Thursday, October 06, 2005
Preparing to Pray 10/5/05
God of life, your Spirit raised Jesus from the dead.
Your Spirit inspired the prophets and writers of Scripture.
Your Spirit draws us to Christ and helps us to acknowledge him as Lord.
We ask that you will send your Spirit as we gather for worship this week
to give us deeper insight, encouragement, faith, and hope
through the proclamation of the gospel.
News Articles for Prayer This Week
In public intercessory prayer this week, we pray…
- for help and healing for women in Nigeria who suffer birth injuries that cause permanent internal damage and social rejection, and do not have access to adequate medical treatment.
- for peace in Morrocco, where migrants have died trying to force their way into Spanish enclaves
- for resolution for Sudanese refugees in Egypt, who face uncertainty with the U.N.‘s suspension of resettlement interviews.
- with gratitude for the Kairos ministry to female inmates this weekend in Clarkesville, Georgia.
Themes for Prayer and Worship This Week
- Jesus the Great High Priest (Calvin Institute of Christian Worship)
- Second Jerusalem Council Meeting: Acts 15 (Calvin College Healthy Habits: Apostle Paul Pedometer Challenge)
This prayer is based on the devotional reading for Week 3(PDF) from the Healthy Habits site:
Lord, while the world may classify people according to blood, soil, race and tribe, your followers are identified by the presence of the Holy Spirit and by hearts purified by faith.
Grant that, as Paul says, there may be no dissension within the body of Christ, but that members may have the same care for one another—suffering together, rejoicing together—unified under the head of Christ.
- Lectionary Gospel Text: Matthew 22:1-14 and HC Lord’s Day 10 (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.
[Ursinus] wrote that “when anyone prays alone in his closet, the whole church prays with him in affection and desire.” And so, appropriately, the classic events by which a person attaches to Jesus Christ are corporate. The preaching of the gospel is a corporate event. Baptism and the Lord’s Supper are church sacraments, intended to bind to Christ and each other a whole body of people who don’t necessarily even like each other very well. Some are originally Jews; others Greeks. Some lean left in their politics; others right. Some want pipe organs; others, guitar amps. Some want a projection screen; others, hymnbooks. Like spokes, the only place these folks fit together is at the hub. Somehow, they must all fit ‘into’ Christ. This can be accomplish only by, in, and through the the Holy Spirit. As Lewis Smedes once put it, ‘the Spirit is the living contact between the victorious Jesus and all who are united with Him.’
- Cornelius Plantinga, Jr., and Sue Rozeboom, Discerning the Spirits (p.102)
Earlier: Preparing to Pray 9/29
More Resources for Preparing for Worship
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