Pentecost Prayer

Hear the great good news of our faith:

The Spirit is alive!

Breathe, children of God,

breathe the fresh winds of the Spirit.

Taste, children of God,

taste the quenching waters of God's love.

Touch, children of God,

touch the heat of God's passion for justice.

prayer from here.

Who would Jesus exclude?

The Holy Spirit has come in this age
to take away the name of Jesus as exclusive.

Sr. Mary Neil, O.P.

art- Mexican Pentecost icon

Got that Sinking Feeling?

Today's gospel lectionary reading for Pentecost +13 is from Mt. 14: 22-33. This is the story of Peter leaving the boat and the icon tells us the rest of the story. What the text doesn't tell is what the other disciples who remained in the boat were thinking. In this depiction they appear quite calm as if this was something that they could expect from that wild and crazy Peter. I like to think that they are praying...

Below is a prayer that I blatantly copied from the RevGalBlogPals website. Have a great Sunday.

Lord, Sometimes it seems like the boat we are in is too small and is being tossed to and fro in the storms of life. Lord calm our storms, calm us. Sometimes our fear is so great that even though we might want to walk on water we sink, reach out your hand to us Lord. Reach out your hand to those who are trying to walk faithfully in the midst of the storms of their lives. Lord help us when we have little faith, Help those around us who have little or no faith. Amen

Pentecost 11/The Mustard Seed

The Tree From a Mustard Seed by Anne Brink of Visible Kingdom
http://visiblekingdom.com/about.shtml

Collect:
We feel like mustard seeds, tiny and insignificant.

Like unplanted seeds, we forget that it is our calling

to be planted in the warmth of God’s earth.

May the Great Spirit carry our seeds to fertile ground

where the roots of our faith may grow deeply

and the branches of our love be broad.

Written for the Union Church UCC of Tekonsha. Copyright Katherine Hawker

Pentecost/Mother's Day

It is the Feast of Pentecost - the Holy Spirit's coming down party!!! May the fire of your Spirit strengthen us, making us bold to bring light to the dark places, warmth to the cold places, and love to the empty places. Spirit of the Living God, consecrate us to do your will.
Refrain: Come Holy Spirit, strengthen our hearts!

....and it also just happens to be Mothers Day!
this is a great day for many mothers and a difficult day for many others. Here's a link to a fresh way of looking at this day and below is a prayer for all manner of mums...

God our Creator, we pray:

for new mothers, coming to terms with new responsibility;

for expectant mothers, wondering and waiting;

for those who are tired, stressed or depressed;

for those who struggle to balance the tasks of work and family;

for those who are unable to feed their children due to poverty;

for those whose children have physical, mental or emotional disabilities;

for those who have children they do not want;

for those who raise children on their own;

for those who have lost a child;

for those who care for the children of others;

for those whose children have left home;

and for those whose desire to be a mother has not been fulfilled.

Bless all mothers, that their love may be deep and tender,and that they may lead their children to know and do what is good,living not for themselves alone, but for God and for others.Amen.