O God, sometimes words alone cannot adequately express our
love for you. Thank you for the gift of music. On this Music Sunday, we are
grateful for bell ringers, pianists, singers, trombonists, hymnals, choir
directors, praise teams, congregational singing, and many other musical
expressions of our faith.
From Tuesday’s concert, “These
are a Few of My Favorite Sings,” to this morning’s opening hymn, “O For a Thousand Tongues to Sing,”
music has helped us to smile and sing your praises throughout this week, and we
are grateful.
Thank you for the privilege of being your church in this particular
place. Over this past week, our church was able to feed the hungry, provide
space for a desperate organ student to practice, host a new member class, offer
a nurturing environment for pre-school children, and serve in a number of other
vital ways. It has been a wonderful week to be your church!
O God, thank you for those times when out of the blue, we
are reminded of a melody that we heard in church, and it inspires us throughout
the week. O God, thank you for the gift of music.
We pray for those who may find it difficult to sing today
because of uncertainty, loneliness, worry, grief, pain, or sickness. Remind us
that there is always a song, always a lyric, always a tune, that can speak to
our hearts in any given moment, even songs for heavy hearts.
We especially pray for the people of Japan and Ecuador as
they seek to recover from recent earthquakes. Bless the rescue workers, medical
workers, and leaders of these countries during this difficult time. We offer to
you our song of lament for the brokenness and pain that we see throughout your
creation.
Hear the songs of your people today, whatever songs you may
be calling us to sing; songs of peace, songs of healing, songs of justice,
songs of hope, and songs of praise. For those of us who can’t sing harmony, or
who even feel self-conscious when singing a hymn during a worship service,
thank you for the bible verse that says that a “joyful noise” is pleasing to
you as well.
And now, with one united voice, we pray the prayer that
Jesus taught his disciples and now teaches us to pray…
“Our Father, who art in heaven…”
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