Prayer: Pour Out the Fire of Love Upon Us

Here’s an opening prayer (prayer of invocation) from Rev. Karla Miller. It was posted on RevGalBlogPals. (See link below.)

Opening Prayer

O for a thousand tongues to sing sweet praise!

O rushing wild spirit of God
pour out the fire of love upon us!

Unfurl your language upon our lips,
Unlock our minds to embrace all possibility
Unleash our hearts so Your justice flows freely.

O for a thousand tongues to sing sweet praise!

O rushing wild spirit of God
pour out the fire of love upon us!

May your breeze bring health and wholeness,
May your breath heat our resolve,
May your Spirit storm the earth with mercy and grace

. 

O for a thousand tongues to sing sweet praise!

O rushing wild spirit of God
pour out the fire of love upon us!

Set us free from self-doubt,
Make us listeners as we seek awareness,
Shake us awake when we forget our privilege. 

O for a thousand tongues to sing sweet praise!

O rushing wild spirit of God
pour out the fire of love upon us!

Amen. Amen. Amen. 

~ written by Rev. Karla Miller, Minister of Community Life at Old North Church in Marblehead, MA. Posted on RevGalBlogPals. https://revgalblogpals.org/2018/05/19/saturday-prayer-speaking-in-tongues/

Prayer: Come, Spirit of God

Here’s a prayer of invocation and petition from the Third Space website.

Prayer for Justice

God the Holy Spirit,

You are the restless breath of love that sweeps through the world.

You move where you will, breaking down barriers,

Stirring hearts to change, making all things possible.

Inspire each one of us to hunger and thirst for justice!

Come, Spirit of God,

Sweep through our world bringing great change.

May the bounty of your goodness be shared more justly,

So all may share in the rich blessings of your creation.

And, for us, bring transformation in our praying and living,

So that we may act justly, love mercy,

And walk humbly with you all the days of our lives. 

Amen.

~ posted on the Third Space website. http://third-space.org.uk/blog

Benediction in a Time of Pandemic

Here’s a lovely benediction from Rev. Nora Vedress, Pastor at Calvary United Church in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, Canada.

Benediction

So now we leave this space of worship

And while so much of the road ahead is uncertain,

the path constantly changing,

we know some things that are as solid and sure

as the ground beneath our feet,

and the sky above our heads.

We know God is love.

We know Christ’s light endures.

We know the Holy Spirit this there,

found in the space between all things,

closer to us than our next breath,

binding us to each other,

until we meet we again,

Go in peace.

~ submitted by Rev. Nora Vedress, Calvary United Church in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, Canada.

Prayer: Opening the Windows

Here’s a prayer of confession from Terri on the RevGalBlogPals’ A Place for Prayer blog.

Prayer

O God, You who are always doing a new thing,

we confess that we sometimes close windows

against the fresh air of new ideas,

against the noise of other people’s worries,

against the winds of change.

God of every place and time,

we confess that we often draw the curtains

against people who are different,

against world news or community concerns.

Forgive us our insulation in our locked homes,

our shuttered churches,

the security systems on our hearts.

Open up our lives,

and let your Spirit blow through. Amen.

— posted by Teri on the RevGalBlogPals A Place for Prayer blog. http://revgalprayerpals.blogspot.ca/

Prayer for Renewed Strength

Here’s a prayer from the Sacred Pauses website.

When Astonishment Turns to Singing: A Prayer

Holy Spirit:

With astonishment,

we see that you renew our strength

constantly.

Allow us not to forget

your presence,

Even in adversity.

And,

in our turn,

we will renew our gratefulness

and we will sing

for your love.

Amen

~ posted on the Sacred Pauses blog. http://www.sacredpauses.com/

Prayer of Confession: Ignoring the Vision

Here’s a litany of confession inspired by Habakkuk 2: 1-4.  It was written by Katherine Hawker.

Litany of Confession

(inspired by Habakkuk 2: 1-4)

For ignoring the vision

breathed by the living Spirit

churning deep within our souls;

Lord have mercy,

Lord have mercy,

Have mercy upon us.

For refusing to look at the vision

alive within those

who look or act or sound different from us;

Christ have mercy,

Christ have mercy,

Have mercy upon us.

For choosing familiarity, ease, and comfort

rather than risking the opportunities

afforded in the vision

Lord have mercy,

Lord have mercy,

Have mercy upon us.

~ based on Habakkuk 2: 1-4.  Written in 1998 by Katherine Hawker for the Evangelical United Church of Christ. Posted on Liturgy Outside. http://liturgyoutside.net/CPr26.html

Call to Worship: Spirit of the Ages

Here’s a responsive call to worship inspired by Psalm 146:5-10. It comes from Tim Graves and the LiturgyBits blog.

Call to Worship: Spirit of the Ages

(inspired by Psalm 146:5-10)

Come and worship!
We will praise the One between, within, and over.

Trust in the One who co-creates the was, the now, and the will-be.
Our hope is in the One who creates expansive love

calling us to do the same.

Follow the One who never breaks covenant.
We follow the One whose extravagant love calls us

to co-create justice for the oppressed,

feed the hungry, unlock prisons,

and welcome strangers, orphans, and widows.

Praise the One whose justice is grace-full and inclusive.
We praise the Spirit that spans the ages. Amen! 

~ written by Tim Graves, and posted on LiturgyBits. https://liturgybits.wordpress.com

Call to Worship: John 3

Here’s an opening for worship (and brief prayer of invocation) inspired by the events of John 3:1-21, where Nicodemus encounters Jesus. It was written by Tim Graves and posted on LiturgyBits.

Call to Worship

(inspired by John 3:1-21)

It had been a long day.

The heat.

The crowds.

The life as it is expected.

He sensed something new with this man.

A breath,

a wind swirled and blew.

They met as the noise of the day faded.

A patient breath taught a perceiving heart.

“So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”

Open our hearts

to the wind sweeping through this room.

Open our whole selves to your abundant love. Amen.

~ written by Tim Graves, and posted on LiturgyBits. https://liturgybits.wordpress.com

Prayer: To God, the Source of Life

Here’s a prayer of thanksgiving and petition from the Weekly Worship page of the Christian Aid website. (See link below.)

Prayer

Generous God, 
You are the source of all life,

creating and sustaining every living thing. 

You are the source of all food,

material and spiritual,

nourishing us in both body and soul. 

You are the light that goes before us,

shining into the darkness. 

May we be filled with your breath 
Nourished by your food 
Renewed by your living water 
and sustained by your love. 

~ originally posted on the Monthly Prayers page (now Weekly Worship) of the Christian Aid website. https://www.christianaid.org.uk/churches/weekly-worship

Prayer: God of Pentecost

Here’s a prayer of commitment and intercession inspired by the gift of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost (Acts 2). It was written by Johanna Harader and posted on RevGalBlogPals.

Prayer for Pentecost

Flaming God of Pentecost,

Let us speak in tongues of comfort
to those weeping over the bodies of their loved ones
shot by troubled gunmen, killed in border clashes, dying from Ebola.

Let us speak in tongues of courage
to those living in fear
of the next shooting, the next bomb, the illness that threatens.

Let us speak in tongues of condemnation
against laws and policies that promote violence,
prioritizing the preferences of some over the lives of others.

Let us speak in tongues of care
for the most vulnerable in our world–
human beings, animals, and ecosystems.

Let us speak in tongues of love
for you and for your people,
that Your language might be our language.

And when our tongues are still,
when we have no words to speak,
let our hearts burn with your fire,
let our ears hear your words in our own native tongue,
let our skin feel the wind of your Spirit–
a mighty wind, blowing where it will.

Amen

~ written by Rev. Joanna Harader, pastor of Peace Mennonite Church in Lawrence, KS. She blogs at SpaciousFaith.com. This prayer was posted on RevGalBlogPals. https://revgalblogpals.org/2018/05/19/saturday-prayer-speaking-in-tongues/

Opening Prayer for Pentecost

Here’s an opening act of worship inspired by the events in Acts 2:1-4. It was put together by Tim Graves, and posted on LiturgyBits (see link below).

Introduction and Prayer of Invocation

for Pentecost

(inspired by Acts 2:1-4)

When Pentecost Day arrived,

they were all together in one place.

Suddenly a sound from heaven

like the howling of a fierce wind

filled the entire house where they were sitting.

They saw what seemed to be individual flames of fire

alighting on each one of them.
They were all filled with the Holy Spirit

and began to speak in other languages

as the Spirit enabled them to speak. (Common English Bible)

Come, Holy Spirit, come!
Come, Holy Spirit, come!

Holy Spirit,

making life alive,

moving in all things,

root of all being,

cleansing the cosmos of every impurity,

effacing guilt,

anointing wounds.

You are lustrous and praiseworthy life,

you waken and re-awaken everything that is. (Hildegard of Bingen)

~ written by Tim Graves, and posted on LiturgyBits. https://liturgybits.wordpress.com

Prayer: Psalm 104

Here’s a prayer inspired by verses from Psalm 104. It was written by Steve Garnaas-Holmes and posted on his Unfolding Light website.

Prayer

(inspired by Psalm 104:30)

All creatures look to You….

When you send Your Spirit, they are created,

and you renew the face of the earth. Psalm 104:27, 30

Holy One,          

breath of the big bang,          

idea of creation,

you who make spring come forth,          

who make life out of nothing,

breathe yourself into me.

          

Create me.

you are the flame,          

I am your light. You are the nerve,          

I am your muscle. You are the Word,          

I am the story. You are the song,          

I am the singing.

I am one with you         

 and one with all Creation. One Spirit,          

one flesh, many forms. In your Spirit          

I am we.

Holy One, live in me;          

I am your body. I remember,          

and I live.

~ written by Steve Garnaas-Holmes and posted on Unfolding Light. https://www.unfoldinglight.net/

Call to Worship: Thirsting for God

Here’s a call to worship with a water theme. (Note that World Water Day is March 22.)

Call to Worship

(inspired by Psalm 42:1-2, Psalm 63:1-2, Isaiah 55:1-5,

John 4:13-15, John 7:37-39, Revelation 21:6)

We’ve come to worship God,

who makes streams flow from rock,

who turns the parched earth into springs of water,

who sends the rain from heaven

and makes the wilderness blossom and flourish.

As the deer thirsts for flowing streams,

so we thirst for You, O God.

Come, let’s worship our life-giving God,

who pours out living water on all who thirst.

~ Christine Longhurst

Call to Worship and Prayer for Pentecost

Here’s a responsive call to worship and opening prayer for Pentecost. They were written by Tim Graves and posted on LiturgyBits.

Pentecost Call to Worship

and Opening Prayer

The wind at our backs,

we entered Jerusalem.

Only to watch him die on the cross.

It spiraled so quickly.

Trial. Torture. Crucifixion. Death.

But on the third day

the breath of God blew new life into our futures.

Forty days with the risen Jesus.

Before he ascended,

Jesus reminded us that the Spirit will come.

It was on Pentecost.

It was on Pentecost

when the wind breathed

into each and every one of us.

Let us pray:

Sacred breath,

move through this room.

Unlock a song within your people.

Breathe into us

your hopes and dreams

for a world filled with justice, love, and peace. Amen.

~ written by Tim Graves, and posted on LiturgyBits. https://liturgybits.wordpress.com  

Intergenerational Prayer for Pentecost

Here’s an all-age prayer for Pentecost from Joanna Harader.  It was posted on Practicing Families.

Intergenerational Prayer for Pentecost

Holy One,
For all of the ways you speak to us –
in rushing wind,
in dancing flames,
in words we understand,
and in all that transcends language,
we give thanks.

Give us courage to speak your love,
everywhere we go,
to everyone we meet.
Amen.

~ written by Joanna Harader, and posted on Practicing Families.  http://practicingfamilies.com/

Pentecost Prayer: Come, Holy Spirit, Come

Here’s a prayer of invocation and intercession for Pentecost.  It was written by rev karla, and posted on RevGalBlogPals.

Prayer: Come, Holy Spirit, Come

Holy One,

We are not sure what it would be like

if the Holy Spirit blew through our churches again

as it did on the day of Pentecost.  

However, we want to speak the language that you have given, 

louder, and  more clearly in  our lives and church.

So we pray,

come Holy Spirit come,

pour out your fire of love upon us 

to be the body of Christ

in a world that is often hurting, hungry, and cynical.

We want to bring the good news to the poor,

heal the broken-hearted,

preach deliverance to captives,

bring recovery of sight to the blind

and set at liberty all that are bruised.

As your disciples,

we pray for all who suffer, are poor,

despairing, burdened, blind and battered.

In your loving breeze,

we pray for health and wholeness for those who are physically ill,

for those who are mentally ailing,

for those who are money sick,

for those who are spiritually unwell.

We pray for the healing of your creation,

and the renewal of the face of the land.

We pray for those who are thirsty,

that they would drink from your fountain of living waters

and never thirst again.

Amen. 

~ written by rev karla, and posted on RevGalBlogPals.  http://revgalblogpals.org/