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Good morning! We're so glad you decided to join us today! When we meet in person, we take some time to share our joys and concerns. If you have any prayer requests, you can share them with us in the comment section of this post. When you are ready, use the prayer below (source) to get started. Dear God, the world seems so dark and foreboding. Where are the signs of hope? What are you calling us to do? Wars, uprisings, displacements, hunger, poverty, and disease continue to claim victims by the millions around the world each year. Our ears do not want to hear their stories and our eyes do not want to see their plight because the suffering and destruction is so massive and cruel. In our hearts and minds there is a desire to help somehow, but the crisis seem so overwhelming that we shake our heads in dismay and we wonder what the point is for us even to attempt to be witnesses for healing and hope in this hellish morass. We beg with the song writer to open our eyes that we may see glimpses of truth you have for us. Help us to follow the path of Jesus, the Suffering Servant. Give us the courage to be willing to walk the path of depression and pain with the victims of injustice here at home as well as abroad. Help us to seek ways to light candles of hope, however small, through our words, our deeds, and our prayers, to encourage our sisters and brothers to hold onto the faith in spite of the pain and suffering they are facing. And help those of us who are among the fortunate ones, who have enough bread to eat, good health, and who live in relative peace, to open our heart to learn from our sisters and brothers who are living lives of grace and forgiveness in the horrid circumstances which surround them. O God, help us to light one candle rather than to curse the darkness. We pray this in the name of Jesus, who knows what being a light in this dark world is all about. Amen. This week's lesson is on Job 42:1-6, 10-17.
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Good morning! We're so happy you decided to join us today! When we meet together in person, we share our joys and concerns before we focus on our Sunday school lesson. Think about your needs and concerns right now and think about those who are struggling with sickness and loss. If you like, you can share them in the comments. Today’s lesson is from the Old Testament book of Job. It is about the times that suffering and tragedy come into our lives and what we should say and think about God during those times. It is also about how best to be a friend to those who are going through such times. The following prayer is from the Presbyterian Church (USA) website: Holy One, you are our comfort and strength in times of sudden disaster, crisis, or chaos. Surround us now with your grace and peace through storm or earthquake, fire or flood. By your Spirit, lift up those who have fallen, sustain those who work to rescue or rebuild, and fill us with the hope of your new creation; through Jesus Christ, our rock and redeemer. Amen. This week's lesson is on Job 8:1-10, 20-22.
Good morning! We're so glad you chose to join us today! Last week, many of us were not able to meet together because of the winter storm and power outages. This week, consider what you have to be thankful for. If you have prayer requests, joys or concerns, you can share them as a comment to this post. When you are ready, you can get started with this prayer of thanksgiving from Xavier University. For the expanding grandeur of creation, worlds known and unknown, galaxies beyond galaxies, filling us with awe and challenging our imaginations: We give thanks this day. For this fragile planet earth, its times and tides, its sunsets and seasons: We give thanks this day. For the joy of human life, its wonders and surprises, its hopes and achievements: We give thanks this day. For our human community, our common past and future hope, our oneness transcending all separation, our capacity to work for peace and justice in the midst of hostility and oppression: We give thanks this day. For high hopes and noble causes, for faith without fanaticism, for understanding of views not shared: We give thanks this day. For all who have labored and suffered for a fairer world, who have lived so that others might live in dignity and freedom: We give thanks this day. For human liberty and sacred rites; for opportunities to change and grow, to affirm and choose: We give thanks this day. We pray that we may live not by our fears but by our hopes, not by our words but by our deeds. We give thanks this day. Amen. Today's lesson is on Ezra 7:1-10, 23-26.
Good morning! We're so happy you chose to join us today! We have been meeting in person for a while now, and we would love for you to join us if you feel comfortable doing so. When we meet in person, we share our joys and concerns. You can share your prayer requests as a comment to this post. When you are ready to get started, you can use the prayer below. Give us, O God, the vision which can see Your love in the world in spite of human failure. Give us the faith to trust Your goodness in spite of our ignorance and weakness. Give us the knowledge that we may continue to pray with understanding hearts. And show us what each one of us can do to set forward the coming of the day of universal peace. This week's lesson is on 2 Samuel 12:1-9, 13-15. The story of King Davie and Bathsheba is one we are familiar with. She is pregnant with David’s child. David tries to persuade her husband to take time to be with his wife, Uriah is so loyal to his King that he refuses. David goes to plan B. He sends Uriah to the front lines where he is killed. David then marries the widow Bathsheba. God is not pleased and sends the prophet Nathan to confront David. Nathan is fearful that the Lord is sending him on a potentially suicidal mission. He delivers his news in the form of a parable. The story of how a rich man takes unfair advantage of a poor man infuriates David. The punishment that David recommends is the penalty for stealing a sheep recorded in Exodus 22:1. Nathan then says to David,”YOU ARE THE MAN!” Scripture tells us that God holds humans accountable. Sin must be confronted, especially when committed by those in powerful positions. David took a wife who was not his to take. David offered no excuse, he confessed. Confession allows the heart to once again be fully devoted to the Lord. The path to forgiveness for David and for us can be found in 1 John 1:9. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. David’s story warns us that sins have consequences in others’ lives. The baby died. It also warns us that: Sins we ignore instead of confess harden our hearts to other sins, making us complicit in the wickedness of others. Prayer Father, give us the boldness to speak truth to power and the humility to recognize our need for accountability. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen Thought to Remember Confess your sins and turn to the Lord. Next week's lesson will be on Ezra 7:1-10, 23-26.
Good morning! We're so happy you chose to join us today! When we meet in person, we take some time to share our joys and concerns. As you consider the past week, what are you thankful for? What brought you joy? What are you worried about? If you have anything you would like to share, you can include a comment on this post. When you are ready, you can use this prayer to get started. God, who is more than we can ever comprehend, help us to seek you, and you alone. Help us to stand before all that we could do and seek what you would do, and do that. Lift from us our need to achieve all that we can be and instead, surrender to what you can be in us. Give us ways to refrain from the busyness that will put us on edge and off center, give us today your peace. Amen. This week's lesson is on Deuteronomy 24:10-21.
Good morning! We're so glad you're joining us today! When we meet together in person, we share our joys and concerns before we focus on our Sunday school lesson. Think about your needs and concerns right now, and if you like, you can share them in the comments. Our Sunday school and church is now open so that we can join to worship God, to learn about God’s word and to encourage each other in person. We are grateful to be back together, but we offer these lessons online for those who do not feel comfortable participating in person. We are glad that those who cannot be with us physically are able to learn and worship with us as well. Today’s lesson is on two passages from Deuteronomy — 16:18-20 and 17:8-13. It is the stipulation that the rules regarding how justice is administered themselves be just and free from favoritism, especially when it comes to the weak, the foreigner and the poor. The following anonymous prayer is posted on the website for the Jesuit Xavier University. Grant us, Lord God, a vision of your world as your love would have it: a world where the weak are protected, and none go hungry or poor; a world where the riches of creation are shared, and everyone can enjoy them; a world where different races and cultures live in harmony and mutual respect; a world where peace is built with justice, and justice is guided by love. Give us the inspiration and courage to build it, through Jesus Christ our Lord. This week's lesson is on Deuteronomy 16:18-20; 17:8-13.
Good morning! We're so glad you decided to join us today! When we meet in person, we share our joys and concerns together. Take some time to think over your past week. What prayer requests do you have? If you feel comfortable, you can share your requests in the comments below. When you ready, you can get started with this prayer (source), which should somewhat go along with our lesson. Forgive me, God, for being so busy being busy that I don't intentionally take time to be refreshed in your rest. Teach me gently, Father, that I need this weekly rest in your presence and with my family to be all that you want me to be, and all that I can be. Restore my soul, O God, and fill me with your restful joy. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen. This week's lesson is on Exodus 23:1-12.
Good morning! We're so happy you decided to join us today! When we meet in person, we share what joys and concerns we have together. As you think over your past week, consider any prayer requests you might have. If you have anything you would like to share, you can include it as a comment to this post. When you are ready, use the prayer below (source) to get started. Loving Father, as I see Your great wisdom reflected in Your wonderful creation, I want to praise You with my whole being. Thank you for the creative Word-of-God, WHO not only spoke the worlds into being from nothing but died for me, so that I could live – so that I could have life - everlasting life and life more abundantly. Open the eyes of foolish men who arrogantly refuse to recognise the truth and acknowledge Jesus as their Creator God and gracious Saviour, and thank You for all Your never-failing goodness, long-suffering mercy, and amazing grace towards ME. This I pray in Jesus' name, AMEN. Today's lesson is on Genesis 21:8-20.
Good morning! We're so glad you decided to join us for the first Sunday of the new year! When we meet in person, we share our joys and concerns together. Take some time to consider your last week. What are you thankful for? What are you worried about? If you have anything you would like to share, you can include it in the comments so that we can all pray. When you are ready, use this prayer for the new year (source) to get started. God of all time, help us enter the New Year quietly, thoughtful of who we are to ourselves and to others, mindful that our steps make an impact and our words carry power. May we walk gently. May we speak only after we have listened well. Creator of all life, help us enter the New Year reverently, aware that you have endowed every creature and plant, every person and habitat with beauty and purpose. May we regard the world with tenderness. May we honor rather than destroy. Lover of all souls, help us enter the New Year joyfully, willing to laugh and dance and dream, remembering our many gifts with thanks and looking forward to blessings yet to come. May we welcome your lavish love. In this new year, may the grace and peace of Christ bless us now and in the days ahead. Amen. Today's lesson is on Genesis 4:1-15.
Good morning! We're so glad you decided to join us on this Sunday morning! When we meet together in person, we share our joys and concerns before we focus on our Sunday school lesson. Think about your needs and concerns right now, and if you like, you can share them in the comments. Today’s lesson is from the Old Testament prophecy of Nahum. It is about God’s judgment on the nation of Assryia and its capital city of Nineveh after Assyria wielded its power over God’s people and other nations. By extension, it is about how God sometimes punishes God’s people because God loves them but how that punishment does not last forever. The following prayer was written by Matt Erikson and posted on his blog, “Renovate”. It can be found at here. LORD God, King of the earth, You have created all peoples and reign over all the nations that inhabit this earth. When the nations rage and put themselves forward as mighty, You still have the final word, promising to put all the prideful in their place. Although tempted to trust in our own strength, we turn to You, even as the psalmist says, “Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God’ (Psalm 20:7). Teach us to live with trust in light of the prophet Nahum’s words, “The Lord is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in him” (Nahum 1:7). All this we pray, through Jesus Christ, to whom, with You and the Holy Spirit be all honor and glory, now and forever. Amen. This week's lesson is on Nahum 1:1-3, 6-8, 12-13, 15.
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