Halloween Fun!

I spent the afternoon preparing and then participating in the Trunk or Treat event at the United Methodist Temple. Erica and Bailey were there too (along with hundreds of others!).

Here is a picture of Bailey and momma, all decked out for Halloween:





For a complete run of pictures from the event, check out Encounters' Facebook page at www.facebook.com/encounters

October 31, 2009

Here is today's prayer:

Gracious God,
you have called us to be the Church of Jesus Christ.
Keep us one in faith and service;
breaking bread together
and telling the good news to the world;
that all may believe you are love,
turn to your ways, and live to your glory;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen

October 30, 2009

Here is today's prayer:

O God, when I have food,
help me to remember the hungry;
When I have work,
help me to remember the jobless;
When I have a home,
help me to remember those who have no home at all;
When I am without pain,
help me to remember those who suffer,
And remembering,
help me to destroy my complacency;
bestir my compassion,
and be concerned enough to help;
By word and deed,
those who cry out for what we take for granted.
Amen.


A Thanksgiving Prayer
by Samuel F. Pugh

October 29, 2009

Here is today's prayer:

Litany of Thanksgiving

Let us give thanks to the Lord,
for he satisfies the thirsty,
he fills the hungry with good things,
and he heals the afflicted.
Let us celebrate his abundant goodness.

We thank you, gracious Father,
that you provide for all our needs,
for food on our tables,
for the clothes on our bodies,
for the beds we sleep in,
for the dwellings that shelter us.

We praise you, Lord,
for all your gifts that go beyond our basic needs,
for the things that make our work easier,
for the conveniences of modern life,
for the beauty and pleasure that you bring into our lives.
Thanks be to God!

October 28, 2009

Here is today's prayer:

Make Me an Instrument of Your Peace by St. Francis of Assisi

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.
Where there is hatred, let me sow love,
Where there is injury, pardon
Where there is doubt, faith,
Where there is despair, hope,
Where there is darkness, light,
Where there is sadness, joy.
O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much
seek to be consoled as to console,
not so much to be understood as to understand,
not so much to be loved, as to love;
for it is in giving that we receive,
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
it is in dying that we awake to eternal life.

October 27, 2009

Here is today's prayer:

God give me your eyes so I might rightly perceive the world around me and see what you have called me to do this day.

God give me your heart so I might respond in compassion to those I have failed to engage or respond to in the past.

God give me your strength so I might persevere the awaiting storms.

God give me your peace so that I may be a gift of peace to others.

God, today let there be simply more of you and less of me.

It is in Christ's name I pray. Amen.

October 26, 2009

Here is this evening's prayer:

"We praise and thank you, O God,
for you are without beginning and without end.
Through Christ, you created the whole world;
through Christ you preserve it.
You made the day for the works of light
and the night for the refreshment of our minds and bodies.
Keep us now in Christ; grant us a peaceful evening,
a night free from sin; and bring us at last to eternal life.
Through Christ and in the Holy Spirit,
we offer you all glory, honor, and worship,
now and for ever. Amen."

From the Liturgy of Evening Prayer, Syria, 4th Century (United Methodist Book of Worship #574-5)

October 25, 2009

Here is today's prayer:

Direct me now, O gracious Lord,
To hear aright Thy holy Word;
Assist Thy minister to preach,
And let Thy Holy Spirit teach,
And let eternal life be found
By all who hear the joyful sound. Amen.

October 24, 2009

Here is today's prayer:

Faithful Shepherd, feed me
In the pastures green;
Faithful Shepherd, lead me
Where Thy steps are seen.

Hold me fast and guide me
In the narrow way;
So, with Thee beside me,
I shall never stray.

Daily bring me nearer
To the heavenly shore;
May my faith grow clearer.
May I love Thee more!

Hallow every pleasure,
Every gift and pain;
Be Thyself my Treasure.
Though none else I gain. Amen.

October 23, 2009

Here is today's prayer:

As a little child relies
On a care beyond his own;
Knows he's neither strong nor wise,
Fears to stir a step alone,—
Let me thus with Thee abide
As my Father, Guard, and Guide!
Amen.

October 22, 2009

Here is today's prayer:

Almighty God, Thy Word is cast
Like seed into the ground;
Now let the dew of heaven descend
And righteous fruits abound. Amen.

October 21, 2009

Here is today's prayer:

Abide, O dear Redeemer,
Among us with Thy Word
And thus now and hereafter
True peace and joy afford. Amen.

October 20, 2009

Here is today's prayer:

Abide with me! Fast falls the eventide,
The darkness deepens; Lord, with me abide!
When other helpers fail and comforts flee,
Help of the helpless, O abide with me! Amen.

October 19, 2009

Here is today's prayer:

Dear Heavenly Father,

Thank you for this treasured child of mine. Although you have entrusted him/her to me, I know he belongs to you. Like Hannah offered Samuel, I dedicate my child to you, Lord. I recognize that he is always in your care.

Help me as a parent, Lord, with my weaknesses and imperfections. Give me strength and godly wisdom to raise this child after your Holy Word. Please supply what I lack. Keep my child walking on the path that leads to eternal life. Help him to overcome the temptations in this world and the sin that would so easily entangle him.

Dear God, send your Holy Spirit daily to lead and guide him. Ever assist him to grow in wisdom and stature, in grace and knowledge, in kindness, compassion and love. May he serve you faithfully with his whole heart devoted to you. May he discover the joy of your presence through daily relationship with your Son, Jesus.

Help me never to hold on too tightly to this child, nor neglect my responsiblities before you as a parent. Lord, let my committment to raise this child for the glory of your name cause his life to forever testify of your faithfulness.

In Jesus' name I pray.

Amen.

October 18, 2009

Here is today's prayer:

Dear Lord,
My fear has trapped and consumed me. But I am tired of living under the weight of my fears. These verses reassure me of your presence and confirm that you are able to deliver me from my trouble. Please give me your love and your power to replace these fears. Your perfect love casts out my fear. I thank you for promising to give me the peace that only you can give. I receive that peace now as I ask you to still my troubled heart. Because you are with me, I don't have to be afraid.
Amen

October 17, 2009

Here is today's prayer:

Dear Lord,
You know the temptations that I am facing today. But your Word promises that I will not be tempted beyond what I can bear. I ask for your strength to stand up under the temptation whenever I encounter it. Your Word also tells me you will provide a way out of the temptation. Please, Lord, give me the wisdom to walk away when I am tempted, and the clarity to see the way out that you will provide. Thank you, God, that you are a faithful deliverer and that I can count on your help in my time of need.
Amen

October 16, 2009

Here is today's prayer:

Prayer for stress and anxiety

Dear Lord,
I need you now because I am full of stress and anxiety. Reading your Word brings comfort, as I ask you to come and take my heavy burdens. I take each burden, one by one, and lay them at your feet. Please carry them for me so that I don't have to. Replace them with your humble and gentle yoke so that I will find rest for my soul today. I receive your gift of peace of mind and heart. Thank you that I can lie down tonight in peace and sleep. I know that you, Lord, will keep me safe. I am not afraid because you are always with me. Please keep me daily, Lord, in your perfect peace.
Amen

October 15, 2009

Here is today's prayer:

Prayer for the Work Day

Almighty God, thank Thee for the job of this day.
May we find gladness in all its toil and difficulty,
its pleasure and success,
and even in its failure and sorrow.
We would look always away from ourselves,
and behold the glory and the need of the world
that we may have the will and the strength to bring
the gift of gladness to others;
that with them we stand to bear
the burden and heat of the day
and offer Thee the praise of work well done.

Amen.

--Bishop Charles Lewis Slattery (1867-1930)

October 14, 2009

Here is today's prayer:

Disturb us, Lord, when
We are too well pleased with ourselves,
When our dreams have come true
Because we have dreamed too little,
When we arrived safely
Because we sailed too close to the shore.

Disturb us, Lord, when
With the abundance of things we possess
We have lost our thirst
For the waters of life;
Having fallen in love with life,
We have ceased to dream of eternity
And in our efforts to build a new earth,
We have allowed our vision
Of the new Heaven to dim.

Disturb us, Lord, to dare more boldly,
To venture on wider seas
Where storms will show your mastery;
Where losing sight of land,
We shall find the stars.

We ask You to push back
The horizons of our hopes;
And to push into the future
In strength, courage, hope, and love.

-- Sir Francis Drake (1540 - 1596)

October 13, 2009

Here is today's prayer:

Prayer for Peace

Lord, make me an instrument of Thy peace;
where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
and where there is sadness, joy.

O Divine Master,
grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console;
to be understood, as to understand;
to be loved, as to love;
for it is in giving that we receive,
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.

Amen.

--St. Francis of Assisi (1181-1226)

October 12, 2009

Here is today's prayer:

Prayer of St. Richard of Chichester

Thanks be to thee, my Lord Jesus Christ,
For all the benefits thou hast won for me,
For all the pains and insults thou hast borne for me.

O most merciful Redeemer, Friend, and Brother,
May I know thee more clearly,
Love thee more dearly,
And follow thee more nearly:
For ever and ever.

--St. Richard Chichester (1197-1253)

October 11, 2009

Here is today's prayer:

The Act of Contrition

O my God,
I am heartily sorry for
Having offended Thee,
And I detest all my sins,
Because I dread the loss of heaven,
And the pains of hell;
But most of all because
They offend Thee, my God,
Who are all good and
Deserving of all my love.
I firmly resolve,
With the help of Thy grace
To confess my sins,
To do penance
And to amend my life.

Amen.

--Reverend James Gibbons (1884)

October 10, 2009

Here is today's prayer:

Lord, today I have no words to grieve that which grieves you and the world...I have inadequate words to praise and honor you...I have too few words of gratitude...I wrestle to find the words I want to use. Compassion, gratitude, thanksgiving, praise, pity, concern, worry, hunger, thirst, are all words that I might use to describe my situation today. Some of these words are for you...some of these words are about me and you...and some of these words relate to the world I see around me. Holy Spirit, intercede for me this day; speak on my behalf. Draw me close to you, and continue the work of grace that you have begun in me. Do this not for my sake, but for the sake of Him in whose name we pray. Amen.

October 9, 2009

Here is today's prayer:

Holy God, we call on you as provider and sovereign Lord of our lives. We ask that you would place a hedge of protection around us...that you would be with us in our coming and going this day and always. Grant us the courage to live our lives in you and for you. Keep us from going astray in our day to day lives. Let us find our rest, our comfort and our refuge forever in you. We ask these things in Christ's holy and precious name. Amen.

October 8, 2009

Here is today's prayer:

Gracious God, your word teaches us that Paul had learned to be content in all things. Today we ask for that same level of gratitude and contentment in our own lives. Teach us that more is not the answer. Allow us to recognize that gratitude can be had for the little things and the nothings that we have in our lives. Draw us so close to you that we see that our joy and contentment is fulfilled in you alone. We ask this in Christ's name. Amen.

October 7, 2009

Here is today's prayer:

Gracious God, today we pray again for our students and our teachers. Open the hearts of our young ones that they would use the good gifts of their intellects and imaginations for growth and creativity. Empower our teachers with insight and grace. Place a hedge of protection around students and teachers alike. Allow there to be a spirit of peace to rest on our schools. And finally Lord, may even our learning and teaching be to your glory. In Christ's name we pray. Amen.

October 6, 2009

Here is today's prayer:

Holy God, we fear that the devil is trying to get a foothold in our lives by creating doubt...doubt in what you are doing and can do in and through our lives...doubt about what you can and will do in the lives of others...doubt about the vision you have given us. God, let us lean into you this day like never before. Let all of our fears and doubts be washed away in the outpouring of your Holy Spirit into our lives. Let us be freed from this bondage of fear and doubt, that we may continue our paths of joyful obedience and rest easily in you. It is in the holy and precious name of Jesus that we pray. Amen.

October 5, 2009

Here is today's prayer:

Let us not be confused today, O Lord, by our own designs and self-importance. Help us to recognize ourselves as created and you as Creator. With right vision, grant us the gifts and graces necessary to do what you have called us to. May we always remember that our labors are unto you. It is in Christ's name that we pray. Amen.

October 4, 2009

Here is today's prayer:

Holy God, tonight I witnessed another child of yours return to a life in you through your church. It is a blessing to be a part of what you are doing in our midst. I cannot help but be grateful for the discernment, courage, and faith that you placed in the lives of those who communicated your grace to this child of yours. Help us to be ever mindful of those around us. Give us your eyes to see their hurting and grant to us the gifts and graces to be able to reach out to them with your truth. Take away our fears, that we may never be afraid to extend a simple invitation. In Christ's name we pray. Amen.

October 3, 2009

Here is today's prayer:

Gracious Savior, today we pray for those we know who wrestle with all types of addiction in their lives. We have witnessed our friends and family members in bondage in ways that we sometimes struggle to understand ourselves. What we have witnessed, we wouldn't wish on anyone. What we have seen breaks our hearts as we are sure it must break yours.

Pour out your Holy Spirit into the brokenness of the lives of the addicts that we name before you in our hearts. Draw them to a place of wholeness in you. Eradicate any thought in their mind or desire in their heart that would cause them to act out in their addiction again. Free them from the bondage of addiction with the power that only you have. Fill the holes in their hearts and spirit that only you can fill. Heal them in your grace and permit them to know real joy once again. It is in the holy and precious name of Christ we pray. Amen.

October 2, 2009

Here is today's prayer:

Gracious God, today we pray for the willingness to open ourselves up even more to you. Penetrate our hearts with your words. Pierce us with your love. Tear down the walls that we have erected around us and allow us to be authentic with you and with one another. Empty us of all of those things that stand in the way of our relationship with you and with others. Then fill us with all that is holy and of you, that we may be filled to the point of overflowing and that out of that overflow, we might reach others with your saving grace. In Christ's name we pray. Amen.

October 1, 2009

Here is today's prayer:

Gracious God, today we pray for every person that comes through the doors of our churches. We would ask that you would open their eyes, their ears, and their hearts to the grace and mercy that you have in store for them. We would ask that all distractions are removed from their coming and their going. That they would be prepared and ready to worship you in our midst. We pray that you would prepare a message for them in song, in proclamation and in fellowship. May the prayers offered reach them and penetrate deep into their hearts. May they come into our midst---no your midst---and be forever changed; transformed from broken to whole, grieving to joyful, empty to overflowing. We ask these things in Christ's name. Amen.