This prayer is an attempt to get a little creative today.  I have tried my hand at poetry a couple times but I am sure they haven’t been anything worthy of wide spread attention.  So here it goes; knowing that I probably violated a number of poetry "rules".  Let us pray…

Loving, gracious and forgiving God…
we bask in your glow as you love us so;
and wonder why you died so long ago.

But you didn’t stay dead; for you rose from your bed;
destroying Satan’s strong grip as from your life we now sip.
But we still run and hide and we still scoff and chide.
We turn and run from you; we search for life anew.

So I thank you Lord Jesus for not turning from us;
for seeking and searching without putting up a fuss.
So as you carry us home to see life everlasting,
may I always in your love be forever basking.
Amen!

May the love of God shine so brightly on your day that the darkness of the world seems as a distant memory.  God bless and take care.
-edh-

The Gospel text for this Sunday (15th Sunday after Pentecost) is from Luke 14:25-33.  Jesus is teaching the people about the cost of discipleship.  This is something I have been thinking a lot about recently and it is the very thing I will be preaching on today (the sermon will be posted tomorrow at my sermons blog — see the "sermons" link on the left).  In the mean time, let’s join in a word of prayer as we contemplate the meaning of being a disciple of Jesus Christ.

Loving and merciful God, you call us to follow you; to be your disciples; to love all people through loving you more than this world.  But we struggle with that.  We like this life, our friends and family, and our stuff, so much so, that we often turn our backs on others and therefore we turn our backs on you.  Please forgive us.  Teach us to love as you love.  Teach us to serve as you serve.  Teach us to show humility and hospitality as you do.  Dear God, through your Son, Jesus Christ, you love us so much that you endured the cross that we may live.  Help us to show that love to others so a new person may arise knowing they are loved and valued.  Thank you for loving us the way you do.  In Christ’s name we pray, Amen.

May the joy, love and peace of Jesus Christ fill your hearts to over flowing, so much so, that people will point and say, "I want what they are having".  Peace be with you!
-edh-

Prayer request update:  D and J’s daughter who was arrested for possession and selling of meth is still in need of prayer.  The family is still dealing with this and now with the news becoming more and more widespread and known, they are now dealing with the perception that more and more eyes are looking at them and judging them and their daughter.

Also, I have a parishioner, Ray (the family has given me permission to talk about this), who will be dying in the next couple weeks.  He is in his 80s and had a stroke last week.  He can’t eat without a feeding tube and he did not want to be hooked up to anything (Living Will).  We expect the end to come soon.  Please remember this family.

And…thank you to all who are regular readers and have offered your prayer support.  It is so nice to be part of a community that is larger than the small, little worlds we occupy.  What a wonderful reminder that through our baptism we are made part of a much larger family…the family of God.

Would you join me in a word of prayer…let us pray…
Loving, gracious and accepting God, your Son, Jesus Christ, showed ultimate humility by dying on the cross and rising from the grave all for us.  He didn’t have to to but your love is so great for creation that you can not bear life without us.  Thank you for showing hospitality through opening the doors of heaven to those who believe in Jesus Christ as Lord of all.  Grant us humble hearts and an attitude of hospitality so others may see a love like no other and give you praise and glory forever and ever.  Please strengthen D and J and their family as they struggle through a difficult time.  We also remember Ray and his family has he approaches the time when you will embrace Ray in your loving arms in your Kingdom.  Please grant him peace of mind as he passes from this world and strengthen the family in the knowledge that this will not be "good bye" but rather, "see you later".  We pray this through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever, Amen. [Scripture reference:  Luke 14:1-14]

God bless you with the knowledge that you are loved beyond imagination.  Take care.
-edh-

I apologize for my absence this weekend.  I have been reading and checking my blog and others but have not had a lot of time to write and respond.  Yesterday (Saturday) my niece turned 3 years old, so of course there was a party.  Connie and I went to Dawson on Friday morning to spend time with family and play with our niece.  We had a great time.  It is amazing at how fast Meara is growing up.

Below I have my Sunday morning prayer that I would like to offer once again.  As I was working on my sermon this week we had something happen in Jackson to a very respected member of the community – the volunteer of all volunteers.  A great man and one you could always count on found out that he has advanced renal cell cancer and his time is very short.  I know he would not mind me writing about this because of the kind of person he is. This gentleman is affectionately known around town as "Fat".  I could write a long post about Fat but now is not the time. Please pray for Fat and his family.  They are going to need all the support they can get.  But here is the cool thing — Fat is not slowing down.  As we are reminded in the Gospel text, Fat has been freed from his ailment.  Cancer may take his life, but that is not who he is.  Fat is a child of God created and anointed to be a servant of Christ (as we all are).  Most people would get down over a devastating diagnosis, but not Fat.  He is living in freedom and praise God for that.  I just wish I had Fat’s strength.  He is indeed an inspiration.

Let us pray…
Gracious, loving and healing God, through Jesus Christ you have come to set us free.  But we find ourselves in situation where we feel bound by physical and mental infirmities, societal and personal expectations and/or feelings of inadequacy.  We feel we have nothing really significant to offer so we give in and embrace our bounded-ness.  But through the cross and the resurrection of Jesus Christ we are set free.  Sin, death and the power of Satan no longer rules but you do.  Thank you for this awesome love and for freeing us (and Fat) to love others to the glory of your holy name.  Please continue to show your love through Fat; guide him, comfort him and strengthen him and his family.  And grant Fat (and us) healing in anyway you see that we need.  Through Jesus Christ we pray, Amen!

Gracious, loving and awesome God, your Word in Jesus Christ is like a fire…but we are afraid.  It’s hard to explain, but fire is a scary thing.  It destroys, it changes things and it kills — all things we are afraid of.  So we try to contain fires; we try to contain your Word.  But your Word brings life; it brings renewal and it brings new growth.  Please break through our fear and let the fire of your Word run wild in the Church and in our lives.  Let your fire be kindled in our lives that people may see our good works and give YOU glory.  Let your fire reveal in us our deep and desperate need for Jesus Christ to save us.  Thank God for your Word and for your promise in Jesus Christ and in whose name we pray, Amen.

God bless you and may you know, see and experience the love of God in your life.  Give thanks to the Lord for the Lord is indeed good.  Amen!
-edh-

I have prayer story to share with you…

Last year we started celebrating baptismal anniversaries on the 2nd Sunday of each month.  After the hymn of the day (following the sermon) we take some time to celebrate with those celebrating a baptismal anniversary for that month.  I share a little illustration highlighting a promise we receive in baptism and then invite those people forward to the altar rail for a blessing.  The blessing is one I learned from my internship supervisor (who also celebrates baptismal anniversaries).  It goes as follows:  "The Lord bless and keep this day and throughout the coming year; keeping you in the promises He made to you when you were baptized.  Amen"  This is all done while the organist plays some soft music.

Well…yesterday was baptismal anniversary day.  As I looked at the list of names in the bulletin I noticed first that the list was pretty small and then that only three of those people were in worship…two of which I did not think would come up.  So I decided to do something different.  I invited those who have a baptismal anniversary to come forward for a blessing and anyone else who just wants to receive a blessing.  I then went up to the altar rail and waited…and waited.  Finally one man came up with his wife (her name was not listed).  Then a couple others.  Then B came up front.  I knew it was not her baptismal anniversary, but she was going to have major surgery on Monday to re-section her stomach to remove a tumor.  So I laid my hands on her head and we had a moment of prayer together and then I gave her a blessing.  With a tear in her eye she whispered a thank you to me and sat down.

This afternoon B’s daughter called me and said the 3 hour surgery went great.  They re-sectioned her stomach but also removed her spleen, gall bladder and part of her pancreas.  B is going to be a little surprised when she comes to.

Wow…God is awesome.  I knew B was nervous about this surgery but something always told me that everything was going to be fine…and it was.  This is nothing else but our awesome God watching out for B.  And the thing is…I did nothing but lay my hands on B’s head and said a few words.  B went into surgery today knowing that her church family was praying for her.  I wonder if she felt a hundred hands being laid on her head.  I wonder if she felt goosebumps as the Holy Spirit made itself known to her.  I wonder of the doctors felt God’s hand guiding them throughout the surgery.  I know B knows that she was not alone and that right there gives me great comfort.

Thank you God for being faithful and hearing our prayers.  I know that you don’t always give us exactly what we ask for because you know our needs better than anyone else.  But I know you hear us.  I know that you want to hear from us.  Thank you for demonstrating your power to me today through B.  Amen!

Sometimes we all need a little boost through answered prayer.  Isn’t our God awesome!  AMEN!
-edh-

I haven’t written a Sunday morning prayer for a while so here is the one I am using in my sermon this morning.  God bless and have a great day!

Gracious, loving and merciful Father, you have done so much for us yet we come before you with a weak faith.  Jesus came to this world and died on a cross, yet we have a weak faith.  Through Christ you forgive our sins and give us the assurance of eternal life, but we have a weak faith.  Grant us faith to move mountains and help us to live in the assurance that there is more to our existence than this chaotic and depressing world.  Help us to live with a vibrant and active faith expressing itself in word and deed.  Thank you God for loving us.  Thank you for the assurance of the very thing we hope for…eternal life.  Through your Son, Jesus Christ, we pray, Amen!

-edh-