to be first or best or right or
justified is foolish and selfish … yet we know that you love us abundantly …
you love us enough to call us out of ourselves and into a life of a servant of
all. You never give up on us. We offer to you those places that we have
failed to be a servant of all…
Christ beside me, Christ before me … we are
in awe of the gift of your son to us.
Christ, our rock, our redeemer, who brings us together each week and
teaches us to offer our prayers to you.
Be with us as we pray …
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