[Pastor Robert’s sermon planning retreat was held last week in a beautiful setting along Lake Erie. The purpose of the retreat is to plan worship themes for the upcoming year. The picture above shows some of the resources to help with the planning. Not shown is all of the prayer, brainstorming, and notepads of ideas that go into this process. Even though the 2019 worship themes, scriptures and sermon titles have been developed, the actual writing of the sermons and choosing of hymns, calls to worship, and prayers happen on a week to week basis. This past Sunday’s worship and sermon (click here) were the result of last year’s annual sermon planning retreat. The picture below is the view of Lake Erie from the lake house during one of the retreat days last week. It’s easy to be inspired by God in a location like this!]
O God, our prayer this morning is for you to tune our hearts to sing of your grace. When we are tempted to wander from our faith, remind us to give you our heart, take and seal it for thy courts above.
Forgive us, O God when we allow the pull of sin to lead us away from you. Forgive us when we neglect to practice the spiritual disciplines of our faith like weekly worship, prayer, reading scripture, fasting, Christian fellowship, that can help us to receive your grace and be empowered to make wise decisions in our day to day lives.
Thank you for your grace that is always available to us in any given moment so that we can be in relationship with you. Thank you for your grace which can overcome any temptation or pull of sin in our lives. Thank you for your grace which helps us to respond as you would respond in any given situation.
We pray for our church to be an instrument of your grace in so many incredible ways. Thank you for our Noisy Bucket offering this morning to help alleviate hunger in southeast, Ohio. Thank you for other offerings that help us to live out our mission of making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of our community and world. O God, always remind us that we are an instrument of your grace.
As we prepare for another Athens First Saturday outreach, we pray that you would use us to be a blessing to others. Where there is brokenness, lead us to offer your healing love. Where there is a need, lead us to offer helping hands. Thank you for this awesome way that our church can be an instrument of your grace right here in Athens and in our surrounding community.
This week, remind us that we don’t need to get tangled up in the webs of sin. Instead, may we get tangled up in the webs of your grace and forgiving love.
We pray this in the name of Jesus Christ who taught us to pray together, saying…
“Our Father, who art in heaven…”
[Pastor Robert’s daily view from the lake house overlooking Lake Erie during last week’s annual sermon planning retreat. In addition to being a working retreat, it is also a week long sabbath of prayer, study, rest, and quiet. “He leads me beside still waters and restores my soul.”]
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