MAILING LIST 
ARTICLE 29
Advisory Committee 3, Confessional and Liturgical Matters, Rev. Martin J. Contant reporting, presents the following:
I. LITURGICAL COMMITTEE: COLLECTION OF PRAYERS
A. Material: Report 13, 1, pp. 168-85
B. History and Analysis:
The Synod of 1975 encouraged the Liturgical Committee to prepare a new collection of prayers. Article 25 of the Acts of Synod 1975 states that "there is a need for such prayers, especially in our vacant churches." In reviewing the present collection, the Liturgical Committee concluded that this collection of prayers is "very dated in style, seldom used, and includes prayers for non-worship settings." It also formulated certain criteria for the new collection. It determined that the new collection must be faithful to our confessions, pastoral in scope, biblical in content, and reflective of our place in the universal church.
The Liturgical Committee then proceeded to solicit contributions by way of The Banner, and the collection was presented to the 1980 Synod, containing, among others, a number of prayers submitted to them. The committee also conducted a survey among a number of pastors in the denomination and concluded on the basis of the responses received that about 50 percent of the pastors surveyed would make some use of a new collection of prayers.
The Synod of 1980 referred the collection of prayers of the Liturgical Committee to the churches for study and provisional use for a period of three years with a view to replacing or supplementing the present collection.
In reviewing the content of the prayers, the advisory committee observes that the new collection places great emphasis on poetic style and contemporary illustrations which will not necessarily appeal to all. The use of the prayers is, of course, optional, as needed by individuals or churches.
C. Recommendations:
1. That synod grant the privilege of the floor to the chairman of the Liturgical Committee, Dr. Harry Boonstra, and to committee member Dr. Carl G. Kromminga when the report of the Liturgical Committee is considered.
-Adopted
2. That synod amend Confessional Prayer Number 4 (p. 171) by deleting line 5 "and our spiritual bankruptcy."
Ground: The expression is not appropriate for those who are in Christ.
-Adopted
3. That synod refer Pastoral Prayer Number 3 (p. 182-85) back to the Liturgical Committee for revision.
Grounds:
a. An essential ingredient of praise and adoration in pastoral prayers is largely absent.
b. Certain expressions in the prayer seem inappropriate or unclear, for example:
(1) Lines 1-4 "Here we are Lord, we've struck the pose; Our knees are where they belong: down."
(2) Line 21 "We suppose there is no weather in heaven."
(3) Line 46 "Lord, you ransack land and sea. . ."
-Adopted
4. That synod give final approval to the Collection of Prayers (Section 1) for optional use in the churches, with the exceptions as per Recommendations 2 and 3 above.
-Adopted
Note: Amendment in Prayer of Confession (4) approved by synod has been incorporated in Report 13 as it appears in the Acts of Synod 1983. Notice of recommitment of Pastoral Prayer (3) to the Liturgical Committee for revision as recommended by synod has been inserted on page 182 of Report B. — Leonard J. Hofman, stated clerk
I. COLLECTION OF PRAYERS
The "Collection of Prayers" was submitted to the Synod of 1980 for provisional approval, and has been used in the churches since then. Fewer responses were received from the churches than were received when the liturgical forms were submitted by the committee. We did, however, receive a number of responses. We replied to each letter, and we studied the responses during our final editing.
One question was raised by several letters: When objecting to certain wording, the correspondents expressed misgivings about having to use such prayers. It should be clearly understood that the use of these prayers is not obligatory; a pastor or congregation will choose those prayers which they find most meaningful. Another constraint was the source of the prayers: in a number of cases the committee had selected published prayers which it was not at liberty to edit. The only choice was between accepting or rejecting the prayer. (Two prayers from the Report to the Synod of 1980 were eliminated: Offertory 5 and Illumination 3).
The committee now submits to synod Section One of "Collections of Prayers" (with a preface) for final approval. If approved, the prayers will be commended for use in the churches and will be published in subsequent editions of The Service Book and/or the new Psalter Hymnal; (Section Two, "Opening Prayers for Church Use on Special Occasions, will be edited and resubmitted to the Synod of 1984.)
COLLECTIONS OF PRAYERS
The Christian Reformed Church in 1934 issued a "Collection of Christian Prayers for Church and Family and Individual Use." This collection can be found in the Centennial Edition of the Psalter Hymnal. Since these prayers were seldom used, the Liturgical Committee requested of the 1975 Synod a mandate to prepare a new collection of prayers. This mandate was granted as follows: 'That synod encourage the Liturgical Committee to prepare a collection of prayers as listed in their report." The grounds stated were: "a. It is part of the committee's mandate as given by the 1964 Synod. b. There is a need for these prayers, especially in our vacant churches" (Acts of Synod 1975, p. 20).
The prayers were prepared by the Liturgical Committee—some from published sources, some especially written for the committee. The committee has attempted to serve the church with a variety of prayers. This variety is reflected in the chronological span (prayers written from 400-1980), in the variety of occasions, and in the different styles. Under each rubric there is at least one example of an historic prayer, a contemporary prayer done in rather traditional style, and a contemporary prayer in a nontraditional style.
The use of the prayers is, of course, optional, as needed by individuals or churches. We commend these prayers to the church.
SECTION ONE
PRAYERS COMMONLY USED IN WORSHIP
OPENING (1)
O God, the light of every heart that sees thee, the life of every soul that loves thee, the strength of every mind that seeks thee, grant me ever to continue steadfast in thy holy love. Be thou the joy of my heart, take it all to thyself, and therein abide. The house of my soul is, I confess, too narrow for thee; do thou enlarge it, that thou mayest enter in. Amen.
St. Augustine
A Pulpit Manual
OPENING (2)
Great art thou, O Lord, and greatly to be praised; great is thy power, and thy wisdom is infinite. Thee would we praise without ceasing. Thou callest us to delight in thy praise, for thou hast made us for thyself, and our hearts find no rest until we rest in thee; to whom with the Father and the Holy Spirit all glory, praise and honor be ascribed, both now and forevermore. Amen.
St. Augustine
A Pulpit Manual
OPENING (3)
As on a first day you began the work of creating us;
As on a first day you raised your Son from the dead;
So on this first day, good Lord, freshen and remake us;
And as the week is new, let our lives begin again
Because of Jesus who shows us your loving power. Amen.
Caryl Micklem, ed.
Contemporary Prayers for Public Worship
CONFESSION (1)
O Lord, Thou art our Father,
And we are but earth and mire;
Thou art our Creator,
And we are the work of thy hands;
Thou art our Shepherd,
We are thy flock;
Thou art our Redeemer,
We are the people thou hast bought back;
Thou art our God,
We are thine inheritance.
Therefore, be not angry against us,
To correct us in thy wrath.
Recall not our iniquity,
To punish it;
But chastise us gently
In thy kindliness.
Because of our demerits,
Thine anger is enflamed.
But be mindful
That thy name is called upon among us
And that we bear thy mark and badge.
Undertake rather the work
Thou hast already begun in us
By thy grace,
In order that the whole earth may recognize
That thou art our God and our Savior.
Amen.
(The Piety of John Calvin, by Ford Lewis Battles,
lines 552-77, p. 126)
CONFESSION (2)
We are not worthy, Lord and Master, that you should come under the roof of our souls; nevertheless, since you desire, O Lover of Mankind, to dwell with us, we make bold to draw near. You bid us open the door which you alone have made, that entering therein, you may bring light into our darkened minds. We do believe that you will do so. For you did not cast out the harlot when she came to you with tears, neither did you reject the publican when he repented, nor cast out the robber when he confessed your kingdom; but you reckoned all who came to you in penitence among the number of your friends, O Lord, who alone is blessed now and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Prayer of Confession from The Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom,
as used by Eastern Orthodox Catholic Church in America, 1966
(adapted)
CONFESSION (3)
We confess to you, Lord, what we are:
we are not the people we like others to think we are;
we are afraid to admit even to ourselves what lies in the depths of our souls.
But we do not want to hide our true selves from you.
We believe that you know us as we are, and yet you love us.
Help us not to shrink from self-knowledge;
teach us to respect ourselves for your sake;
give us the courage to put our trust in your guiding and power. . . .
Raise us out of the paralysis of guilt into the freedom and energy of
forgiven people.
And for those who through long habit find forgiveness hard to accept,
we ask you to break their bondage and set them free.
Through Jesus Christ, our Lord.
Amen.
Caryl Micklem, ed.
Contemporary Prayers for Public Worship
CONFESSION (4)
O eternal God and merciful Father,
we drop to our knees in the presence of your majesty,
to confess our innumerable wrongs. *
and our spiritual bankruptcy.
We know that your mercy is infinite,
and that your arms reach out to hold whoever comes.
And so we are encouraged,
deeply moved to call for your help,
because we trust in Jesus Christ,
our Mediator and Sacrifice Lamb,
who takes away the sin of the world.
Please, Lord, forgive us all our sins for Christ's sake;
look with compassion upon our feebleness;
and cleanse us by Jesus' blood.
Then cover us with the robe of Christ's innocence and righteousness.
And as we take a fresh start,
give us new minds and eager,
submissive hearts.
We ask all this in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
*Amendment: Deleted: "and our spiritual bankruptcy." (Article 29, Section I, Co 2)
CONFESSION (5)
Lord, please forgive our sins
and set us free from them.
We confess to the sin of pride:
we have been sure of our own goodness and importance
and have looked down on others.
Help us to appreciate the true worth of other people.
We confess to the sin of envy:
we have been displeased when others have been more
successful or sought after than we have been.
Help us to be glad when others prosper.
We confess to the sin of anger:
we have lost our tempers
and nursed grievances.
Help us to be patient and understanding with everyone.
We confess to the sin of self-indulgence:
we have had enough and to spare,
yet have neglected the needs of others.
Help us to deny ourselves
so that others may not be in want.
We confess to the sin of unchastity:
in one way or another we have used sex wrongly.
Help us to create and uphold right relations between men and
women, inside marriage and outside it.
We confess to the sin of anxiety:
we have worried about many things.
Help us to trust you to see us through.
We confess to the sin of laziness:
we have been lukewarm Christians.
Make us eager to do your will.
Amen.
Caryl Micklem, ed.
Contemporary Prayers for Public Worship
CONFESSION (6)
Father,
teach us
not to sin with such abandon.
We do it all so easily:
pretend, lie,
envy, lust,
criticize, fret,
ignore, deny,
consume, hoard,
defame, distort,
make excuses,
and then expect an easy forgiveness for the asking.
God, forgive us for our negligence of your holy character.
Let us not misinterpret your patience with our sin
as though it were permissiveness.
When you see us sinning, brashly,
rise up before us as an imposing breaker of the sea.
Let us know that what we hear and see and feel around us
is your veritable presence,
a presence at once as powerful and punishing
as it can be gentle and refreshing.
Loving Father,
astonish us with a wholesome, godly fear
which will not drive us to despair,
but cause us instead to number our days
and get us hearts of wisdom.
In Jesus' name.
Amen.
CONFESSION (7)
Dear Father,
We are thankful that your mercy is
higher than the heavens,
wider than our wanderings,
deeper than all our sin.
Forgive our frivolous attitude toward life,
our callousness toward suffering,
our envy of those who have more than we have,
our obsession with creating a life of constant pleasure,
our indifference to the treasures of heaven,
our neglect of your wise and gracious law.
Help us change our way of life
so that we may desire what is good,
love what you love,
and do what you command.
Through Christ our Lord.
Amen.
OFFERTORY (1)
Would you teach us, Father,
to be more content,
to be more thankful,
and to live with a little less
Would you teach us to think less
of those who have more,
and to think more
of those who have less
In Jesus' name.
Amen.
OFFERTORY (2)
Father, accept our offering. . . .
Not ours but yours, this money, this purchasing-power,
earned by the skill of hand and brain,
lest we forget that we are not our own
and refuse to serve you with the strength you have given.
Living God, give us bread that will satisfy our hunger
and nourish the life of mankind. . . .
Use our money to buy the imperishable goods
of love and mercy and peace.
And take our hands to do your work,
our work to serve you in the world.
Through Jesus Christ, our Lord.
Amen.
Caryl Micklem, ed.
Contemporary Prayers for Public Worship
OFFERTORY (3)
Lord God, with these gifts we offer you our lives
to do your work in the world.
Father, take our bodies and our minds:
In the name of Jesus Christ
All: We bring them to you.
Father, take our family life,
our friendships,
our relationships with other people:
In the name of Jesus Christ
All: We bring them to you.
Father, take our work and our leisure:
In the name of Jesus Christ
All: We bring them to you.
Father, take our conversations with other people
and our conversations about other people:
In the name of Jesus Christ
All: We bring them to you.
Father, take our ambitions and our plans for the future:
In the name of Jesus Christ
All: We bring them to you. Amen.
Caryl Micklem, ed.
Contemporary Prayers for Public Worship
OFFERTORY (4)
Can it be said enough, Father,
how blessed we are by your hands?
Blessed today,
and blessed immensely!
In the light of that immense blessing,
we must ask:
What is the true measure of our wealth?
What is prosperity?
What is pleasure?
What is it to be rich?
Prosperity is to know you.
Pleasure is to please you.
To be rich
is to be bought by the blood of him
who became poor
that by his poverty we might become wealthy
beyond measure.
So we gladly share today, Father:
And we thank you for the privilege.
In Jesus' name.
Amen.
ILLUMINATION (1)
O Lord God, most faithful lover, when you come into our hearts, all our inward parts rejoice. You are the glory of our lives and the joy of our hearts, our hope and whole refuge in all our troubles. But inasmuch as we are still feeble in love and imperfect in virtue, we have need of more comfort and help from you. Would you then, oftentimes, visit and instruct us with your holy teachings? Deliver us from all evil passions, and heal our sick hearts from all inordinate affections, that we may be inwardly healed and purged from all vices, and be made apt and able to love you, strong to suffer for you, and stable to persevere in you. Amen.
Thomas a Kempis
The Imitation of Christ
(adapted)
ILLUMINATION (2)
Lord, teach us to listen.
The times are noisy and our ears are weary
with the thousand raucous sounds which continuously assault them.
Give us the spirit of the boy Samuel when he said to thee,
"Speak, for thy servant heareth."
Let us hear thee speaking in our hearts.
Let us get used to the sound of thy voice,
that its tones may be familiar
when the sounds of earth die away
and the only sound will be the music of thy speaking voice.
Amen.
A. W. Tozer
The Pursuit of God
(adapted)
ILLUMINATION (3)
We lay aside our strivings
and rest at your feet,
loving Father.
We look up
with the hopeful eyes of a child,
and trust that whatever you say
is good because you say it,
and we can trust it to be true.
We trust that whatever your hand offers
is good,
because you know our needs
more precisely
than we ourselves can ever know.
We put before you our fears, our doubts,
our questions.
What is your will for us?
Teach us now through your Word and Spirit.
In Jesus' name.
Amen.
ILLUMINATION (4)
Almighty God, grant us your Spirit,
that we may rightly understand and truly obey your
Word of truth.
Open our hearts that we may love what you command,
and desire what you promise.
Set us free from private distractions that we may hear,
and from selfish pride that we may receive
the promise of your grace.
Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
DEDICATION (1)
Lord, make me an instrument of thy peace.
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
where sadness, joy.
O Divine Master,
Grant that I may not so much seek
to be consoled as to console;
to be understood as to understand;
to be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive;
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.
Amen.
St. Francis of Assissi
A Pulpit Manual
DEDICATION (2)
Almighty God,
Thou showest thy glory
For us to see,
Not only in heaven and earth
But also in the law, the prophets, and the gospel;
And hast so intimately revealed thyself
In thine only begotten Son
That we cannot excuse ourselves
Out of ignorance.
Grant that we may advance in this teaching,
Wherewith thou so kindly invitest us to thyself,
And may thus steadfastly cleave to thee
That no errors of the world
May lead us astray;
But may stand firmly fixed
In thy Word,
Which cannot deceive us:
At last reaching heavenly blessedness,
Where we may enjoy
Thy glory face to face,
Conformed completely to thee
In Christ Jesus, our Lord.
Amen.
(John Calvin, The Piety of John Calvin,
by Ford Lewis Battles, p. 134)
DEDICATION (3)
O God,
I have tasted thy goodness,
and it has both satisfied me
and made me thirsty for more.
I am painfully conscious of my need of further grace.
I am ashamed of my lack of desire.
O God, the triune God,
I want to want thee;
I long to be filled with longing;
I thirst to be made more thirsty still.
Show me thy glory, I pray thee,
that so I may know thee indeed.
Begin in mercy a new work of love within me. . . .
In Jesus' name, Amen.
A. W. Tozer
The Pursuit of God
(adapted)
PASTORAL (1)
Our loving Father in heaven, we pause to praise you for your
majesty as lord of the universe.
We remember with awe, Lord, how you voiced the heavens into
being, and how you shaped the formless universe by the breath
of your brooding Spirit.
Yet, mighty God that you are, you choose, with affectionate
tenderness, to know each person by name.
You come, with intimate nearness, to give power to the faint.
You take us into your arms; you bend down to nourish us.
We reach up to receive your love.
We truly find our desires satisfied in you.
Praise be to you, O God!
Hallowed be your wonderful name, that name of presence, power,
and authority by which people are healed, demons are cast out,
and believers are baptized.
As we stand now in awe of your holy name, renew within us a
humble spirit of repentance.
Give us a holy discontent with our spiritual apathy and our
sometimes ritualistic faith whereby we take your name in vain.
Anoint us anew with your living Spirit, a risen Christ.
Inspire within us a fresh spark of evangelistic fervor.
Fill us with a holy passion for lost souls, a will to witness to
the power of your name, a compassion to love, an overwhelming
desire to put our faith into action.
May your kingdom come, lord.
May it come quickly!
Come, Lord Jesus, to destroy completely that satanic kingdom
built by violent force, by ruthless competition, by
retaliation, by elimination of the weak.
Come, Lord Jesus, to bring about your kingdom of peace built by
the shedding of your blood once for all, by the force of love
and self-denial, and by defense of the weak in your name.
Move us to be part of the building of that kingdom.
Your will be done, Father, as in heaven, so on earth.
We make our plans, but you guide our steps.
Show us where you would have us live, and at what occupations
you would have us labor.
Teach us to what degree you would permit us to seek profit, and
for what ends you would have us exercise the stewardship of
restraint and the higher righteousness of giving away.
May your will be done in the homes represented here today:
where there is distress and division, Lord Jesus, sow your
peace and bring reconcilation.
Bless, Lord, the ministry of the schools and protect our
children from the pervasive godlessness of our day.
Direct the affairs of those who serve in government, that we may
lead quiet and peaceable lives, godly and respectful in every
way.
Give us this day our daily bread, Father.
The blessings of this good land have made us rich beyond
expression.
And we do thank you deeply!
But we remember our brothers and sisters here and abroad who
suffer the indignities poverty can bring.
Bless the unemployed who are the victims of economic depression
or job discrimination.
Bless the poor barely surviving on low incomes.
Bless the aged who must live out their last days in
circumstances of dependency.
Bless the hundreds of millions of people in our world today who
suffer from hunger and from the oppression of the rich.
O God, let our abundance at this time supply their want.
As Jesus had compassion on the multitudes, so let our hearts be
broken—-and opened—and emptied—and may your love be
multiplied.
Forgive us, Lord, our debts, as we forgive the hurts which stand
between us and our debtors.
Forgive us the irreverence of our many idolatries.
Forgive our obsessions with food, alcohol, drugs, sex, money, or
other things.
Forgive our anxieties about circumstances of the moment.
Forgive our enslavement to work, our over-devotion to leisure.
Forgive our participation in the violent temper of our times.
Forgive our artfully concealed prejudices.
Forgive our impatience with sickness and pain.
Forgive our lack of trust.
Even as you have promised, Lord, let no temptations seize us;
we know you are gracious and will provide us a way of escape
that we may be able to persevere.
Grant us, we pray, deliverance from the evil one.
Bring peace to the striving nations, unity to a divided church,
deliverance to a host of oppressed peoples, and salvation to
the unsaved millions of this world.
For truly, Lord, yours is the kingdom and the power and the
glory, forever!
Amen!
PASTORAL (2)
Glory be to you, our Father in Christ.
With reverent joy we adore you,
and revel in your love and grace.
You are Eternal Creator, Gracious Redeemer, Comforting Spirit,
worthy of all honor in heaven and on earth.
You are infinite, and far exceed the gropings
of our finite minds,
and things beyond our hoping you have given us to see.
For each perfect gift of yours:
for food and clothing,
for shelter and daily work,
for love and friendship,
we thank you, Father.
Above all, we praise you for the incomparable gift of Jesus,
your only begotten Son.
We thank and praise your holy name
for his manger birth,
his life of love,
his sacrificial death,
his glorious resurrection,
his triumphant ascension,
his pentecostal outpouring,
and his sure return.
Since yours is the kingdom, Lord,
and since with you is all power and wisdom, we pray that
all world governments,
and industries,
and education,
and the courts,
and the military
may come to recognize your kingdom
and confess your rule.
We have seen the power of evil,
but we believe in your sovereign control.
Rejoicing in such hope, we pray that
your holy name be ever hallowed,
your perfect will be ever done,
and your glorious coming be surely hastened.
We ask special guidance for our own government
and national leaders.
Grant them wisdom.
May they acknowledge Christ as their Master
and your Word as their standard.
For your holy church, also, we pray.
Bless
the ministry of the Word and sacraments,
the ministry of mercy,
and the fellowship of your people.
Keep close company, Lord,
with the youth and the aged,
children and parents,
recent converts and longtime saints.
Hear the crying of your children under persecution,
and deliver those in tribulations.
Prosper the work of missions everywhere.
May the gospel be your power unto salvation
from every pulpit,
through all media,
and in all the schools
where your truth is taught as it is in Jesus.
We pray for the constant work of the Holy Spirit:
convicting people of sin,
converting the Christless,
regenerating and comforting,
perfecting in the faith,
and leading us into all the truth.
We bring to you the concerns of our homes.
Endow our family relationships with love and harmony.
Reconcile the estranged, comfort the offended, forgive
the offender.
May we live in the joy of covenant with you,
both as parents and children.
We implore your mercy, likewise, upon the world.
Deliver mankind from greed, lust, and hate,
and may there be peace on earth.
Spare us from calamities in nature.
We thank you for the wealth of minerals and food
with which you have blessed the world.
Now we pray for a just distribution to all peoples.
You nurture grass and sparrows;
O provide especially for all mankind.
And if disease should ravage,
and the nations suffer famine,
the wars and rumors of war come,
then, O Lord God, use even these means to draw to your Son
many nations and peoples.
Out of our own innermost hearts we also bring our
personal needs before you.
In those hours when doubts assail and temptations strike,
deliver us from pride, lust, selfishness, hate, or dishonesty;
and give us power to stand firm in Christ, our Lord.
Whenever we fall into any sin,
accept our repentance and hear our confession.
With the tenderness of a father, happily forgive us, your
penitent children, for Christ's sake.
May we so walk in Christ that we are delivered from evil.
Let us be too near infinite love
ever to want to hate;
too near Christ's purity
ever to wish to lust or be unclean;
too near the light of the Word
ever to live again in the darkness of sin.
May we know the full joy of standing before you
in the righteousness of Christ.
In his holiness may we be beautiful.
In his joy may we know happiness.
In his peace may we have tranquility.
May others take note that we have been with Jesus.
As you continuously strengthen us in Christ,
make us your instruments in this world:
to love where there is hate,
to comfort where there is sorrow,
to minister where there is loneliness, addiction,
crime, and injustice,
to bring the Word of life to those in the bonds of sin,
and to praise in all we say and do.
We ask all this for your glory.
And, Lord Jesus, come quickly.
We know there must come evil days, persecution, and
tribulation.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Haste the day when every knee shall bow,
and every tongue confess that you are Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.
Hear us your children, our Father.
We pray in faith and hope and love.
We know you will answer,
for you are neither impoverished by giving, nor enriched
by withholding anything we ask in Jesus' name.
Yours be the kingdom, power, and glory, world without end.
Through Christ, our Lord.
Amen.
PASTORAL (3)
Note: Synod referred this prayer back to the Liturgical Committee for revision.
(Article 29, Section I, Co 3)
Here we are, Lord,
we've struck the pose.
Our knees are where they belong:
down.
Now to get our hearts there.
What we can never understand is that you should be ready,
and eager,
and willing
to listen to the likes of us;
when we are slow,
and reluctant,
and indifferent
about speaking to one so wonderful as you.
We call you by the name we love most
of all the names by which we know you:
Father.
Our Father who art in heaven,
we adore you.
Hallowed be thy name.
We suppose there is no weather in heaven;
but, Father, this is earth.
And we pray for sunshine,
for rain too,
and we pray for dew
and for full moons,
and for fertility in the world's fields.
For, Father, there are so many hungry people.
We confess our selfishness and greed
and indifference to suffering humanity.
And we confess that we have wasted more than we need,
depriving others
from what we can't even use.
Forgive us this day our hoarded bread.
We pray for our brothers and sisters
in the factories
and mines
and in the semis and in the fishing dories.
Bless their strained bodies,
their calloused hands.
See their tired eyes.
Bless our shops,
and our seacoasts,
and our highways.
Lord, you ransack land and sea
to give us bread and fish.
Bless those who work to bring your gifts
to our tables.
And when we eat, Father,
let our table become an altar
for our thank offering,
so that others may eat as well as we.
And, Father,
you see how we board ourselves up
in our little places,
and build our walls
so high
that we're not discomfited
by having to see the suffering
outside our enclosure
in streets of broken glass,
nor frightened by having
their angry eyes look through.
Forgive the moat around our castle.
Keep reminding us
you are our Father.
We pray for all those hurt people
with their accusing eyes.
We see the eyes of little children
and deserted mothers
and prisoners
and people in institutions.
Also we pray for the kings and queens,
and for the presidents and governors,
and for the generals and admirals,
and for the police and lawyers,
and for missionaries and doctors,
preachers and editors,
and for judges and professors,
who guard and teach the world.
Teach them that you are
Judge,
Teacher,
Ruler.
And that they are
only because you were first.
And when they think they're self-made men,
show them into your workshop,
so they may see what they looked like while you were forming them
on your bench.
And keep your chisels sharp,
ready to gouge out the pride,
and the greed,
the lust,
the mammonism,
that sometimes come with the crown,
and the gavel,
and the robe.
What we especially pray for
is that they may come to know you.
We pray for conversion
and new life for millions this day.
And empower us to live as nations
that aspire to know you.
Cover the whole earth
with the aroma of truth
and love,
found especially
in your Son Jesus.
Draw together all the nations
who for lack of a common mind
fail to understand each other.
And, Father,
we pray for your church and her mission.
Forgive our apathy,
and our obsession with safety,
and our neglect of our high calling.
And reveal to us
(for we have not seen it yet)
that we are not here
to be kept sheltered by all means
but to be used up by all means.
And we pray for Christian educators:
for teachers,
board members,
and administrators,
and for parents
in the crucible of the home.
Bless the thousands studying
for service in your kingdom.
Our Father who art in heaven,
thy kingdom come.
We confess our sin.
Forgive us our trespasses. . . .
(Forgive us if we say that too lightly.)
As we forgive our debtors. . . .
(Forgive us if we don't.)
And lead us not into temptation. . . .
Forgive us most of all when we lead
ourselves into it.
And deliver us from evil. . . .
Whether we want it or not.
Thank you for rescuing us
the thousands of times
we've played with the rattlesnake.
And, Lord Jesus,
yours is the kingdom and the power
and the glory forever.
Be to us all that you are
as Savior,
and be the Lord of our life and death,
and life after death.
Our Father who art in heaven,
thank you for hearing us;
thank you for giving Jesus
and the Comforter.
And thank you
for being our triune God.
We adore you.
Amen.