A church with heart in the heart of the city
“I know how difficult it is going to be, but I also believe that if just in one place we can win the battle over greed and callousness, that one victory may swing the tide over the entire world.”From Dragons in the Waters
Madeleleine L’Engle
Peace Be With You. – Paul
Here are the Prayers Of The People from
Mayfair Heights United Methodist Church.
March 23, 2025
Prayers Of The People
I invite you to take a breath.
Sometimes we forget to breathe,
it being all automatic and everything.
In this moment, we breathe with intent.
O Holy One, you enter our lives in the breath of life,
Bringing us a moment of rest,
Allowing us a moment of peace,
A chance to let our body catch up to our mind.
We thank you.
God of love, Hear our prayer.
All manner of turmoil surrounds us,
Personal, cultural, spiritual.
It gets overwhelming, stressful, painful.
We seek direction, insight, peace, hope.
We seek to be merciful, to be people of great love.
Rest inside us, guide us.
We thank you.
God of love, Hear our prayer.
When it is time to act, tell us.
When it is time to rest, guide us.
When we get the two confused, instruct us.
We thank you.
God of love, Hear our prayer.
In this place, this place of solace,
Of strength, of acceptance, of love, of light,
Our hearts find hope.
May we be all of these for any who enter these doors.
We thank you.
God of love, Hear our prayer.
For all in distress this day,
For all who are seeking new directions,
For all,
We pray to you.
We thank you.
God of love, Hear our prayer. Amen.
Peace Be With You. – Paul
From Brianna Brown:
A Gentle Prayer As You Hold Unknowns
Oh God of the universe,
you alone orchestrate the movement of the stars,
the birth of flowers blooming into beauty,
and the life cycle of leaves forming and changing as seasons come and go.
///
I sit here, in the bleakness of my questions,
holding unknowns in my life that feel insurmountable.
Questions that rise from the depths of my soul fill my heart with yearning—
for answers,
for peace,
for hope,
for a path forward,
for courage to look back,
for any sort of direction.
I am walking alongside you, Jesus, on a path that my eyes can’t see—
where the fog is too thick, and my feet and heart feel confused.
///
Oh God of the universe, remind me today,
that you are working and weaving,
molding and forming,
designing and creating—
a beautiful journey.
May I draw closer to the heartbeat of your breath today—
the rhythm of your steadfastness,
the soothing of your knowing,
the regulation of your love.
///
Holy Spirit, remind me today that the answers to my questions are not the end all.
The process of drawing nearer,
doing my next right thing,
noticing God’s goodness in the mundane,
noticing the patterns of Love throughout my life—that is the journey through the unknown.
May I hold the words of Mary, the sacred mother of Jesus, with open hands today—
May it be to me according to your word.
Amen
Peace Be With You. – Paul
From author Jan Richardson:
BELOVED IS WHERE WE BEGIN
If you would enter
into the wilderness,
do not begin
without a blessing.
Do not leave
without hearing
who you are:
Beloved,
named by the One
who has traveled this path
before you.
Do not go
without letting it echo
in your ears,
and if you find
it is hard
to let it into your heart,
do not despair.
That is what
this journey is for.
I cannot promise
this blessing will free you
from danger,
from fear,
from hunger
or thirst,
from the scorching
of sun
or the fall
of the night.
But I can tell you
that on this path
there will be help.
I can tell you
that on this way
there will be rest.
I can tell you
that you will know
the strange graces
that come to our aid
only on a road
such as this,
that fly to meet us
bearing comfort
and strength,
that come alongside us
for no other cause
than to lean themselves
toward our ear
and with their
curious insistence
whisper our name:
Beloved.
Beloved.
Beloved.
—Jan Richardson
from Circle of Grace: A Book of Blessings for the Seasons
Image: “Desert of the Beloved”
© Jan Richardson
Inspired by Luke 4:1-13.
Peace Be With You. – Paul
A good quote from the Winnie The Pooh collection – courtesy of @positivethreadsonly:
“The things that make me different are the things that make me.”~ Piglet
Peace Be With You. – Paul
Here are the Prayers Of The People
From Mayfair Heights UMC Morning Worship
March 16, 2025
Prayers Of The People
Gracious God,
Divine Love,
Source of the universe,
Creator of planets, the elements, dinosaurs,
Creator of humanity, of goodness, love, joy, beauty, grace,
We thank you.
God of love, Hear our prayer.
Just as you did not stay distant from us,
You ask us to be close to each other,
To lift each other up when needed,
To instill in our own hearts
Compassion, mercy, delight.
Teach us, O Holy One.
God of love, Hear our prayer.
Holy One, you have taught us that where grace is not practiced,
Evil flourishes.
You have taught us that we are the stewards of your grace,
Caretakers of your light, love, mercy, justice.
Help us in our continual learning and yearning.
God of love, Hear our prayer.
As we seek our own forgiveness,
May we extend that forgiveness and mercy to others.
Just as your love has shown itself in our lives,
May we show it to others with our resources, our thoughts, our actions.
God of love, Hear our prayer.
For all in need this day,
Whether known or unknown to us,
May your love beckon us to their side.
May you rest in their spirits and work through us
that others may be healed, fed, honored.
God of love, Hear our prayer.
Speak to us in the tensions of our lives,
That we may breathe peace, hope, care.
May we serve you in all we do and say,
God of love, Hear our prayer. Amen.
Peace Be With You. – Paul
| — WORD FOR THE DAY — (grateful.org) If we knew just how powerfully our thoughts, words, and actions affected the hearts of those around us, we’d reach out and join hands again and again. |
| TARA BRACH |
Peace Be With You. – Paul
You are held in the sheltering embrace of Love.
Peace Be With You. – Paul
What we sometimes call the Lord’s Prayer is known by many names, and there are many versions. Today’s devotional is entitled “The Jesus Prayer” by enfleshed.
God of us all,
who dwells within and beyond,
Sacred is your name.
May your holy vision for collective flourishing
come to fruition among us.
May your dreams of justice, love, compassion,
and connection be enfleshed on earth.
Provide us today with what we need to be nourished in body, soul and heart.
Forgive us for the harm we cause as we seek to forgive those who have harmed us.
Lead us away from everything that destroys
and liberate us from the hands of evil.
For you are the ultimate source of hope.
Your power-with exceeds all power-over.
Your presence incites eternal wonder.
All praise to you, our comfort and strength. Amen.
Peace Be With You. – Paul
Mayfair Heights United Methodist Church 