Tomorrow's Offering

Tomorrow's sermon is on Matthew 5:21-25. In this section of Jesus' Sermon on the Mount we are told that when we curse our brothers and sisters we are in just as much danger of God's judgment as when we murder. Isn't that just like Jesus to throw that kind of monkey-wrench into our daily lives?

I kind of like the sermon for tomorrow (I can't always say that, by the way). I open with a story I wrote for a sermon years ago. It's one of my favorites, but after I wrote it I soon realized that it didn't really fit that particular sermon. Instead I used the story as an article in the church newsletter. So, you may have read it before, but I haven't used it in a sermon until now.

I plan to end the sermon with a true story in which I get to do my impression of John Wakefield (I got his approval. He's a good sport!). So, that's what is coming up tomorrow.

Here's the first draft of the prayer. I'm trying to weave the Sermon on the Mount into it. Also, I'm planning on leaving the silence out of the prayer tomorrow. Not sure why. I guess I don't want to institutionalize it.

Prayers of the Church for Grandview

June 17, 2007

God, who desires mercy more than sacrifice; who hovers over the face of the earth and finds that the people you have created are being herded like animals into refugee camps in Darfur; who finds your creation fighting each other fiercely in Palestine, motivated to kill each other by their common hate of yet a third enemy; who finds that creation is so scarred and scared by global turmoil that they send their sons and daughters to the other side of the planet in an attempt foster peace through war. Teach us your ways, because ours lead to death and destruction.

Teach us the ways of your Son. Help us really to hear the words you have for us in scripture this morning. Give us the grace of being a citizen of your kingdom when we are poor in spirit, when we mourn, when we are overwhelmed by our own powerlessness, when we hunger and thirst for righteousness, when we show mercy, when we are peacemakers—when we are persecuted for your sake. Form and transform us into people who refuse to curse each other, even in our hearts; into people who do not harbor thoughts of “fool” when we disagree with each other. We ask these things because we desire to see your kingdom shining upon this earth, through us and through those around us, as a testimony to your greatness.

We understand that the words we speak to you this morning are important—unless they become empty words uttered mindlessly out of some almost forgotten vow in our past. Make our words, our hearts, our souls, and our community full and alive before you this morning when we sing songs to you, when we hear your words read from the Bible, when we offer to give our hard-earned money to your work, when we hear the word preached, when we gather around the table of Jesus, your son, and proclaim his death until that day when his resurrected body stands with both feet planted firmly on the rich soil of earth.

Please bless our brothers and sisters who are sick by strengthening and healing their bodies. Comfort the grieving. Give a peaceful death to the dying, spring and step to the lame; hearing to the deaf; sight to the blind; hope to the depressed; touch to the lonely; release to the oppressed. Bless Eric Hull this week, and others like him, who are preparing to go to Iraq. Keep them safe and return them home to us so that we can worship you with him in this place. Bless the families who are forced to trust you all the more while their loved ones are away. We pray also for the families who are living in the turmoil in Iraq. Keep them safe. And because you have told us to bless our enemies, we ask for the strength to bless those who seek to undermine peace in Iraq and anywhere around the world.

Bless your missionaries here and around the world. May we all be an authentic witness to your ability to form a community of love and grace.

Oh God, as a sign of your ability to bring together such different people we pray with Christians around the world as you have taught us to pray through your Son, Our Savior, Jesus of Nazareth.