June 28, 2009
Prayers for Worship
by David von Schlichten
Leader: God's wrath is short;
People: God's favor lasts a lifetime.
Leader: Weeping spends the night,
People: but joy comes in the morning.
Leader: We are sick,
People: but the Father, Son and Holy Spirit gives us the faith that makes us well.
Paraclete, you breathed new life into fallen Jerusalem and breathed new life into a dead girl. Breathe in us. Through Christ take us by the hand and tell us to get up. In the name of the same Christ we pray to the glory of the Father. Amen.
Daddy, we have sinned against you, one another, and creation. We have made promises to give to those in need but then have not made good on those promises. We have been feeble in faith. We have excluded people, labeling them unclean. We think your wrath lasts a lifetime and allow ours to go and do likewise. We tend to see you as a grouchy old man who willingly afflicts and grieves many.
Now, we reach out to Jesus, that we may touch him and be healed. Make us clean through his two-thousand year flow of blood. Please.
Leader: Christ takes your hand and says to you, “Talitha cum,” and you are healed of your sin. Christ's flow of blood frees us from death.
People: I will exalt you, O LORD, because you have lifted me up.
Leader: God has rebuilt the city.
People: Alleluia!
Leader: Hear, O LORD, and have mercy upon us;
People: O LORD, be our helper.
Rejuvenating Love, you raise us from lamentation to rejoicing. Over and over you have revived and rebuilt the Church. We offer emphatic gratitude for your apostles Peter and Paul. We also praise you for John the Baptist and Thomas. We glorify you for Irenaeus, bishop of Lyons, and hymn translators such as Catherine Winkworth and John Mason Neale. God, we have cried to you, (congregational response: and you have restored us to health.).
Sovereign-Spirit of every soul, we praise you for humanity's breathtaking diversity. We offer capital-letter thanksgiving for the United States of America. You have blessed us with liberty. You have given us wise documents such as the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. Lead our nation to show greater love toward its citizens and all people, regardless of color, race, ethnicity, religion, or gender. God, we have cried to you, . . .
Father of every family, we are thankful for good family and good friends, all those whom you have sent to enhance our lives. Help us to enhance theirs. Teach us to make peace with our enemies. Bring healing to the lonely and to all struggling with painful relationships. Hasten healing. God, we have cried to you, . . .
Inclusive Immanuel, you reach out to the unclean, you take the outsider by the hand. Grant us courage and humility to do likewise, remembering that you love all people, regardless of differences of sexual orientation or opinions regarding other controversial issues. God, we have cried to you, . . .
Teacher of “Talitha cum,” your generous healing astounds us. Touch all those in need now, particularly [Add names]. We know you will care for these people, because, God, we have cried to you, . . .
(You may add other praises or petitions here...)
We fall at your feet, giving thanks to you forever. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.
With eagerness, through this offering we show the genuineness of our love, which the Spirit has made possible.
Leader: The Father, Son and Holy Spirit takes you by the hand and says, “Child, get up.”
People: We leave now, overcome with amazement, to speak the Good News through words and actions, ready to rebuild.
(from www.goodpreacher.com/blog/)