Prayers for September 16, 2001

Proper 19, 24th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Invocation (Based on Psalm 14)

Almighty God, Creator of heaven and earth: You reveal Your glory in all Your works. But some in this world deny You. They act as if there were no God, and they ridicule us for our faith in You. Deliver us, O Lord, from such foolish taunts. Raise us up, and let us rejoice and give thanks for Your great salvation. In the name of Christ our Lord we pray. Amen.

Prayer of Confession

God of compassion and goodness, You created us to live together in community. Yet we are quick to divide ourselves from one another. We tend to associate with others for such strange reasons as income and intelligence. We form groups based on race and reputations. We congregate with those who make us comfortable with ourselves. God of justice, forgive the sinful separations we erect between ourselves. Tear down those walls of division, and restore us as Your one people. In the name of our Savior we pray. Amen.

Prayer of Dedication

Glorious Lord, we find so many reasons to celebrate: birthdays, anniversaries, holidays. Yet so often we fail to celebrate the most important occasions. We fail to celebrate all the many times You provide for our needs, both great and small. Receive now our gifts as a sign of our celebration and joy. In the name of Jesus we pray. Amen.

Pastoral Prayer

Holy God, You are the Good Shepherd. We all stand before You as Your one flock. But there are times when we try to exalt ourselves to the position of shepherd. We strive to point out who the goats are, so that they might be excluded from the fold. We struggle to ensure that new or different sheep are not added without our consent. And when a lost lamb wanders off, we rejoice, figuring that we are better off without them.

Loving God, help us always to remember that You alone are the Great Shepherd of the sheep. Help us always to remember that we are the goats; we are the ones who have stained ourselves with sin. Help us always to remember that there was a time when we were the new sheep, a time when we had to be welcomed into the fold. And help us always to remember that there may come a day when we will be the ones are lost and in need of Your rescue. Even though we may be obstinate and ill-mannered sheep, do not forsake us. Embrace us with Your love and keep us close to Your heart. In the name of Christ the Lord we pray. Amen.