Affirmation of Faith: Matthew

Here’s a simple affirmation of faith inspired by Matthew 25:16-20 and Matthew 9:35-38. It was written by Tim Tate, Lead Pastor at Warrenton United Methodist Church.

Affirmation of Faith

(inspired by Matthew 25:16-20, Matthew 9:35-38)

I believe in a God

who created all things

and seeks for all to be in communion as God’s people.

I believe in Jesus Christ

who showed us how to share love,

and who commissioned us to go out into the highways and byways

inviting all to be a part of God’s work in the world.

I believe in the Holy Spirit

who leads and guides us into the world,

then touches the lives of those around us

in ways that make them receptive to love.

I believe in the harvest

and the call for laborers to receive and respond,

sharing light and life with the world.  Amen. 

~ submitted by Tim Tate, Lead Pastor, Warrenton UMC. Posted on www.warrentonumc.org

Prayer: Reveal Yourself

Here’s a prayer of petition and invocation.  It was written by John Birch, and posted on Faith and Worship.

Reveal Yourself

“As the eyes of servants look to the hand of their master…

so our eyes look to the Lord our God,

until he has mercy upon us.” Psalm 123:2

Lord of heaven and earth
of all nations and peoples
all faiths and no faith
reveal yourself
to those who are suffering,
reveal yourself
to all who are refugees,
reveal yourself
to those who are powerful,
reveal yourself
to all who are powerless,
reveal yourself
to ordinary people
in their everyday lives,
that this world
might reflect your love
and your glory.

~ Copyright © John Birch, posted on Faith and Worship - Prayers and Resources http://www.faithandworship.com/

Confession: Faithful Stewards

Here’s a unison prayer of confession inspired by Jesus’ parable of the faithful steward in Matthew 25:14-30. It was posted on the Pacific Pilgrim website.

Prayer of Confession

(inspired by Matthew 25:14-30)

Lord of Creation,

we confess that we have squandered your gifts

and used them as if they had been given for us alone. 

We have not loved you with our whole heart.

We have failed to be an obedient church.

We have not done your will,

we have broken your law,

we have rebelled against your love,

we have not loved our neighbors,

and we have not heard the cry of the needy.

Forgive us, we pray.  

Free us for joyful obedience,

through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Words of Assurance

Hear the Good News:

We have not been faithful in all things.

But our God still welcomes us with patience and kindness.

Therefore, as people of God’s promise,

let us receive forgiveness, embrace hope, and faithfully respond, 

through Jesus Christ, our Lord.
Glory to to God!

We are forgiven.

We have hope.

We will respond. Amen. 

~ posted on the Pacific Pilgrim website. https://pacificpilgrim.com/

Confession: Dishonest Managers

Here’s a prayer of confession inspired by Matthew 25: 14-30 (Jesus’ parable about the wise steward). It was posted on Jeff’s Blog.

Prayer of Confession:

Dishonest Managers

(inspired by Matthew 25:14-30)

Holy God,

you are the maker and sustainer of all things.

You teach us to be good stewards of your generosity,

but we confess that we have been dishonest managers

of your blessings.

You teach us to love our neighbor as ourselves,

but most of us are so isolated

that we don’t know our neighbor’s name.

You teach us that if we are dishonest in small things,

 we will be dishonest in greater things,

yet we treat your words as if only the big things really matter.

We have heard your high and holy standards,

and then lowered the bar so low

that we can hardly even trip over it.

We repent,

and know that our only hope is for you to treat us

with mercy and favor that we do not in any way deserve.

We are grateful for your patience with us.

We are grateful that you have blessed us

in spite of our faithlessness.

We are grateful that you continue to work through us

in spite of our selfishness.

We ask, O God, that you change our ways:

Open our minds to understand your purpose in the world around us.

Open our hearts to the hurting world around us.

Open our ears to the cry of the oppressed.

Open our eyes to see the path you would have us walk.

Open our lives that we may fallow you, no matter where you lead.

We place our lives and our futures in your mighty hands. We confess and praise and plead with you in the holy name of Jesus Christ our Lord, who reigns with you and the Holy Spirit forever and ever. Amen.

~ posted on Jeff’s Blog. https://blog.wisch.org/category/benedictions-and-prayers/

Blessing the Talents: Matthew 25:14-20

Here’s a blessing inspired by Matthew 25: 14-20 from Jan Richardson’s The Painted Prayerbook.

Blessing

(inspired by Matthew 25: 14-20)

There are blessings

meant for you

to hold onto

clutched

like a lifeline

carried

like a candle

for a dark way

tucked into a pocket

like a smooth stone

reminding you

that you do not

go alone.

This blessing

is not those.

This blessing

will find its form

only as you

give it away

only as you

release it

into the keeping

of another

only as you

let it

leave you

bearing the shape

the imprint

the grace

it will take

only for having

passed through

your two

particular

hands.

~ written by Jan L. Richardson, and posted on The Painted Prayerbook. http://paintedprayerbook.com/

Offering Prayer: Matthew 25:14-20

Here’s a prayer of dedication inspired by Matthew 25: 14-20.  It was written by Joanna Harader, and posted on Spacious Faith.

Prayer of Dedication

(inspired by Matthew 25: 14-20)

God, whose giving knows no ending,
we offer up the treasure that you have entrusted to us;
we offer up the skills and time that you have graciously given to us;
we offer up ourselves in service and praise.
Receive these gifts by your grace.
Multiply and use them through the power of the Holy Spirit
to accomplish Christ’s work of love in the world. Amen.

~ written by Joanna Harader, and posted on the Spacious Faith blog. http://spaciousfaith.com/

Prayer of Confession: Proper 28 A

Here’s a prayer of confession inspired by 1 Thessalonians 5: 1-11 and Matthew 25: 14-30, two of the suggested scripture readings for Proper 28, Year A.  It was written by Bill Wessner, and posted on Confessional RCL blog.

Prayer of Confession

(inspired by 1 Thessalonians 5: 1-11 and Matthew 25: 14-30)

Lord, Lord,

we know who you are,

we know you bring in the kingdom of heaven.

But when you assign us the job of lighting the way,

we barely announce your divine rule to ourselves.

Our worship hour has solemn times and festivals.

And we celebrate your redemptive action in history

with our calendar - Sundays, seasons, year after year.

Yet we become drowsy: unprepared,

because we are not disciples each day, at all hours.

Those times we live for ourselves.

We do not need you right now.

So we do not want justice, unless we judge for ourselves,

and self-righteousness is easier than right relationship.

Forgive us Lord the sins we can bear to name,

Save us Lord from the sins we will not speak.

(pause for reflection and self-examination)

God redeems.

Our hope lives in the one we call Jesus the Christ.

Time and again we go to this hope, ready or not.

For Christ's sake our sins are forgiven.

May the flood of God's love in Christ Jesus

be poured out in our lives and cease not at this worship's end.

To the glory of the Father, and the Son, + and the Holy Spirit. Amen

~ written by Bill Wessner, on his Confessional RCL blog. http://confessionrcl.blogspot.com/2011/11/cycle-lectionary-32-proper-27.html

Prayer of Confession: Faithful Stewards

Here’s a prayer of confession and commitment from Joanna Harader.  The first line is from 1 Peter 4: 10.

Prayer

Holy One,
We long to be faithful stewards of your abundant grace.
To serve each other in love and humility.
To serve your world with wisdom and energy.

Forgive us when we stumble over pride,
when our words and actions are not guided by love.
Turn our hearts when we act in folly.
Restore our energy when it is gone.

Sometimes, many times, O God, our efforts fail.
But your abundant grace is strong and eternal,
And forgiveness is ours through Jesus Christ.
Thanks be to God.
Amen.

~ written by Joanna Harader, and posted on the Spacious Faith blog. http://spaciousfaith.com/

A Parting Blessing

Here’s a parting blessing from the Third Space website. It was originally published by Methodist Publishing in 2009.

A Parting Blessing

God’s blessing be upon us

as we leave and return changed to our homes.
May we strengthen and encourage one another

in our shared vision.

And may the blessing of our adventurous Creator God go with us.

And may the blessing of the Son,

who showed us how to live,

re-shape us.

And may the blessing of the dancing Spirit

joyfully enable us in our renewed living.  Amen.

~ from Hope in God’s Future: Christian Discipleship in the Context of Climate Change Report & Study Guide, Methodist Publishing 2009.  Posted on the Third Space website. http://third-space.org.uk/blog

A Prayer on Graduation Day

Here’s a prayer of commitment for graduating students, inspired by some of Jesus' teachings about what it means to live as Christ-followers. The prayer comes from the Catholic Online website.

A Prayer on Graduation Day

(inspired by Matthew 5: 13-16, Matthew 13: 33, Matthew 25:14-30, Luke 19: 12-28)

Light

Lord Jesus,

you have said that your followers must be the light to the world.
Light propagates itself, dispels darkness.
It sows rays of joy and hope. It is life-giving.

Help me, Lord, to be a light to this world,
so that my life radiates your message of love, hope, and joy.
May I be the beacon leading to You those who seek truth.

Salt

You also said, Lord Jesus,
that your disciples must be the salt to this earth.
Salt gives taste to food.
It retards spoilage.
It is also a healing agent.

Lord, may I be the salt
that takes away the blandness in the routine of living,
that prevents the rottenness of hatred and greed

from expanding around me,
that brings compassionate healing to anguished souls I encounter.
Lord, help me to be "worth my salt."
And infuse your "saltiness" in me,

so that I do not become "flat" and useless.

Leaven

"Be the leaven to the world," said You to your friends.
Bread, a staple of life, and cakes, always present at celebrations,
would be dull and lifeless without the tiny bit of yeast.
Without it, the dough remains inert, hard.

Elsewhere, You also told us to multiply our talents.
You expect that we use the talents you gave us

as the leaven to this world.

Teach me, Lord Jesus, that alone I am insignificant,
but mixed with the talents of my brothers and sisters,
I can lift this world out of its insipid mediocrity.
May I be a bit of leaven in the Bread of Life,
and a sign of Your celebration in this life and life eternal.

Commitment

Lord, on this "commencement" day,
let there be a new beginning of my life.
In the days of darkness, be my Light,
so that in turn I can radiate your truth 

and your message of love, hope, and joy.

In the days of blandness and of blahs, Lord,

be my Salt, so that in turn I can fend off the corruption,
the staleness, the mediocrity around me.

In the days when I am flat on my back or fall flat on my face,
Lord, be my Leaven, so that not only can I rise again,
but also raise the downhearted to the celebration of your Love. 

Amen.

~ posted on the Catholic Online website. http://www.catholic.org/

Psalm Paraphrase: Psalm 122, Psalm 123

Here’s a re-working of Psalm 122 and Psalm 123 from Francis Mcnab. 

He writes: “These psalms speak of a sacred place.  In its biblical version its focus is on Jerusalem the so-called "holy city".  Today as much as any time, we should pray for the peace of Jerusalem.  But we all need our Jerusalem - our sacred place, where we discover a strong peace emanating from the Good Presence.”

Psalm 122 and Psalm 123

What a scramble our lives can be.

We rush from place to place.

We live on a knife-edge, ready it would seem,

to throw our lot in with those who surrender to the negatives of our humanity.

What a relief to come into a place like this

where we can feel a quietening presence;

where people can come together

and find a common purpose and a unifying spirit.

This whole city needs to re-find its sanity

lest people come to believe that all their stresses are inevitable.

So I say, let a good peace come over this city;

let peace come to these walls;

let all who come here, all their friends and their families

know a strong and healthy peace with them.

O God, we have been too long and too much

with our eyes on the wrong things,

even though we believe them to be right.

Lift our eyes to a bigger better dimension,

to be participants in your broadening good presence.

We know the pains and the prejudices of life…

Help us to experience the best kindness and the gentlest healing

that flow from the very heart of the universe.

I name you to be God;

I believe you to be God.

God, the source of all that is good!

~ written by Francis Macnab (A fine wind is blowing). http://www.stmichaels.org.au/dr-macnab/books-by-dr-macnab 

Posted on Rex A.E. Hunt website. http://www.rexaehuntprogressive.com/liturgy_collection/year_a_liturgy_collection/year_a_-_advent/advent1a28112010.html

Prayer: Hold Lightly

Here’s a prayer of petition inspired by Jesus’ teaching about possessions.  It comes from Revised Common Lectionary Prayers (see link below).

Prayer of Petition

Generous God,

in abundance you give us things both spiritual and physical.

Help us to hold lightly the fading things of this earth

and grasp tightly the lasting things of your kingdom,

so that what we are and do and say

may be our gifts to you

through Christ, who beckons all to seek the things above,

where he lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

~ from Revised Common Lectionary Prayers copyright © 2002 Consultation on Common Texts admin. Augsburg Fortress.  Posted on Thematic, Intercessory and Scripture Prayers for the RCL, Vanderbilt Divinity Library. http://lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu/

Prayer of Invocation: Two Masters

Here’s an opening invocation from Katherine Hawker’s Liturgy Outside website.

Opening Prayer

(inspired by Luke 16: 13, Matthew 6:24 and other passages)

Masters,

two and more,

competing for our money

clamoring for our time

creating chaos in our lives.

Master,

one God,

quiet us and draw us near.

~ written by Katherine Hawker for the Evangelical United Church of Christ, 1998. Posted on Liturgy Outside. http://liturgyoutside.net/CPr13.html