Worship is communication. We speak to God, God speaks to us, and we speak to one another. Worship is the communication of faith. God hears us and answers us, not always as we might like, but always as we have need. Today we remember people whose spirits have been diminished by the feeling that they are part of a diminishing number of faithful members of the body of Christ. We seek the power of God to inspire and uphold them in their feelings of concern or anguish. Therefore let us worship the God who alone is God.
Pastoral Prayer
We praise Thee, Lord God, for Thy faithfulness to us even when our faithfulness to Thee may be faltering. We remember people we know and many we do not know who once were active members of vibrant churches, but who now have fallen away in their commitment. We pray for clergy and other church leaders who have become discouraged because of declining numbers in attendance at worship and other activities. When we think of members of our own families, we are confronted by relatives who once were heavily involved in the life of Thy Church, but who now are distant and disassociated from its life.
Be with each of us personally as we reflect on trends in the religious life of our community and nation. Keep us from losing heart in the struggle to maintain our own faith in light of an apparent decline in American Christianity. Help us to trust that whatever may appear to represent reality, that Thou art our ultimate reality, and that therefore we can continue to go forward, believing Thou wilt be there to guide us.
We thank Thee for all the people in our own lives who have inspired us to remain active in the community of faith: family members, friends, teachers, pastors, writers, and little people who had a big influence on our lives. May we perceive ourselves to be part of the communion of all Thy saints, past and present, and may that awareness guide us into the future with renewed confidence. We pray for those who are struggling with illness, loss, sorrow, loneliness, oppression, and systemic injustice. May Thy strength become their strength for the living of each day. We make all our prayers in Jesus’ name, who has called us into Thy service. Now we join in the prayer Jesus taught his first disciples, saying, Our Father….