Dear St. Paul’s Family,
With the eyes of our nation focused on Washington D.C. and the inauguration of President Barack Obama, here is a prayer I wrote which you might choose to offer today.
A Prayer for Inauguration Day
Gracious and Holy God, whose mind conceived a world resplendent with beauty and goodness, whose heart envisioned a people governed by your love, and whose timeless eye has witnessed the rise and fall of history’s kingdoms, we pray to you as a nation humbled by the burdens of freedom.
This precious gift you have granted to us - the free will to choose our own destiny, to enjoy the triumphs of our prudence, and to live with the consequences of our mistakes – bears a responsibility to appeal to wisdom beyond ourselves, and to serve an interest greater than our own.
And so, O Lord, on this day in which we inaugurate a new term for the leaders of this land, clarify our commitment to you and the aims of your kingdom. Remind us that our primary citizenship is defined neither by borders or ideologies, but by a Love that called us into being, and calls us into service.
Grant to our President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden a wisdom to discern the common good from political expedience, the way of justice from the way of disparity, the embrace of self-evident equality from the division of harmful self-interest, and the currency of love from the gluttony of greed.
We are a people in need today, for too many yet sleep in hunger and wander the streets without shelter. There are those whose finances are depleted by a worrisome economy and crushed by the burdens of unemployment. We are engaged in wars too costly to calculate, and families are separated from loved ones serving overseas. Our cities are marred by the bloodshed of violence, and there are those whose inability to access affordable health care prevents even a basic standard of life. We yearn for the day when every valley will be raised up, every mountain brought low, and all our rough places plain.
Yet, in all things, and even throughout the course of this inaugural day, remind us that our hope and promise rest not in manufactured systems of power, but in you alone. Forgive us, O Lord, for relying on our government to grant us that which only you can provide: security from all harm, an ethic of love, and a mutual embrace of one another as your children.
Therefore, call us together, as your holy people and the living body of your son Jesus Christ, to live out your bidding as builders of your kingdom. As we pray for our President and all of our elected officials, lead us into new endeavors to do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with you. Show us more opportunities to put your love into action here and abroad. Empower us to effect change, both in and through our systems of government. And may the inaugural words of your son Jesus Christ be true in its telling today:
“Today, the Scriptures have been fulfilled in your hearing.”
In your holy name we pray, Amen.
Grace and Peace,
Magrey
The Rev. Magrey R. deVega
St. Paul's United Methodist Church
531 W. Main St.
Cherokee, IA 51012
Ph: 712-225-3955
Email: mdevega@sp-umc.org
MAGREY IN CALIFORNIA
Later this afternoon I will be flying to Laguna Beach, California, for a continuing education event called “CraftLab” with noted author and preacher Rob Bell. It is a workshop reserved for only fifty people, who will work with Mr. Bell to brainstorm creative ways to conceive, construct, and deliver sermons. It takes place Tuesday and Wednesday, and I’ll be back in town Thursday night. In the event of an emergency, please contact the church office.
SUPER BOWL SNACK SALE FEBRUARY 3
Once again, the youth group will be hosting a snack sale on Super Bowl Sunday, February 3, to raise money for their upcoming ski trip. All youth wishing to come on the trip are expected to assist with the sale and provide items. If you are interested in contributing items for the sale, please bring them to church that morning. For more information, contact Lisa Sampson.
To view past editions of the Mid-Week Message, visit http://mdevega.blogspot.com <http://mdevega.blogspot.com/>
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