Wright, Bradley R. E. Christians are Hate-Filled Hypocrites . . . and Other Lies You've Been Told: A Sociologist Shatters Myths From the Secular and Christian Media. Bethany House, 2010. ISBN: 9780764207464 Meet the Author Bradley Wright is Associate Professor of Sociology at the University of Connecticut. After keeping quiet about his Christian faith early in his career, Wright became more open after gaining tenure. His specialties include religion, social Read More …
Prayer
A Still Speaking and Still Doing God (#0129)
Offertory Sentences The God of creation and new beginnings The God of prophets and promises And the God of you and of me Is a still speaking God and a still doing God A God who welcomes us to participate in God’s ongoing work with our giving Prayer of Dedication Holy One, we acknowledge your power and welcome your influence in our lives and in the world. Enable within each of us a heightened spiritual awareness – an ability to see the expansive tapestry of your love. Accept now our Read More …
Prayer of Adoration (Second Sunday of Christmas) (#0060)
Praise to the Lord The heavenly mystery – human and divine The earthly reality – God with human flesh The holy child - born on Christmas morn Praise to the Lord The one in whom all things hold together The one who came to save all people The King of Kings and Lord of Lords Praise to the Lord The one who was tested but never swayed The one who was tempted but never sinned The one who died that we might live Praise to the Lord Who inhabits our praises and hear our prayers . . . Note: Read More …
Prayers of the People (Fourth Sunday of Advent) (#0058)
With childlike anticipation we watch and wait: for advent to become Christmas for light to shine in darkness for Word to become flesh. As we await the ultimate authority spoken of by the prophet Isaiah, we pray that those who lead in classrooms and boardrooms, those with power in government and business, and those who guide the faith community and Read More …
Prayers of the People (First Sunday of Advent) (#0054)
We have sung rather boldly: o come, o come, Emmanuel and now we seek to pray with that same audacity to you who are God with us: Emmanuel. Come God of creation, into a world filled by those who search for ultimate meaning and for deeper understanding. Teach us through increased scientific understanding whether gained through projects as massive as the Hadron Collider or as simple as grade school science fair projects. May our quest for perspective be transformed as we lift up Read More …
Prayers of the People – Youth Sunday (#0043)
The following prayer was written for use on a youth Sunday formed around the parables of the lost sheep, coins and sons (Luke 15) and includes five youth voices. Let us together turn to the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth in prayer. We pray for your wonderful creation, the earth, and its streams, mountains, creatures, and plants. Remind us anew of your wonderful gift of creation and empower us each to live in ways that honor your intent for us, your human caretakers. Lord Read More …
Prayer of Adoration for September 27, 2009 (#0038)
Eternal paradox of possibility, God of justice and mercy, We come to worship you. Invisible yet Incarnate, Three yet One, We come to seek your face. God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, God of time and eternity, We come to praise your name. With honesty and humility, With reverence and repentance, We come to pray to you - Offering our prayers of confession . . . (transition to congregational prayers of confession) Read More …
Review of Rediscovering New Testament Prayer (#0027)
Koenig, John. Rediscovering New Testament Prayer: Boldness and Blessing in the Name of Jesus. Wipf & Stock Publishers, 1992. Meet the Author Koenig began in ministry in the Lutheran (LCA/ELCA) church as a pastor for twenty years before becoming an Episcopal priest in 1993. Since 1978, he has been on faculty at General Seminary, where he is currently Professor of New Testament. He has written six books all in the broad area of biblical theology Read More …
How Should a City Council Pray? (#0024)
Lodi, a town with 62,000 residents located between Sacramento and Stockton and the self-proclaimed Zinfandel Capital of the World is now famous for an entirely different reason: prayer. At the heart of the issue is how the council begins its meetings. For many years each council meeting has started with public prayer. This became an issue in May when the city received a letter from the Freedom From Religion Foundation that challenged the use of the words Jesus Christ Read More …
Review of The Heart of Prayer (#0023)
Barrs, Jerram. The Heart of Prayer: What Jesus Teaches Us. P&R Publishing, 2008. ISBN: 978-1-59638-10302. Meet the Author Since 1989, Jerram Barrs has served as Professor of Christian Studies and Contemporary Culture at Covenant Seminary. Previously he served the L’Abri Fellowship in England, where he also pastored the International Presbyterian Church. He is the author of several books including Learning Evangelism from Jesus and The Heart of Evangelism. Book Read More …