Opening Prayer
O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; My soul thirsts for you; my body longs for you, In a dry and weary land where there is no water. -Psalm 63:1 (silent reflection) Prayer of the Bible “I, Jesus, have sent my angel to testify to you about these things for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star.” The Spirit and the Bride say, “Come.” And let the one who hears say, “Come.” And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires take the water of life without price. Revelation 22:16-17 (Free expression of praise and thanksgiving to God) Confession of Sin Forgive me God for forsaking You, the fountain of living waters, to dig my own cisterns, broken cisterns that can hold no water. -Jeremiah 2: 11, 13 (Time of silence for confession of sin) The Words of Jesus John said to him, “Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him, because he was not following us.” But Jesus said, “Do not stop him, for no one who does a mighty work in my name will be able soon afterward to speak evil of me. For the one who is not against us is for us. For truly, I say to you, whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you belong to Christ will by no means lose his reward." -Mark 9:38-41 (Think deeply on the life and words of Jesus) Prayers for Ourselves and Others Heavenly Father, you have promised to hear what we ask in the name of your Son: Accept and fulfill our petitions, we pray, not as we ask in our ignorance, nor as we deserve in our sinfulness, but as you know and love us in your Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. –The Book of Common Prayer (Time to bring before God our own needs and the needs of others) Closing Prayer God, help me to see others not as my enemies or as ungodly but rather as thirsty people. And give me the courage and compassion to offer your Living Water, which alone quenches deep thirst. Amen -Henri Nouwen (1932-1996) |