Invocation

Let us be a house of prayer for all people, O God.

Let a thousand songs be sung here.

Let us be a house of prayer for all people, O God.

May a thousand blessings abound from this place.

Let us be a house of prayer for all people, O God.

Fling wide open our doors and windows.

And Grant Us Your Grace. Amen.

Prayer of Confession

Let we who dislike haste and confusion and what we call the pressures of modern living not be a part of our own trouble, O God. Let us be free and unhurried, full of peace and capable of grace. Let the time we spend here this morning be put to good use and let these dog days of summer come into our heart as blessing. Forgive us any refusal of your gifts or blessing – and let our sound bodies and souls become a blessing to others. We pray in the name of Your Son who encouraged us to pray. Amen.

Offertory Prayer

We give the way a bird sings, out of the sheer joy of living.

We give the way a breeze blows, on the utter energy of air.

We give the way a cat purrs, with gladness at our ability to give.

And we give in hopes that what we do will make another glad. Amen.

Pastoral Prayer

Raise us up O God to the heartbeat of this day, the clicking of this August clock, the temperature of this late summer day. Let us live here, now, as if all eternity chirped in the bird that awoke us this dawn. Where we have left things undone, energize us. Where we have overdone, chasten us. Where we have exceeded our limits, spiritually or intellectually or psychologically, hone us. Where we have underused our talents, enervate us and make us feel the lethargy that neither You nor we choose—and then bring us back to focus and strength and direction.

For all the people who wake this morning in a state of depression, we pray. For the light to return to their eyes, we pray. For time to touch someone’s life in a meaningful way, we pray. For a sense of inclusion about our day and our week and our month: let us do something that makes real your house of prayer for all people. Let us be alert to the eternity in this time and let us make good use of our days.

For all who suffer from HIV and Aids, for those who know too much about chemotherapy and radiation and cancer, for those whose days are numbered, we pray. Let each one be good, and let us help to add joy to the days of those who suffer.

Bless this church, O God, as it carries your hope to this community. Let us be known as the people who care, as people full enough to really care, and add to our numbers those who can help us bear the load. Bless our pastor and our leaders that they may know joy in their work.

And help us to carry Your message far and wide. In the name of Jesus, who loves us all. Amen.