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Call to Worship

L: The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want.
P: He makes me lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside still waters;
L: He restores my soul. He leads me in right paths for his name's sake.
P: Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I fear no evil; for you are with me; your rod and your staff-- they comfort me.
L: You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
All: Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD my whole life long.

 

Prayer for Illumination

Send, o God, into the darkness of this troubled world,
the light of your Son.
Let the star of your hope touch the minds of all people
with the bright beams of mercy and truth;
and so direct our steps that we may ever walk in the way revealed to us,
as the shepherds of Bethlehem walked with joy
to the manger where he dwelled,
who now and ever reigns in our hearts, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

 

Prayer to Shepherd God (by St. Mary Euphrasia Pelletier)

Shepherd God,
Give me your great heart to love with, especially when my own heart is too small and limited to love as another needs to be loved.
Give me all I need to reach out to those who are lost and in trouble.
Give me the love and courage to give myself totally to the mission of Jesus, the Good Shepherd who laid down his life so that we would have life in its fullness. Amen.

 

A Good Shepherd Prayer of Incarnation
(based on the prayer of St. Mary Euphrasia Pelletier)

God of compassion, may every beat of my heart be a prayer to obtain your grace and care for those most lost in our world.
May every breath I take be a prayer for your mercy for those who are most in need.
May all those whom I make eye contact see themselves as you see them.
May all those I touch experience your touch experience themselves as valuable because of your tender and forgiving presence.
And may I always be open to receiving your love, and being an instrument of your love in the world.

 

Prayerful Meditation based on John 9:1-41

O Jesus, light of the world, why were you born,
and why did you die in such obscurity?

Bethlehem was hardly a shining place,
the stable hardly a burning stand
for Light come into the world.

Was not Calvary too an ending place for life and light;
And would not a cross in the afternoon sky,
turn all eyes away?

Blind man, did your eyes turn away too?
Or were you so accustomed to the dark
as to see what others could not see?

For once, it was not long ago,
Someone seeing you all in darkness
touched your eyes and told you to wash
until you saw God's glory
shining through your beggar's clothes.

And you believed, no one could stop you,
or explain it all away, you believed.

 

Prayer for Open Eyes and Open Hearts
by Rev. F. Schaefer

Source of all life and bright Light of the world, we come before you in joyful anticipation of the ways in which you are making your presence known to us today.  We invite you to come among us in your gentle and healing ways.

Already you have given us reason to rejoice in your salvation through Jesus, who lived and walked among us, gently reminding us of your love and care for us.  By healing the sick and opening the eyes of the blind, you have shown us your great love and mercy toward all humanity..

Open the eyes of our hearts, we pray, and fan the flickering flame of our faith into a mighty light that shines brightly in a world of dark shadows--a darkness that has already been overcome by Christ Jesus, the Light of the world. Amen.

 

Closing Prayer

Thou who art over us,
Thou who art one of us,
Thou who art:
Give me a pure heart, that I may see thee;
a humble heart that I may hear thee;
a heart of love, that I may serve thee;
a heart of faith, that I may abide in thee.  Amen.