LiturgyLink

a community creating for the relentless return of Sunday

You are here: Home / Archives for Ordinary Time / Year C / Ordinary 9C-33C / Ordinary 23C

Ordinary 23C

Prayer: Mercy and Justice

By Leave a Comment

written for National Day of Prayer, for the government.
Lord, as we delicately balance a relationship between mercy and justice
Give us a prudence for Good News when only Sheol surrounds us.
Suffering is real, death is real, this pandemic is real, and you are real.
Those who discern their power in the midst of crisis through wisdom
comfort the poor, shepherd the vulnerable, feed the hungry, and heal sick.
May their work translate from the language of illness to the celebration of wholeness.
Those who discern their power in the midst of crisis through foolishness
ignore the poor, endanger the vulnerable, hoard from hunger, and heal only some.
We know now that you show no partiality and we search to find you in all creatures.
Make our leaders grow as people worthy of their civic calling.
Make us uneasy when they act with injustice, and proud when they pursue peace.
Dissuade any political entity or party from propaganda, misinformation, & scapegoating.
Bring forward in our government the best of who we are when we are fully human
And actively decide to love our neighbor as ourselves.
We do this because you first loved us.
In Jesus Name.
submitted by Brian Merritt, First Presbyterian Church of Hackettstown, NJ 

Confession: Choose Life

By Leave a Comment

On our journey with God, we often make mistakes, and hurt each other. By acknowledging these mistakes, and asking for forgiveness, we work to heal that pain, and reconcile with each other and with God. Let us join together in prayer:

Holy and Beloved God, you have blessed us with life itself – and yet, we choose to walk away from you again and again. We get engrossed in the small details and the broad strokes, and lose track of you as the artist. We say we want to be your disciple, but we chase after dreams that you tell us to ignore, and ignore your call to act in love in the world. Help us to turn our hearts back to you. Help us give our whole attention and whole self to you, as Jesus told us to do. Help us to choose life in you over all else. Hear the words of our hearts as we lift up silent prayers.

No matter how often we forget God’s presence, or choose to follow our own paths and dreams, God calls out to us to return to the path, that God has already forgiven us, and that Jesus is waiting for us with open arms.

May we love God and each other as much as God loves us! Amen.

 

Submitted by Rev. Lucus Levy Keppel, Trinity Presbyterian Church, Bixby, OK

(Based on Deut. 30, and Luke 14, for Proper 19 (Sept 4, 2016))

CTW: Trees of God

By Leave a Comment

God calls us to be like trees, planted by the divine waters

A river that flows eternally with cool, sweet water

Soak up the Word of God and bask in the light of the Holy One

We let go of the evil that corrupts, and cling to the good that nourishes

Then, when the time is right, the fruit of the Spirit will be with us

And we praise God for the ripeness of life. Amen!

Submitted by Rev. Lucus Levy Keppel, Trinity Presbyterian Church in Bixby, OK

confession: you know us

By Leave a Comment

All: God, you know us inside out, when we lie down and when we rise. Your knowledge is so complete and wonderful, we can never comprehend it. But that doesn’t stop us from believing we have it all figured out. Forgive our arrogance and misplaced pride. You are everywhere present. Whether we find ourselves in the depths of despair or the heights of heaven, you are there. But that doesn’t stop us from trying to confine you to one day of the week, one place in the future, one holy book, or one favorite pew. Forgive us when we ignore your call, and when we try to hide from your gaze. Forgive us when we act as if you cannot see, when we restrict your love to our understanding, and when we claim that your presence is just for some.

~silence~

One: God, you look on us with love, no matter who we are or where we have been.
All: We count blessings like grains of sand, and when we come to the end, still we will be with you. Silence in us any voice but your own, and guide us as we walk your way. Amen.