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Prayer Archives for 2011
ELMC Prayer, November 2011
We are grateful for this
prayer offered by the Rev. Dr. Winfred. Vergara,
Missioner for Asiamerica Ministries of the Episcopal
Church Center; and Priest-In-Charge of St. Michael &
All Angels Episcopal Church in the Episcopal Diocese
of Long Island. Dr. Vergara serves as the moderator
of ELMC’s
Pacific Asian American
Canadian Christian Education (PAACCE).
WITH SIGHS TOO DEEP FOR WORDS: A PRAYER IN HARD
TIMES
The world today is in crises. We have fallen in hard
times socially, economically and environmentally. A
Filipino comedian said, “Life is like a rock; it is
hard.”
The economic hardship is felt by the Church. While
Christians are “not of this world,” we realize we
are still “in this world”---and not exempt from its
worries and cares. At many church denominations, I
have seen some of my colleagues losing their job,
vital ministries losing their funding and church
executives agonizing in making decisions.
Restructure here, retrenchment there, lay off
everywhere.
Whenever we fall on hard times, it is our instinct
for survival that tends to override everything. We
are prone to panic, to lose our direction and to
give up. Therefore, it is in times like these that
we need to remind ourselves that we are God’s
people---a people of faith, a people of visions and
a people of power.
We are People of Faith.
One of the songs I learned in
the ‘60’s had this lyric:
“Walk with faith in your heart and you’ll never walk
alone.” Faith is the opposite of fear. Fear
distracts us but faith anchors us. The Bible says
that we should walk by faith and live by faith (2
Corinthians 5:7; Habakkuk 2:4). Those who walk with
faith will have direction even in darkness for
“faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the
conviction of things not seen” (Hebrews 11).
Our ancestor Abraham
was known as the “friend of God, “because he walked
in search of a city not a visible, but one with a
strong foundation, whose builder and maker is God.”
God promises to “lead us continually,” even in ways
we do not know. Rabindranath Tagore said, “Faith is
a bird that sings while the dawn is still dark.” We are People of Visions
On the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the day of
Pentecost, the Apostle Peter quoted Joel’s prophecy
which says, “In these last days, God will pour out
His Spirit. The young shall see visions, the old
shall dream dreams” (Acts 2:17, Joel 2:28). (I’m
middle age, so I guess I’m supposed to have both
visions and dreams.)
Visions and dreams are the
language of the Holy Spirit. In times of crises, we
must see a vision of a great and mighty God, “who
sits enthroned amidst the floods.” If your God is
big, your p We are People of Power
St. Paul said the power within us is greater than
the power that is in the world. With all the crises
in our lives, we need to know, that in the end, God
wins. We are clay pots but within us is a treasure
more precious than gold or silver, not fashioned by
human hands. Within us is the Spirit of God, the
Holy Spirit who is the Lord and Giver of life. My
Pentecostal friends often remind me, “You
Episcopalians believe that the Holy Spirit is
‘resident’ in you; we Pentecostals believe, the Holy
Spirit is ‘president’ in us.” In crisis or out of
crisis, we need to reaffirm with St. Paul that “I
can do all things through Christ who strengthens me”
(Philippians 4:13) and that “what lies within me is
greater than that which lies behind and or lies
ahead.”
Indeed, in times like these,
in crises, let us allow the Holy Spirit preside over
our thoughts and our lives.
And when God take hold
of us, we shall not only survive but we shall
prevail. As God’s beloved, we are a people of faith,
a people of visions and a people of power. And we
shall shine like the sun in our Father’s kingdom.
Amen
Let us pray:
In these times of economic,
social and environmental crises, we turn to you in
humility and faith. You alone can answer our deepest
needs, you alone can mend our broken hearts, you
alone can w
In these hard and trying times, we ask you to keep
our hearts connected to you as the Ground of our
being and the Source of all good things. Help us to
reach out to those who struggle, especially those
who lost their jobs as a result of economic
recession. As they transition to new life, help them
to see open doors of new opportunities. Give them
faith to believe that the power of the Holy Spirit
within them is greater than that which is in the
world. Give them the hope of new life that lies
ahead. We pray for the leaders of the Church and the nations. Give them wisdom to harness the energy and creativity of the people. Let the power of love overcome the love of power so that justice and peace will flow like rivers and prosperity will return to the land. Replenish the earth and fill this world with your grace and glory, as the waters cover the sea. Amen. Concerns/Observances:
October 2011 ELMC
Monthly Prayer
We are grateful for this prayer offered by the Rev. Shannon Daley-Harris, Children’s Defense Religious Affairs Advisor and Director of the Proctor Institute for Child Advocacy Ministry. This month marks the 20th annual celebration of the National Observance of Children’s Sabbaths. Rev. Daley-Harris also serves on the Committee on Families and Children.  God
of All, we praise you for the wonder and blessing of
children. We give you thanks for their trust and
curiosity, love and vulnerability, creativity and
energy. We know that each child is made in your own
image, and so we give thanks for these little
glimpses of you in each child. We meet you in the
tenderness of their hands holding ours, in their
tears that flow freely over hurts and losses others
overlook or minimize, in their ready laughter and
exuberant joy, in their determination and delight,
in their boundless love felt in small arms that wrap
around us tightly. God, we praise you for the wonder
and blessing of children.We confess, O God, Source of Justice and Mercy, that we have failed to cherish each child as you do. Too often, we honor children with our words and harm them with our actions and our inaction. We have treated some children as treasures and others as trash. In some we see unlimited possibility and in others lost causes. We have drawn too limited a circle around the children we consider our own, forgetting that all children are your children and that whenever we welcome one such child we welcome you. Hear now our prayers for children in difficult circumstances; stir and strengthen us to welcome them and you with energy, imagination, and love. We pray, O God, for the children in our rich nation who are living in poverty, whose dismal circumstances are dimming their bright promise, who wait for us to create change before their childhoods slip by. We pray, O God, for children flailing in schools that are failing. We pray for the children who are struggling, who are suspended, who are about to drop out in despair and disaffection. We pray for the children stranded on one side of the education achievement gap who don’t know how they will ever reach the other side if we adults don’t work to close it. We pray for the teachers who are discouraged and depleted. We pray, O God, for each child who is suffering—for those who are hurt or neglected by the ones entrusted to love and care for them, for those who are sick or injured and don’t have health care, for those in shelters and shoddy housing for lack of affordable, decent homes, for those who feel too much hunger and for those who are exposed to too much violence. We pray, O God, for all of the children who are waiting on us, counting on us to help. And so we pray, too, for ourselves. We are ready to turn in a new direction, O God; show us again the way to go. Energize us, we pray; fill us with urgency so we act now to achieve the justice and mercy you expect of us and of our life together. Help us to be your presence of loving, compassionate mercy and your voice of bold and courageous justice. Help us to transform the priorities of our congregations, communities, and nation so that we reflect your priority for children and families who are most vulnerable, poor, and in the most precarious circumstances. Help us to defend and protect them; to stand with and for them as you would have us. We pray for the congregations of many faiths that will be celebrating the National Observance of Children’s Sabbaths this month. May they find their vision renewed, their faith deepened, their service and advocacy redoubled that they may better serve and seek justice for children now and throughout the year to come. This, and all the silent prayers of our hearts, we ask in the name of the one you sent to us as a poor child that we might behold your love incarnate and know that you are with us. Amen. Concerns/Observances: ► For Patrice R., former Associate General Secretary, and her family on the passing of her brother, Dean Ramga, Sept. 24 ► For the Committee on Disabilities meeting in New York, Oct. 3-5 ► For the Committee on Black Congregation Ministries, meeting in Nashville, Oct.6-8 ► For the World Student Christian Federation-North America, meeting near Chicago, Oct. 14-18 ► For all children and those who will engage in activities around the National Observance of Children's Sabbaths Celebration, the third weekend of October. September 2011 ELMC Prayer In this month of remembering, restoring, and new beginnings, we are grateful for a prayer of hope and grace offered by Rev. David Burroughs, president of Passport, Inc that partners with the Ecumenical Youth Staff Ministries Team. Great God of everything and everyone and everywhere, We are nervous today. In fact, some of us are scared. These are difficult days, with pain and suffering around our globe, and in our city and on our street. We pause to remember those who are suffering today. We pause to reflect on the situations that we know about where your grace needs to be shared. And we wonder how to be a holy conduit for that grace. Help us to feel your answer in our bones, and to respond as we can.  We
are hopeful today. In fact, some of us are downright
joyful. There are weddings on our calendars that
make us smile.There are babies that have come into
our family who remind us that life is both beautiful
and fragile. There are days that we mark with
celebration – birthdays, anniversaries, new
semesters – and we drink deep in these as they bring
us hope.We are grateful today. We are humbled by the ways that we see evidence of your grace all around us. We experience it even as we breathe in… and out… right now. We see your hand in each moment of our day so far, and we know that you are working for good in every situation. We can name many of them… right now. We are confessional today. We have failed to act, and have acted when we shouldn’t. We pause to lay all this before you… And we are quietly confident in your steady forgiveness. Finally, we are inspired today. In fact, some of us are on the edge of life-changing decisions. We seek your clear calling in our next steps. Make us fully awake and aware so that we don’t walk right by the person, situation or opportunity that has your Holy touch. Great motivator, and gracious Savior, we express what is on our hearts, mindful that you already know what is in our hearts, which we need to speak to you. We pray all these things in the powerful name of Jesus, Amen. Concerns/Observances: ► Ongoing prayers and support for the people affected by Hurricane Irene and all those assisting in clean-up and restoration ► For the people of our nation and around the world remembering Sept. 11, 2010 that we are strengthen with courage to overcome our fears and be examples of peaceful co-existence ► For the NCC Governing Board, meeting in New York, Sept. 19-20 ► For the Ecumenical Campus Ministry Team meeting in Louisville, KY, Sept. 22-23 ► For the work of the ELMC Administrative Board, meeting on Sept. 26 August 2011 ELMC Prayer As we look to a new school year, we are most appreciative for this powerful prayer offered by Ms. Jan Resseger, Minister for Public Education and Witness, Justice and Witness Ministries, United Church of Christ. Jan chairs the ELMC Committee on Public Education and Literacy.
God of grace and God of glory, on your people pour your power. Grant us wisdom, grant us courage, for the facing of this hour.
As another school year begins across our land,
we confess.
As a people called to love our neighbors
as ourselves, we look for the
At a moment when childhood poverty is shamefully
widespread, when many families are under
constant stress, and when public schools are
often limited by lack of funds or resources, we
know that concentrating on the public schools
alone is not enough—that we must address with
prayerful determination the issues of race and
class, which threaten both public education and
democracy in
As we strive to move our imperfect world closer to the realm of God, help us be responsible for making sure that public schools, as primary civic institutions, embody our love for one another.
Cure your children’s warring madness; bend our
pride to your control.
Shame our reckless, selfish gladness,
rich in things and poor in soul.
Grant us wisdom, grant us courage, make
our broken spirits whole, make our broken
spirits whole.
This prayer is taken from the words of a
Pastoral Letter, “An Alternative Vision for
Public Education,” adopted unanimously by the
Governing Board of the National Council of
Churches on
Concerns/Observances:
●
Ongoing prayers and support for the people of
●
For the people of our nation, particularly the
vulnerable, affected by the summer’s extreme
heat, flooding, tornados, and drought
●
For the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
Churchwide Assembly to be held in
●
For the committee members and their work of ELMC
Pacific Asian American Canadian Christian
Education Ministries who meet on August 17
We are
thankful for this month's prayer offering from
Marvin W. Cropsey, Editor, United Methodist
Publishing House editor and member of the
Committee on the Uniform Series.
Almighty God, what a
privilege to come to you in prayer. As we
approach your throne, let us be observant of all
that is around you and all that is around us. We
come at this moment so very aware that there is
uninterrupted joy
all about us. There is love all around us. We
are surrounded by the sights and sounds and
 smells
of worship. We are immersed in a brilliance that
should blind us, but instead fills us with the
same light so that we can hardly distinguish
between ourselves and all that is heaven and all
that is you. In this moment of arrival in prayer
there is only reconciliation. There is no anger.
There is no war. There is no chaos. There is no
fear. There is no sin. There is only you and
us--and it is good.We take two minutes, three minutes, now, to simply be with you in this state of spiritual exhilaration, to know the best of being alive. Now, we tend to our joys and concerns. The Committee on Uniform Series has just concluded its annual meeting to produce lesson outlines. This group of servants meets with absolute confidence that you will lead them to success. That has occurred for the 139th consecutive time. There will be Bible lessons for millions of your people for 2015-16. We thank you, Author of the Book. Upcoming this month are meetings of New Earth Publisher, the Committee on Public Education and Literacy, the Program Committee on Education for Mission, ELMC Christian Formation Futuring Consultation, and ELMC Administrative Board. Lord, we pray that the leaders of all these events will be given assurance that their work has been done well and that the events will accomplish all their goals—and beyond. Dear God, we are so short-sighted that we cannot imagine all the good that you can do with us and for us. Holy One, in addition to these scheduled meetings many other of our 14 programs committees will be doing their daily work and planning for later meetings. We offer our prayerful voices in support of them all. Dear Lord, please help us to overcome our short-sightedness that often keeps us from looking beyond our own borders. In Japan, our friends suffer from the cataclysm of earthquake and tsunami. Loved ones are lost; property is destroyed. Livelihood is threatened. And fear of nuclear disaster is invasive. Strengthen, comfort our brothers and sisters. Please. War continues in Iraq and Afghanistan. A new battle has begun in Libya. In many other countries the people are teetering between the joy of having brought down abusive governments and needing to build new people-supporting governments. Lord, bless their great expectations. During all the weeks of April we have a list of countries and their peoples to support. Help us to be diligent in checking our calendar to pray for those for whom it is a privilege for us to carry their needs to you. Maker of All, during this month we will observe again the events of Holy Week, concluding with the crucifixion and Resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus the Christ. Let us everyday complete our Lenten disciplines until we celebrate that great day of Easter. Let us be a forgiven and redeemed people. Finally, Heavenly Lord, let us return to the state in which we began our prayer, filled with love and light and worship. You do not need us to remind you that your world needs you. You are always caring and always acting for our good. We end our prayer in gratitude. Thank you, God. Thank you. Amen
Concerns/Observances:
●
The survivors
of the natural disaster in Japan
● For former ELMC colleague, Patrice R., and
her family in the loss of an aunt and a
newborn grandchild.
● With
thanksgiving for the joy of adoption by
Marcy D., United Church of Christ and member
of the Program Committee on Education for
Mission, and her husband. Blessings on the
new family.
● With
thanksgiving and continued prayers for
Barbara L., National Apostolate for
Inclusion Ministry (Catholic) and Member of
the Committee on Disabilities, on her
retirement--blessings as she moves into her
next phase of ministry.
●
We offer prayers of thanksgiving for
the recent promotion of Rosemary
G, former chair of the Committee on
Disabilities, as the Union Disabilities
Ministries Director for Southern Union
Conference of the Seventh Day Adventist
Church.
●
April 22--Earth Day
● April 24--Easter March 2011 ELMC Prayer We are thankful for this heart-felt prayer offering from our colleague, The Rev. MaryJane Pierce Norton, Associate General Secretary, Leadership Ministries, General Board of Discipleship, The United Methodist Church, and treasurer of the Education and Leadership Ministries Commission.
Gracious God. Today we woke up and found ourselves once again in this beautiful world you have created. For this we give you thanks. We look around and see family, friends, colleagues, acquaintances, and strangers who enrich our lives. For this we give you thanks. We are reminded of worship we enjoyed on Sunday - for the word proclaimed, for voices raised in song, for prayer and gifts. For this we give you thanks. We find ourselves employed to do work that we truly believe brings others to an awareness of your love and care. For this we give you thanks. And yet, we confess that not everything we experience seems just or good or right or fair. We have concerns for those we love. We grieve for those we’ve lost. We worry about our faith communions. We experience sickness and pain. We have felt overwhelmed by storms, by wars and rumors of wars, by job loss and restructure of existing jobs. We lay before you all of these concerns and others that occupy our hearts and minds. But in all things we affirm that we are yours, God. Open our eyes so that we may see your presence in the eyes of those around us, in the stark branches or the budding flowers, in the ordinary times of answering email or sitting in meetings, in the faces of those who lead us, in the stories of freedom and justice that are unfolding. We pray particularly at this time for our colleague, Carmichael C. in the loss of his wife, Cora. May he know the depth of the love surrounding him. We pray too, for our leader, Garland Pierce, as he continues faithfully to do the work of the NCC-ELMC and at the same time readies himself for the new work ahead of him at the World Council of Churches. May he experience strength for what he must do and wisdom to put aside what can be done by others. And we pray for our upcoming meetings that in each of those places where we gather for our common work we may open ourselves to your guidance and not rely on our own notions. And as we approach again the holy season of Lent, may we be ever mindful of the greatness of your gift of Jesus to guide and teach us the ways of faithfulness. Amen. Ecumenical/NCC/ELMC Related Meetings and Events:
Concerns/Observances: · For Women's History Month · March 9 ̶ Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent for many churches in the West · The political protest in the Middle East, Northern Africa, and other parts of the world · Those affected by the earthquake in Christchurch, Aotearoa/New Zealand · For the US Federal Budget process that the final outcome will be a just and moral document · For Carmichael C., CME Church, and member of the ELMC Administrative Board and his family in the passing of his wife, Cora · For Faith W., AME Church, and member of the Committee on the Uniform Series and her family in the passing of her sister, Irene · For the mother of Sunitha M., ELCA and member of the Program Committee on Education for Mission, as she faces health challenges · For those engaged in ministries of faith formation, leader development, ecumenical formation and education and advocacy as we seek to discern God's will and direction in this ever changing ecclesial landscape and the April 27-29 Futuring Consultation when we will meet to wrestle with the pertinent questions before us.
We
are most appreciative of this eloquent
and powerful prayer offering this month
from The Rev. Dr. Carmichael
Crutchfield, General Secretary,
Department of Christian Education,
Christian Methodist Episcopal Church.
Carmichael is on the ELMC Administrative
Board, past chair of the Committee on
the Uniform Series, a member of the NCC
Governing Board, the ELMC Committee on
Black Congregational Ministries and the
Committee on Public Education and
Literacy.
O God, who creates,
redeems and sustains life.
We come with a deep sense of
adoration for you.
We are overwhelmed by your love
for us as we receive epiphanies every
day of the meaning of your incarnation.
We are amazed by what our senses
experience of your creation daily as we
walk, drive, fly, and ride from place to
place. We pause now to praise you
through words and contemplation as we
continue to realize your presence in our
midst.
We confess that we
often fail to notice your presence and
even more often take for granted your
goodness and love for us.
As individuals we find ourselves
immersed in schedules, agendas and
priorities that draw us away from
glorifying you.
As organizations and institutions
often we move about making decisions and
spending our time with schedules that
have little or no regard for your will.
O Lord, whose
property is always to have mercy, we
call upon you to have mercy upon us.
Help
us to accept your merciful pardon and
trust that in Christ we are reconciled
to you and cause us to be purveyors of
justice and peace in all places as a
sign of your reconciliation.
We are thankful in
this month of celebration of African
American History for all of the
contributions people all over the world
of African descent have made.
We are thankful for advancements
in our relationships with one another
and with others of different heritages.
We are thankful for opportunities
to learn from one another and to be
enriched by the ministries and witness
of all people.
We are thankful for
all the council of churches in there
varied and many configurations and their
efforts toward unity among us who claim
you as our Savior and have heard your
call that “we are one.”
We are thankful for leadership
that sees ecumenism as a calling and
mandate.
We are thankful for our callings
and vocations.
We come now with
all of our petitions and they are many.
We are often overwhelmed with all
the calls to ministry and needs among
us.
We are often weighed down by the
cutting of budgets, the loss of
personnel and what seems to be a sense
of apathy in many of our communions and
communities.
We are often beset by many
personal demands upon our lives.
Our many places of worship are
often challenged with a changing world
that pushes us to what often we think
seems to be our limits.
For all these
challenges we call upon you God of love
and compassion to hear our prayers and
meet our needs.
We call upon you to hear our
prayer O Lord and to provide for us the
strength, comfort, consolation and
wherewithal to be productive in our work
and ministry in ways that glorify you
and gives witness to the world of your
love.
Empower, equip and enable us to
be true servants who love you and our
neighbor.
We give you thanks
Lord for the ministry of Garland Pierce
at the National Council of Churches and
his leadership of ELMC.
We pray for his ministry and his
forthcoming witness through the World
Council of Churches.
We pray for all of
the participants of the Professional
Church Leadership committee as they meet
this month.
We pray for all churches as they
celebrate Black History month across the
It is in the name
of the One who calls us and commissions
us for ministry, Jesus the Christ that
we pray. Amen.
In
Remembrance of Rev. Dr.
Martin Luther King, Jr.: "Lest We
Forget..."
 Rev.
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
is one of the best-known Americans
in history and only the second one
to have his birthday declared a
national holiday. He was born in
Atlanta, Georgia on January 15,
1929, and assassinated in Memphis,
Tennessee on April 4, 1968. He
learned about racial discrimination
at a very young age. A
heart-wrenching incident reflects an
episode in his life at the tender
age of five, which follows:
"His most frequent playmate was a
white boy whose father owned a
neighborhood grocery store. One day
out of the blue, the boy's parents
told Martin to go away and not play
with their son any
longer. Bewildered, Martin asked
why. 'Because we are white and you
are colored,' they said. At home,
Martin cried to his mother, 'Why
don't white people like us?...' for
several hours she explained the
nature of race relations in America,
the tragedy of slavery and of
segregation. She told him to hold
his head up high and not let what
whites said and and did affect him.
'You must never feel that you are
less than anybody else,' she said.
'You must always feel that you are
somebody.' " (Salute to
Historic Black Achievers, 1992)
This interaction with his mother, as
well as other influential
individuals that he encountered, had
a lasting and profound effect on the
life and ministry of Dr. King. Even
then, at such an early age, he was
destined to do great and mighty acts
for his people, for his state, for
his country and for the world.
Let us pray...
O God of
our weary years, God of our silent
tears
We just
want to take time and thank you for
who you are.
You are an awesome God,
worthy to be praised.
Through
the trials and tribulations,
you were there...Lest We Forget
Through
the good times and the bad times,
you were there...Lest We Forget
Through
the lynch mobs, sit-ins, boycotts,
and jailings, you were there...Lest
We Forget
O Lord,
just like Dr. King, let us be
motivated by your
love
realizing that "he
who is greatest among you shall be
your servant."
Almighty
God, just like Dr. King, let us dare
to proclaim the wrongness of
inequality,
understanding that injustice
inflicted upon African Americans is
a threat to justice for all people.
Heavenly
Father, just like Dr. King, let us
work for reconciliation,
recognizing that there can be no
peace without justice.
Through
it all, we seek to build new
relationships and
understandings...Lest We Forget
Through
it all, we seek to celebrate the
acceptance of cultural and racial
diversity...Lest We Forget
Through
it all, we seek a "new way of being
and doing" for Kingdom
Building...Lest We Forget. Amen.
"Everybody can be great, because
everybody can serve. You don't have
to have a college degree to serve.
You don't have to make your subject
and your verb agree to serve. You
don't have to know about Plato and
Aristotle to serve. You don't have
to know Einstein's 'Theory of
Relativity' to serve. You don't
have to know the Second Theory of
Thermal Dynamics in Physics to
serve. You only need a heart full
of grace, a soul generated by love,
and you can be that servant."
(Excerpted from "The Drum Major
Instinct", a sermon by Rev. Martin
Luther King, Jr., 1968.)
Ecumenical/NCC/ELMC
Related Meetings and Events:
Concerns/Observances:
|
Chinese
character always presents “crisis” as both danger
and opportunity. You must have heard of the man who
found a job at the city zoo playing monkey.
optimal
way to balance the needs of each particular
school child with the need to create a school
system that secures the rights and addresses the
needs of all children. And yet too often we have
believed that there are easier quick fixes that
would require less from us as faithful citizens.