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Ordinary Time

confession: and we…

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One:      God, you call us to love you with all our heart,
All:      and we are happy to confine love to our hearts,
      though we reserve the right to define “all,”
      loving only when we “feel” it.
One:      You call us to love you with all our soul,
All:      and that sounds easier,
      because souls we only have to deal with at church.
One:      You call us to love you with all our mind,
All:      and we definitely know how to think about love!
One:      You call us to love you with all our strength,
All:      and we have used these words to justify
      using our strength against others in your name.
One:      You call us to love our neighbor, and our enemy,
as we love ourselves,
All:      and we confess that now You are getting too personal.
      How can we love those to whom we do not speak?
      How can we love those with whom we disagree?
      How can we love…how can You love…those people?
One:      Forgive us, Lord, for drawing the circle too tightly,
for presuming to know your mind,
for being quick to judge and quick to anger.
All:      Open our hearts, our souls, our minds, our strength
                        to love you, and our neighbor, with our whole being.
                        We pray in the name of the One who loved us first.
                        Amen.

Submitted by Rev. Teri Peterson, Ridgefield Crystal Lake Presbyterian Church, Crystal Lake, IL.

hurricane or no hurricane, Sunday’s Coming: working toward November 4

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Many prayers for all our faithful contributors and readers who are in the path of the storm–may you be dry, warm, and safe!

What happened in worship yesterday? What worked, or didn’t work? Was there a moment when the liturgy truly became the “work of the people”?

And looking toward this Sunday…are you going for All Saints, or Ordinary 31, Stewardship Commitment, or some other season/theme/series?

If you’re working on All Saints, then yesterday’s Prayers of the People post might be of use to you as you ponder and prepare. If you write something, or have just a phrase you want to work with but aren’t sure what to do with it yet, put it all in the comments and we’ll all join in the creating–a virtual cloud of witnesses to celebrate the more literal one.

If you’re working on Ordinary 31, perhaps you’ll be pondering the relationships of 3 women in Ruth, or the High Priestly nature of Jesus, or Praising the Lord!!!! with the Psalm, or answering the eternal question about the most important commandment.

If you have stewardship commitment this Sunday…is it also a communion Sunday for you? How do you combine those two things in the service without giving the impression that one pays for the privilege of coming to the table?

Lots to think about this week–let’s create together!

CTW: hear, see, call, and heal us

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Leader: Brother Jesus, We pray this morning that you hear, see, call and heal us.
People: Jesus, have mercy on us!
Leader: Sometimes we are deaf to your voice. Other times, we can hear you so clearly that we are guides for others, pointing the way to you. Call us now.
People: Son of David, have mercy on us!
Leader: Sometimes we are blind to your signs and wonders all around us. Sometimes we can see clearly where the path ahead lies. Show us your way now.
People: Teacher, let us see again!
All: Brother Jesus, we pray this morning that you hear, see, call and heal us. Amen.

Submitted by Rev. Jennifer Brownell, Portland, Oregon

Sunday’s Coming: working toward October 28

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so–are you on Reformation Sunday? All Saints? Something else? The usual lectionary? The narrative lectionary?

Perhaps you’ll be thinking about Blind Bartimaeus and his request: “let me see again.”

Perhaps you’ll be thinking about a psalm–either the Mighty Fortress one or taste-and-see.

Perhaps you’ll be contemplating Job or Jeremiah.

Or are you thinking about Hebrews and the atoning sacrifice and the priestly nature of Jesus?

Or something else entirely?

Grab some coffee or tea, a snack, and a brainstorming hat–join the conversation as we create for this week!

confession: we want…

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We struggle with what we want from this world, Jesus.  We want to be acknowledged for the deeds and work we have done.  We want others to serve us.  We want to have power.  We want it all.  So when you tell us that this is not your way, we struggle.  We don’t want to think about giving away all that we have.  Serving rather than being served is a hard shift for us to make.  Serving in secret, or without the expectation of acknowledgement doesn’t make sense to us.  Giving up our power and authority scares us.  We don’t want to.  And yet, Jesus, you call us to do just those things.  Let us hear your words to us.  Give us hearts open wide enough to accept that we are to live differently.  Grant us the strength to let go of what we think makes us secure and let us find our security in you.

(silent confession)

Submitted by Rev. Julie Jensen, First Presbyterian Church, Cartersville, GA