I wrote this pastoral prayer for today's worship services at the Naples United Church of Christ. This unique service is the conclusion of a three day weekend event, "The Romance of Faith," which featured Diana Butler Bass. For this service, her sermon title is "The Journey of Love," and text is Song of Songs 8:6-7. In the tradition of this congregation the pastoral prayer includes a call to prayer, silent prayer, and then the pastoral prayer. The call to prayer connects all Read More …
pastoral prayer
Pastoral Prayer for Sept. 15 (#1176)
I offered the following pastoral prayer yesterday on the occasion of my first Sunday in a new interim ministry role. Alpha and Omega, you are the beginning and the end. You alone see the world without the boundary of time. Those of us who live with the burden of time measure our days and count our hours. We consult our calendars and manage our moments. Help us to overcome the tendency to confuse busyness with blessedness. God of new beginnings who is making all things Read More …
Prayers of the People – A Different Approach (#0547)
At Naples United Church of Christ the pastoral prayer follows the same basic pattern each week: Pastor provides a prayer focus and invites people to pray Time of silent prayer Pastor offers the prayers of the people Musical response Yesterday, we chose to do things differently. The Rev. Catherine O'Connell, Associate Pastor, and I co-wrote then co-led the prayers of the people, which included a congregational response. The pattern we used was: Pastor provides a prayer focus Read More …