Prayers and Reflections for March 29, 2020

[This may begin with the lighting of a Candle]

Call to Worship & Opening Prayer:

His friend, Lazarus, died.
And Jesus wept.
     He didn’t hide how he felt.
     He didn’t pretend that he wasn’t sad.
     Jesus wept.
Fred Rogers acted as Jesus did:
     reminding us that feelings are ‘okay’ -
     happy ones, sad ones,
     angry ones - all our feelings.
     No matter how we feel,
     we can share them.
Let us pray:
     Help us, O God, to express how we feel
     with honesty and respect;
     to cry when we are sad, to laugh when we are happy;
     to support one another with kindness and compassion.
     Walk with us on this Lenten journey
     and help us to become more like Jesus. Amen.

Music for Singing or Listening:

Voices United # 619 Healer of Our Every Ill
Voices United # 409 Morning Has Broken
Voices United # 352 I Danced in the Morning
Voices United # 382 Breathe on Me, Breath of God

Scripture Reading:

John 11:1-45

Video Reflection:

Life from Death

Prayers of Thanksgiving and Intercession:

[Adapted from a prayer at: https://www.rca.org/]

O God, who always listens to us, who breathes new life into us,

    call us forward to resurrection.

We are surrounded by a world of dry bones,
a world of death and despair,
a world where it is easy to lose hope in our structures, ourselves, and you.
We pray for this world in need of your presence...

O God, who always listens to us, who breathes new life into us,
     call us forward to resurrection.

We are surrounded by people with dried up lives,
people unable to see your life past their tears.
We pray for this world in need of your healing presence:
for those who are imprisoned or alone, those ill, or grieving.
We remember those who are caring for others:
for doctors, nurses, and caregivers…
for grocery store and pharmacy staff...

O God, who always listens to us, who breathes new life into us,
     call us forward to resurrection.

We are spellbound by those dry bones,
terrified of the stink of death,
and often too dumbfounded to call forth life in your name.
We pray for the numerous communities of faith,
as well as for our governments as they seek to give leadership...

O God, who always listens to us, who breathes new life into us,
     call us forward to resurrection.

The Lord’s Prayer:

Words only, Voices United # 921

Sung Version, Voices United # 959 The Lord's Prayer by David Haas

Closing

While we extinguish this candle,
we affirm that the light of Christ can never be put out.
May God’s love and grace be with us all.
Amen.

Prayers and Reflections for March 22, 2020

[This may begin with the lighting of a Candle]

Call to Worship & Opening Prayer:

Jesus healed the man born blind using the stuff of life:
dirt and spit, mixed with a blessing and a reminder to wash.
Those around him questioned the man,
blaming his lack of sight on some unknown sin
they felt he needed forgiveness for.

Fred Rogers acted as Jesus did:
modelling that there are times we need forgiveness -
for the times we’ve hurt one another;
for the times we’ve held grudges;
for the ways we hold on to our pain.

Let us pray:
Help us, O God, to let go of our hurts,
disappointments, and anger;
to forgive one another, and to forgive ourselves,
that we might experience healing in body and soul,
as the blind man did.
Walk with us on this Lenten journey
and help us to become more like Jesus. Amen.

Music for Singing or Listening:

Voices United # 619 Healer of Our Every Ill
Voices United # 605 Jesus, Teacher, Brave and Bold
Voices United # 266 Amazing Grace
Voices United # 642 Be Thou My Vision

Scripture Reading:

John 9:1-41

Video Reflection:

Dirt, Spit, and the Blessing in the Muck

Prayers of Thanksgiving and Intercession:

[Written by Katherine L. Kussmaul as shared at www.liturgylink.net ]

Holy One, Bridger of Distance, Connector of Beings,
hear our prayer…

In the midst of non-stop news stories
about illness and scarcity, press conferences and cancellations…
grant us quiet in our minds.

In the midst of heightened anxiety
about caregivers and caregiving, about health and hygiene,
grant us calm in our hearts.

In the midst of opposing views:
close doors or stay open,reach out or hunker down…
grant us peace in our spirits.

In the midst of distance in our families, our faith communities,
in all our relationships with others…
grant us connection in our separation.

In the midst of our lives:
our gratitude and concerns, our hopes and longings…
grant us an abiding sense of Your Comfort.

[A silent prayer may be offered here]

The Lord’s Prayer:

Words only, Voices United # 921

Sung Version, Voices United # 959 The Lord's Prayer by David Haas

Closing

While we extinguish this candle,
we affirm that the light of Christ can never be put out.
May God’s love and grace be with us all.

Amen.