Pastoral Prayer 9.23.12

God of grace and love, giver of all good things, we come to you in worship of all that you are and all that you have been for us and for the world. Be with us during this hour so that we might hear your voice clearly.  Give us courage to do what you ask, courage to be faithful and to trust in your word.

Be with all those who need you and all those who have only a glimpse of your love. May needs be met, may your love be apparent, both here and throughout the world.

Forgive us for our hesitance to drop our nets and follow. We are so often like the young ruler, offered the chance to not just be alive but instead to live. And, like that young ruler, we look at what we would lose by following you rather than what we gain in following you, and we walk away.

But you continue to look at us and love us. May we see love in your face as you call us to follow.  May we know that you call us not because you need us, but rather you call us because we need you. Give us faith. Help thou our unbelief.

May we learn to love you more and more so that our love might remember that love shown to us by your son, Jesus Christ, who taught us when we pray to say: Our father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.  Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil, for thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory, forever.

Lent

As we are beginning Holy Week and nearing the end of Lent, I am reminded of where we began, at Ash Wednesday. 
"Remember you are dust.  And to dust thou shalt return."
(Unless you are this styrofoam bowl, and then you're gonna last forever.)

"new" patio chairs

We got some chairs and stools at a really, really good 'price' recently - which is important because I didn't want to spend a lot on patio furniture that I might leave behind and that I won't use a ton because the neighbors smoke outside in their backyard, forcing us to retreat inside at random moments.

Anyway, some hose spraying, scrub brushing, some ammonia wiping, and some $10 worth of spray painting later, we have a nice area to sit while baby girl plays outside.  And it was fun to bring something back to life, to boot!