Prayers of the People

Loving God,

As we contemplate You, as we give worship and praise to You, as we question You, as we offer our prayers to You, we give You thanks that You are beyond us. When we dream for this world, we see that Your dreams are often beyond what we can imagine. When we express love, we often encounter You in ways that are greater than we can anticipate. When we serve, we often see that a Power so much greater than ourselves is at work before us and beyond us. We stand in awe of Your greatness.

As we gather before You, as we hear words pointing to You, as we see Your love in the faces of our brothers and sisters here, we give You thanks that You are with us. You are with us and with this world. Beyond us, You come to us in Christ Jesus. You come to us in the Holy Spirit. You meet us here. You meet people on the other side of the world. And you call us to be together in and through You.

We give you thanks for the pastoral leadership in this congregation. We are grateful that Pastor Mark is with us today. Thank you for his words which so often comfort us and challenge us. We are grateful that Pastor Hyun is experiencing You in holy places. We are grateful for Pastor Luis and the service is he is helping to lead right now in the chapel. We are grateful for the years of wisdom and life that Pastor Art has experienced, that he so frequently shares them with us.

We give You thanks for each of these leaders, and we remember anew that we too are ministers. We are called to shepherd the lives around us - called to nurture, to service, to teach, yes, but to also have the boldness to be learners, learners from lives that are different from our own and yet human, like our own. We offer prayers for all the lives here - all the wisdom, experience, questions, gifts, and culture right here. We pray for our brothers and sisters in all three language-ministries of this church, for our Korean fellowship, for our Latino fellowship, for this fellowship which is gathered in this room.

As we continue in worship, send us out into this world - a world with great needs, a world that our Bigger-and-Beyond God comes to meet.

We pray for all the inequities and struggles of this world. . . .

For the East Coast as it is ravaged by the Hurricane Irene. . .

For the Southeast as it is ravaged by drought. . .

For farmers and individuals who are reaping a healthy harvest. . .

For people in Somalia, Ethiopia, and Kenya, who don't know where their next meal will come from. . .

For all students as they begin a new year of school. . .

For Foster Children in Southern California who are lacking school supplies. . .

We pray for the needs of this church - for those who are sick or recovering from sickness, for those who are struggling in their relationships, for those who are out of work, and for those who are looking for a new way to serve.

In love for our people in this sanctuary and in love for people beyond this sanctuary, we are bold now to live as Your children and to pray the prayer that Jesus taught us, saying. . .

Our Father who art in heaven,

Hallowed be Thy Name,

Thy Kingdom come,

Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread,

And forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors.

And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil,

For Thine is the Kingdom and the Power and the Glory forever.

Amen.

-A Prayer of the Community at Pasadena Presbyterian Church