Sunday, March 15, 2009
Offered by John W. Vest, Associate Pastor

Almighty God of creation,
as the season begins to change
and plants show signs of renewed life,
we are reminded of the wonders of this world
and are grateful for your loving care that sustains it.
The heavens and the earth do indeed tell of your glory,
and we add our voices to the sounds of praise
that ring out throughout this great world of your making.

As we praise you this morning,
we are mindful that we all breathe the same air,
drink the same water,
and feel the same hungers within us.
During this season of Lent, we remember once again our common mortality,
those things that make us human
and bind us together as brothers and sisters.

And in you we find a caring father and loving mother,
a devoted parent who loves each one of us, your children, unconditionally.
You are the God of the just and the unjust,
the poor and the rich,
the oppressed and the oppressor,
the peacemaker and the war-maker,
the victim and the aggressor,
the one who is like us and the one who is different,
the one we love and the one we hate.

Helps us to love others as you love us,
with a zeal for righteousness and a passion for peace.

Today we heard the story of Jesus in the temple,
when your Spirit moved within him and stirred his soul,
inspiring him to act with boldness
to proclaim the good news of your love and grace.

May we too be moved by your Spirit;
may our hearts be troubled and stirred when confronted with injustice;
may we be inspired to speak bold words and do radical acts of love;
may we be brave enough to live lives of humility and service;
may we follow Jesus in his prophetic zeal and his self-sacrificing passion.

God of our lives,
while our hearts burn for justice and equality and freedom,
we remember too the other struggles of this life,
the sickness and death and loss we all must face.
Help us to feel your presence in these places of pain and sorrow,
even as we celebrate your many blessings.
May we be for others signs and instruments of your amazing love.

Gracious God,
we open our hearts to you this morning.
Take who we are and shape us into the people you need us to be.
Fill us with your Spirit,
and transform us more and more into the likeness of Christ,
our teacher and our friend
the one we follow,
the one through whom we hear your voice.

Dear God, hear us now as we pray together the prayer that he taught us: Our Father . . .

Prayer © Fourth Presbyterian Church