The old hymn declares, “How beautiful the march of days, as seasons come and go.” Living in southern South Carolina, we normally don’t see much winter. But this winter seems like winter again. Whatever comes our way, God is with us every step of the way. We gather to praise Him for His constancy, His grace, and His love. He is the God of never-failing goodness. Therefore with joyful hearts we unite with confidence to worship the God who goes with us throughout the beautiful march of days.
Pastoral Prayer
We acknowledge Thee as the Creator, O God, and so Thou art. But we can scarcely grasp but a tiny fraction of Thy creation, since it is so vast and complex. We acknowledge Thee as the Sustainer of all life, and so Thou art also that. But we can observe only a small percentage of what it is Thou dost sustain, or how it is sustained. We acknowledge Thee as Redeemer, and so we personally feel redeemed. But we also trust Thou hast redeemed countless numbers of other people, some who know Thee through Jesus Christ, as we do, but others whom Thou hast redeemed by other means and in other places and even, perhaps, in other worlds. Enlarge our appreciation for Thee and Thy goodness, Lord God, so that we may live with greater confidence in and for Thee.
We thank Thee for all the factors which make life so rich and meaningful: for home and hearth and health; for family and friends and fun; for challenges and opportunities and for the ability to learn and grow. Teach us how to relate to one another more productively and with greater mutual respect and affection. Convince us that if we feel totally alone in life that we somehow have missed the connection Thou hast created for all of us with one another, and enable us to become a more successful and efficient caring and sharing people.
We pray for those who are in particular need of Thy healing touch at this time: people we know who are sick and hurting, people we know who have been been sidelined on the road of life and who wonder if they shall ever again find themselves in the hustle and bustle of normal existence, people we know who feel abandoned by everyone, including Thee, and who cry out to be re-connected with both Thee and those they love. Loving God, reach out to the least, the last, and the lost, that they may feel included, and re-discovered, and found. These things we ask in the name of Jesus, whom we believe to be the Good Shepherd. Now we pray as Jesus taught his first followers, saying, Our Father….