Tag Archives: reformed

August 4, 2019 · 10:10 am

Blessing of Students

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Students in Atlanta go back to school this week, and we will pray for students and teachers in worship this morning. This is my prayer, for them and for the students in your community!

O God, we give you thanks,
for the start of another school year and the renewed energy that comes with it.
We pray for the students of this church and this city.
Be present in their classrooms.
Let them be safe, known, and challenged.
Be present in their hallways.
Help them share your loving kindness with one another.
As their knowledge deepens, so may their faith.
As they learn about the beauty and brokenness of the world you love so,
May they find the places where their gifts can make a world of difference.
O Christ, you were called “teacher” by the ones who knew you best.
Bless the teachers in this church family,
and all the teachers who will cross paths with our students.
Give them strength and patience, wisdom and comfort,
And teach us all to be students of your grace.
In the spirit we pray, Amen.
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June 11, 2019 · 8:29 am

Spirit of Fire: Prayers for Pentecost

These are the prayers I shared in worship at Central Presbyterian Church of Atlanta this Sunday. May the words bring you a glimpse of the Spirit of peace and comfort, passion and compassion, water and fire.

Peace,

Anna

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Spirit of fire,

descend upon our hearts,

and dare us to join the dance of your flames.

Fill us with your presence,

and inspire us with your passion;

Let us see the world wrapped in Pentecost red,

so full of life that joy is bursting at the seams.

Challenge us by your spirit to be bearers of your peace,

midwives of your new life,

followers of your compassion.

 

Move us to recognize your spirit sweeping across the city and the world,

ready to release us from unjust systems and lifeless routines.

Move us to know the fragrance of your sweet spirit,

ready to revive us and breathe life into old bones.

 

Spirit of fire, descend upon our hearts,

and dare us to join the dance of your flames.

 

On this Pentecost day we give thanks for the birth of the church,

and we give thanks for the new life bubbling up on the margins.

We pray for new churches, seeking to follow you in a new way,

and old churches, seeking to follow you in a new day.

 

On this week of the anniversary of D-Day,

we pray for people impacted by war, families shattered by war,

lives ended by war, children who only know a world at war.

Spirit of peace, descend upon our world,

and dare us to follow your lead.

 

Spirit of fire, descend upon our hearts,

and dare us to join the dance of your flames.

Amen.

 

 

 

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May 12, 2019 · 9:23 am

O Gentle Shepherd: Prayers of the People on Mother’s Day

Mother’s Day is not a liturgical holiday.

On the Sunday of Mother’s Day each year, there is an unspoken expectation that all women be joyful, be dressed in their best sundress, and have reservations for a fancy brunch after worship. That expectation is unfair, and I hope this prayer, leaning on the imagery of the 23rd Psalm, can carry the range of emotions you may feel today.

Feel your feelings, be kind to yourself, and know that the gentle shepherd has grace enough for you. 

Hear our prayers, O gentle shepherd,
and lead us to the waters of grace.

We give you thanks, O God,
for the good news of your love and our lives:
for all that brings us laughter and joy;
For the honor of worshiping you,
and the blessing of being sent to serve your reign.
Hear our prayers, O gentle shepherd,
and lead us to the waters of grace.

We give you thanks, O God,
for the love of community,
and we pray for people among us who are in need:
For our mission partners around the world,
speaking your peace in the midst of violence;
For our neighbors in this city,
serving together to bear witness to your justice.

Hear our prayers, O gentle shepherd,
and lead us to the waters of grace.

On this mother’s day,
we give thanks for the people in our lives
who have reflected your mothering love.
And we pray, O God, for all for whom this day is difficult:
for people whose mothers have died,
or who have painful relationships with their mothers;

For people who long to be mothers
or parents who have lost their children.
For mothers whose children are far away,
and children whose mothers have been separated from them.
Hold the range of our emotions in your tender care.
Enliven us in joy, comfort us in sorrow, encourage us in despair,
and show us how to care for one another.

Hear our prayers, O gentle shepherd,
and lead us to the waters of grace.

Amen.

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February 4, 2019 · 10:57 am

Good News to the Poor: A Prayer from Luke 4:16-20

The following prayer was written for worship at Central Presbyterian Church on January 27, 2019.

Hear the words Jesus reads to begin his earthly ministry:

‘The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,

  because he has anointed me

    to bring good news to the poor.

He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives

  and recovery of sight to the blind,

    to let the oppressed go free,

to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour.’

 

Let us pray.

 

We pray, O Lord, for people who are poor:

the ones to whom you came with good news.

Challenge us to bear that good news:

to be agents of change and witnesses of love;

to be makers of peace and sharers of bread.

 

We pray, O Lord, for people who are captives:

the ones to whom you came with release.

For people who are victims of war or violence;

for people who are captured by ideologies and systems.

Release us, O Lord. Release them, O Lord,

and teach us to unbind one another’s chains.

 

We pray, O Lord, for your spirit,

the spirit which blew over the waters of creation,

the spirit which was upon you at baptism,

the spirit which sustains your church through the ages.

As the spirit was upon you, O Lord,

may we notice her in our world:

Calling us to lives that reflect your justice and your mercy.

Amen.

 

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August 22, 2018 · 3:15 pm

Remembrance: A Baptismal Prayer

Central Presbyterian Baptismal FontIn water, you create life, O God.

In water, you wash us.

In water, you claim us.

In water, you bind us in the presence of the Spirit.

In water, you mark us in the love of Jesus Christ.

 

In the act of baptism,

we hear your promises and we make our own:

promises to teach the stories of your love;

promises to support one another in faith;

promises to care deeply for your children:

not only the children in our own churches,

not only the children in churches,

but all the ones whom you call blessed.

 

We give you thanks, O God, for baptism

and ask for lives shaped by its waters.

Pour your holy spirit out on these waters,

that they may be the sign and seal of your grace for us.

In the name of the holy trinity we pray. Amen.

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July 24, 2018 · 9:44 pm

Christmas in July: The Prayer of the Angels

I have the joy of serving as liturgist for a conference at Massanetta Springs this week, and tomorrow in worship, we will hear the Christmas story.  Turns out the song of the angels was just what I needed on a steamy July week, and I hope it sings to you as well.

Massanetta Font

Glory to God in the highest heaven,  and peace on the earth God loves.

That was the prayer of the angels, O Lord,

and that is our prayer as well.

Glory to you in the highest heaven,

and peace on the earth you love.

 

We pray for peace indeed, O Lord,

peace that is not the absence of conflict

but the presence of justice and love;

Peace that is not bound by our attempts at compromise

but is stretched across the world in the fabric of your love.

Glory to you in the highest heaven,

and peace on the earth you love.

 

We give you thanks for that earth, O Lord,

and for all the good things in it:

For the mountains which hint at the beauty of your reign;

For the waters which carry the message of your grace;

For the fruits which teach us the sweetness of your love;

For the animals which show us what it is to be joyful;

We give you thanks, O Lord,

For friends and family united by blood or spirit;

For the church seeking to be your body;

For your spirit, guiding us all along the way.

Glory to you in the highest heaven,

and peace on the earth you love.

 

Peace, we pray, O Lord, for the earth and all people in it.

Where there is strife, make peace rain with the waters.

Where there is violence, show us how to start again.

Where there racism, convict us, challenge us,

forgive us, and transform us.

Wherever we are broken, love us into wholeness.

Glory to you in the highest heaven,

and peace on the earth you love.

 

We pray all these things boldly in love,

in the name of the one who was Love for us. Amen.

 

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October 29, 2017 · 9:27 am

A Mighty Love: Prayers for Reformation Sunday

A mighty fortress are you, O God,

Creator, redeemer,

Protector, provider.

 

The earth is yours, and all that is in it.

We give you thanks for the bounty of our lives,

and the abundance of your creation.

Move us to recognize your gifts, O Lord,

and challenge us to share them.

 

A mighty fortress are you, O God,

Creator, redeemer,

Protector, provider.

 

A mighty love are you, O God,

Parent, teacher,

Comforter, friend.

 

You walk with us through joy and heartbreak,

and you bind us together in holy community.

You poured out your grace in the life of Christ,

and we witnessed your love in his resurrection.

 

Move us to know the depth of your love,

and challenge us to share it.

 

A mighty love are you, O God,

Parent, teacher,

Comforter, friend.

 

A mighty Spirit are you, O God,

Reformer, sustainer,

Challenger, change-agent.

 

On this Reformation Day,

we give you thanks for the saints of our faith,

who have followed your leading at any cost:

For Mary, John, and Peter,

who were there to tell the news of the first Easter Day;

For Paul, Lydia, and Chloe,

who built the church on the foundation you laid;

For Martin, John, and Marie,

who dared to lead your people in Reforming;

For all the reformers since,

who have dared to challenge the status quo.

 

A mighty Spirit are you, O God,

Reformer, sustainer,

Challenger, change-agent.

 

As we remember the Reformation 500 years ago,

do not let us sit idly and reflect on the past.

Move us to follow your Holy Spirit

into the leading of the future.

 

Help us to be your church, reformed and still being reformed.

Help us to be your people, formed and still being formed.

 

Glory be to you alone,

Soli deo Gloria.

 

Move us to be people reformed and reforming,

standing on the cornerstones of our faith:

Scripture alone, Christ alone,

Faith alone, Grace alone,

Glory always, to you alone,

Knowing that we are never alone.

Amen.

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September 8, 2017 · 3:11 pm

Awaken Us: A Confession for Romans 13:8-14

Living God,

You beckon us to wake from our sleep,

to open our eyes to the goodness of your reign,

the injustice of our world, and the gap in between.

You call us to follow in the path of your love.

Forgive us, O God, when we choose the easy way.

Forgive us, O God, when we choose the selfish way, the fast way,

the successful way, the nice way,

the friendly way, the comfortable way.

Convict us, awaken us, empower us, and enliven us

to follow the Way of justice and love.

Amen.

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August 27, 2017 · 10:15 am

Prayers of the People: Our Help.

These prayers of the people are based on two lectionary texts for today: Psalm 124 and Exodus 1: 8-22.

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Refrain: Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth.

Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth.

Heaven and earth, O holy God, cannot contain your boundless glory.

Heaven and earth, O holy God, cannot contain your everlasting love.

You are gracious, compassionate, and good.

You are loving, patient, and kind.

You are parent, mother, and father.

You are God, and we are not.

Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth.

 

We give you thanks for your holy story, illumined for us this day.

You call us to be faithful at all costs,

especially when the powers of the world turn their backs

on people who are vulnerable or oppressed.

In the spirit of Shiphrah and the courage of Puah,

enliven and empower us to mean the words we often pray:

Thy kingdom, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.

Make us hear the truth of your calling,

and move us to follow with bold faithfulness.

Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth.

 

We give you thanks, O God, for the signs of your goodness all around:

For the sounds of newborn babies,

who cry that you are making all things new.

For the hands of compassionate doctors and nurses,

whose care is an extension of your own.

For the voices of prophets, old and new,

whose stories attest to the challenge of your call.

For the church, your body in this place;

in our struggle and in our song, may we witness to your love.

 

Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth.

 

Help, O Lord; Help, we pray.

As we pray to you from the depths of our hearts,

humble us to ask for your help,

and make us wise enough to recognize it.

We pray for the people and places who are hurting this day:

[Name the concerns of your community.]

 

Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth.

 

For the people of the Sudan, suffering great violence.

For all in the path of tropical storm Harvey,

preparing for the worst and hoping for the best.

For marginalized people everywhere,

who suffer in the same system in which benefit.

Bring your spirit of comfort, O God:

your spirit of healing, in your time and your way;

your spirit of companionship, in fostering community;

your spirit of justice, in creating change;

your spirit of love, stronger than death itself.

 

Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth.

Amen.

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July 27, 2017 · 10:04 am

Prayers from Matthew and Esther: For Such a Time as This

These prayers were written with Matthew 10:34-49 and Esther 4:1-17 in my mind and my transgender friends in my heart.

Let us pray.

Speak to us this day, O God,
and humble us to hear your word.
Make us still enough to notice your presence,
Quiet enough to hear your voice,
Brave enough to speak your good news,
and wise enough to follow your spirit.

So often we pray to you for life:
to preserve life, to prolong life,
to guard life, to begin life.
Today we pray something else.
We pray for courage to lose our life for your sake,
and we pray for the wisdom to find it.

As Mordecai challenged Esther to be faithful at all costs,
make us hear the voices of people oppressed,
whose stories challenge our way of life.

We pray for your children everywhere:

For your people who are suffering,
Discriminated against because of their race, gender identity,
sexuality, or religion.
For your people who are fearful,
Faced with losing their access to healthcare or treatment.
For your people who are isolated,
Living in the shackles of addiction or abuse.

Holy comforter, challenger, redeemer,
We know that you are in our midst.
Help us recognize your spirit on the move,
and empower us to join your work.

Help us be your church, reformed and still being reformed.
Help us be your people, formed and still being formed.
Help us boldly share the news of your love,
For such a time as this.

Amen.

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