A Christmas Prayer

Eternal God, with the flurry of activities surrounding our celebration of Christmas, may we be attentive the miracle of this day.  You allowed your Son to be born of a virgin and to enter our space and time as one of us.  We thank you that He identified with us and our condition.  We thank you for His understanding of our weaknesses, hurts, and pain.  May we have the time to pause and appreciate the wonderful work you did in sending Jesus.  May his peace come to us as we celebrate at this festive time.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

Holy Week Prayer

Eternal God, help me to capture the meaning of this week for myself.  Help me to see what it meant for Jesus to eat the Passover Meal with his disciples and capture the force of the new meaning that Jesus gave to the bread and wine.  Help me to capture the sacrifice Jesus made in dying on the cross on that Friday.  Help me to capture the wonderful news of the resurrection of Jesus as the women and his disciples saw that he was alive.  May this truly be a special week as I reflect on this week in my Lord's life.  Amen.

Remembering Jesus in Hurricane Season

We have already seen the devastation caused by Hurricane Harvey and now Hurricane Irma is also on its way to Florida.  These fierce winds can cause much damage as well as loss of life.  This is a time when we can remember Jesus as calming the storm as he was with his disciples in the boat. Even if the storm had continued, Jesus was still with them.  As we pray we know that Jesus has the power to calm the storm as well as protect those who might be affected by the storm - should it continue.

We pray....

Lord, we pray for those affected by Hurricane Harvey and now by Hurricane Irma.  We know you have power over the elements of nature and can even protect those in the midst of the storm.  We pray for your intervention during this time.  May you help those affected by these fierce winds as well as helping those first responders in their work during this critical time.  Amen.

The National Day of Prayer

The first Thursday in May has been designated as the National Day of Prayer.  It is my hope that this day will make us think more deeply about the very power of prayer.  We realize the problems our nation is facing as well as the tensions in the world today.  I would offer this prayer:

"Lord God, our country struggles with many problems, which deal with race, equality, crime, homelessness, and unemployment.  May you help those who are being neglected or discriminated against.  May you help those who find themselves living on the margin to get additional assistance so that they might enjoy a better life.  I pray that you would work in the hearts of those striving through diplomatic means to bring peace to countries in the Middle East.  Help all of us to look to you for guidance and to give us hope."   Amen.

Pastor Marty

For the families of the victims in Egypt

Let us pray for those who lost loved ones recently due to acts of violence in the Coptic Christian Churches in Egypt.

"Lord God, we pray the families of those who lost loved ones in the violence in the Christian churches in Egypt.  May you comfort these families and may they know of your presence in a very special way. May you thwart the efforts of those bent on violence with disregard for property and human life, and especially for places of worship...in Jesus' name.  Amen."

Week of Prayer for Christian Unity 2017

We are now in the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, which extends from January 18 - 25. The theme this year is "Reconciliation - the Love of Christ Compels Us."  The Web site for this special week had this comment in regard to the theme:

"Pope Francis’ 2013 Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Gaudium (“The Joy of the Gospel”) which provided the theme for this year, when it used the quote: “The Love of Christ Compels Us” (Paragraph 9). With this scripture (2 Cor 5:14), taken in the context of the entire fifth chapter of the second letter to the Corinthians, the German committee formulated the theme for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity 2017."

Since the time of the Reformation there has been a deep division within Christendom.  We do need to lift up our prayers for unity.  While actual merger might seem out of our reach, we can be praying for a co-operative spirit.  We in the ELCA have established an agreement (e.g. full communion status) in order to have joint worship, etc. with other church bodies.

I would invite you to be praying for unity (whether merger or co-operative working) this week.  We would remember that Jesus himself had prayed that his followers might be one.

Pastor Marty

Post-Election Praying

Following the presidential election we face uncertainty on many issues.  While we might have thought that all of our angst was gone after the election, it seems that each day something new pops up and brings fear to us.

I bring to you the words of Paul to his co-worker Timothy:  "First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for everyone, for kings and all who are in high positions, so that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and dignity."  1 Timothy 2:1-2.

Yes, after this presidential election we do need to pray for President-elect Donald Trump.  In our worship here at Savior Divine I do pray for our current president every Sunday.  I know that he needs our prayers as well as other leaders, such as those in Congress.  So I would invite you that whether you voted for the president-elect or not, that you would pray for him.  God can work in the hearts of our leaders.  Our prayers can be powerful!