Pastoral Prayer for 18 Aug 2013 (based on Luke 12:49-56: "I came to bring fire; Do you think I came to bring peace? I came to bring division; etc.")

Holy God:

We thank you for this day, a day full of promise and a day full of beauty.  We thank you for nourishing the earth with the rains, for nourishing our bodies with the bounty of the earth, for nourishing our hearts with your love and the love of family and friends.  

We thank you, Holy God, that we gather here today as a community of disciples, those who have heard and are hearing your call to follow.  We thank you that we are sheep who hear your voice, that we are learning to follow with gladness and joy. We thank you for each and every person who is finding new life, new joy, a new way to live, and a new family through the grace of your Son Jesus Christ.

You have told us that though our journey with you is a journey of joy and love, it is a journey that will not always be easy.  You have told us that if we truly follow you, there will always be resistance and misunderstanding from others.  Too often, we have failed to take you at your word.  We have been surprised, disappointed, and angry when others failed to celebrate your work in our lives and have been less than enthusiastic about the change you are making in us.  From time to time, we have responded in anger, or even given up and gone back to our old life.  

Remind us, O God, of the price that you paid to love us.  Remind us of how our world responded to the love Jesus offered.  Remind us, O Lord, of all that our Savior made possible because he refused to stop loving even to death.  Remind us, O God, of all that is possible when your people follow you in loving each other and the world no matter what.  Empower us to be true disciples, disciples who take in stride the misunderstanding and even persecution that true transformation necessarily invites.  Help us to use even the challenging moments as opportunities to let you love and grace shine forth, to demonstrate that your work in us is true, to show the world that we will not be turned back and that the love of God in Christ is the only thing that matters to us, that we will love as we have been loved no matter the cost.

May your grace and love extend to our community, our families, our friends, our church, our enemies, the nations, the poor, those who are sick, those who are in prison, all who mourn, until all the world has become a community of Christ-followers walking together with you in joy and loving community.  Use our acts of grace and love as your tool to make your Kingdom come.

Amen.