Wednesday, October 26, 2005
Preparing to Pray 10/26/05
Jesus stays with us in the Spirit,
who renews our hearts,
moves us to faith,
leads us in the truth,
stands by us in our need,
and makes our obedience fresh and vibrant.
-from Our World Belongs to God: A Contemporary Testimony, art. 31, used in the Reformation Day 2003 worship service outline from the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship
News Articles for Prayer This Week
In public intercessory prayer this week, we pray…
- for all those suffering in the aftermath of Hurricane Wilma (Wash. Post)
- for peace in the Darfur region of Sudan, where a UN official said this week that things are getting even worse (Reuters)
- for courage for Christians in northern China, where 50 Protestant leaders were detained this week, according to a U.S. aid organization. (Associated Press)
- for grieving families and injured children in China’s Sichuan Province, where a stampede caused deaths and injuries this week (Press Trust of India)
- for the Anglican church in the Persian Gulf, which plans to build the first Christian church in Qatar (AP)
Themes for Prayer and Worship This Week
- Reformation Day Worship: Surrounded by a Great Cloud of Witnesses (2005) and Reformation Day Festival: A Doxology to Grace (2003) (Calvin Institute of Christian Worship) (other services)
- Paul’s Second Missionary Journey: Acts 18 (Calvin College Healthy Habits: Apostle Paul Pedometer Challenge)
This prayer is based on the devotional reading for Week 6(PDF) from the Healthy Habits site:
King of kings and Lord of lords,
The might and wealth of earthly empires pale in comparison to your kingdom.
Give us the courage to speak the bold truth of your Word to a culture that is content and complacent.
Give us the words to make your message new to a society whose ears have grown numb.
Give us the conviction to hear the challenge your message presents to both stagnant religion and secular culture.May we, like Apollos, “speak with burning enthusiasm and teach accurately the things concerning Jesus,” and may we also, like Apollos, be open to gentle correction.
In our worship this week, push us out of our comfort zone of personal piety and ritual and into the unknown territory of a crucified messiah redeeming the world. “Make our obedience fresh and vibrant.”
Through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.
- Lectionary Gospel Text: Matthew 23:1-12 and HC Lord’s Day 13 (Center for Excellence in Preaching); Revised Common Lectionary resources from textweek.com
Pondering the Purpose of Worship
In addition to our prayers in preparation for worship, we ponder the purpose of worship. This week, we reflect on these words of wisdom about worship as we gather.
Some worship to meet somebody else’s expectations. Some worship out of pure habit. Some worship in spite of—or because of—the fact that they are locked in some kind of struggle with God, whom they experience as an adversary.
But many feel themselves drawn to worship—though they may not be able to say why. Some vital instinct rises up to praise the One from who our lives—and all lives—have sprung. The majesty of the Divine evokes praise, much as a spectacular sunset moves even the atheist to a sense of awe. A deeply rooted human impulse urges us to bless the power that formed the universe and keeps it in motion. People worship because it comes as naturally as eating and drinking. We simply can’t help it.
—Ronald Byars, Christian Worship: Glorifying and Enjoying God
Earlier: Preparing to Pray 10/21
More Resources for Preparing for Worship
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