We gather in praise of a God who gives each of us abilities which we alone possess. We do not fully understand why we were chosen to utilize these gifts, nor can we comprehend exactly how they operate. But we thank God that He enables us to accomplish those things which, by ourselves, we could never do, but which, through Him, we can bring to fruition. In gratitude for all things, let us with confidence worship God!
Pastoral Prayer
We bow before Thee, O God, in gratitude for all the blessings we experience around us: family members, friends, and neighbors who add richness and texture and zest to our lives; a beautiful community where both people and nature create a unique and exciting setting; for opportunities of employment and recreation and enjoyment; for the knowledge that all in all, life is good for all of us, and very good for many of us. Keep us from taking any of these blessings for granted, and help us to live with thanksgiving for each day and for all the goodness we experience in it.
We thank Thee also for blessings whose meaning escapes our understanding, but whose benefits are clear for all to see. We recall incidents where we expected bad outcomes, and yet good results somehow were achieved. Thy presence and power in our lives are mysterious, and often we are left speechless in the face of marvelous but inexplicable occurrences. We pray for everyone who is seriously ill, and who look to Thee for healing and wholeness. Uphold them in the unique circumstances by which each of them is confronted, and may the knowledge of Thy loving care give them courage and renewed hope.
At this time we pray especially for the many thousands of people who have been displaced from their homes in the last few weeks. Be with all those Afghans who have been successfully evacuated from their homeland and now are in places very strange to them. Be with the hundreds of thousands more Afghans who had hoped to be flown out of their country, but who have been left to face the grave uncertainties of life under a repressive religious regime. We ask Thy blessing on people in the American West who have lost everything due to raging forest fires. We pray also for people in the southern and eastern United States whose homes have been destroyed by the winds and floods of Hurricane Ida. In one of the greatest traumas of their lives, may they feel Thy calming presence with them. May Thy power overcome our weakness in the face of great trials. These things we ask in the name of the greatest servant who ever lived among us, Jesus Christ, Thy Son. Now together we pray as he instructed his disciples, saying, Our Father….