Pastor Jason's Prayer - Feb 1st

Almighty, merciful, and gracious God,

By your Holy Spirit you’ve drawn each and every one of us here this morning. The gathering of this church is your work. You are the God of light and love and we pray that by your Word you continue to shine your light to us, in us, and through us, in a world desperate for light.

Lord, In a hard-hearted world renew us, and grant us hearts that are firm in their foundation in faith in You, yet tender toward our neighbors.

In an atmosphere mired in and often idolatrous of the violence of the pen, the violence of the tongue and the violence of action, renew us, sanctify us, set us apart. Make us the peacekeepers, the love and hope givers, the grace and truth speakers, the Good News proclaimers You have called us to be. 

Lord Jesus,

You did not come into this world to be served, but to serve, to the point of death on the cross. Your love is a consuming fire. Consume us and make us new, that we might shine your light in the darkness. Pour out your love through your Word, that we might practice true worship through the self-sacrificial loving of our neighbors. Make us your hands and feet in service to those around us. Make us agents of your reign of justice, truth, grace, mercy, and love.

May your kingdom come, Lord, and your will be done, on earth, as it is in heaven.

All praise be to you Lord Jesus, God of justice, God of grace and mercy, God of compassion, King of kings, and Lord of lords.

AMEN.

Pastor Jason's Prayer - Jan 18th

Almighty God,

Thank you for this glorious morning. In your graciousness, and by your Holy Spirit, you bless us with this time and place of sanctuary and rest in your son Jesus Christ. You bless us by turning us to you.Thank you for the opportunity to just sit and rest here, in you Lord. Right where you've placed each of us. Quiet the distractions in our minds and hearts, that we may simply be present to receive your mercy and grace.

Lord Jesus,

In the cross and empty tomb you forever free us from the bondage of our sin. But we so often crawl back into a prison of our own making. When we chain ourselves to the strife in our hearts, to the envy in our hearts, to the anger in our hearts, to the fear and worry in our hearts, speak us free again.

For You came to seek and save the troubled, the burdened, the lost. The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. Turn our hearts to know and believe that though we were once darkness, in you we are light. We were once slaves to sin, but who the Son sets free is free indeed, and you bless us with your good and perfect gifts from above. You possess us, and in beautiful unity in you we have true freedom.

Freedom from the devil

Freedom from bondage to sin

Freedom from condemnation under the law

Freedom from fear

Freedom from death itself

Freedom to rejoice in these, your gifts:

The gift of the freedom to love

The gift of the freedom to show mercy and compassion

The gift of the freedom to forgive, as we have been forgiven

By your Word, cause us to walk in that freedom, to walk in the newness of life in You.

It’s in your mighty name we pray,

AMEN.

Pastor Jason's Prayer - Jan 11th

Heavenly Father, 

There are times when the darkness around us and in us can make it seem like there is no light. Cause us to follow your Word as the magi followed the star. Just as the light of Christ was revealed to the them, shine His light into our darkness. In your mercy, crash your light into the darkness of this world. Scatter the dark clouds with showers of your grace for your grace is enough.

Lord,

Out of fear, we so easily get distracted and turned by the overwhelming tide of voices all around us. Loud and self seeking voices that elevate anger, resentment, and self-righteousness. Voices which would have us declare our neighbors as our enemies, and call it virtue. Where these voices and our own hearts cry “War!”, turn our hearts and tongues to declare peace. Where the world and our own hearts double down on the pain, wounds, and cruelty of this life, turn our hearts and tongues to proclaim the healing balm of the Good News of Christ’s reign. 

King Jesus,

So often we fall to temptation, and bear the fruit of sin: hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy. Be the friend and pardoner of sinners. In your mercy turn us, repent us, faith us, forgive us, renew us.

Remind us that we are marked with your name, and stir your Holy Spirit within us that we might instead bear the fruit of love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.

In your mighty and gracious name,

AMEN.

Pastor Jason’s Prayer - Jan 4th

Lord Jesus,

Comfort us with the truth that in all things we can call on your name, the One who saves, for you are gracious and righteous; our God is full of compassion, and His light shines in the darkness. 

Hold to your promise that the Lord protects the unwary; when we are brought low, He saves us. Our King, come out of eternity and into time, to bring us out of time and into eternity. 

Remind us that you did not come to defeat local enemies, but universal ones. Those foes that besiege our conscience, plague us with guilt, and drive us to the grave.

When we wander or find ourselves lost to temptation, fear, and the world’s ways, be our Great Shepherd. Hunt us down with your grace and love, with the Good News that it was for sinners just like us that you entered into the world to save it. 

Just as you chose to come in humble circumstances, cause us to receive you as you now come, ever so simply, yet full of power in Word and Sacrament. The divine, wrapped in humanity, now wrapped in the proclamation of the Gospel and the bread and wine of the foretaste of the feast to come. Be the Christ for us. Hold to your promises, ease our conscience, be gentle with a doubting heart, kindle our faith, remove our guilt, rest us in the truth that the One who saves, saves us.

AMEN.

Pastor Jason's Prayer - Christmas Eve

Almighty, merciful, and gracious God,

In a world that seems long on worry and fear, but short on hope, have us pause on this Christmas Eve night to reflect that you carry and deliver hope in the most unlikely ways and into the most undignified places. Today, and every day, turn us to Christ in hope. Hope in the creator of the universe, who entered into His creation not in glory, but in the muck and mire of a stable and a lowly manger. Hope in the King of kings, who came to us not in the purple robes of earthly royalty, but enrobed in the soft and fragile flesh of a newborn baby. Hope in the Word made flesh, dwelling among us, the One long promised whose arrival marks the day that the ancient slavery to sin is ending, the day the Light shines in the darkness, the power of death is broken, the curse of sin is taken away and removed from us.

King Jesus,

We so often spin our wheels, hoping to find you in the extraordinary. Turn us in hope to those ordinary things outside of us through which you work. Those seemingly unlikely and undignified places where you promise to be. Hope in you here, in the midst of your body, the church, dwelling in the person to our left and right, and through whom you pour love, service, and forgiveness into the world. Hope in you, here, in your body and blood in, with, and under ordinary bread and wine which you give for our renewal and the strengthening of our faith. Hope in you, here, where you take action in the muck and mire of our lives through your Word from the ordinary lips of another. Hope in the proclamation of the Good News. The good news that the payment for our sins is satisfied, and the righteousness of God is ours, solely and fully on account of You. Grant us rest in that Good News.

Make a way in our hearts, Lord, for Emmanuel is here, the child long promised. The author of love, who knows what it is to be abandoned and so enters into our loneliness that by His love we might never be alone. 

Make a way in our hearts, for the King is here, the One long promised. The Servant King who is the fount of joy, yet knows grief, so enters into our sadness to comfort the sorrowful. 

Lord, envelop us in the light of your presence, the Word made flesh, bright within this dark world. Spiritual light for the spiritually blind, the cup of salvation for the thirsty, the bread of life for the hungry. For unto us a child is born, a son is given. Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Emmanuel, God is with us.

All this we pray in your holy name.

AMEN.

Pastor Jason’s Prayer - Advent Sunday #4

God of creation, God of redemption, author of life, author and perfecter of our faith,

We praise and thank you for the signs you have sent us: for the infant's cry in a lowly manger, for the Light’s quiet invasion into the darkness of this world in the Word made flesh as a little child, and for the resounding angels’ song which we hear alongside the shepherds of long ago. “Rejoice! I say again, rejoice. The Lord is near” Emmanuel, God with us.

King Jesus,

In you, the incomprehensible nature of God is comprehended enough, for in you the fullness of God dwells. In the One who is Justice, Mercy, Grace and Life itself, we have justice, mercy, grace, and life, for us. Because in you, God’s promise of salvation and restoration is fulfilled. In you God’s love is made manifest. You invite us to bring our sin, sorrows, fears, worry, and grief to you, Lord. And you have us surrender them at your feet, from the cradle exchanged for a cross, where the cracks of our brokenness are filled with the purified gold of the blood of the Lamb. 

Stir up your power, Lord, and come. Come and help us by your mighty, living, and active word, that the sins and burdens that weigh us down may be lifted by your love. Be the Christ for us. Speak light into hearts troubled by darkness. Speak peace into hearts troubled by grief. Speak assurance into hearts troubled by doubt. Emmanuel, God with us.

For unto us a Child is born, a Son is given. Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace, entered into the world, so that He might make us new, so that He might make all things new. Emmanuel, God with us.

AMEN.

Pastor Jason’s Prayer - Advent Sunday #3

Almighty God,

We thank you for this church family, whom you’ve gathered by the Holy Spirit, to receive your gifts this morning. 

Lord,

In this Advent season, this time of expectation for and celebration of the coming of our Savior, Jesus Christ, have us reflect on and celebrate the gifts of hope, peace, joy and love we have in Him. Gifts that only He can give in their fullness. Wrap us in your gifts, renew us in your gifts, and rest us in your gifts

The gift of hope, a hope that is the one true, fulfilled hope of salvation and restoration to be found only in the coming of the Messiah, the One foretold by the prophets, the One promised of old, entered into his creation to save it.

The gift of joy, a resounding joy that fills us, even in the midst of our struggles. For in the word of the Gospel you hold to your promise that one day those struggles will be no more.

The gift of peace, a peace that washes over us, a peace which knows no end, for in the babe in the manger we behold the grace and mercy of the very heart of God.

The gift of love, a love that is love itself, the sacrificial love for all. The love of God in Christ, who by dwelling among us stoops to bring heaven to earth in order to lift earth to heaven by His blood and resurrection.

Wrap us in your gifts, renew us in your gifts, and rest us in your gifts. The hope, joy, peace, and love found in Christ and Christ alone

AMEN.

Pastor Jason’s Prayer - Advent Sunday #2

Merciful and gracious Father,

You sent your Son into the world to shine light into the darkness. 

Lord Jesus, you are the true light that shines for everyone. The light that shines in the darkness and the darkness cannot overcome it. Crash your light into this world, into this place, and into our hearts. 

We thank you for the miracle of this church family, whom you’ve gathered by the Holy Spirit, that we might simply receive. That we might receive forgiveness, renewal, and restoration through the proclamation and hearing of your Word, that we might be forgiven, renewed and restored by you and in You and You alone.

Lord, in the midst of the restlessness, the uncertainty, the turbulence, and the anxiety of this life, we are often filled with doubt. Lord, open your heart to hear our prayer, “I believe; help thou my unbelief.” Hold to your promises and be gentle with a doubting heart for You are the Lord who with a tender touch makes our spirit whole. So reach out and make us an Advent people, trusting not in ourselves, but patiently waiting and resting in the God who promises to save. Emmanuel, “God with us”, the shoot that comes forth from Jesse’s stump, the branch of righteousness, the tested Stone and Cornerstone, the sure Foundation. Give us assurance by your Word that you know your plans for us; plans for healing, plans of hope, plans of restoration in you, in whom all God’s plans and promises are fulfilled. 

AMEN.

Pastor Jason's Prayer - Advent Sunday #1

God of power and majesty, who spoke and this world was, who breathed and this world lived,

You know our thoughts and read our hearts yet love us beyond measure, sending your one and only Son into the world, not to condemn it, but that the world might be saved through Him. We turn to you in thanks and praise for sustaining us, holding us close, and drawing us together in unity with You and with each other.

God of hope, who brought love into this world in your Son, be the love that dwells between us. Cause us to love our neighbor as you have loved us, as a living sacrifice and by the renewing word of forgiveness.

God of hope, who brought peace into this world in your Son, be the peace that dwells between us. Cause us to declare peace, and to live it, in the midst of the world’s demand for unceasing and unyielding conflict and competition.

God of hope, the rock we stand upon, be our firm foundation, anchoring us in the Good News.

The good news, that in the lowly manger, in the victorious humility of the cross, in the triumph of the empty tomb, there is hope for the hopeless.

The good news that in beautiful slavery to Christ, there is liberty from the bondage of sin.

The good news that in a world full of condemnation, in the advent of Christ, there is grace for the sinner.

Anoint us with the oil of joy, poured out in the precious blood of the Anointed One, the light of the world, the Word made flesh, come into the world to save it.

AMEN.

Pastor Jason's Prayer - Nov 23rd

Lord,

Our day-to-day routines can get so hectic and busy, so full of manufactured urgency. So much so, that sometimes we forget to just pause...to be still and know that you are God….to pause, and to thank you for all that is good. Our blessings are many. As we pause, fill our hearts with gratitude, not just in this season of Thanksgiving, but everyday.

Gratitude for the gift of life you breathe into us. For the mercy, salvation, and love we receive in Christ. For the ability and opportunity to pour out love and in turn be loved by others. Prompt us to pause, and be thankful for the opportunity to see the everyday wonders of creation and your kingdom work in our lives. As we walk together, may our care for each other bear the imprint of your grace.

Lord,

We all come to you with burdens this morning.

As we are drawn into a time together in your Word, we ask you to remember us. Not because you have forgotten us, but because when you say you remember your children, you are announcing that you are the God who takes action. You are the God who invades and intervenes in our brokenness, in our doubts, in our struggles. 

“For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.”

Lord Jesus,

BE the Priest Most High for everyone here today. BE The Christ for everyone here today. Be the faithful friend and the pardoner and the hope of sinners. Speak your resurrection life and assurance into our hearts. 

May your renewing word this morning pass from the lips of another... to the ear... to the heart...and to the life, of everyone who hears.

AMEN.

Pastor Jason's Prayer - Nov 16th

Merciful Father,

Thank you for this day, yet another day when we are reminded that your mercies are new every morning. In your graciousness, and by your Holy Spirit, you bless us with this time and place of sanctuary and rest in your son Jesus Christ.

Renew our hearts, Lord, and give us a servant’s heart, for our King is the Servant King. Renew our hearts, Lord, for we quickly forget the sweet taste of forgiveness, and the fullness of forgiveness. We quickly forget how much we have been gifted in Christ, that we might pour out those gifts to others.

Renew our hearts, Lord, and make us receivers and proclaimers of the Gospel, of the Good News, of Christ. Make us receivers and proclaimers of the Good News of salvation in Him. Make us receivers and proclaimers of the Good News of the redemption and restoration we receive now in your Word, and the final redemption and restoration to come. Make us receive and proclaimers of the Good News of forgiveness on account of the crucified and living Christ. For according to His promise, having been forgiven, whoever we forgive on earth is forgiven in heaven. And if we as the church do not proclaim forgiveness, then who will?

So we call on you, Lord, to cause us to walk in unity with the Spirit and mind of Christ that we might show sympathy, and live in brotherly love with tender and humble hearts. Renew our hearts so we do not live according to the world’s expectations, with greed as our lodestar while repaying evil for evil or insult for insult. On the contrary, cause us to forgive, bless and serve others, for to this we are called in Christ, whose love and forgiveness washes over us that it may flow onto and into others.

AMEN.

Pastor Jason's Prayer - Nov 9th

God of creation, God of power,

When we are troubled by the seemingly shifting foundations of the world in this age, when we doubt your plans for us, remind us that it is you who laid the foundations of the world. It is You, who by speaking, marked off its dimensions with a measuring line. It is You who made the clouds the earth’s garments. It is You who gives orders to the morning and shows the dawn its place. And yet, it is you who knows each and every one of us to the number of hairs on our head. It is you who created, made, and formed each and every one of us that you might bestow your gifts on us.

God of creation, God of power, God of mercy,

We often find ourselves restless, uncertain - caught between despair and hope, trapped in our powerlessness. By the power of your Word, draw us to the fulfilled promise of our redemption in Christ. We have been bought back from darkness by the blood of the Lamb, and we receive mercy straight from the one who sits the mercy seat. On account of Jesus and his work, proclaim peace into our restlessness. Proclaim hope into our uncertainty. Proclaim freedom and comfort into our despair. For while we were powerless, Christ died for the ungodly.

God of creation, God of power, God of love,

Your love creates what is pleasing to you. Create us anew in your image, to love our neighbors as ourselves, to love and forgive our enemies, to bless those who curse us, to bear the fruit of the spirit.  Hear our prayer, Lord, you who are merciful, forgiving and good, abounding in love to all who call on you. So we call on you. We call on you to hold to your promises to be merciful, to forgive us, redeem us, renew us, and sustain us. Be our firm foundation, with Christ as our cornerstone. Be our power and strength in our weakness. Re-create us as you would have us be.

AMEN.

Pastor Jason's Prayer - Nov 2nd

Almighty, merciful, and loving God,

Yours is the love that knows no barriers, no borders, no boundaries. Yours is the love that conquers distance, time, troubles, even death itself.

Wherever we find ourselves, by your love, draw us together in communion with you and each other. To share, by faith in you, the peace we possess on account of our unity in You. To share, together, the joy of fellowship with each other anchored in Christ and His gifts. To share, in thanks, the countless blessings you bestow on your creation and your children as you crash in your Kingdom light. Remind us that we are one. All the saints of the royal priesthood of all believers, united in one body and one Spirit, one hope and one faith, one light, one baptism, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, our justifier and sanctifier and great high priest, through whom all things came to be and in whom we now live.

Lord Jesus,

To those of us that are searching in darkness, by the power of your Word, shine your Kingdom light. To those of us that are suffering, grant hope and perseverance, for though there is suffering and trouble in this world, we can take heart, for you have overcome the world. To those of us that are broken, grant healing and wholeness in the gift of forgiveness and restoration we receive only in you and your work. Rest us in your fulfilled promise that we are saved, now and forever more.

AMEN.

Pastor Jason's Prayer - Oct 26th

Almighty and merciful God,

Whether we are filled with small doubts or, at times, what seems like hopelessness, by your Spirit cause us to hold fast to Christ and His promises, that sure and steadfast anchor of our souls. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope in Christ Jesus, for the Lord promises, and He is faithful.

Lord Jesus,

Where we are restless and anxious, turned in on ourselves instead of outward in love, speak your peace into us, and over us. Cling to us with your words: “Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” 

In the midst of the busyness of our lives, prompt us to pause, to be still, to hear the voice of our Savior, to savor the gift of joy we receive in reconciliation with God on account of you.

In a world that is constantly rushing, have us know that your love is patient, is not easily angered, and, by grace, keeps no record of wrong. Reach out your long arm of grace. A grace that is love that seeks us out when we have nothing to give in return. 

A grace that loves us so much, that you took on flesh and entered creation as one of us, that you might save us. A grace that saves us through the gift of faith in you and your works that we might be re-created in your image. A grace that now centers our identity in you. A grace that marks us with your name so that as your workmanship we might freely walk in the good works you have prepared for us. 

Wear us like a mask, Lord. Make us your hands and feet in a world desperate for kindness and mercy. Make us your mouthpiece for the proclamation of the Good News. The good news that in you there is hope for the sinner. The good news that you work all things together for good. The good news that you are making all things new.

All this we pray in your name,

AMEN.

Pastor Jason's Prayer - Oct 19th

Gracious, living and everlasting Lord,

This world is desperate for your healing. We are desperate for your healing, for your light, for your mercy. Let us not be satisfied with the mercy we’ve been granted in you yet tightfisted in flowing that mercy to others. Let us not be content to be served by you, yet slow and grudging in sacrificial service to those around us. Let us not be stingy with grace and forgiveness for others, when you have been so radically generous with us. 

Lord Jesus,

We who have been forgiven much can find ourselves sitting around expecting and demanding much from others. Move us from that place where we love to judge and are possessed only by a hard hearted and self-justifying desire for our version of justice. Move us to that place where we love mercy and possess a desire to see people live in the freedom of the resurrection life found in you. Hold to your promises and move us back and replant our feet under your cloak of righteousness and give us a new and merciful heart. A heart that is poor in spirit that it might be filled with your spirit, a heart that is meek that it might receive your kingdom, a heart that hungers for your righteousness.

Almighty God,

Shine your face upon us, and search our hearts to reveal those we hide our faces from. When we are turned inward with our own anxieties and fears, turn us to you in prayer, with every petition, and with thanksgiving that we might be made bearers of your light in this world.  Bearers of the mercy, grace, and forgiveness found in Christ alone. Bearers of the truth that you are a stronghold in times of trouble, a stronghold for the weary, and a refuge for sinners. That you do not forget the cries of the afflicted, nor forsake those who seek you. Renew our hearts that we might trust in your steadfast love, that our hearts might rejoice in your salvation, and our souls sing, for you have dealt bountifully with us in your Son. It is in his name we pray.

Amen.

Pastor Jason’s Prayer - Oct 12th

Lord,

By your Word all things were created, each in its allotted space and time. By your Word, pour out your Spirit here this morning, and settle our worried minds and hearts. As we take in the countless voices around us, have us hear the voice above all voices, the voice of our Creator and Redeemer. Awaken our ears to hear. Make us vessels to receive your Word and be convicted by your Word. Make us vessels to receive your Word and receive peace from your Word. A peace that is deeper and richer than anything we can imagine. Peace in the midst of struggle, peace in the mercy of Christ, peace in the grace of Christ, peace in the forgiveness we have in Christ.

King Jesus,

When we find ourselves exhausted by the distractions of this world, when we find ourselves exhausted by the often conflicting obligations, and the spiraling and ever changing expectations of this world, be our sabbath. Be our rest. Rest us in your promise that a bruised reed you will not break, a faintly burning wick you will not quench, and a hungry heart you fill with the bread of life. 

If we find ourselves parched for joy in the midst of troubles, in the midst of our own sin, pour your Word into us, and remind us that we are soaked in the living waters of baptism. Remind us that you have made us new in you, that you have marked us and sealed us with your name, and that according to your will and for your purposes, you work all things together for the good. 

All this we pray, in your mighty and holy name.

AMEN.

Pastor Jason‘s Prayer - Oct 5th

King Jesus,

Just the grain of a mustard seed, you said. Just the grain of a mustard seed of faith to move the mountain of doubts and temptations, earthly idols, and sinful rebellion which we are often overwhelmed with in our weakness. We confess, Lord, that there are times when we reach out seemingly in vain for that mustard seed, seemingly in unanswered frustration or desperation for just a little seed of faith. 

Cause us to pause, to think for a moment, to realize the truth that in the very act of reaching out, we reveal the presence in our hearts of the very seed that we seek, the very gift of comforting, life giving faith. Faith born not of our own effort or decision, but faith gifted from the God who provides. Faith gifted from the God whose love is steadfast and abundant in times of trouble. Faith gifted from the God who seeks out and hunts down sinners in order to make them new. Faith gifted from the God who knows our brokenness and suffered, died and rose again that we might have His wholeness. 

Seek us out and hunt us down through the proclamation of your life giving Word this morning. Stir faith in our hearts and re-create us as you would have us be. Renew our faith, and remake us in your image. Turn our hearts from the business of earthly power to the business of service to our neighbor. Turn our hearts from the business of self-help and self-optimization to the business of self sacrifice. Turn our hearts from the business of fixing other people to the business of reckless forgiveness of those around us. Forgive us, faith us, remake us in your image. Make us new and make us whole, in You.

AMEN.

Pastor Jason’s Prayer - Sept 28th

Almighty, and merciful God,

As each new day dawns, grant us comfort in you. Grant us the comfort that whatever the age, your children are in your hands, the One who is the beginning and the end. The One who opens the door to eternal life, the door that no one can shut. 

Lord,

You draw us to you and confront us with your Word. You draw us to you and comfort us with your Word. You draw us to you and confront us with our sin that we may be comforted by your grace. You draw us to you and we are confronted and comforted with the cross. 

In Christ, lifted on the perch of the cross, we see the frailty of our own lofty perch. 

Our own towering pride, nailed to the tree. 

Our arrogant elevation of our own self-sufficiency, nailed to the tree. Our misplaced belief that we build yourkingdom by playing the world’s game of moralistic scorekeeping and cultural domination, nailed to the tree.

Our belief in and pursuit of our own kingdoms and our own righteousness, nailed to the tree.

King Jesus,

On the cross You have taken all of our pride, all of our idolatry, all of our unbelief, all of our insufficient works, all of our sin as your own. Kill us anew, Lord, that you might make us alive again in you. By your mercy we are crucified with you, so that in you we have your resurrection life.

Repent us Lord, with the assurance that your Kingdom is at hand in the proclamation of the Gospel, in the waters of baptism, and in your body and blood from the altar to our bodies and to our souls. And rest us Lord, in the truth that you are the God of our salvation yesterday, today, and forever.

AMEN.

Pastor Jason's Prayer - Sept 21st

Almighty, merciful, and gracious Lord,

In the busyness of this life, in our daily struggle with our own sin, in the constant barrage of darkness, distraction and disillusionment from the voices all around us, including our own, we can find ourselves worn out, and weary.

 Yet you know how to sustain with a word those who are weary.

When we are lonely,  “Behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

When we are afraid, “Peace be with you. Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.”

When we are weighed down by guilt, “Your sins are forgiven. Go, and from now on sin no more.”

When we are unsure about God’s love, “Take and eat. This is my body given for you. My blood shed for you.”

When we are weak, “I am the Good Shepherd . . . I lay down my life for the sheep. My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”

When we are facing or fearing that enemy called death – “I am the Resurrection and Life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live”

So many ways we can be weary. “Come unto me all you who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls” Lord Jesus, you speak just the right word for the weary.

You are the Word made flesh, for us. Be the Christ for us. Draw us to your Word. By your Holy Spirit, guide us by your Word and transform us through your Word. May the world know we are Christians, not by our wearied and fear driven anger but by our love. May they know we are Christians, not by our wearied shouts of condemnation but by our quiet acts of mercy. May they know we are Christians, not by our wearied despair but by our hope in the midst of despair, our hope in the one who fulfills his promises of restoration right now and in the kingdom to come. May they know we are Christians by our hope in You and You alone.

AMEN.

Pastor Jason's Prayer - Sept 14th

Lord,

You confound the wisdom of the world. You make yourself known not through loud, shiny, worldly success as we might expect but through the weak, the unassuming, the meek in spirit, the humble, those who are down and out. Ultimately you make yourself known on the cross. Remind us that we have been crucified with Christ, and we no longer live, but Christ lives in us.

Therefore, Shape our lives into the cruciform life, the cross shaped life. Cause us to bear the cross of loving our neighbor, friend and supposed enemy alike. Forgive us Father for we know not what we do. Forgive us Father even though we know what we do. Do not let us fall into the trap of committing violence of the pen and violence of the tongue, all supposedly in your name. Instead, cause us to bear the cross of losing ourselves in you in order to offer others your grace, mercy, and forgiveness which we ourselves receive so undeservedly. 

In a world obsessed with self, turn us to you so we might pour out compassion. 

In a world that demands we keep ourselves in a state of loud and constant outrage, make us quiet beacons of your grace.

In a world that demands we declare war on our neighbor, cause us to declare peace wherever you plant our feet.

In a world who’s lifeblood is lies, corruption, hate and self righteousness, wash us in your blood and shape our lives as ones of truth, love, and daily self sacrifice covered in your righteousness.

Through your Word, pour out the mercy and hope of your Kingdom. Pour out your Word and free us from the bondage of self and sin that we might walk in the light of the Lord not for the world’s purposes, not for our purposes, but for your purposes. Thy will be done, Lord, not ours, on earth as it is in heaven.

AMEN.