Come, let us pray for the body of Christ as it gathers throughout the world.
(people may silently or quietly voice their prayers)
Holy God of all times, places, and peoples, remind us that your way is the path we seek. Let us walk in peacefully and seek unity with all who call your name. May we be open to the movements of your Spirit and trusting enough to follow where you lead.
God of love and grace,
Hear our prayer.

Come, let us pray for the United Church of Christ, worshipping here and elsewhere.
(people may silently or quietly voice their prayers)
God of amazing love, you have called us to be the body of Christ. You ask us to work together for justice and peace. Remind us that we don’t always have to agree even while we seek to build up your church. We pray for our newly elected General Minister and President, John Dorhauer, our Minnesota Conference Minister, Shari Prestemon, and all those who lead and serve in the United Church of Christ. May we be touched with joy as we go about your work in the world.
God of love and grace,
Hear our prayer.

Come, let us pray for the peoples of the world.
(people may silently or quietly voice their prayers)
Creative and joyful God, open our eyes and hearts to the spectacular diversity of the human race. You breathed life into all of us and sealed us with the promise of the Holy Spirit. You long for us to dance the way that David danced, with the simple joy of knowing you. You desire for us lives filled with only good things. Yet, we often act more like Herod than David; we choose to appease the powers of this world rather than speak or act for what is right and good. In you, we are one. May we live into our oneness with mercy and joy.
God of love and grace,
Hear our prayer.

Come, let us pray for our country and all others who endeavor to be places of hospitality, justice, and peace.
(people may silently or quietly voice their prayers)
God of all peoples and all nations, may we all seek your wisdom and guidance. The borders and boundaries we have designed keep us separated. You provided the earth for our home and we constantly battle over resources, power, and control. There is more than enough to care for all your children. Open us to the abundance of this country and the amazing resources we have. Show us how to be a place where diversity is celebrated and not feared. Stir us to repentance for the ways in which we have hurt our neighbors and discriminated against those whose needs are greater than our own. Be with all those in power that they may seek justice for all rather than profit for a few. Transform us that we may truly be a country in which there is liberty and justice for all.

God of love and grace,
Hear our prayer.

Come, let us pray for all those in need of healing.
(people may silently or quietly voice their prayers)
Loving and gracious God, keep us mindful of the suffering and pain in the lives of those around us. Teach us gratitude for the lives we live and the blessings we have as we lift up to you those who suffer in body, mind, or spirit. Let us be gentle with our words and compassionate with our actions knowing that so much pain, illness, and suffering is invisible to our eyes. Shape us into a community of grace that we may be a place of healing for any and all who seek sanctuary.
God of love and grace,
Hear our prayer.

Come, let us pray for all those who are grieving any kind of loss.
(people may silently or quietly voice their prayers)
God of life and death, remind us that you are present with us in all situations. The darkest reaches of grief cannot separate us from your love. When hope in not even a flicker, you are there. Let us breathe deeply of your Spirit when we are overwhelmed with longing for what used to be. Remind us that grief knows no schedule and people continue to feel pain long after the loss occurs. Be with us and give us the courage to share the burden of grief, especially for those who have lost loved ones to addictions, suicide, sudden illness, or violence. May we be a place of safety and community of hope.
God of love and grace,
Hear our prayer.       

Come, let us give thanks for all the blessings of our lives.
(people may silently or quietly voice their prayers)
Extravagant and surprising God, you have blessed with so much more than we know. Awaken in us true knowledge and repentance for the ways in which we have not used our gifts to bring your love into the world. We have all that we need and, very often, far more
than what is needed. You patiently wait for us to see the wonders of your love and the magnificence of creation. You yearn for us to turn from the Herods of today so that we may dance with joy like David’s. Hear our honest prayers of gratitude for your steadfast love and your patience with us. May we all be agents of your abundance and grace.
God of love and grace,
Hear our prayer. Amen.       

RCL – Year B – Seventh Sunday after Pentecost – July 12, 2015
2 Samuel 6:1-5, 12b-19 with Psalm 24 or
Amos 7:7-15 with Psalm 85:8-13
Ephesians 1:3-14
Mark 6:14-29