Prayers for Sunday January 7, 2001
Baptism of the Lord

Invocation or Call to Worship

Creator God, in the beginning You spoke. From chaos You brought the universe into being. Let us hear the power of Your spoken word and the softness of Your whispers in our lives this morning. Give us ears to hear, and the will to follow in the way that You are calling us. Amen.

Prayer of Confession

Eternal Lord, You have called us by name. Then we don't hear. Or we forget your name. We fail to live up to Your name for us. Through our words and actions, we bring dishonor to Your house. We sulk and stay away from You like a teenager who is full of anger and doubt. We allow sin to make us less. Merciful Lord, forgive our sin. Empower us to listen for Your voice alone. In the name of our Savior we pray. Amen.

Prayer of Dedication

Holy God, You are the maker of all. You are the source of all life. You are the source of "me." You are at the very center of who we are. You have not only created us but named us and caused us. Receive now our gifts as a sign of our thankfulness for creating us and filling us with the desire to create. Amen.

Pastoral Prayer

Lord God, there are times when life appears to be overwhelming. We fear being swallowed up by the everyday or the un-named terrors of the moment, or by the rage that suddenly comes upon us. There are days Lord, when troubles hits us from every angle and confronts us at every turn. There are moments where our worries are so numerous we find ourselves isolated and frozen by inaction. We feel that we are sinking. We reach out and wonder where You are, O Lord.

Help us to trust that even in the scariest moments, You will not abandon or forsake us. We know God, You have made us who we are, do not let us be destroyed by the indignities and horrors that we create for ourselves and others. Bring us not only calm but a sense of Your infinity presence in the midst of our not knowing. Quiet the little and big storms that assail us. And help us to always know that You are speaking to us in many unknown and unrecognized ways. Encourage us and remind us that we are Your beloved children and that You care for us each moment and always. Amen.