Wednesday: Farewell and Hail

Farewell to April
of 2013
and the earlier months, too.

We are moving ahead, it is May.
We are facing forward
To see what God has in store for us

Farewell to daily prayers in this space, as well.

Next week, all weekly prayers will appear on RevGalBlogPals. 

In a day gone by
Before Facebook
When we blogged our hearts, our fears, our hopes
This space was sacred.

Requests for prayer in the comments:
Joys were shared here.
Great horrors, as well.

The joining of two enterprises into a single stronger one
is wise. More people will see and share in prayer.

Technology changes. Times change.

You, God, never change.


Every good gift, every perfect gift, comes from above. These gifts come down from the Father, the creator of the heavenly lights, in whose character there is no change at all. 
James 1:17 (CEB)

Tuesday Prayer

another treasure of a prayer song...

because I don't know about you, but I am needing help to hear what needs to be heard.
Amen.

Monday Prayer: Sufficient Grace

God of grace and mercy, your love has no boundaries. 

Your power does not discriminate. 

Your healing does not favor one race, ethnicity, or creed. 

In a world that teaches a false scarcity of resources and preaches the false gospel of blessedness through prosperity, help us to understand your grace is enough.

 It is enough to help us live in trust. 

It is enough to carry us into and through faithful action. 

It is enough to open our minds to new and imaginative ways to bring all people together for the sake of peace, for sake of community, for the sake of Jesus. 

Hear our prayer, O God. 

And, in your mercy, answer us. 

Easter 5C Sunday Prayer

Oh God who created all things including humans, we praise your name for you faithfulness.

We praise you just as all of the creatures of the earth sing your praise.

We look forward to that day when we live with you in our eternal home.

In the meantime come make your home in us.

Come into our neighborhoods, our work places, our schools.

Come live in us Lord.

We await the day when every tear will be wiped away and there will be no more grieving.

In the meantime Lord, wipe our tears when we do mourn our losses, like those in West Texas after the explosion.

We look for the day when there will be no more sickness, in the meantime when we are ailing bring your healing touch to our lives.

We look for the day when all things will be new,

 in the meantime renew our tired land, our old falling down housing, our broken systems, our empty spaces of worship and our aging bodies.

We await that day Lord, when your justice, your love, your mercy rules and thy kingdom has come.

Amen

cross posted at revgalblogpals

Tuesday Prayer

...for those in terror and fear, grief, loss,
ongoing.
never fading.
not even thinking that hope is possible.
O God,
hear our heartbreaking prayers.

...for the bursts of golden forsythia,
the happy daffodils along the riverside,
wandering geese among the carpets of grass,
the pink of crabapple trees,
O God,
we are surprised by the hope of nature.

...for our minds and hearts and beings,
caught in the inbetween,
we pray
for peace,
for breathing,
for presence.

Amen.

Monday Prayer: A Better Week

Monday is dawning
Trepidatious first steps
Quiet prayers for peace

Sunday Prayer for Easter 4C

Lord,

You are our Shepherd,

Jesus said he was the Good Shepherd.

But God if you are the good Shepherd, why?

Why must we be so violent? Is it because we don’t trust you as our good shepherd?

Where are you if you are the good shepherd?

Its not just in Boston or New York that people are killed by bombs

Its everywhere God.

It doesn't much feel like green pastures or still waters.

But we need you to make us lie down in green pastures and to lead us beside the still waters.

We all need green pastures and still waters to sooth our souls.

Lord we walk through some dark valleys now with the violence in the world.

We walk through our own dark valleys of death, illnesses, crisis, hardships, and tough times.

We want to believe and to not fear evil, but God sometimes we do fear.

How can this world feel safe if you can even run in a race or

walk in a run/walk event anymore without worrying if there is a bomb planted at the finish line.

We aren't always sure you are there right beside us.

But Lord we all need you right there beside us, guiding us, protecting us and comforting us.

God, our Shepherd we need you to prepare a feast for all of us,

Especially all who are hungry.

We need you to anoint our heads with your oil.

We need goodness and mercy to follow us all our days instead of the hatred, badness, mistreatment,

Bullying, and harming one another.

We all need to live in the house of the LORD our whole life long for there we find peace, your peace that overcomes that which is mean, violent and hard in this world.

Wait a minute Lord it’s us you need to bring the goodness and mercy, peace and reconciliation

into this world.

It’s us that you need to work toward justice and nonviolence so that we can have shalom in this world.

It’s us that need to prepare the feast for all and homes for the homeless.

But God, we want to remain safe and secure.

We don’t want to go to help change the world.

We are afraid.

We don’t want to be the ones you called to go into all the world and make disciples.

Lord forgive us, encourage us, equip us, and yes, send us Lord to change our world.

And Lord go with us as the Good Shepherd of the world.

based on Psalm 23

cross posted at revgalblogpals