Prayer as We Gather
Lord, commercial images of joyful family Thanksgiving gatherings often magnify our personal sense of loneliness or loss. We come this holy hour seeking encouragement, remembering Hannah’s honest response to priest Eli’s accusation that she was drunk: “No, sir! I’m just a very sad woman, praying out of my great worry and trouble!” Grant us the same blessing he bestowed upon her when he recognized her sadness: “Then go in peace, and may God give you what you need!” Amen.* - inspired by 1 Samuel 1
Call to Worship (Hannah’s Prayer)
My heart rejoices in the Lord!
There is no rock like our God!
Don’t go on talking so proudly, spouting arrogance,
Because the Lord is the God who knows and weighs every act.
The Lord brings death, gives life, makes poor, gives wealth,
Brings low, but also lifts up high!
God raises the poor from the dust,
Gives them the seat of honor!
The pillars of the earth belong to the Lord;
No one succeeds by strength alone. - 1 Samuel 2, Common English Bible
Morning Prayer
Among the sources of our thankfulness to you, Lord, none is more sacred than your promise recorded in Hebrews: “This is the covenant I will make with my children - I will place my laws in their hearts and write them on their minds, and I won’t remember their sins anymore.” Thank you for our warm, accepting UBC church family and the scripture-grounded worship services we share, faithful reminders of that eternal covenant. May we never forget Hebrew’s counsel: “Don’t’ stop meeting together with other believers, as some have done. Instead, encourage each other,” for we pray as Jesus taught us, saying …* - inspired by Hebrews 16
Prayer of Confession
Forgive us, Lord, for being thick as a brick when it comes to your vision for our lives. Like Jesus’ disciples marveling at the temple’s grandeur (”Look, what awesome stones and buildings!”), we have too often substituted architecture for faithfulness. Equally misguided as Jesus’ inner circle who failed to grasp the symbolism underlying his prediction of the temple’s destruction, we long to know “What sign will show that all these things are about to come to an end?” Little wonder Jesus warned them to watch out for deceivers: “Many people will come, saying ‘I am the one!’” Have mercy on our perennial willingness to be seduced by tyrants, Amen.* - inspired by Mark 13
Assurance of Pardon
I have good news! No matter how distracted, how alarmed, how unsure of the future we may be, the risen Jesus is among us to reassure us and steady our resolve. Like his earliest followers, we hunger for clues to what is coming next, echoing their panic in demanding “What sign will show that all these things are about to come to an end?” Now as then, our patient Lord refuses to lower himself to the level of our unbelief, insisting “When you hear of wars and reports of wars, don’t be alarmed. These things will happen, but this isn’t the end.” Thanks be to God for an unflappable Savior who is unmoved by the hysteria of twitter, Facebook or the latest poll numbers.* - inspired by Mark 13
Thought for a Thanksgiving Sabbath
“Happiness is having a large, loving, caring, close-knit family in another city.”
- George Burns