It was a great first weekend of Easter at Resurrection. I had the opportunity to lead worship at the 5:00 PM Sunday service. Today was full and I am exhausted. The church is closed tomorrow, which is great – a day to rest, relax and recover.
Pastoral Prayer
O God, you are the Lord over the spring, summer, fall and winter. You come to us and are present with us in all the seasons of the year and all the seasons of our life.
O God, we confess that we are surprised and uncomfortable with the cold of the past few days. We felt spring coming in the warmth of the air, the green of the grass and the bloom of flowers. But the cold has surrounded us again – we turn the heat back on, wear our coats and look forward to warmer weather.
O God, we confess that this is the way that it is in our lives. We go through seasons of winter – a season of cold, despair, loneliness, or sickness – our own or that of our families or friends. O God, send your warmth and the promise of a spring to come to us and to all those who are in cold and dark places in their lives.
Give peace to those who are suffering. Give strength to those who are weak. Give hope to those who are desperate. Give us the strength to live as people of the Resurrection – as people who love you and love our neighbors. O God, we know the forecast for us and for all of your creation. There is a spring that is coming and that is already present in the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Today we celebrate with all your people.
Breathe the warmth of your Holy Spirit into us so that we might feel the truth and promise of the resurrection. Give us the strength to face the winters of our lives with the hope and promise that winter may be here but spring is coming. Supply us with the strength to live as your people as we pray the prayer which was taught to us by the one who died, is risen and will come again, our brother and guide, Jesus Christ.
Lord’s Prayer
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 forgives us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. Lead us not into temptation but deliver us form evil. For Thine is the Kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.
Rev. Andrew Conard 