Many things in life beckon us to turn them into idols: our nation, its flag, its history, our spouse, our children, our homes, freedom, democracy, and good health. God alone is worthy of anyone’s worship, and the Bible tells us that all forms of idolatry represent false gods. Today we shall examine a longstanding idol from our nation’s past. As we do so, let us once again turn to the God who created us, who sustains us, and who redeems us. Let us, with Sabbath praise, worship God.
Pastoral Prayer
By Thy bidding do we gather here, O God. We do so to give Thee worship and praise, and to ask Thy guidance for us in our daily lives. We thank Thee that we have the singular opportunity to bow before Thee in prayer, and to seek Thy presence within us as we begin a new week. Help us to perceive worship as a means by which we can be renewed once again for another seven days, and in being renewed, may we serve Thee with a new heart and spirit, intent on doing Thy will each day in our new week.
We praise Thee for sending Jesus Christ into the world, and for the message of hope and enlightenment he brought us. Enable us to become more fully committed to the revolutionary life he depicted for us. Transform us into good Samaritans, wise stewards, diligent seekers, watchful shepherds, careful tillers, and trainable sons and daughters. May the spirit which was in Jesus take root within us, so that we may become reflections of him and thus of Thee in all that we are and all that we do. In praying for that, we confess that we do not always do what we know we should do, and we ask Thy forgiveness for our failings. In being forgiven, may we also be restored to a right relationship with Thee, thereby devoting ourselves to people and causes beyond ourselves.
We pray for those who are recovering from natural or human-caused disasters, and who cry out to Thee for comfort, strength, and healing. We pray for people we know personally who are bearing heavy burdens, and who need Thy winsome touch in order to begin life anew. Grant wisdom and patience to those who are caregivers, and also wisdom and patience to those for whom care is constantly necessary. Strengthen the weak, lift the fallen, restore the broken, and grant trust to those who have lost trust in Thee, in everyone around them, and in the entire world. Empower us, O God, for we have so little power of our own. We ask these things in Jesus’ name. Now, because we claim to be Jesus-people, we pray as he taught his original people, saying, Our Father….