Each Sunday we come together to praise a God who is pure goodness, and whose goodness permeates every aspect of our lives. When we contemplate all the blessings we have, we are astonished at how rich and full our lives are, despite whatever adversities we may face. Therefore we sing the praises of Him who gives us this day, and all our days. Let us, with confidence, worship God.
Pastoral Prayer
We give Thee thanks, our God, for bringing us to another Sunday in which we may sing Thy praise and be renewed for another week. When we contemplate the many ways in which Thou hast sought us in both past and present, we are struck by the persistence of Thy pursuit of us. We recall the entire cast of the Bible, and how Thy spirit reached out to them, and they in turn reached out to us. We remember others throughout history who have made a major difference in how we perceive Thee and Thy will for us. Most of all we remember Jesus, and all the things he said and did which have shown us the way into Thy kingdom. Make us worthy subjects of Thy realm, Lord God, and help us to reflect Thy purposes for the world by how we live in the world.
When we consider the headlines, and think about how many people constantly are faced with great adversity, we realize how fortunate we are. But we also are led to pray Thy presence to be particularly felt by those who are victims of natural catastrophes, wars, famine, and devastating accidents. We realize, O God, that as good as life is, it also is tenuous for all of us, and that we need Thee in every vicissitude which crosses our path.
On this Mothers Day, we pray for all who have been or are or shall be mothers, thanking Thee also for Thy good influence in the lives of our own mothers. In the midst of a very complex and bewildering world, we ask Thy blessing on the unique relationship which exists between mothers and their children. We pray especially for mothers who are raising children alone, with little or no help from the fathers of their children. Grant them the strength, tenacity, and wisdom they so desperately need in so taxing a vocation. God, inspire all of us to try to make the world a better place, because apart from Thy leading in our lives, it seems destined to become a worse place. All our prayers we make in the name of him who has made Thine existence the most compelling to us, Jesus, whom Christians believe to be the Messiah. Now we pray together as he taught us, saying, Our Father….