Pastoral Prayer 9/15/19

Pastoral Prayer 9/15/19


Let us begin with a time of silent prayer.  Let us pray.

Loving and Everpresent God…..Seeking God…God of Promise, and Hope, and Creation…we thank you for this chance to be together this morning, surrounded, in this place, by a community that cares.  Through your mercy and steadfast love, you allow us to bend your ear, and you provide us with what we need.  You call us into relationship with yourself, and you invite us to bear abundantly the potential you have endowed within us, in order for us to be all that we can be.

Help us to daily plant seeds of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control in our lives.

Gracious and loving God, you welcome us into faith, and you ask us to make our recognition of you a constant and centering part of our daily lives, to set aside the other things that may distract us, and to focus on you and the constancy of your love and presence.  You challenge us to live lives of compassion.  You urge us to plunge ourselves into the hurts and joys, and the ups and downs, of this world.  Help us to do so….as we seek to be your faithful people.

O God, we come to you today just as we are, aware of our shortcomings and yet expectant, that with your strength and wisdom and grace, we have the power to become more than what we are today…indeed, even more like Jesus.  Help us on our way!  Help us to integrate our understandings of your love and presence into a faith-walk that is consistent and life-affirming.  May our lives may be clothed with your eternal purposes and inspired by your uncompromising and unconditional love.

Through Christ we pray,

Amen.