Sunday, March 4, 2007
Offered by John W. Vest, Associate Pastor

Gracious and loving God,
even as the chill of winter persists,
we give you thanks for the gifts of life,
the beauty of the morning,
the warm sun on our faces.
We give you thanks for the warmth and shelter we enjoy,
even as we pray for those who don’t have those comforts.

Lord, this morning as we have gathered together to worship you,
we stand in awe of the majesty of your creation,
the wonders of all that you have made,
and the mysteries of this life that we have been given.
We confess that sometimes we are confused by the cards we are dealt;
we confess that we don’t always agree with the way our lives play out.
Our hearts are full of questions,
our minds full of doubt.
Yet we are thankful that you watch over us still,
that your unfailing love never lets us go,
that your grace and mercy sustain us even in the darkest of days.

And so, God, we ask this morning that we might be moved by your Spirit
to share this love that we have received from you,
that through our love and care for our neighbors and our enemies
your presence might be felt in the lives of others, even as we feel it in ours.

Help us to care for those who have no food or shelter,
for those without jobs and those without homes,
for those who have been left behind
and those who have been forgotten.

Inspire us, Lord, to seek an end to war and violence,
to put an end to oppression and prejudice,
to loose the bonds of tyranny wherever it may be found,
even in our own lives and actions.

Healing God, extend your love and care to those who are sick and dying
and to those who care for them and love them.
Extend the hope of resurrection and new life
to those who grieve and mourn.

Indeed, may all of us realize the promise of newness
that is found in the gospel of your son, Jesus Christ.
Lord, may we be bold in our proclamation of that gospel
in our words and our actions, in every aspect of our lives.

Gracious God,
in the stillness of this moment,
fill us with your Holy Spirit and transform our lives into the likeness of Christ,
whose voice we join even now as we pray the prayer he taught us. Our Father . . .

Prayer © Fourth Presbyterian Church