Tomorrow's Offering

Tomorrow is the third in our series on the phrase, "I'm not being fed at church." We'll be looking at Hebrews 5. The pastoral prayer is meant to reflect this as well as our vote on leadership (immediately following each service). This is definitely the first time I've mentioned Peter Pan in a pastoral prayer ... we'll see how that goes!

Prayers of the Church for Grandview
November 18, 2007

O God, who provides lands flowing with milk and honey, bring us into beautiful vistas and broad horizons. Show us the work you have prepared us to do. Show us how we must undergo for your sake. Show us the fruit of our suffering along with the joy and peace it can produce in our lives and in the lives around us.

Forgive us for being content with baby food and fiddle-faddle. Forgive us for the ways we avoid growing up into the image of your Son who lived with great joy and with great suffering; who emptied himself, becoming a slave, so that we could know who you are at your very core. In the face of that example, forgive us for just wanting our sins forgiven, for failing to hear your call to empty ourselves.

Forgive us for being more like Peter Pan than the Apostle Peter; for crowing in our pride instead of hearing the rooster’s crow and being humbled and changed by it; for throwing rocks instead of becoming the rock upon which the church is built.

Bless the elders of this church with wisdom and strength and courage as we move deeper and deeper into service and into community. Bless the missions team with discernment and the ability to bless our missionaries through prayer, attention, and love. Bless the stewardship team with the ability to keep us aware of our need to give selflessly to your work. Bless the worship team with ability to inspire us to offer our gifts to you when we gather together to worship you. Bless the property team as they keep this building in order—which is often a thankless task, but one that is just as holy as missions and worship. Bless the financial team with integrity and wise decisions. Bless the community concerns team with a keen eye for the needs in our area. Bless the fellowship team as they call us together to know each other better. Bless staff relations team as they minister to staff. Bless the First Impressions team as they teach us to be a welcoming community. Bless the small groups team as they call us to know each other and be accountable to each other. Bless the caretakers of the partnership fund as they seek to be a resource to those in need. Thank you for those who are willing to take the risk involved with leading.

Be with those who are on our prayer list. Help us to minister to them and to those we remember in the silence:

silence

The Lord’s Prayer