Prayer

Constant God of Grace we have gathered in this place to give thanks and sing praise for the gifts and graces we have in our lives. For the strength to stand up this morning, we give thanks. For the food that came to us and will nourish us this day, we give thanks. We even give thanks for the breath we just took and the breath we are taking right now. Your presence not only makes life possible but it makes life worth living.

But life does not come easily sometimes and often due to the actions of ourselves and our sisters and brothers. Just as we recognize that it if your presence that makes life available to us, we recognize the times when we have taken life for granted. Our self-centeredness manifests in many different ways from greed to envy, from passive aggression to active violence. Forgive our self-centeredness in all its manifestations so that we might be able to become the people of reconciliation and grace living without guilt, shame or fear.

We seek these things not for ourselves alone, but for the world. We live in a world were guilt is plastered on television, shame is on the cover of every magazine and fear is sold to us in the evening news. While the culture moves to generate guilt, shame and fear so that people might be exploited and marginalized, you have called your Church to be a people moving to generate a different culture. A culture built not on guilt, but forgiveness; not shame but dignity; not fear but faith. We know we cannot build this culture, your kingdom, on our own. You have given us models to guide us: prophets, poets, mystics and sages. These saints have shown us so many paths which bring us closer to you and your desires. And while we are not there yet, we continue to move in that faithful direction. So give us the strength to stand in the morning and the food to nourish our bodies and the breath to keep our hearts burning for the peaceable kingdom.

Prayer

God of distributive justice, throughout Scripture we are old of your vision of an equal and just creation. Woman and man were created in your image, slaves are to be set free, and grace is give in abundance to all of creation. As we celebrate the life of this country, we are reminded of the ideals which we have set up for ourselves: that all people are created equal and are to be given equal rights to life, liberty and happiness. And yet, even as we say these words we know that we have fallen short on even these goals. There are people who are not given equal status and are victims of sexism, racism, heterosexism or any other ism which is used to marginalize people. So while we hold these ideals up and strive for them, we repent for the times where we have stunted their development. Give us the strength to stand up for not only for our rights but for the rights of others. For we know that it is only in the giving that we receive, it is only in the dying that we live.

Providing God, in our neighborhoods and around the world there are people who are homeless, hungry and alone. Empower us to work with your Holy Spirit to find solutions for these problems. In cities and in nations there are people enslaved to consumerism, greed, and oppressive governments. Empower us to work with your Holy Spirit to rid these evil powers and help usher in a kingdom of generosity, selflessness and grace. We admit that we cannot do this alone, we need you, and at the same time we recognize that you need us to be your hands and feet. We celebrate that you call us to be your coworker in this world and on this day we renew this call on our lives. Give us the courage to live our lives as our great teacher Jesus, your Christ lived. Give us the courage to stand up against the evil in the world and encourage us to work to share the greatest power of all – Love. Finally, we give you thanks for the ability to worship in a country which gives us the freedom to do so.

Prayer

God of hope and justice, we pause and give you thanks for these moments to come together as your gathered children. We gather this day to celebrate your presence in our lives and throughout creation. You are present to us in countless ways: a sun set, warm embrace, a song, and even in a mundane cup of shared water. You are always and everywhere present to us, and for this great gift we give you thanks.

Redeeming God for as present you are in our lives we are often not present in the lives of others. Forgive us when we spend more time in reality shows than in the reality of those in need or when we are full of other priorities when asked to give time to our neighbor but always have time to surf the internet fulfilling our personal desires. Forgive us of our own idolatry when we treat celebrities, cell phones, and even ourselves as gods. Give us the strength to say no to these gods so that we might be able to say yes to you the God of Life.

Providing God, in our neighborhoods and around the world there are people who are homeless, hungry and alone. Empower us to work with your Holy Spirit to find solutions for these problems. In cities and in nations there are people enslaved to consumerism, greed, and oppressive governments. Empower us to work with your Holy Spirit to rid these evil powers and help usher in a kingdom of generosity, selflessness and grace. We admit that we cannot do this alone, we need you, and at the same time we recognize that you need us to be your hands and feet. We celebrate that you call us to be your coworker in this world and on this day we renew this call on our lives. Give us the courage to live our lives as our great teacher Jesus, your Christ lived. Give us the courage to stand up against the evil in the world and encourage us to work to share the greatest power of all – Love. Finally, we give you thanks for the ability to worship in a country which gives us the freedom to do so. For things spoken and those things on our hearts which remain unspoken, we pray.