Cruxifusion

Today’s prayer for General Council comes from Rev. Nick Phillips. To view the archive of all prayers being offered in the lead up to GC43 click here.

“Lord,

I remember the day well, the day I was ordained 9 years ago today. I remember your Spirit feeling so very near hands were laid on me. I know this same Spirit is still with me today as I seek to be faithful to your call to serve.

I pray that this same Spirit will continue to guide me and lead me as I prepare for GC43. I have felt your call to serve your church in this capacity at this time in its ongoing story. Do I know what the future will hold? Do I even know what this meeting will hold? Of course not. But I do know you know. This gives me great hope. I know you have a plan for your church. Not the United Church of Canada specifically, but you have a plan for your Church, as flawed as it may often be.

But you forgive us our flaws, and you continue to call us to be even more faithful, even more obedient. Your grace and mercy is unending, and it is amazing.

So I pray for people like me today. People who have been elected to represent the voices of this embodiment of the church, who may be feeling overwhelmed by the volumes of material we must read, the enormity of the decisions we will make, and the pressure to do what is “best.”

You alone know what is best. Either way, you will still be with us, no matter what happens this summer. You will still be with our individual communities of faith, you will still love and guide your people. For this we give thanks.

I also pray for Nora, Jordan, Larry, Allan and all others who are preparing to host this meeting. May you guide their discussions and planning, may you bless their families as they are so busy right now. May you give them time to rest also.

There is so much more we pray for, and you know our needs, so I ask you to speak to all these prayers in your still, small voice, and may we have ears to hear your word to us.

I pray all these things in the strong name of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. Amen.”

Today’s prayer for General Council comes from Rev. Heather Carlson. To view the archive of all prayers being offered in the lead up to GC43 click here.

“Faithful God, it’s always a risk placing ourselves into your hands.
Not because you waver, but because we do.
We so quickly imagine our opinions are solid and wise,
and then we find questions, doubts and fears surface.
We so desperately want to trust in ourselves and exert our independence,
and we are reminded again of need beyond our capacity
and complexities beyond our solving.

It feels risky to let go and trust you
for it means admission of our creatureliness.

Yet you are our Good Shepherd,
in you we have all that we need.
At just the right time, you let us rest beside still waters,
you lead us to nourishment,and you guide us along the right paths.
In you, our strength is renewed and our souls strengthened.

So we will dare to hope.
Even in dark valleys.
Even at the tables of General Council.
Even in the presence of enemies.
Even in the face of oppression.
Even in the abundance of blessings.
Even as we celebrate.
Even at life’s end.

We will stake our hope in you.

By the power of your Holy Spirit draw us near.
We pray in Jesus’ name and for your glory alone. Amen.”

Today’s prayer for General Council comes from Rev. Adam Kilner. To view the archive of all prayers being offered in the lead up to GC43 click here.

“Oh you, whose love is reigning over us,

The whole of creation sings, for you are good.

The song of the sea creatures greets the song of those on land, and then rises to meet the song of those whose lives are lived in the air. The combined song of the creatures joins the anthem that humankind has sung to you since time began, and we celebrate, for the creatures have enacted the declaration of the Psalm:

“Let everything that has breath praise the Lord” (Ps. 150:6)

And the song of earthly creation joins the chorus of the angelic choir, rising to greet you in the heavenly court. We sing of your faithfulness, your generosity, your compassion, and your love – but most of all, we sing of One who will never abandon us – One who will never let us go.

Though we be hungry, bitter, beaten down, abandoned by our own, impoverished, sick, oppressed or marginalized we sing of you, God, whose love is reigning over us.

And so we will sing of your faithfulness until the fire of love captures the heart of the church again and we see the glory of the Lord smeared all over the church, the same way it was when Moses came down from the mountain and he was glowing!

May our leaders in this United Church of Canada – lay, ordered, and designated lay – remember your faithfulness as they meet this summer at General Council in Oshawa, pray together, and discern what the Spirit is saying to the church that we may continue to live out our calling, which originates with you, the God of our salvation. Amen!”

Today’s prayer for General Council comes from Morgan Bell, a candidate for ministry studying at Emmanuel! To view the archive of all prayers being offered in the lead up to GC43 click here.

“Holy God,

Of all the ways you could have chosen to manifest your Body in this world, you willed the Church. It is not our place to instruct you, but we might simply say that this is one hell of a way to run a railroad.

For in electing the Church, you choose broken and fragile people to be your ambassadors of your inconvenient love in this broken and fragile world. You call the weak and the disreptuable to occupy places of power and privilege in your service. You force us good, clean folks to associate with… them. In instructing us to love our neighbours, did you ever consider what the neighbours might think?

Today’s prayer for General Council comes from Rev. Natalie Istead, who was ordained by the Montreal and Ottawa Synod just over a week ago! To view the archive of all prayers being offered in the lead up to GC43 click here.

“Jesus, you are Lord of this Church. Over the next weeks, may the commissioners to General Council sing to your glory. May they listen for your Word.

Long ago, you called: “Samuel, Samuel!” When you call to our commissioners, may they answer “Here I am” and “your servant is listening.”

Leading up to General Council 43 in Oshawa this summer, Cruxifusion members are offering prayers for the Church, GC43 and the commissioners. We will post them here as they come available.

Today’s prayer comes from Rev. Greg Brawn.

Lord and Saviour of the Church, Lord and Saviour of all creation, we praise You for Your inexhaustible love and mercy. We pray for each person attending General Council this summer. We pray that each one may feel Your presence as they read, reflect, pack, and travel. We ask that You would unite the hearts and minds of each attendee in Your perfect love and will for them and for this United Church of Yours. Thank you, Lord! Amen.