Prayers (Trinity Sunday) - May 26, 2013

Opening Prayer: Pentecost Prayer

(This prayer is based on an inspiring prayer offered by one of our church members in a smaller circle last week.)

Gracious and Loving God,

May the wind of Pentecost blow away

all sadness, all fear, all doubt , all tiredness,

all pain from physical ailments.

May the wind of Pentecost bring us

joy, peace, love  and wellness.

May the fresh breeze of Pentecost bring us

a sense of a new direction , a sense of anticipation ,

a sense of excitement about the future of our church.

May our minds and hearts be refreshed

as we worship together with Pentecost Hope this morning. Amen.  

Prayer of Confession

God of Light and Shadow,

We struggle with our sufferings.

As much as love is the generating power of life,

Letting go with love is part of this life.

We confess that we fear sufferings.

Often, they are no more than another cause for sadness.

O God, 

prepare us for our sufferings

in such a way that they will be 

a new way for us 

to know ourselves and share God's spirit

with those we have loved and who have loved us. Amen. 

Assurance of God’s Grace

Where there is no shadow, there is also no strong light.

Here the good news: God’s love has been poured into our hearts

Through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.

Though we suffer from losses, illness, fears, 

Pentecost reminds us of what we have been received.

When our weakness and struggling seems to push our life up through rocky earth, remember that things are growing green under and beside the rocks and will be stronger. 

Let us lay our thankful hearts before God. Amen.

Prayers of the People

God of Holy Trinity,

Help us slow down the speed of our mind.

Breathe your Holy Spirit into our mind and heart, and blow away gently

anxiety, sadness, tiredness, and pain we may feel, and mend our wounds.

Help us to seek a new way for us to send our and God’s Spirit

To those we have loved and who have loved us.

Let us always seek your voice which calls us and your assurance that

You are our God and you listen to our cries for help, and you are with us now.

 

Let us not lose hope and know that 

You are praying for us, with Jesus, through the Holy Spirit.

We pray for those whose heart is in turmoil and whose life is in transition and uncertainty, now.

We pray for those who sit on the edge of their loved one’s hospital bed or bed at home.

We pray for all parents who are learning that joy and angst are parenting and, sometimes, the heartbreak of love is also part of parenting. 

We pray for those who are recovering from human or natural disasters, especially those in the aftermath of a devastating tornado in Oklahoma.

There are times that the tide of our grief roars and foams to overwhelm us. There are times that, in our sorrow, we seek to know your presence but end up with disbelief.

In any circumstances in our life, we believe that you are our refuge. Be our strength.

In any path our life takes us to walk on, let us live lives of faithfulness – that we might follow Jesus’ path of peace, justice and love with each step we are privileged to take in this world.

Holy Trinity, Three in One and One in Three in love,

Receive our praise and receive our prayers, and hear our sighs too deep for words.

(Silence)

Send your Holy Spirit – the comforter, the wisdom – to dwell among us and within us – now and always. Amen.   

Benediction
May God give strength to you and to all, 
May Christ Jesus bless you with peace,
and the Holy Spirit whisper within your heart, Hope. 

Go and reveal the Christ's love to the world. Amen. 

Greeting

Welcome to the Trinity Sunday worship service at N United Church.
This time is for a feast, the feast of prayers and praises, silence and songs, our and God's stories and reflections.
May Christ's love be with you and shine on you.