Sunday Pastoral Prayer (March 31/Lent) Athens First UMC

[Every month that has a fifth Sunday means that we receive a “noisy bucket” offering which goes to support the Athens County Food Pantry. In the picture, Mike Bila who serves on the food pantry board offers the children’s message which focuses on the need to offer our gifts to help families experiencing food scarcity. He used the box to illustrate how the food is boxed and given to families. We typically raise approximately $1,000 each time we receive a Noisy Bucket offering. For Sunday’s sermon, click here.]

O God, when we find it difficult to forgive, thank you that we can at least come to you in prayer. And so, we lift up to you people and situations that are in need of your reconciling and redeeming love.

Help us to be patient with one another. Teach us what it means to find a way beyond the hurt and the pain. Even within these broken relationships, remind us of what we have in common even with those we have hurt and who have hurt us. We are all your children, created in your image.

But even beyond our personal experiences with relational heartache and discord, we also think of whole groups of people who are in need of your reconciling and redeeming love. 

Like the Israeli/Palestinian conflict, nations at war with each other, racial tensions, heated political rhetoric between people and political parties, neighborhood disputes, internal church fighting, and religious wars.

God of reconciliation, are you calling us to be like the father of the prodigal son who ran out to embrace his wayward son even though he didn’t deserve to be forgiven and included back into the family?

Or are you calling us to be like the prodigal son who came to his senses and started his way back home to be reunited with his family.

Or maybe you are calling us to at least be like the elder son who needed time to process what it means to have a forgiving heart toward someone who has hurt us. Reconciling God, in these seasons of processing, may we turn to you in prayer and be reminded of the cross in which Jesus reconciled the world to himself.

And dear God, remind us as we pray the Lord’s prayer together of what is probably the most challenging line in that entire prayer, for you to forgive our trespasses in proportion to how much we are willing to forgive those who have hurt us.

Let us pray together… “Our Father, who art in heaven…”