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Romans 8:22-28

…that very Spirit intercedes with sighs to deep for words…

An empty cross at the end of the strand is the final word… the Risen Christ lives in us as we move through the world as his Body. We sing and pray the Lord’s Prayer together in worship today as we have prayed it separately throughout the summer in our personal prayer devotions. This is the exclamation point on this Summer series and we celebrate God’s presence in “All My Days!”

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John 17:17-26

…as you have sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world…I ask not only on behalf of these, but also on behalf of those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one…

As we near the end of the prayer bead strand, it is the fiery Holy Spirit to whom we appeal--“Come, Holy Spirit!” Move in us, move through us, enliven the gifts you have given us so that we can give freely in our everyday lives. This Sunday we celebrate the Spirit’s movements in our lives together as community.

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"In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven." -- Matthew 5:16

We are part of a global community on this earth. Prayers on behalf of the world (and the planet itself) keeps us from a navel-gazing take-care-of-our-own mentality. This Sunday we will sing songs of Christians around the world in solidarity with our sisters and brothers near and far away.

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Luke 18:1-8

Then Jesus told them a parable about their need to pray always and not to lose heart…

Intercessory prayer is prayer on behalf of others. The prayer strand has three beads here, inviting us to name three (at least) people or places that are need of the healing presence of God. As we extend our thoughts and prayers to the pain of others, we extend our ability for empathy and strengthen our commitment to discipleship through prayers of action in the world.

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Luke 6:27-36

…love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who hurt you…and you will be children of the Most High...

The next bead is about neighbors, friends and enemies. We are invited to pray for those we love (usually pretty easy) AND to pray for those we have trouble loving! What does it mean to “love your enemies?” We are called to practice the language of the mercy and grace of God in our praying (and to ask forgiveness for our own unlovable moments!).

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Genesis 1:1-19

…God separated the light from the darkness. 5God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night…

Luke 12:22-34

…do not be afraid, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom…

The images of darkness and light–night and day–are ancient and universal images of “groping in the dark” when we are struggling and the “rising sun” of hope for illumination in our lives. This part of our prayer bead strand is an invitation to name the struggles, just as the psalmists did in Psalms of Lament, so that we can find more ease, more light, in our lives.

What keeps you up at night? What concern is pressing in on you personally? As we pray with the aid of the strand of beads, we move from our struggles to our fears. What does the Good News say about the grip of fear on our lives? In naming our fear, we also open to the assurance of Jesus… “do not be afraid, I am with you.”

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Isaiah 52:7-10

…How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of the messenger who announces peace, who brings good news, who announces salvation, who says to Zion, “Your God reigns.”…

Our corporate worship today will affirm the journey that we take together as spiritual community, but will also invite us to deepen our personal spiritual journeys by identifying the work we must each individually do through prayer, study and reflection. We find that paying attention to our souls makes a great deal of difference to our relationships as well.

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Psalm 46

…Be still, and know that I am God…

Listening for God is perhaps one of the hardest forms of prayer for us. We often think that prayer is always our talking to God. Silence is a rare commodity in our society but it is one of the greatest gifts for our spiritual lives that the Divine One gives us… time to just “be.” We’ll focus this Sunday on this practice of silence and what some of the great spiritual leaders have to say about our need for silence. How can we simply open to the empty spaces and to the “still small voice of God” within?

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As we move into times of prayer and devotion, we are often faced with the distraction of those things that are worrying us, that are demanding our attention and focus. Letting go of these worries, even if for a while, is a practice of trust in God. This Sunday we wrestle with the difficulties (and the joys) of “letting go and letting God.”

I John 4:7-21
…So we have known and believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and those who abide in love abide in God, and God abides in them…There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear...

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Matthew 22:36-39 Micah 6:8

This Sunday our graduates will be leading worship.

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This Sunday introduces the theme, the idea and history of using prayer beads and is our first stop on the journey. We begin with the God bead (a large gold bead) and we are reminded that prayers of gratitude and praise begin our every connection with the Holy One. What does it mean to live with a grateful heart?

Isaiah 56:1-8

…these I will bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer; their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be accepted on my altar; for my house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples…