"This is a treasure trove of prayers that either the layperson can use for personal devotion or the pastor can employ in leading worship. This is easily done as the prayers follow the Revised Common Lectionary used by most mainline churches." The Rev. Hal Chorpenning Sr. Minister Plymouth Congregational UCC Ft. Collins, CO
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ABOUT THE BOOK: This book of prayers is based on the three year common lectionary. All of the texts for each Sunday are listed and the suggested preaching text is highlighted. Most of the prayers which follow reference the text. They are helpful for the busy pastor who gets one of those "weeks that was" with little time to prepare a prayer along with a sermon. They are equally helpful for the lay person who wishes to deepen his/her devotional life. And they are helpful for the seminarian anticipating a first call.
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AUTHOR'S NOTE: This book came about because of the encouragement of lay people and clergy in the last two congregations I served: Palm Desert Community Presbyterian Church and Plymouth Congregational Church.
One Sunday late in 2003 a woman by the name of Margaret Stockover at Plymouth Congregational Church asked me for a copy of the morning pastoral prayer which I immediately copied and gave to her. Margaret that winter went to Afghanistan to assist women without husbands who were disenfranchised from economic opportunity. She taught them to sew and sell their goods. She later told me that the prayer offered that Sunday was what helped her decide that she must go to Afghanistan. She has been back twice since to Afghanistan.
A second like experience happened when a young black student got up during the sharing of joys and concerns and announced that he was going into a very difficult graduate program. He said he developed courage for this decision when he heard the prayer of the Associate Pastor praying to God to give us difficult challenges.
Because of such testimonies I present this book to the wider community.
Contact: [email protected]
One Sunday late in 2003 a woman by the name of Margaret Stockover at Plymouth Congregational Church asked me for a copy of the morning pastoral prayer which I immediately copied and gave to her. Margaret that winter went to Afghanistan to assist women without husbands who were disenfranchised from economic opportunity. She taught them to sew and sell their goods. She later told me that the prayer offered that Sunday was what helped her decide that she must go to Afghanistan. She has been back twice since to Afghanistan.
A second like experience happened when a young black student got up during the sharing of joys and concerns and announced that he was going into a very difficult graduate program. He said he developed courage for this decision when he heard the prayer of the Associate Pastor praying to God to give us difficult challenges.
Because of such testimonies I present this book to the wider community.
Contact: [email protected]
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PRAYER – OPEN AFFIRMING TALKS – 8-25-2023.
Opening: sad week with the woman killed in her store for displaying a rainbow flag.
Our gracious, eternal God: you must like diversity because you have made us all so different: different colors – red and yellow black and white. All are precious in your sight. Different genders; different gender preferences; some uncomfortable in their born genders; different cultures. All are precious in your sight.
We pray that humankind will learn to love all and see only a child of your making in meeting another rather than someone who is different and therefore unacceptable. How long, how long O Lord will humankind build walls of hatred toward human beings. How long O Lord until unbridled rage no longer breaks out to wound or kill another?
Lead us to aim for that day when all rejoice in the unity of all people.
Lead us to dream and work for a time when everyone feels they are welcome in this world and at your table.
Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen
Opening: sad week with the woman killed in her store for displaying a rainbow flag.
Our gracious, eternal God: you must like diversity because you have made us all so different: different colors – red and yellow black and white. All are precious in your sight. Different genders; different gender preferences; some uncomfortable in their born genders; different cultures. All are precious in your sight.
We pray that humankind will learn to love all and see only a child of your making in meeting another rather than someone who is different and therefore unacceptable. How long, how long O Lord will humankind build walls of hatred toward human beings. How long O Lord until unbridled rage no longer breaks out to wound or kill another?
Lead us to aim for that day when all rejoice in the unity of all people.
Lead us to dream and work for a time when everyone feels they are welcome in this world and at your table.
Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen