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Prayer List
Friends,
We continue to meditate on the Lord's Prayer.
In the gospel of Luke, the disciples ask Jesus to teach them to pray. Jesus teaches them the prayer that we know as the Lord's Prayer. This gospel story intimates that prayer changes us - it grounds us in the knowledge of God's love for us; it gives us hope and a direction as we strive to engage in God's mission of loving and transforming the world into a place of abundance for all creation (cf. Luke 11:1-13).
As promised, as we continue our prayer mediation, I am offering examples of prayers/meditations on the various petitions of the Lord's Prayer.
Today's first example is again from a meditation on the Lord's Prayer by Pope Francis offered at the Orthodox Cathedral in Bucharest, Romania in 2019.
Each time we pray, we ask that our trespasses, our debts, be forgiven. This takes courage, for it means that we must forgive the trespasses of others, the debts that others have incurred in our regard. We need to find the strength to forgive our brothers and sisters from the heart (cf. Mt 18:35), even as you, Divine Parent*, forgive our trespasses: to leave the past behind us and, together, to embrace the present. Help us not to yield to fear, not to see openness as a threat, to find the strength to forgive each other and move on, and the courage not to settle for a quiet life but to keep seeking, with transparency and sincerity, the face of our brothers and sisters.
*I've changed Father to Divine Parent to remind us that God has no gender.
The second example is from Rev. Nadia Bolz-Weber.
And forgive us our sins. As we forgive those who sin against us. Forgive us when we hate what you love. Forgive us when we would rather anesthetize ourselves than feel anything. Forgive us for how much we resent in others the same things we hate in ourselves Forgive us for the terrible things we think about our own bodies, bodies you have made in your image. And this one is hard, but please forgive us for thinking we know the hearts of our enemies.
As you pray, I invite you to use your own words... think about who God is for you, how you experience God...
Feel free to share your thoughts or questions with me. Look forward to seeing what may happen when we create space for God's Spirit in our lives.
Blessings on this journey!
This week we pray for:
Tricia Petraven
Prayers for wisdom and guidance for Tricia as she settles into her new call as transitional minister at James Island Presbyterian Church in Charleston, SC.
Caryl Slater
Continued prayers for healing and comfort for Caryl who is dealing with health challenges.
Barbara Mykkanen
Continued prayers for healing and comfort for Barb during her chemo treatment.
Debbie Hostettler
Continued prayers, love and support for Debbie throughout the remaining chemo treatments.
We pray for
- students of all ages preparing for a new year of learning;
- teachers, professors, staff, and administrators who are preparing for students to return;
- those dealing with illness, or facing limitations and decline in their health and abilities;
- for courage to be vulnerable with ourselves and others in our search for wholeness;
- for comfort and support for those affected by recent floods in our community here and in Kentucky;
- for peace and an end to violence—in Gaza, Israel, Ukraine, in all communities yearning for safety;
- for elected leaders to listen to the people and govern for the common good;
- for trust in God’s promises and provision, that God’s steadfast presence and love can see us through challenges and struggles, disappointment and uncertainty. We trust in God!
We offer prayers of thanksgiving and gratitude for:
- an awesome Compassion Camp experience
- the children who brought so much laughter, wisdom, empathy and quirkiness to our adventure (Shonica, Keyonna, Finn, Henry, Evan and Rosie).
- and the helpers who shared stories, prepared yummy snacks and fun crafts, led us into song, yoga movements and games (Dawn, Ferenc, Francis, Judy, Juli, Pong, Sherry and Enikö).
- a great worship experience with the participation of the Ohio Light Opera artists and to Ken Shafer for organizing it.
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