Prayers of the People

Why do we pray in worship?  Could prayer be the most important thing we do in worship?

Rev. Donna worked with us to understand what we do in worship…GATHERING, SINGING, SHARING A PSALM, READING SCRIPTURE, REFLECTING, PRAYING, and BLESSING.

On Sunday we’ll be focusing on praying together.  The prayers we do in worship are sometimes called Prayers of the People. 

I believe that the Prayers of the People are the main reason why we gather to worship. Another word for worship is liturgy, which comes from Greek and means “public working.” When we worship, we are there to work: to do a public working or a public service. - Rev. Susan Lukey, Editor, United Church of Canada, gatheringworship.ca

Matthew 22 MSG

34-36 When the Pharisees heard how he had bested the Sadducees, they gathered their forces for an assault. One of their religion scholars spoke for them, posing a question they hoped would show him up: “Teacher, which command in God’s Law is the most important?”

37-40 Jesus said, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your passion and prayer and intelligence.’ This is the most important, the first on any list. But there is a second to set alongside it: ‘Love others as well as you love yourself.’ These two commands are pegs; everything in God’s Law and the Prophets hangs from them.”

John 15:7 NIV

If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.

What do these scripture passages say to you about our Prayers of the People?

On Sunday we will pray for those who are on our hearts and minds this week.  Who would you like us to pray for?  I invite you to think about this before Sunday.

Chosen...Loved

Can you imagine yourself being chosen by Jesus to be an apostle?  Wow. 

The time is the second Passover of Jesus' ministry...just before he preaches his Sermon on the mount.  In Luke 6 we read:

At about that same time he climbed a mountain to pray. He was there all night in prayer before God. The next day he summoned his disciples; from them he selected twelve he designated as apostles.

I admit that I have some difficulty placing myself there and being chosen.  My memory flips back to choosing teams at school.  I was never among the first chosen.

Last week, we read the beginning of John 15, when Jesus spoke to the chosen ones and said, “I am the vine and you are the branches.”

This Sunday, with Flo Kim, we will continue the story:

9-10 “I’ve loved you the way my Father has loved me. Make yourselves at home in my love. If you keep my commands, you’ll remain intimately at home in my love. That’s what I’ve done—kept my Father’s commands and made myself at home in his love.

11-15 “I’ve told you these things for a purpose: that my joy might be your joy, and your joy wholly mature. This is my command: Love one another the way I loved you. This is the very best way to love. Put your life on the line for your friends. You are my friends when you do the things I command you. I’m no longer calling you servants because servants don’t understand what their master is thinking and planning. No, I’ve named you friends because I’ve let you in on everything I’ve heard from the Father.

16 “You didn’t choose me, remember; I chose you, and put you in the world to bear fruit, fruit that won’t spoil. As fruit bearers, whatever you ask the Father in relation to me, he gives you.

17 “But remember the root command: Love one another.

In this passage, I feel like Jesus could be speaking directly to me:  “You didn’t choose me, remember; I chose you”.  He tells me that he loves me, he calls me his friend, and I believe him. I am secure in that love. 

How can this be?  How can it be that now I feel like Jesus is speaking directly to me? The more time I spend with him, the more sure I am of his love. He loves you too. Such is the power of Jesus, the mystery of Jesus.

Join us on Sunday as Flo speaks to us of his love for each one of us. 

Image:  www.LumoProject.com