Sunday Pastoral Prayer (Jan. 5/Epiphany Sunday) Athens First UMC

[Epiphany Sunday marks the conclusion of the Twelve Days of Christmas season. Members of our congregation put away the chapel and sanctuary Christmas decorations following each worship service which was the topic of the sermon. Click here. The Advent Wreath above is what we use in our chapel. Notice the short blue candle which we lit every Sunday since the beginning of December when Advent began. It deserves special recognition since it worked harder than the other candles!]

O God, we followed your light to offer our gifts to you on this Epiphany Sunday. There were times that we weren’t sure that we’d find you because it got so dark along the way. 

 

You know the challenges and hardships that we encounter in our everyday lives. You know our doubts, our fears, and our anxieties. We worry about heightened hostilities with Iran. We continue to find it difficult to have any conversation that won’t end up in an argument over politics. Sometimes, the euphoria  over a new year evaporates more quickly than we expected.

 

But just when we were thinking about returning home, we would see your light again, shining ahead of us, pointing us to where we would find you. And now that we are together in this place singing hymns, listening to your Word read and proclaimed, renewing our friendships, and preparing to receive your Sacrament, our hearts are again filled with joy at the news of Christ’s birth.

 

Thank you for shining your light so that we would be able to renew our Christmas joy and offer you the gifts of our prayers, presence, gifts, service, and witness.

 

Thank you for shining your light so that Christmas decorations or no Christmas decorations, the joy of this season will lead us into a deeper awareness of your faithfulness and of your presence in our lives.

 

Thank you for shining your light so that we might shine your light for those who are in need of hope, love, joy, and peace.

 

And may we shine your light on the mountain and everywhere even as we pray the prayer you taught us to say together…

 

“Our Father, who art in heaven…”