a prayer of confession for any of those weedy stories, submitted by Rev. Teri Peterson, Ridgefield-Crystal Lake Presbyterian Church, Crystal Lake, IL.
One: God, you scatter seeds of hope, abundance, and new life.
All: But we have mixed some of our own seeds—
seeds of fear, greed, apathy.
One: Then seeing our mistake, we have tried to purify the garden,
we have pushed out brothers and sisters,
built walls that isolate, and made rules that hurt.
All: Forgive our anxious weeding, O God,
and help us repair the garden of your kingdom.
One: Show us how to cultivate fruitfulness and hospitality,
a place of peace and grace.
All: Teach us to trust your skill, master gardener,
and to see your kingdom come. Amen.
prayer of confession: sowing and harvesting
submitted by Rev. Andy James, First Presbyterian Church, Whitestone, New York
based on Matthew 13:24-30
Gracious God, you sow good seeds in the field to make the world blossom and grow, but we lay waste to your crop. We toss other seeds into the field that only choke the life you share. We pull up the weeds when the time is not right and destroy the good wheat in our world. And sometimes we would rather even destroy the whole field than claim the good crops that you have given us. Forgive us for tending your field with such carelessness and bad judgment. Show us your intentions for us and our world once again, and so open us to the good harvest that you share with us and all creation.
confession: scattered
Prayer of Confession (using Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23 as inspiration), submitted by Rev. Rebecca Page Lesley, Suffolk Presbyterian Church
We watch in horror, loving God, as you scatter seed with abandon, never even looking to see where it will fall. We think we could do it better—plowing and planting in only the best soil, carefully measuring out just the right amount of seed, fertilizer and water. “No waste, no want,” we say. We fear that there will not be enough and so we hoard what we have been so generously given by you, saving what we should be sharing. O God, forgive us for not trusting your ways and for doubting your extravagant abundance. Our own roots are shallow and we quickly fall away in the heat of the day; the weeds of our lives choke our commitment to you. Release us from our fears so that we may bear fruit for you and grow in us a desire to live abundant lives, flowering with generosity and mercy…
(…moment of silent confession.)
Brainstorming: Rally/kick-off Sunday
For many of us, the start of the program year (often the Sunday after labor day, but some are in August and some will be later because of September 11th…) involves a very exciting worship experience. Often choirs return from summer break, the space may be decorated, there are more people around (maybe because Sunday School starts up again?), etc. Do you do anything special in worship to start the program year? Are you looking for creative ideas or hoping to bounce some stuff around and see what might work? Let’s dream together about how to kick off a new year in worship.
Brainstorming: September 11th
This year is the 10th anniversary of the September 11th attacks, and September 11th falls on a Sunday. Is your community doing anything to mark this anniversary? Are you wondering if/how you might incorporate something into your regular worship service? Share your ideas, thoughts, concerns, hopes here…and together we can brainstorm some liturgy, music, and other worship ideas.
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