The word “meek” means different things to different people. Generally it is not considered to be a very positive attribute in anyone. Nonetheless Jesus told us that the meek are blessed, and so we shall ponder what that means. The Bible is filled with thousands of words, some of which are crystal clear and others are cloaked in mystery or ambiguity. But as we do each Sunday, we gather in praise of a God who meets us and speaks to us as only He can. Therefore let us, with confidence, worship the God of challenging words.
Pastoral Prayer
We pause before Thee, Lord God our heavenly Father, to thank Thee for Thy boundless grace to us: in giving us life; in making the world such a beautiful and bountiful place; in placing us in families and communities and nations where we find deep meaning in the attributes and abilities of others; for giving us prophets and priests and kings in biblical times whose influence lives on in us by means of their words and deeds; and most especially we thank Thee for Jesus, who becomes the Christ to his followers, and who leads us into a far closer relationship with Thee than we would have without him. Give us a deeper appreciation for all Thou hast provided for us, and in that appreciation may we go from strength to strength, realizing how full our lives are because of everything Thou hast done for us.
We praise Thee for the strength and depth of Thy patience with us as individuals. Thou dost live with us and love us despite the fact that often we have difficulties living with ourselves, and we become impatient with our own failings and foibles. Teach us wisely to love ourselves, so that we may love others more fully by having understood ourselves more fully. Grant us an ability to be more forgiving of others when they fail or hurt us, and help us more consciously not to fail or hurt them.
We pray for people in extreme situations: where illness is very serious, and life is threatened; where chaos reigns, and millions of people wonder what shall become of them; where warfare kills both soldiers and civilians with impunity; where political unrest and corruption make life almost intolerable for those who are powerless to change such conditions; where people are forced to live in very unhealthy environments which are generated by the greed, carelessness, and insensitivity of others who cause horrible conditions but who do nothing to alleviate them; where people of different religions or different perspectives within religions fight one another, supposing they do so in Thy name. Lord God, may Thy healing hand and Thy calming influence enter a world which desperately needs Thy presence to be known among all of us. We are grateful for the opportunity to bring our prayers to Thee, loving Father, and we do so in the name of him who has led us to Thee, Jesus Christ, who is our historical Lord. Now we pray together as he taught us, saying, Our Father….