Prayers of the People January 22, 2023

Written by: Julia Smolucha

King Poor, Board of Trustees, Secretary

Our Father who art in heaven.

O God, you are our Creator. You created us, each of us, in your image and likeness. None of us can fully comprehend your heaven, but your son promised us that your heaven—your kingdom of heaven—is within each of us.

Hallowed be thy name.

You are holy. You are the source of all goodness—all life, truth, and love.

Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.

You are not a God far off or on high, but are with us right here, right now at street level—doing your will on earth. And teach us to do your will in our own lives.

Give us today our daily bread.

God, each day you sustain us and provide for our every need—in seen and unseen ways.

Forgive us our trespasses.

We all need forgiveness and you are a God who endlessly forgives. Teach us that we need not only to receive forgiveness, but to give it, and be slow to judge and quick to forgive.

Lead us not into temptation.

We are all tempted; even your son was tempted in the desert. When we feel the pull of temptation, may we draw close to you that we may overcome it.

Deliver us from evil.

We praise you God because you are infinitely greater than any evil. And because of that, we have confidence not to fear it.

For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory, forever. Amen.

For your kingdom is the only true kingdom, your power the only true power, and your glory the only true glory. Always. At all times. Amen.

Packing for the Journey

May 21, 2023

I believe that the Sunday School teachers who came up with the Kenilworth Union Church Third Grade Bible lessons 90 years ago also thought of life as a journey. They wanted third graders to be prepared for the trip of a lifetime with God. So they made a scripture packing list so that children in this church would know that God was with them wherever they went and so they would be able to remember God is present in every situation. For generations third graders have learned "The Ten Commandments", "The 23rd Psalm", "The Beatitudes", "The Lord’s Prayer" and "Jesus’ Greatest Commandment". The 1950’s version of the packing list also included Psalms 19 and 100.

The Valley of Lost Things, IV: The Party I Refused to Attend

May 14, 2023

A lost coin, found. A lost sheep, found. A lost son, found. After each lost thing found, a party. Luke chapter fifteen is simple enough, but it might hold everything we need to know about God. When we are lost, God goes after us. When we are lost, God seeks us until we are found. But here’s today’s question: will the older brother go to the party? Can he bear to celebrate? Jesus spins these fabulous little tales and we’re still thinking of them two thousand years later. We see ourselves in the younger brother. We see ourselves in the older brother. We even see ourselves in the father, watching his sons hurt and be hurt by each other and the world. We know this story is telling us something about ourselves. We intuitively know that we fit within this story. And two thousand years later, this story is still about us, getting lost, and God running out to greet us.

The Valley of Lost Things, III: Lost and Found

May 7, 2023

Have you noticed that Shakespeare based his magnum opus, King Lear, on the same initial plot device as Jesus’ little parable? Foolishly, a man divides his inheritance to his heirs prematurely, while he is still alive. A man had two sons. A man had three daughters. All our stories begin this way, or most of them, because this is what is most precious to us, and most distressing.

Church Stories