Sunday, June 17, 2001
Offered by Donna Gray, Interim Associate Pastor for Children and Family Ministry

Warm, loving God, you father us all and embrace us in your great family of heaven and earth. We are proud to belong and to find in it this dignity that no one can take away. You have called us sons and daughters and adopted us as your children.

You have planted us in families. You have sheltered us under parents or guardians. You have nurtured us in family love. Like a good gardener, you have cared for our growth. This morning we give you thanks for the love and meaning we find in our families. Today we thank you for fathers, fathers who are mothers and fathers, and mothers who are fathers and mothers. We thank you for guardians who step in when there is no father or mother. We pray for those who are lonely because the family circle has been broken. We cannot place a value on the care given us by our parents. We realize not all children have that care. May they find a place in your family, a family full of variety, and at its best it is a family that is loving and nurturing.

Be with us on these summerlike days that surround us with long hours of sunlight and warmth. During the summer months when we have time to travel, grant us safety on the highways and in the air. When we have time to sit leisurely on a deck, balcony, or beach, grant us rest without a sense of guilt.

Hear our prayer for others. We pray for the new moderator of the General Assembly, Dr. Jack Rogers. Give him wisdom and insight as he serves the church this year.

We pray for the generation to which we belong, those with whom we share a common fund of memory and common standard of behavior.

We pray for those newly married. May they build homes where there is free welcome. At work or leisure, let them enjoy each other, forgive each other, and embrace each other.

We pray for those in hospitals, hoping for health.

We pray for those needing comfort for their sorrow.

Father, help your children everywhere to grow up and to grow together. As we follow the example of Jesus, may we become wiser—and not only wiser but also more loving. Through our life in your family, may we learn unselfishness and be ready to make sacrifices for your sake.

Hear us as we pray together, Our Father . . .

Prayer © Fourth Presbyterian Church