Sunday Pastoral Prayer (May 19) Athens First UMC

[We celebrated the baptism of the Ferguson children at our 10:30 worship service. It was a very fitting day for the baptism since our Acts scripture reading shared the story of how Cornelius and his family were baptized into the Christian faith. The Sacrament of Holy Baptism reminds us that God’s grace is available to all. All are welcome into God’s family. For the sermon, click here.]

This is our song, O God of all the nations that speak languages we find difficult to translate, cultures so different from our own, worldviews that make little sense to us, and religions that have their own unique understandings and practices. O God, in this world of so much diversity between countries and regions of the world, teach us what it means to live in peace and harmony as your global community.

This is our song, O God of all the people of this land that we call America, a melting pot of so many customs, religions, ideas, and political leanings. O God, in this country of so much diversity, teach us what it means to live in peace and harmony as fellow citizens.

This is our song, O God of all the people of Athens and southeast, Ohio, a diverse area of our state where people live in big houses with manicured lawns, others who live in homes with dirt floors, many who live somewhere in between, and still others who have no home at all. O God, in this beautiful area of so much diversity, teach us what it means to be in relationship with each other across social-economic lines and to live in peace and harmony as neighbors.

This is our song, O God for all the people of the United Methodist Church, this denomination of so much diversity that is wrestling with what it means to be brothers and sisters in Christ even though we often have very differing ways of interpreting the scriptures. O God, help us as United Methodists and as the larger Christian community to live in peace and harmony as your diverse family of Christ.

This is our song, O God for our world, our country, our region, our denomination, and the church universal, as diverse as we may be to live in peace and harmony.

We pray this in the name of Jesus whose grace is more far reaching, more inclusive, and more welcoming than we can ever think or imagine, and who taught us to pray together,

“Our Father, who art in heaven…”