Prayer - Beach Theology

Bidding Prayer for the People of God

Come, let us pray for the Church throughout the world. People may quietly voice their prayers. God of snowy days and drought ridden places, gather us in. Call us from places of abundance and places of unmet need. Reach us in the cold, frozen places and the hot, dry places. Remind us that we are … Read More

Confessions of a Weary Psychiatric Chaplain

by Rachael Keefe

Some weeks are exhausting. There is not enough of me to go around. I am overwhelmed by the tasks and the needs placed before me. Weariness adds to the winter darkness. Isaiah’s words could be my own this week: I have labored in vain, I have spent my strength for nothing and vanity… I do … Read More

A Prayer for the Innocents

by Rachael Keefe

God of all times and all places, we stand on the brink of a new year. Many of us harboring hopes for better days ahead. We want to leave the difficulties of 2013 behind and start new when that ball drops. Yet, we are probably not heeding Isaiah’s advice and recounting your gracious deeds and praiseworthy acts. It is by your mercy that we gather as the body of Christ. Open our eyes to all that you have done for us.

Just days ago, we welcomed you anew into our lives. We sang carols and lit candles in honor of the One whose light shines in our darkness. Many of us have already forgotten the promise of Christ. We’ve packed away our decorations and moved on, away from the vulnerability of the manger. We don’t want to think of the innocents slaughtered then… or now. The news reports of war, violence, and political unrest disturb us. We do not want to know about the children who have died in Iraq, Afghanistan, South Sudan, Egypt and countless other places. You are the Prince of Peace who can guide our feet in the way of peace. Let us turn away no longer. Shine your light in us and through us that we might become the way of peace here and now.

Ever faithful God, you wait patiently for us to come to you. You hear our songs of praise and wait until the familiar words touch our hearts and transform our lives. You are not ashamed to call us brothers and sisters even when we hesitate to speak your name. That manger in Bethlehem was not meant just for the wise ones who come bearing gifts but also for those who show up with nothing more than a yearning for life. Our decisions about who you love and who is welcome in your sanctuary are meaningless. You came into the world to seek and to save the lost, even those of us who’ve gotten lost on the way to Bethlehem. In this Christmas season reveal to us the radical inclusion of your love. Show us how to open our doors wide enough to let all your children enter in.

You call us to trust in you but we often forget to rely on your grace. The echos of lamentation and weeping make us want to hide rather than step out boldly bearing witness to the light that cannot be overcome by any darkness. As we face this new year, we pray for courage, the courage of Joseph who trusted you more than we can comprehend… The courage of Mary who brought you into the world for us… Grant us the courage to tend the fire of new life given to us once again. May we comfort those who weep and walk with those who lament, carrying hope for those unable to carry it for themselves.

Holy One who reveals our humanity, we are grateful for your overwhelming love for us. We yearn to make this year a year when your name will be praised and proclaimed in our congregations. We want to walk with you on a path of peace, letting go of those things we no longer need, making room for those who might want to join us as we seek to serve you. Let this year be a time of transformation for us, for our neighbors, for strangers, and for all those innocents who have yet to walk through our doors. By your grace and mercy, may we, the body of Christ right now, be the agents of your hope, peace, joy, and love.

With grateful hearts we pray in the name of Jesus the Christ. Amen.

RCL – Year A – First Sunday After Christmas – December 29, 2013
Isaiah 63:7-9 with
Psalm 148
Hebrews 2:10-18
Matthew 2:13-23

Bidding Prayer for the First Sunday of Advent – Hope

by Rachael Keefe

bidding prayer for first sunday Anvent hope

Come, let us pray for Church throughout the world.
People may quietly voice their prayers
God of the wakeful and the exhausted, we lift our prayers to you in the light of hope. As we begin our preparations to honor Christ’s coming anew, make us mindful of others whose names for you may differ from ours. In our desire to worship and celebrate you, we want to do so truthfully, allowing your light to shine through us. As we enter this season of light, we lift up to you the darkness of our world.
O children of God, come,
let us walk in the light of the Lord!

Let us pray for the United Church of Christ gathered here and elsewhere.
People may quietly voice their prayers
God of all churches and peoples, hear our prayers for the United Church of Christ—it’s leaders, pastors, teachers, members, and friends. May all that we do bring the light of hope into the world. You have blessed us with a vision of unity and a call to work for justice in the world. In gratitude for your grace and your guidance, we ask that you continue to shape and reshape us into the church you would have us be.
O children of God, come,
let us walk in the light of the Lord!

Let us pray for all the peoples of the world.
People may quietly voice their prayers
God of startling diversity, teach us to see with sacred eyes, recognizing your image stamped on every human face. We hear the prophet’s words of peace and pray for the day when weapons will turn into tools for planting and nations shall not seek to annihilate one another. Ignite the light of hope in all the leaders of this world—especially in Syria and Iran, and all the other countries where there is war or the threat of war. Remind all your people that you are to be the judge between nations and that we are to seek peace and pursue it so that one day we will learn war no more.
O children of God, come,
let us walk in the light of the Lord!

Let us pray for our nation and those who lead it.
People may quietly voice their prayers
God of all nations and all places, lead us to a place of acceptance and justice. Our nation is home to a variety of peoples and cultures with hopes and dreams for lives fully lived. Grant wisdom and humility to those who would lead us. Let us set aside the works of darkness that can divide us and put on the armor of light that will honor all. We live in a country rich with resources and abundance in so much. Grant us the wisdom, courage, and compassion necessary to live simply so that all may live fully.
O children of God, come,
let us walk in the light of the Lord!

Let us pray for all those who are in need of healing.
People may quietly voice their prayers
God of the brokenhearted and downtrodden, be with all those who are without hope. Let us be your agents of mercy and healing. We pray for those who lack the resources they need for medical care, for those who are homeless, and those who are broken in body, mind, or spirit. For those of us enjoying health and wholeness, make us mindful of the responsibility we have to our neighbors, near and far, who are in need.
O children of God, come,
let us walk in the light of the Lord!

Let us pray for those who are grieving.
People may quietly voice their prayers
God of life and death, comfort all those who mourn. We know that you have conquered death, and, yet, our hearts are fragile. As we remember those we love who have died, we trust that you hold them close. During this Advent season, we lift up to you those who face their first Christmas without a loved one–especially those who have died suddenly by violence, war, or suicide. We look to you for the hope that will shine in the darkness of loss.
O children of God, come,
let us walk in the light of the Lord!

Let us give thanks for our blessings.
People may quietly voice their prayers
God of peaceful simplicity and joyful abundance, hear our prayers of gratitude. We live in a world of miracles. As we walk in the light of hope, open our hearts to amazement that we might find contentment in the chaos and delight in the quiet. You have called and created us to be the body of Christ here and now and we are grateful.
O children of God, come,
let us walk in the light of the Lord!

RCL – Year A – First Sunday of Advent – December 1, 2013
Isaiah 2:1-5
Psalm 122
Romans 13:11-14
Matthew 24:36-44

A Pastoral Prayer

by Rachael Keefe

God of Life, hear the prayers of your people. Like those who have gone before us, we want to trust that your spirit abides among us and we have no need of fear. Yet, we often find ourselves drawn into the dark places in our lives causing us to lose sight of you. We do not want to be a people who lives in the fearful, angry shadows any longer. You are our God and your works are amazingly wonderful!

Holy God, in the stresses of our days, we forget to turn to you. You fill the skies with your majesty to remind us that we are part of your creation. Make us mindful of our resources that we may truly be good stewards of all that is. You want us to honor you and the gifts of your creation from one generation to the next. Stir us to action, even small ones, that will save ocean life and stop pollution of earth and air. It matters what we say and do when we walk in the world bearing your name.

Eternal God, you long for us to sing a new song. Surely, we can sing peace into the streets of Israel and Palestine, Damascus and Alleppo, Baghdad and Karbala, Kabul and Kunduz, New York and Los Angelos, and every other place where there is violence. Surely, we can sing hope to neighbors and strangers who suffer in silence. Remind us of all the marvelous things you have done for us that we might make joyful noises in praise of you. It is time for a new song. May we have the courage to sing.

God of steadfast love, in Christ you make us new. There is nothing that can separate us from your love. No sickness, no sin, no failure, no loss, not even death, will cause you to turn away from us. We are so easily defined by these things. Redefine us with your love for us that never wavers. May we boldly proclaim with Job that our Redeemer lives and that you are present on this earth, in our lives, in this very room. We need not bear or burdens alone. You are here.

Yearning God, hear us as we offer you praise for the abundant blessings of our lives. When we pay attention, we can see you in the glories of the setting sun, in the kindness of stranger, in the face of another who needs compassion, in the quiet moments after a busy day, in the gentle touch of loved ones. Gratitude can change our hearts as we realize how precious we are in your sight. We are your people. We are the body of Christ. We give you thanks.

God of strength and mercy, we lift up to you all those who need to be hidden in the shadow of your wings. Offer shelter to the forgotten and protection to the lost. Heal the broken ones and comfort those who mourn. Be merciful to us when we fail to sing a new song and live as though you did not claim us as your own. Teach us all to live fully in you and invite all people to receive the radical hospitality Jesus lived.

Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and through grace gave us eternal comfort and good hope, comfort your hearts and strengthen them in every good work and word.

Amen.

RCL – Year C – Twenty-fifth Sunday after Pentecost – November 10, 2013
Haggai 1:15b-2:9 with Psalm 145:1-5, 17-21 or Psalm 98 or
Job 19:23-27a with Psalm 17:1-9
2 Thessalonians 2:1-5, 13-17
Luke 20:27-38

Bidding Prayer based on Psalm 126

by Rachael Keefe

Come, let us unite in prayer for the church throughout the world. (silence or a time for people to quietly give voice to their concerns) God of creation who remains steadfast through our sorrows and our joys, we lift up to you the entire body of Christ in its many forms. Grant us the courage … Read More

Bidding Prayer for God’s People

by Rachael Keefe

Come, let us unite in prayer for all God’s people.

(silence or a time for people to quietly give voice to their concerns)

God of all that is, we ask that you would hear our prayers for the whole of creation. We come before you as your faithful people, asking that you hear our prayers and answer us.