Friday, November 03, 2006
all saints are our saints prayer
I wrote the prayer below for worship on Sunday. The church I pastor is 96 years old, so I asked some of our long-termers to describe for me the key figures in our church’s history: our saints, the people who have, in God, built up God’s church at Opawa. I then ended with a snippet from the Anglican prayer book.
2 of our folk will pray the following on Sunday:
Thanks God for Wyn Voyce
Our oldest living saint at 102 years
Pianonist, Singer in the choir
Ministering to Opawa through music
May we use our talents like Wyn Voyce did
Thanks God for Dr Bob and Shirley Thompson
Pastor, Builder of A-frame church across the road
Preaching GodÂ’s Word, in season and out
May we use our talents like Dr Bob did
Thanks God for Evelyn, husband of Nellie Woods
Encourager of many
Teacher among our young people
May we encourage our young people as Evelyn Woods did
Thanks God for Gordon and Lois Coombs
Gordon a pastor with a mission heart
Lois a pianist and pastoral carer
Leaders at a turning point in the life of this church
May we serve as faithfully as Gordon and Lois did
Thanks God for Isobel Lord
Encourager, Pray-er
Arranger of flowers in this church
May we appreciate beauty as Isobel does
Thank God for saints like Roy and Ruth Woods
Missionaries for over 18 years in Papua New Guinea
The over 21 years working with kids in New Zealand
May we serve people outside this church like Roy and Ruth do
ALL: Almighty God; You have built up your church
Through the love and devotion of your saints
We give you thanks for your servants
Inspire us to follow their example,
Through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.
Tuesday, October 24, 2006
walking with grief
Excerpts from some words by George MacDonald in Celtic Daily Prayer
Do not hurry
As you walk with grief
It does not help the journey
Walk slowly
Pausing often
Do not hurry
As you walk with grief
Be gentle with the other
Who walks with grief
If it is you
Be gentle with yourself
Swiftly forgive
Walk slowly
Pausing often
Take time, be gentle
as you walk with grief
I am praying this for so many of my friends today: Janette, Nick, Jenn, Amanda, Pernell, Peter, Andrew, Margie, Lisa
If you would like to pray this prayer for any of your friends, you might like to add their names (I suggest first names only) in the comments …
Saturday, May 29, 2004
change
sea
thick n lumpy
green, swollen
carries
tide n time
erodes
rock
spray spume
white froth top fluid force
Monday, January 19, 2004
a bubble prayer
John Drane lead prayers at Opawa on Sunday. He blew bubbles – fragile, beautiful – and invited people to call out things they wanted prayer for. First response was from the right hand side:
a new start and new life for our church.
and a stream of bubbles drifted through the Opawa air.
Amen.
)
