Watchword for the Week:
Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within me. Psalm 51:10
Loving God, from the busyness of this day,
Call us into your presence.
From the distractions of our lives,
Call us into your presence.
From the slumber into which our faith can fall,
Call us into your presence.
From the pain present in our lives as well as in the world around us,
Call us into your presence.
Psalm 51:1-12
1 Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions.
2 Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.
3 For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me.
4 Against you, you alone, have I sinned, and done what is evil in your sight, so that you are justified in your sentence and blameless when you pass judgment.
5 Indeed, I was born guilty, a sinner when my mother conceived me.
6 You desire truth in the inward being; therefore teach me wisdom in my secret heart.
7 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
8 Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones that you have crushed rejoice.
9 Hide your face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities.
10 Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within me.
11 Do not cast me away from your presence, and do not take your holy spirit from me.
12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and sustain in me a willing spirit.
Confession of Sin
In order that our hearts might be cleansed, we need to lift to God the sins which stain our souls. Together, let us confess our sins:
Your ways are marvelous, O God. Your law is perfect, and your grace is boundless. We humbly ask for your forgiveness for the times when we have ignored your good intentions for us and instead have followed a short-sighted and misguided way of living. We ask that you create in us a clean heart, O God. Renew within us a true and right spirit with which we can stand before you without guilt or shame. Do not cast us away as we might deserve, but restore unto us the comforting presence of your Holy Spirit. Give us joyful hearts with which to serve our brothers and sisters, and your Church.
Christ came into the world not to condemn the world, but that the world might be save through Him. We are forgiven and we have the promise of eternal life. Rejoice and give God praise.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning is now and ever shall be, world without end, Amen.
Take time now to pray the Morvian Daily Text for the Day. Don't just rush through the task to get it over with. Treat word as a gift from God spoken to give your life direction for today.
After you have prayed the prayer in the Daily Text, take time to pray for the needs of your heart, the needs of your family and friends, and the needs of the world. Especially this week, pray for the Matt and Kim Knapp who are dear friends of mine. Their oldest son died unexpectadly this past week, and a service to celebrate his life will take place this coming Sunday in Sturgeon Bay, WI.
After your prayer share these words with God:
Creator of all humanity, we call you Holy, and seek to worship you all the days of our lives. We pray that the ways of your heavenly kingdom may be made real in the world that surrounds us. May the bread that we need for today be made available for us and all who are hungry; and may you forgive us, just as we are able to forgive those who have sinned against us. In the time of moral testing, may we listen first for your voice calling to us, instead of the call of the world; take from us the self-centeredness of our society. This world, and all that is in it, always has been and always will be yours, Amen.
Lord awaken us,
To see your presence with us in each moment.
Lord open our hearts,
To see the suffering of others.
Lord open our eyes,
To see the ways in which we can serve you this day.
Lord help us,
To see the value that we have in your great kingdom on earth.
Lord open our souls,
To accept the grace that you have already extended to us.
Lord make us aware,
Of how we can share your grace with those around us.
Lord awaken us,
To live our lives in anticipation of your return or our being called home to you.
Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful. Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God.
And whatever we do in word or deed, may we do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father. AMEN.
Monday, March 30, 2009
Monday, March 23, 2009
Prayers for the 4th Week in Lent
Watchword for the Week:
By grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God. Ephesians 2:8
This is the day the Lord has made.
We will rejoice and be glad in it.
From the rising to the setting of the sun,
The name of the Lord be praised.
Psalm 103:1-5, 17-22
1 Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name.
2 Bless the Lord, O my soul, and do not forget all his benefits—
3 who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases,
4 who redeems your life from the Pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy,
5 who satisfies you with good as long as you live so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.
17 The steadfast love of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear him, and his righteousness to children's children, 18 to those who keep his covenant and remember to do his commandments.
19 The Lord has established his throne in the heavens, and his kingdom rules over all.
20 Bless the Lord, O you his angels, you mighty ones who do his bidding, obedient to his spoken word.
21 Bless the Lord, all his hosts, his ministers that do his will.
22 Bless the Lord, all his works, in all places of his dominion. Bless the Lord, O my soul.
Confession of Sin
Loving God, as we acknowledge that our salvation is a gift from you, we now confess that our response to that gift has often fallen short of what it needs to be. Hear now our prayer of confession.
Almighty and most merciful Father, we have often wandered from you like lost sheep. We have followed the ways of our culture and the desires of our own hearts rather than living as you have taught us to live. We have ignored your will for us as well as your holy laws. As a result, we have separated ourselves from you, and we have caused pain in the lives of others. We are truly sorry, and we humbly repent. We ask that you create in us a clean heart, O God. Renew within us a true and right spirit with which we can stand before you without guilt or shame. Do not cast us away as we might deserve, but restore unto us the comforting presence of your Holy Spirit. Give us joyful hearts with which to serve our brothers and sisters, and your Church.
Christ came into the world not to condemn the world, but that the world might be save through Him. We are forgiven and we have the promise of eternal life. Rejoice and give God praise.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning is now and ever shall be, world without end, Amen.
Reading of the Daily Texts
Prayers of the Community of Faith (spoken and silent)
As you taught your disciples to pray, so we pray together:
Our Father, who art in heaven,hallowed be thy Name,thy kingdom come,thy will be done, on earth as it is inheaven.Give us this day our daily bread.And forgive us our trespasses,as we forgive those who trespassagainst us.And lead us not into temptation,but deliver us from evil.For thine is the kingdom,and the power, and the glory,for ever and ever. Amen.
Almighty God, we give you humble thanks for all your goodness and loving-kindness to us and to all whom you have made.
We thank you for our creation, preservation, and all the blessings of this life; but above all for your immeasurable love in the redemption of the world by our Lord Jesus Christ; for the means of grace, and for the hope of glory.
Loving God, may your Holy Spirit be present with us now;
We pray that you would give us such an awareness of your mercies, that with thankful hearts we may give praise, not only with our lips, but in our lives, by giving up ourselves to your service, and by walking before you in holiness and righteousness all our days, Amen.
Let us bless the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
May the God of hope fill us with all joy and peace in believing through the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Romans 15:13
By grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God. Ephesians 2:8
This is the day the Lord has made.
We will rejoice and be glad in it.
From the rising to the setting of the sun,
The name of the Lord be praised.
Psalm 103:1-5, 17-22
1 Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name.
2 Bless the Lord, O my soul, and do not forget all his benefits—
3 who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases,
4 who redeems your life from the Pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy,
5 who satisfies you with good as long as you live so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.
17 The steadfast love of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear him, and his righteousness to children's children, 18 to those who keep his covenant and remember to do his commandments.
19 The Lord has established his throne in the heavens, and his kingdom rules over all.
20 Bless the Lord, O you his angels, you mighty ones who do his bidding, obedient to his spoken word.
21 Bless the Lord, all his hosts, his ministers that do his will.
22 Bless the Lord, all his works, in all places of his dominion. Bless the Lord, O my soul.
Confession of Sin
Loving God, as we acknowledge that our salvation is a gift from you, we now confess that our response to that gift has often fallen short of what it needs to be. Hear now our prayer of confession.
Almighty and most merciful Father, we have often wandered from you like lost sheep. We have followed the ways of our culture and the desires of our own hearts rather than living as you have taught us to live. We have ignored your will for us as well as your holy laws. As a result, we have separated ourselves from you, and we have caused pain in the lives of others. We are truly sorry, and we humbly repent. We ask that you create in us a clean heart, O God. Renew within us a true and right spirit with which we can stand before you without guilt or shame. Do not cast us away as we might deserve, but restore unto us the comforting presence of your Holy Spirit. Give us joyful hearts with which to serve our brothers and sisters, and your Church.
Christ came into the world not to condemn the world, but that the world might be save through Him. We are forgiven and we have the promise of eternal life. Rejoice and give God praise.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning is now and ever shall be, world without end, Amen.
Reading of the Daily Texts
Prayers of the Community of Faith (spoken and silent)
As you taught your disciples to pray, so we pray together:
Our Father, who art in heaven,hallowed be thy Name,thy kingdom come,thy will be done, on earth as it is inheaven.Give us this day our daily bread.And forgive us our trespasses,as we forgive those who trespassagainst us.And lead us not into temptation,but deliver us from evil.For thine is the kingdom,and the power, and the glory,for ever and ever. Amen.
Almighty God, we give you humble thanks for all your goodness and loving-kindness to us and to all whom you have made.
We thank you for our creation, preservation, and all the blessings of this life; but above all for your immeasurable love in the redemption of the world by our Lord Jesus Christ; for the means of grace, and for the hope of glory.
Loving God, may your Holy Spirit be present with us now;
We pray that you would give us such an awareness of your mercies, that with thankful hearts we may give praise, not only with our lips, but in our lives, by giving up ourselves to your service, and by walking before you in holiness and righteousness all our days, Amen.
Let us bless the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
May the God of hope fill us with all joy and peace in believing through the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Romans 15:13
Monday, March 16, 2009
Prayers for the 3rd Week in Lent
Watchword for the Week:
For the message about the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 1 Corinthians 1:18
To the One who created all that is,
We give thanks and praise.
To the One who wove together the pattern of the world’s order:
We give thanks and praise.
To the One who invites us participate in the discipline of giving grace,
We give thanks and praise.
Psalm 19
1 The heavens are telling the glory of God; and the firmament proclaims his handiwork.
2 Day to day pours forth speech, and night to night declares knowledge.
3 There is no speech, nor are there words; their voice is not heard;
4 yet their voice goes out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In the heavens he has set a tent for the sun,
5 which comes out like a bridegroom from his wedding canopy, and like a strong man runs its course with joy.
6 Its rising is from the end of the heavens, and its circuit to the end of them; and nothing is hid from its heat.
7 The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul; the decrees of the Lord are sure, making wise the simple;
8 the precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is clear, enlightening the eyes;
9 the fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever; the ordinances of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.
10 More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey, and drippings of the honeycomb.
11 Moreover by them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward.
12 But who can detect their errors? Clear me from hidden faults.
13 Keep back your servant also from the insolent; do not let them have dominion over me. Then I shall be blameless, and innocent of great transgression.
14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to you, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.
Confession of Sin
(from the Liturgy for Lent II, pages78-79)
Lord Jesus, we come before you in humble confession. Help us conform our lives to you as the model for holy and righteous living.
Forgive us for our desire for personal greatness, for our attempts to make gods of ourselves, for our willingness to exalt ourselves at the expense of others, and for our resistance to serving one another as you have served us.
Forgive us for making light of your obedience and sacrifice on the cross by living an undisciplined and indifferent Christian witness; forgive us for yielding to fear rather than relying on your strength to take the risks of discipleship.
Forgive us, dear Jesus, for times we have not looked to you as our Lord, and for allowing the clamoring distractions of the world to become higher priorities than you. Forgive us for yielding more to the temptations of this world than being transformed by your lordship over our lives.
May the Holy Spirit empower us to accept the grace that our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ offers to us today. Hear the words of our Lord, “Your sins are forgiven, go and sin no more.”
Let the peace of Christ rule in our hearts, since as members of one body we were called to peace. And let us be thankful.
Take time now to read the Moravian Daily Text for this day. Don't just rush over them, pause and allow words and phrases to sink into your soul.
After you conclude the prayer in the Daily Text, take time to pray for the needs of the world, your congregation, your family and friends, and yourself.
After your time of intercessory prayer, pray the prayer that Jesus has taught us to pray.
Our Father in heaven,hallowed be your name.Your Kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as in heavenGive us today our daily bread.Forgive us our sins,as we forgive those who sin against us. Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For the kingdom, the power and the glory are yours, now and for ever. Amen
And now, most merciful God, we ask you to continue extending your grace and favor towards us;
Let the sun of your gospel never go down out of our hearts;
Let your truth abide and be established among us forever.
Help our unbelief, increase our faith, give us hearts to consider your many gifts to us.
In faith clothe us with Christ, that he may live in us,
And your name may be glorified in us, in the sight of all the world.
As foolish as it may seem to some and even to us at times, Christ, and him crucified,
Remain our confession of faith. Amen.
For the message about the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 1 Corinthians 1:18
To the One who created all that is,
We give thanks and praise.
To the One who wove together the pattern of the world’s order:
We give thanks and praise.
To the One who invites us participate in the discipline of giving grace,
We give thanks and praise.
Psalm 19
1 The heavens are telling the glory of God; and the firmament proclaims his handiwork.
2 Day to day pours forth speech, and night to night declares knowledge.
3 There is no speech, nor are there words; their voice is not heard;
4 yet their voice goes out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In the heavens he has set a tent for the sun,
5 which comes out like a bridegroom from his wedding canopy, and like a strong man runs its course with joy.
6 Its rising is from the end of the heavens, and its circuit to the end of them; and nothing is hid from its heat.
7 The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul; the decrees of the Lord are sure, making wise the simple;
8 the precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is clear, enlightening the eyes;
9 the fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever; the ordinances of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.
10 More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey, and drippings of the honeycomb.
11 Moreover by them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward.
12 But who can detect their errors? Clear me from hidden faults.
13 Keep back your servant also from the insolent; do not let them have dominion over me. Then I shall be blameless, and innocent of great transgression.
14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to you, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.
Confession of Sin
(from the Liturgy for Lent II, pages78-79)
Lord Jesus, we come before you in humble confession. Help us conform our lives to you as the model for holy and righteous living.
Forgive us for our desire for personal greatness, for our attempts to make gods of ourselves, for our willingness to exalt ourselves at the expense of others, and for our resistance to serving one another as you have served us.
Forgive us for making light of your obedience and sacrifice on the cross by living an undisciplined and indifferent Christian witness; forgive us for yielding to fear rather than relying on your strength to take the risks of discipleship.
Forgive us, dear Jesus, for times we have not looked to you as our Lord, and for allowing the clamoring distractions of the world to become higher priorities than you. Forgive us for yielding more to the temptations of this world than being transformed by your lordship over our lives.
May the Holy Spirit empower us to accept the grace that our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ offers to us today. Hear the words of our Lord, “Your sins are forgiven, go and sin no more.”
Let the peace of Christ rule in our hearts, since as members of one body we were called to peace. And let us be thankful.
Take time now to read the Moravian Daily Text for this day. Don't just rush over them, pause and allow words and phrases to sink into your soul.
After you conclude the prayer in the Daily Text, take time to pray for the needs of the world, your congregation, your family and friends, and yourself.
After your time of intercessory prayer, pray the prayer that Jesus has taught us to pray.
Our Father in heaven,hallowed be your name.Your Kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as in heavenGive us today our daily bread.Forgive us our sins,as we forgive those who sin against us. Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For the kingdom, the power and the glory are yours, now and for ever. Amen
And now, most merciful God, we ask you to continue extending your grace and favor towards us;
Let the sun of your gospel never go down out of our hearts;
Let your truth abide and be established among us forever.
Help our unbelief, increase our faith, give us hearts to consider your many gifts to us.
In faith clothe us with Christ, that he may live in us,
And your name may be glorified in us, in the sight of all the world.
As foolish as it may seem to some and even to us at times, Christ, and him crucified,
Remain our confession of faith. Amen.
Monday, March 9, 2009
Prayers for the 2nd Week in Lent
Watchword for the Week:God says, "I will establish my covenant between me and you, and your offspring after you throughout their generations." Genesis 17:7
Incline your ear to the Lord and come to him.
Listen that you may live.
We will seek the Lord while he may be found.
We will call upon him while he is near.
From the beginning of time God has been in covenant with humanity promising to be our God and to always bring us home.
We rejoice in God’s never ending faithfulness to that covenant.
Psalm 22:23-31
23 You who fear the Lord, praise him! All you offspring of Jacob, glorify him; stand in awe of him, all you offspring of Israel!
24 For he did not despise or abhor the affliction of the afflicted; he did not hide his face from me, but heard when I cried to him.
25 From you comes my praise in the great congregation; my vows I will pay before those who fear him.
26 The poor shall eat and be satisfied; those who seek him shall praise the Lord. May your hearts live forever!
27 All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the Lord; and all the families of the nations shall worship before him.
28 For dominion belongs to the Lord, and he rules over the nations. 29 To him, indeed, shall all who sleep in the earth bow down; before him shall bow all who go down to the dust, and I shall live for him.
30 Posterity will serve him; future generations will be told about the Lord,
31 and proclaim his deliverance to a people yet unborn, saying that he has done it.
Confession of Sin
Lord Jesus, we come before you in humble confession. Help us to conform our lives to you as the model for holy and righteous living.
(Adapted from the Liturgy for Lent I)
Forgive us Lord
For the sin of unbelief. (pause)
Forgive us Lord
From the misuse of our body and spirit. (pause)
Forgive us Lord
From all self-righteousness. (pause)
Forgive us Lord
From the neglect of our covenants. (pause)
Forgive us Lord
From ingratitude and selfishness. (pause)
Forgive us Lord
From lukewarmness. (pause)
Forgive us Lord
From all indifference to your meritorious life and death. (pause)
"Even now," declares the LORD, "return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning." Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the LORD your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love. Joel 2:12-12
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and every shall be, world without end, AMEN.
Reading of the Daily Texts
Take time now to pray for the needs of the world, your neighbors, fellow church members, your family, and yourself.
As you taught your disciples to pray, so we pray together:
Our Father in heaven,hallowed be your name.Your Kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our sins,as we forgive those who sin against us. Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For the kingdom, the power and the glory are yours. Now and for ever. Amen
Our God is faithful and just. In the person of Jesus Christ, God continues his covenant of love and grace.
It is through the sacrifice of the Son that the promises of God are fulfilled.
(Adapted from the Liturgy for Lent I)
Gracious Savior, by your holy incarnation and birth,
Bless us and comfort us, gracious Lord and God.
By your pure and blameless childhood,
Bless us and comfort us, gracious Lord and God.
By your willing obedience,
Bless us and comfort us, gracious Lord and God.
By your humility, meekness, and patience,
Bless us and comfort us, gracious Lord and God.
By your faithfulness in your earthly calling,
Bless us and comfort us, gracious Lord and God.
By your fasting and temptation,
Bless us and comfort us, gracious Lord and God.
By your perfect life before God and humanity,
Bless us and comfort us, gracious Lord and God.
By your tears and agony, your crown of thorns and cross,
Lead us to repentance of our sins.
By your willing sacrifice of yourself even unto death,
Make known to us the mystery of your love.
Into your open arms stretched out upon the cross,
Receive us all.
You have made God known to us, so that the love with which he has loved you may be in us,
And you in us.
Christ, and him crucified,
Remain our confession of faith. Amen.
Incline your ear to the Lord and come to him.
Listen that you may live.
We will seek the Lord while he may be found.
We will call upon him while he is near.
From the beginning of time God has been in covenant with humanity promising to be our God and to always bring us home.
We rejoice in God’s never ending faithfulness to that covenant.
Psalm 22:23-31
23 You who fear the Lord, praise him! All you offspring of Jacob, glorify him; stand in awe of him, all you offspring of Israel!
24 For he did not despise or abhor the affliction of the afflicted; he did not hide his face from me, but heard when I cried to him.
25 From you comes my praise in the great congregation; my vows I will pay before those who fear him.
26 The poor shall eat and be satisfied; those who seek him shall praise the Lord. May your hearts live forever!
27 All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the Lord; and all the families of the nations shall worship before him.
28 For dominion belongs to the Lord, and he rules over the nations. 29 To him, indeed, shall all who sleep in the earth bow down; before him shall bow all who go down to the dust, and I shall live for him.
30 Posterity will serve him; future generations will be told about the Lord,
31 and proclaim his deliverance to a people yet unborn, saying that he has done it.
Confession of Sin
Lord Jesus, we come before you in humble confession. Help us to conform our lives to you as the model for holy and righteous living.
(Adapted from the Liturgy for Lent I)
Forgive us Lord
For the sin of unbelief. (pause)
Forgive us Lord
From the misuse of our body and spirit. (pause)
Forgive us Lord
From all self-righteousness. (pause)
Forgive us Lord
From the neglect of our covenants. (pause)
Forgive us Lord
From ingratitude and selfishness. (pause)
Forgive us Lord
From lukewarmness. (pause)
Forgive us Lord
From all indifference to your meritorious life and death. (pause)
"Even now," declares the LORD, "return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning." Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the LORD your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love. Joel 2:12-12
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and every shall be, world without end, AMEN.
Reading of the Daily Texts
Take time now to pray for the needs of the world, your neighbors, fellow church members, your family, and yourself.
As you taught your disciples to pray, so we pray together:
Our Father in heaven,hallowed be your name.Your Kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our sins,as we forgive those who sin against us. Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For the kingdom, the power and the glory are yours. Now and for ever. Amen
Our God is faithful and just. In the person of Jesus Christ, God continues his covenant of love and grace.
It is through the sacrifice of the Son that the promises of God are fulfilled.
(Adapted from the Liturgy for Lent I)
Gracious Savior, by your holy incarnation and birth,
Bless us and comfort us, gracious Lord and God.
By your pure and blameless childhood,
Bless us and comfort us, gracious Lord and God.
By your willing obedience,
Bless us and comfort us, gracious Lord and God.
By your humility, meekness, and patience,
Bless us and comfort us, gracious Lord and God.
By your faithfulness in your earthly calling,
Bless us and comfort us, gracious Lord and God.
By your fasting and temptation,
Bless us and comfort us, gracious Lord and God.
By your perfect life before God and humanity,
Bless us and comfort us, gracious Lord and God.
By your tears and agony, your crown of thorns and cross,
Lead us to repentance of our sins.
By your willing sacrifice of yourself even unto death,
Make known to us the mystery of your love.
Into your open arms stretched out upon the cross,
Receive us all.
You have made God known to us, so that the love with which he has loved you may be in us,
And you in us.
Christ, and him crucified,
Remain our confession of faith. Amen.
Monday, March 2, 2009
First Week in Lent
Mid-Day Prayers
For the 1st Week in Lent
Watchword for the Week:
Good and upright is the Lord; therefore he instructs sinners in the way. Psalm 25:8
In this Lenten season, Loving God, you call us to a time of reflection and contemplation.
This is a time to ponder where our wandering steps have separated us from you.
This is a time to consider all of who we are, and where you want us to be.
This is a time to establish a proper relationship with you.
O Lord, we so want to be upright in heart.
May your comforting spirit allow us to unburden our souls.
Psalm 25:1-10
1 To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul.
2 O my God, in you I trust; do not let me be put to shame; do not let my enemies exult over me.
3 Do not let those who wait for you be put to shame; let them be ashamed who are wantonly treacherous.
4 Make me to know your ways, O Lord; teach me your paths.
5 Lead me in your truth, and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; for you I wait all day long.
6 Be mindful of your mercy, O Lord, and of your steadfast love, for they have been from of old.
7 Do not remember the sins of my youth or my transgressions; according to your steadfast love remember me, for your goodness' sake, O Lord!
8 Good and upright is the Lord; therefore he instructs sinners in the way.
9 He leads the humble in what is right, and teaches the humble his way.
10 All the paths of the Lord are steadfast love and faithfulness, for those who keep his covenant and his decrees.
Confession of Sin
If we confess our sins God is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins, and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. In full assurance of faith, let us confess our sins.
Gracious God, this season of Holy Lent calls us home to you. As we have wandered in our spiritual lives we now hear your invitation to return to you. As such Lent challenges us to look within ourselves and examine the priorities in our lives, as well as the ways in which those priorities have influenced our choices. Loving God, we easily see that our ways are not your ways, and for that we are sorry, and we seek to repent. Your ways are loving and gracious, yet we nurse selfish attitudes and practice only a selective distribution of grace. Forgive us for the ways in which we have put up barriers between you and us, and have tried to keep you from looking deep into our hearts. We have done this by refusing to take a look at ourselves for fear of what we might find. Help us to know that our return to you is also a return to our true selves. We trust, O Lord, in your steadfast love.
The good news in Christ is that when we face ourselves and God with the awareness of our need, we are given grace to grow, and courage to continue the journey.Friends, believe the good news of the Gospel.
In Jesus Christ we are forgiven! Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. AMEN.
Reading of the Daily Texts
Prayers of the Community of Faith (spoken and silent)
Let us pray together:
Creator of all humanity, we call you Holy, and seek to worship you all the days of our lives. We pray that the ways of your heavenly kingdom may be made real in the world that surrounds us. May the bread that we need for today be made available for us and all who are hungry; and may you forgive us, just as we are able to forgive those who have sinned against us. In the time of moral testing, may we listen first for your voice calling to us. This world, and all that is in it, always has been and always will be yours, help us to lose ourselves to you and your kingdom. Help us to find who we truly are as we walk in your light. Amen.
Throughout this Lenten journey, let us keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God.
We thank you, Lord Jesus, not only for the privilege of believing in you, but of suffering for you as well, so that we may also be glorified with you.
Let the peace of Christ rule in our hearts, since as members of the body we were called to peace. And let us be thankful.
Let the word of Christ dwell in us richly as we teach and admonish one another with all wisdom. Whatever we do, therefore, whether in word or deed, let us do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. Amen.
For the 1st Week in Lent
Watchword for the Week:
Good and upright is the Lord; therefore he instructs sinners in the way. Psalm 25:8
In this Lenten season, Loving God, you call us to a time of reflection and contemplation.
This is a time to ponder where our wandering steps have separated us from you.
This is a time to consider all of who we are, and where you want us to be.
This is a time to establish a proper relationship with you.
O Lord, we so want to be upright in heart.
May your comforting spirit allow us to unburden our souls.
Psalm 25:1-10
1 To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul.
2 O my God, in you I trust; do not let me be put to shame; do not let my enemies exult over me.
3 Do not let those who wait for you be put to shame; let them be ashamed who are wantonly treacherous.
4 Make me to know your ways, O Lord; teach me your paths.
5 Lead me in your truth, and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; for you I wait all day long.
6 Be mindful of your mercy, O Lord, and of your steadfast love, for they have been from of old.
7 Do not remember the sins of my youth or my transgressions; according to your steadfast love remember me, for your goodness' sake, O Lord!
8 Good and upright is the Lord; therefore he instructs sinners in the way.
9 He leads the humble in what is right, and teaches the humble his way.
10 All the paths of the Lord are steadfast love and faithfulness, for those who keep his covenant and his decrees.
Confession of Sin
If we confess our sins God is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins, and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. In full assurance of faith, let us confess our sins.
Gracious God, this season of Holy Lent calls us home to you. As we have wandered in our spiritual lives we now hear your invitation to return to you. As such Lent challenges us to look within ourselves and examine the priorities in our lives, as well as the ways in which those priorities have influenced our choices. Loving God, we easily see that our ways are not your ways, and for that we are sorry, and we seek to repent. Your ways are loving and gracious, yet we nurse selfish attitudes and practice only a selective distribution of grace. Forgive us for the ways in which we have put up barriers between you and us, and have tried to keep you from looking deep into our hearts. We have done this by refusing to take a look at ourselves for fear of what we might find. Help us to know that our return to you is also a return to our true selves. We trust, O Lord, in your steadfast love.
The good news in Christ is that when we face ourselves and God with the awareness of our need, we are given grace to grow, and courage to continue the journey.Friends, believe the good news of the Gospel.
In Jesus Christ we are forgiven! Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. AMEN.
Reading of the Daily Texts
Prayers of the Community of Faith (spoken and silent)
Let us pray together:
Creator of all humanity, we call you Holy, and seek to worship you all the days of our lives. We pray that the ways of your heavenly kingdom may be made real in the world that surrounds us. May the bread that we need for today be made available for us and all who are hungry; and may you forgive us, just as we are able to forgive those who have sinned against us. In the time of moral testing, may we listen first for your voice calling to us. This world, and all that is in it, always has been and always will be yours, help us to lose ourselves to you and your kingdom. Help us to find who we truly are as we walk in your light. Amen.
Throughout this Lenten journey, let us keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God.
We thank you, Lord Jesus, not only for the privilege of believing in you, but of suffering for you as well, so that we may also be glorified with you.
Let the peace of Christ rule in our hearts, since as members of the body we were called to peace. And let us be thankful.
Let the word of Christ dwell in us richly as we teach and admonish one another with all wisdom. Whatever we do, therefore, whether in word or deed, let us do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. Amen.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)