Pastoral Prayer: Loving Shepherd

Here’s a pastoral prayer for Good Shepherd Sunday, or any other time when passages like Psalm 23 and John 10 are being used. It was written by Rev. Karla, and posted on RevGalBlogPals.

Pastoral Prayer

(inspired by Psalm 23, John 10)

Loving Shepherd,

You lead and guide,

You walk alongside,

You prepare, you feed, you call,

all of your sheep,

even those of us who are lost,

those of us who stray constantly,

those of us who stay close to your comforting staff.

We are grateful for the lush green pastures of our lives,

and we pause now to offer our thanksgivings

for the goodnesses in our lives…

There are so many who walk in the shadows

of fear and suffering and despair,

and we pause now, to offer our prayers

for the broken and bleeding places in this world…

We also offer our prayers for the sheep of our own flocks,

in our families and friends,

in this our church and our community…(pause)

O Loving Shepherd,

We have all we need,

as we live in You.

Amen.

~ written by Rev Karla, and posted on RevGalBlogPals. https://revgalblogpals.org/

Call to Worship: Psalm 23

Here’s a call to worship litany inspired by Psalm 23. It was written by Joanna Harader, and posted on Spacious Faith.

Call to Worship

(inspired by Psalm 23)

In the darkest valley,
at the banquet table;
in the hard work of life,
at the moments of ease;
in our day-to-day reality,
at times set aside–
like this time, now–
for worship, for listening, for paying attention;
with every step we take:
goodness and mercy follow us;
our cups overflow.

~ written by Joanna Harader and posted on Spacious Faith. https://spaciousfaith.com/

Prayer Reflection: Through Light and Shadow

Here’s a thoughtful prayer reflection from Sally’s Eternal Echoes website.

Through Light and Shadow

through light and shadow

I am led, I follow,

through the ins and outs

the ups and downs 

of these days,

when my heart is failing,

when my spirit rejoices,

when I can barely put one foot 

in front of the other

still you beckon me on...

when I stumble you support me,

when I can go no further 

you carry me,

through light and shadow,

in death's dark vale,

and on the mountain peaks

you lead me,

through tangled webs,

on rocky ground,

on smoother paths,

through light and shadow

you lead me,

I follow,

may I never

walk alone...

~ written by Sally, and posted on Eternal Echoes. http://sallysjourney.typepad.com/sallys_journey/

Opening Prayer: Psalm 23

Here’s an opening prayer for Good Shepherd Sunday, or any other occasion on which God is being portrayed as a Shepherd.

Opening Prayer

(inspired by Psalm 23, John 10)

Loving Shepherd,
you know our names;
you care for us.
When we face darkness and death,
walk beside us.
When we hunger for your love,
fill us with your presence.
When we are fearful,
feed us at your table.
May we dwell in the house of goodness and mercy
all the days of our lives. Amen.

~ written by Mary Petrina Boyd, and posted on Ministry Matters. http://www.ministrymatters.com/

Prayer: Our Shepherding God

Here’s a prayer from Rev. Abi, written for “Good Shepherd” Sunday (the fourth Sunday of Easter), or any other time when Psalm 23, John 10 or other shepherding passages are being explored.

Our Shepherding God

O Lord, our Shepherding God,
come close to us now
Come near us in our time of need.

Shepherding God,
we need you in our time of anxiety.
We need you in our time of economic uncertainty.
We need you in a time of a globe-trotting disease.
We need you to bind our wounds,

    and pour your healing ointment on our heads .
We need the briars, and brambles, and burrs

    pulled out of our fleece and skin.

Shepherding God.
you guide us with your voice,
Help us to listen and follow no matter where your voice leads.
Help us to trust you.

Shepherding God,
protect us from the hired hands

that do not really care for us

and have neglected or abused us in the past.

Shepherding God,
thank you for your son

who lay down his life for those who follow him

and for those who are not in the fold yet..

Lord we pray for those who don’t know the shepherd,

whose life circumstances kept them from knowing the good shepherd.

We pray that by our actions, our behavior,

and our reaching out into the community,

they may come to know you.

Shepherding God,
renew us, guide us with your love

and renew us with your peace. Amen

~ written by Rev. Abi and posted on her Long and Winding Road blog. http://vicarofwadley.blogspot.ca/

Prayer for Vulnerable People

Here’s a prayer of intercession and commitment which focuses on the vulnerable people around the globe and in our communities. It comes from the Presbyterian Church in Canada website.

Prayer for Others

Compassionate God,

we pray for vulnerable people all over this world,

people without power

who live in places of terror and violence, fear and oppression.

Protect them, God;

we feel so powerless ourselves to help them. 

Encourage and empower us to work

for peace and freedom from fear in our own contexts.

God of grace,

we pray for those whose lives have been turned upside down

by various disasters: floods, fire and drought-driven famine. 

Bring courage and hope to them;

through their pain, may they remain connected to you in prayer. 

We pray for those say there is no God;

may we through the living of our own lives

demonstrate the joy and peace of a Spirit-centred existence. 

God of community,

we pray for our own congregation;

may we be a source of hope for our neighbourhood. 

Help us to discern needs and work to fulfill them. 

Strengthen and unify our congregation

and show us how we can be the disciples you envision us to be. 

Return the sick to health and well-being

and relieve the suffering of those who have lost loved ones,

are unable to find meaningful employment

and fear the challenges of old age. 

Guide us, Great Shepherd,

into your paths of right relationships. 

In Jesus’ name we pray; Amen.

~ posted on the Presbyterian Church in Canada website. http://presbyterian.ca/worship/

Prayer: Lord, we would follow you

Here’s a prayer of confession and commitment from John Birch’s Faith and Worship website.

Prayer

Lord, we would follow you
wherever you might lead.
Lord, we would follow you.
Forgive us when we stumble
and when we stray.
Forgive us when, distracted
we lose our way.
Be the one to whom we turn,
whose hand we hold,
the Shepherd who leads us
safely to the fold.
Lord, we would follow you
wherever you might lead.
Lord, we would follow you.

~ written by John Birch, and posted on Faith and Worship. http://www.faithandworship.com/

Prayer of Blessing: St. Columba

Here’s a short prayer from St. Columba (c. 521-597).

Prayer

My dearest Lord.

Be Thou a bright flame before me.

Be Thou a guiding star above me.

Be Thou a smooth path beneath me.

Be Thou a kindly shepherd behind me.

Today and evermore.

~ excerpted from a longer prayer by St. Columba. 

Opening Prayer: Shepherd and King

Here’s an opening prayer of invocation from the My Redeemer Lives website.

Opening Prayer

Gentle...yet powerful.

Lowly...yet almighty.

Shepherd...yet King.

In Your gentleness,

   guide us.

In Your power,

   strengthen us.

In Your lowliness,

   strip from us our selfish pride

   which only destroys us.

In Your greatness,

   lift us up that we might aspire to greater things.

As a shepherd,

   call us to be Your servants.

As a King,

   call us to be Your royal priesthood.

O God,

   who is our shepherd and our King;

O Christ,

   who was crucified and is now risen from the dead;

O Spirit,

   who comforts and empowers;

O great One in Three, Holy Trinity,  

this hour, set us free to worship. Amen. 

~ posted on My Redeemer Lives website. http://www.myredeemerlives.com/prayers.html

Confession: Like a Shepherd

Here is a prayer of confession inspired by passages like Psalm 23, John 10:11-18 and Psalm 100. It was written by Rev Dan Carmichael, Minister of Lenzie Union. It was posted on The Church of Scotland’s Weekly Worship website.

Prayer of Confession

(inspired by Psalm 23, Psalm 100 and John 10:11-18)

Lord, like a shepherd,

You never stop searching for Your people,
Your care for us anticipates our need.
Before we recognized we needed Your grace,
in love, Jesus gave His life for our forgiveness.

We confess that we need Your forgiveness,

we confess our sins:
You are the shepherd  and we are Your flock,

but we admit the times we have tried to take Your place  

and take control ourselves.
We admit that we have not always trusted

Your good news to be good for us.

At times we have pleaded with You to care for us,
but we have held back from caring for others

and ignored the needs of others.

Lord, have mercy upon us.

Forgive us in the name of Jesus.
Loving shepherd, 

teach us by the Holy Spirit to follow You

in the days and places of the weeks ahead.
Through Jesus Christ we pray, Amen. 

~ written by Rev Dan Carmichael, Minister of Lenzie Union. It was posted on The Church of Scotland’s Weekly Worship website. http://www.churchofscotland.org.uk/

Call to Worship: The Lord is My Shepherd

Here’s a call to worship from Roddy Hamilton.  It is inspired by Psalm 23.

Call to Worship

(inspired by Psalm 23)

(Pour water into font with each stanza and let it overflow)

The Lord is my Shepherd
I shall not want

I seek the grace of God
and my cup runneth over

I seek the will of God
and my cup runneth over

I seek the strength of God
and my cup runneth over

How generous is God's love
so much the world cannot contain it

The Lord is my Shepherd
and I lack nothing

~ written by Roddy Hamilton, and posted on Mucky Paws. http://www.nkchurch.org.uk/index.php/mucky-paws

Call to Worship: I Am the Good Shepherd

Here’s a call to worship litany on the theme of the Good Shepherd.  It comes from the New Kilpatrick Parish Church website.

Call to Worship

(inspired by Psalm 23, John 10)

I AM the good shepherd
(the one who tends us,
guides us into pastures,
who recognises the sounds of our names).

I AM the good shepherd
(the one who bends to heal us
travels through the deepest valleys with us
who give up everything for us all).

I AM the good shepherd
(the one whose rod and staff comfort us
whose strength and love holds us
whose cup of love runneth over).

I AM the good shepherd
and we will dwell
in the house of the Lord
forever

Let us gather here
God’s People
in God’s love
for God’s world 

~ posted on the New Kilpatrick Parish Church website. https://www.nkchurch.org.uk/

Call to Worship: Good Shepherd

Here is a responsive call to worship inspired by the 23^rd Psalm. It was posted on the Literature & Liturgy website.

Call to Worship

(inspired by Psalm 23)

Our Lord is the Good Shepherd.

In his goodness he supplies our every need.
The Lord is our Shepherd,

and he takes perfect care of us.

Our Lord is the Good Shepherd.
He leads us into safety

and gives us strength for the journey.
The Lord is our Shepherd,

who grants us rest and restores our souls.

Our Lord is the Good Shepherd.
He sought us out when we were lost,

calling us by our names.
The Lord is our Shepherd,

and he has carried us home.  Amen.

~ posted on Literature & Liturgy. https://jesusscribbles.wordpress.com/

Intercessions: Good Shepherd Sunday

Here is a prayer of intercession for Good Shepherd Sunday (the fourth Sunday of Easter), or any other Sunday on which John 10 and/or Psalm 23 is a focus. It was posted on the Life in Liturgy website.

Prayer for Others

for Good Shepherd Sunday

O God, our loving Shepherd,

you come to us with the strength and love of a father,

and the tender mercies, patience and protection of a loving mother.

We see you in the very living of our days,

and yet we so often fail to praise you or to offer our burdens to you.

Hear us, Lord,

as we lift to you our prayers for others and for ourselves.

We pray for those in need–those who hunger or are homeless.

We pray for those in pain—the abused, brokenhearted and lonely.

We pray for the sick in body and in mind, and for those who grieve.

For the life of this community and all those who put their trust in you

for all their todays and all their tomorrows,

we pray that your lovingkindness to the world would be offered

through our hands, our words, our deeds, our hearts.

Free us, Lord, as your own people,

to sing your praise in the work of our everyday lives.

In those comings and goings of our simple and complicated living,

make us instruments of your peace and grace

in weary days with weary people.

Bless our memories, O God,

that in our remembering we may partake

of the mystery that is eternal life in its fullness.

For we pray in the presence of your risen Christ,

our Lord and Savior. Amen.  

~ posted on Life in Liturgy, from the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). https://lifeinliturgy.wordpress.com/

Contemporary Call to Worship: Easter 4

Here’s a contemporary call to worship written by Thom Shuman for the fourth Sunday after Easter.

Call to Worship

(Psalm 23, 1 John 3:16-24)

Day by day, God leads us:
to the deep, deep pools of peace,
to the green, lush lawns of grace.
Day by day, Jesus calls us:
to pour out ourselves in service,
to anoint the stranger with hope.
Day by day, the Holy Spirit shows us:
the community we could be,
the family we are called to become.

— written by Thom Shuman on Lectionary Liturgies.  

Call to Worship: The God of Many Names

Here’s a call to worship for the season of Easter. It was written by Roddy Hamilton.

Call to Worship

When God tripped over the stars this week

and send great lightning sparks across the night

God’s name was Power

When God stood in the morning dew a few weeks back

and whispered Mary’s name fresh from the tomb

God’s name was Life

When God held out hands to Thomas

and hold him to hold on and follow

God’s name was Shepherd

When God pours water this morning

and asks us to find heaven in every drop

God’s name is Grace

When God shook us awake today

and hollowed out an unused moment in front of us to step into

God’s name is Creator

When God found us waiting here

in the space between heaven and earth, now and not yet

God’s name is Love

Friends, let us worship

the God of many names

~ written by Roddy Hamilton, and posted on Mucky Paws. http://www.nkchurch.org.uk/index.php/mucky-paws

Call to Worship: Easter 4

Here’s a call to worship for the fourth Sunday of Easter.  It was written by Rev. MaryAnn Rennie, and posted on the Church of Scotland’s Starters for Sunday website.

Call to Worship

(inspired by John 10 and Psalm 23)

Awaken from your slumber,

and bring your fears and anxieties

into the presence of the Lord our God.

Hear the call of our Shepherd,

and allow His voice

to lead from selfish ambition

to the feast of grace.

May the light of Christ

shine into the hidden darkness of our lives

and restore us

for the service of the Lord.

Come let us worship God.

~ written by Rev MaryAnn Rennie, and posted on the Church of Scotland’s Starters for Sunday website. http://www.churchofscotland.org.uk/

Offering: The Shepherd's Care

Here’s an invitation and prayer for the offering inspired by Psalm 23 and 1 John 3.  It was written by Mary Petrina Boyd, and posted on Ministry Matters.

Invitation to the Offering

(inspired by Psalm 23, 1 John 3)

The Shepherd cares for us,

providing all that we need in abundance.

The Shepherd calls us to love one another

in truth and action.

May our gifts reflect our trust in the Shepherd’s care.

May our offerings show our willingness to love one another.

Offering Prayer

(inspired by Psalm 23, 1 John 3)

God of love,
you abide with us;
you provide for all our needs
and guide us in your ways.
Out of gratitude for your care,
we bring our gifts before you.
Use them for your work of caring,
that all may feast at the table of abundance,
walk without fear,
and drink deeply
from the cup of compassion. Amen.

~ written by Mary Petrina Boyd, and posted on Ministry Matters. http://www.ministrymatters.com/

Psalm 23 Prayer: Urban Shepherd

Here’s a contemporary re-working of Psalm 23 from Mike Riddell. It was posted on Jonny Baker’s Worship Tricks blog.

Prayer: Urban Shepherd

(based on Psalm 23)

urban shepherd
you lead us through skyscraper canyons
past carbon monoxide
and mirror glass
and busker
you make us to lie down on park benches
and rest beside sewage settlement ponds
you keep our feet on pavement and escalator and lift shaft
and guide us through the back alleys
of our city

though we enter the concrete crevasse
we will not fear the chaos
for you are with us
you grant us a site in the sun
at a sidewalk cafe
where we drink cappuccino and are glad
you give us doughnut stalls
and film festivals and neon signs

surely your goodness and poverty
will follow us all the days of our lives
and we will come at last to the holy city

~ written by Mike Riddell, and posted on Jonny Baker Worship Tricks. http://jonnybaker.blogs.com/jonnybaker/2004/10/fractals_.html

Psalm 23 Prayer

Here’s a beautiful setting of Psalm 23 by Sonya Dyer.  It was posted on the Seekers Church website.

 

Prayer

(inspired by Psalm 23)

 

Holy God,
you are our shepherd,
we shall want for nothing that truly matters.

In green pastures you give us rest
and beside deep, still waters you lead us.
You promise to be with us always,
offering freedom from the frictions of hatred, anxiety, fear and pain.

You give us living water to satisfy our thirst for peace.

We praise you and wonder
if this is for all people.

You refresh and restore our souls
and guide us in right paths
for the sake of your name.

When we are cast down
we have been shown ways to bring a new creation
to life in our world.
Your unique plan for all of life and for each life
is written into our very essence.
May we believe it is a plan
filled with hope,
grown out of love.

Help our unbelief.

Even though we walk in the dark valley,
we will fear no danger
for you, God, are at our side,
with rod and staff to give us courage.
Each life, every nation, has its share of valleys.
Some seem to have more than is right.
You are a constant companion in the darkness.
When violence, pain and loss are heavy
you comfort.
When we are aching, lost and discouraged,
you seek us out.
When we go astray,
your compassionate judgment draws us back.

Receive our gratitude. Know our darkness.

You spread the table before us in the sight of our enemies
and richly bathe our heads with oil.
Our cups overflow.
O holy one,  
you are our host as well as our shepherd.
You invite us to the banquet,
the banquet of life.
All parts of the world are invited -
enemies and friends,
the alienated and powerful,
those close at hand and those far off.
You offer the abundance and lavishness
of bread broken and shared
and the cup of refreshment that leads to new life.

We praise and thank you for your abundant spirit.

Goodness and love unfailing,
these will follow us all the days of our lives,
and we shall dwell in the home of our God
for all eternity.

~ from Sonya Dyer’s Prayerbook, posted on the Seekers Church website. http://www.seekerschurch.org/