Prayers of the Church, 7.4.10

O God, you are our God; we seek you, our souls thirst for you; our flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water. So we have looked upon you in the sanctuary, beholding your power and glory. Because your steadfast love is better than life, our lips will praise you. So we will bless you as long as we live; we will lift up our hands and call on your name. Our souls are satisfied as with a rich feast, and our mouths praise you with joyful lips for you have been our help, and in the shadow of your wings we sing for joy. Our souls cling to you; your right hand upholds us. We are your good and faithful servants.

We love you, Lord, with our whole hearts. We praise your name. We worship you. We follow your precepts. We serve. We share. We give.

And we sometimes stand in the way of those who seek to unite and reunite with you, putting our conditions on a salvation that is so perfect as to make it almost more than we can understand.

Sometimes our brothers and sisters have strayed, while we have stayed steadfast. We witness sins, we witness faithless living, we witness actions totally in contrast to your word: flawed, flawed people who were once in our midst, and who now wish to be reunited with us and more importantly, with you.

Your love is so vast and deep that you celebrate every soul that comes to you. How can we do less? How can we fail to celebrate whenever any soul searches for you whether in the form we find pleasing or not? You find it pleasing to have your children returned to you, your babies reconciled to you. Why else would you sacrifice your most beloved, Jesus Christ?

Let us not conditionally accept our brothers and sisters back while we wait to see if they will fall again...for they will, just as we will. Instead, let us joyfully, honestly throw open our gates, throw open our doors to welcome in anyone who calls you Father, anyone who asks forgiveness, anyone who wishes to be reunited with you.

You invite us to the party. You invite us to celebrate the victory of every soul reunited with you. Help us show that joy to the world around us so others may see at least a glimpse of your promise.

Bless our enemies. They are many. We may proclaim that we value all your creation. Help it be truly that way in our hearts.

And now, in the silence, let us praise your name for a grace so deep that it has room for all who ask, while at the same time we bring to you our pain, sorrow, fear, and hunger.


Bless be your kingdom, Oh Lord, a kingdom that has room for all who proclaim you Lord.

We pray your blessings on Milligan College, Lord, the staff, faculty, and administration, as they work to teach and develop educated Christians. Bless the students as they use the basin and the towel to serve your kingdom.

And now, we pray together, as a united family, the words that Jesus taught us to pray: