Author: revpaulcalkin

Here are the Prayers Of The People from 

Mayfair Heights United Methodist Church

February 9, 2025

Prayers Of The People

Gracious God,

You have given all peoples on this earth a common origin in your created love.

You call us one, but we have trouble believing that.

We separate ourselves and define ourselves

Even when we know we are wrong in doing so.

Be in our presence this day that we may see ourselves as we truly are.

God, in your love, 

Hear our prayers.

Merciful God,

Fill the hearts of humankind with love for each other,

For the desire of justice for all.

Help us to advocate in our uncomfortableness, 

To stand with and for those who cannot be heard or seen.

May we continue the holy work of equality and peace,

Doing so with your guidance and love.

God, in your love, 

Hear our prayers.

Encouraging God,

Instill in our leaders a desire for the common good, 

And help us as we hold them accountable.

Move us to speak our concerns and our hopes for our lives together.

May we all be careful and aware of the needs of all in this world,

And may we serve you as we serve others.

God, in your love, 

Hear our prayers.

Loving God,

Remind us of the vision your love has for all,

A world where none go hungry, where all have safe places to live,

A world where those with resources share with those who do not,

A world where peace is built with justice, 

And justice is guided by love.

God, in your love, 

Hear our prayers.

Compassionate God,

Rest your peace deep within our hearts so that we may serve in love,

Rest your hope deep within our spirits so that we work for the future,

Rest your strength deep within our bodies so that we may have energy to serve,

And rest your grace deep within our very souls so that we may always love,

God, in your love, 

Hear our prayers. Amen.

Peace Be With You. – Paul

A prayer for today:

Today is a hard day for some folks, O God.  Who am I kidding?  It’s been a hard week, even been a hard month.  Kids have been sick, the month of January seemed to last an eternity.  

Some are starting new jobs soon.  Others are readying their resumes as the confusion mounts within our federal and state governments.  These are strong, compassionate people I am praying for, God, and they are ready for a bit of breathing space in a world which seems intent on sucking the very oxygen out of our lungs.

Others are still grieving.  Some are lamenting recent losses, while others still think about those who left this earth decades ago.  They are not seeking to forget, Holy One, but they could use some time when it doesn’t weigh heavily on their mind. 

Others are navigating bureaucracies of all types, governmental, legal, even ecclesiastical.  And they are tired.  They keep pushing themselves and moving one step at a time because they can see that there will be a moment when they receive what they need.  Keep them steady, allow them an extra measure of stamina, and show us how we can help them.  

Others are having trouble growing up, though their chronological age is somewhat advanced.  Habits of their pasts, patterns born in familial and cultural relationships for decades and generations past, have kept them immature, wishing to be treated with special consideration above others.  Teach them, O God, what it means to be responsible for themselves and for others. 

And a whole lot of people are kind of numb right now.  They are moving through their days by laying aside their feelings.  Be present in their heartaches as they see in our culture and in our world events and attitudes which are dishonorable to much of your created ones.

Help us sleep and rest.  Help us, remind us, to nourish our bodies and our spirits.  Remind us to be gracious and loving in all the moments we can.

We thank you, Holy One! And we appreciate the opportunity to say what we need.  In the name of the one who always teaches us to love, Amen. 

Peace Be With You. – Paul

— WORD FOR THE DAY —Just as cultivating a garden requires turning over the ground, pulling weeds, planting, and watering, doing the work of love is all about taking action.BELL HOOKS

From grateful.org

Peace Be With You. – Paul

“I will make the blind walk a road they don’t know, and I will guide them in paths they don’t know. But I will make darkness before them into light and rough places into level ground. These things I will do; I won’t abandon them.” Isaiah 42:16 (CEB)

Photo by Susan Tesar

(From The Upper Room Sight Psalms, January 7, 2025)

The “I Don’t Know” Prayer

Did you know there’s a prayer called the “I don’t know” prayer?  You just go off somewhere quiet and hidden and you walk right up to the heart of God and you say, “I don’t know.”

I don’t know where to go from here.

I don’t know what is happening.

I don’t know how to process this.

I don’t know what to do with all these emotions.

I don’t know how to handle this situation.

It covers a lot of “I don’t knows.” 

And then, with whatever dusty little sand grain of faith you have, you say, “But you know.”

And you leave it there.

God most certainly hears that prayer. 

Peace Be With You. – Paul

Here are the Prayers Of The People from the

Mayfair Heights United Methodist-Sunday, Feb. 2

Prayers Of The People

Let us pray for this world, for others, for our church, for ourselves.

We pray for all who are journeying this day,

Who are leaving uncomfortable and untenable circumstances,

Looking to start their lives over.

We pray for those whom they leave behind,

That all may learn respect, love, and care for themselves and others.

God, in your love,

Hear our prayers.

We pray for all who struggle with health, with loss of self,

Loss of mobility, loss of independence.

We pray for those who seek to help, knowing that it is not enough.

We pray for all who make the difficult places easier.

God, in your love,

Hear our prayers.

We pray for all in authority, that they may seek the ways of compassion,

Of equity, of justice, of understanding.

Grant them an understanding of the vulnerable, the forgotten, the hurting.

May they become voices of mercy.

God, in your love,

Hear our prayers.

We pray for peace in our places of great sorrow,

In places of hurt, violence, greed, and struggle.

We pray that minds and hearts be changed

So that all may exist in safe places.

God, in your love,

Hear our prayers.

We pray for our own concerns, for the concerns of those whom we love,

We pray for these congregations, for the ministries performed here,

We pray for all those served in your name by these people.

May we always be humble stewards of your love and resources.

We pray for blessings and peace this day.

God, in your love,

Hear our prayers. Amen.

Peace Be With You. – Paul

New every morning is your love, great God of light, and all day long you are working for good in the world. 

Stir up in us desire to serve you, to live peacefully with our neighbors, and to devote each day to your Beloved Child, Our Savior, Jesus Christ the Lord.  Amen. 

– “A Liturgy for Morning Prayer,” Upper Room Worshipbook

Peace Be With You. – Paul

You belong. Everywhere. Yes, you—with all your history, anxiety, pain. Yes, everywhere—in every culture, community, circumstance. You belong in this body. You belong in this very moment. You belong in this breath…and this one. You have always belonged. – SEBENE SELASSIE

Peace Be With You. – Paul

We must cherish one another.  We must work — we all must work — to make this world worthy of its children.  – Pablo Casals (on grateful.org)

Peace Be With You. – Paul

From The Center of Action and Contemplation

Creating the Future by Honoring the Past

Cherokee descendent Rev. Dr. Randy Woodley and his wife Edith Woodley of the Eastern Shoshone tribe highlight how honoring the wisdom and traditions of our ancestors can inspire us to become healers and changemakers, creating a path to a better future: 

When we pass our traditions down to the next generation, we are passing down the presence of all our ancestors who came before us. Those songs and stories and teachings are not just from us but from those who came before us. Our ceremonies connect us to our ancestors because we know they once stood where we now stand, using the same traditions.  

I (Edith) bead Indian jewelry. My mother also did great Indian beadwork. Often when I am beading, I find my thoughts drifting to my mother, especially when I look at my hands. I think about what she would do with a color or a stitch, or how she looked for patterns or asked my dad what he thought. Then I ask Randy the same questions. In some ways, my mother is there with me during that practice. Randy’s mom loved nature, especially birds and flowers. When he sees exceptionally beautiful birds or flowers, his mother always comes to mind. “My mom would love this one,” he often says to me when he sees a hummingbird or a robin or a pretty flower. Our ancestors are always present to lead us into the future.  

When sharing stories, Native American elders often drift freely between current and past events. They may begin a story by saying something like “A long time ago …,” but if you listen carefully, you’ll notice that the behavior or problem they are addressing is likely a current one. Indigenous learning comes through reflected experience. We learn about how to live now by examining what has happened in our history.  

We depend on our stories, our ceremonies, and other traditions to guide us to a good future. Often that future is best expressed through exploring things from the past. We mine our past for those gems that are our payment for the future. That is why our stories and other past concerns are so very important. Without our past, we cannot be a people in the future.  

Think about what you have carried forward from your parents, grandparents, or caregivers. What practices, ideas, or lifeways rooted in the past are you keeping alive? 

Peace Be With You. – Paul