Pentecost Year B
Summer Year B - Reflections on the David Story
These prayers written for the summer cycles which includes the amazing stories of David. Written for Evangelical United Church of Christ, 2000. Copyright Katherine Hawker.
Invocation
God of Bathseba, we come yearning for
wisdom to embrace life
despite its tragic complexity.
God of Tamar, we come in search of
strength to endure
the horrific consequences of untamed greed.
God of Michal, we come claiming
courage to name the insults offered even now
that belie your goodness.
God of the Story, meet us today
with living waters abundant
to quench your thirst.
Litany of Confession and Promise
David loved Jonathon
yet he wore the uniform of Jonathon's killer.
David danced for joy in the streets
while Michal bore witness to his drunken excess.
David's power and status grew
as did his scorn of the blind and the lame.
David wanted to build a temple
thus proving his devotion.
David built a legacy of broken lives
thus proving his culpability.
We are David,
mourning the loss of our love and our innocence.
We are David,
guilty of exploiting those entrusted to our care.
We are David,
unexpected hero and unrepentant scoundrel.
We are David,
we belong to God.
Prayer of Dedication
Gather the gifts of our hands and hearts, living Spirit.
Use these gifts to build not monuments to your distant glory,
but testaments to your intimate love. Amen.
Based upon John 6:1-15. Written for Evangelical United Church of Christ, 1997. Copyright Katherine Hawker.
Call to Worship
A young boy's lunch,
Two loaves and a few fish,
Fed the multitude;
Five thousand and more.
Each eating their fill,
Each knowing enugh;
With baskets to share,
Plenty for all.
Insufficiency shared
Is broken and blessed
And scarcity is redeemed,
Now and forever.
Prayers of the People
(each petition is followed by the refrain "Gift of Finest Grain", GIA, or other suitable response)
We come believing in our emptiness,
believing that we will never have enough,
believing that what we have is unworthy.
We come fearful of sharing,
fearful of losing our tenous grip on security,
fearful of touching and knowing the pain of others.
We come overwhelmed by the hunger,
overwhelmed by the suffering of children near and far,
overwhelmed by the endless tales of senseless violence, greed, and death.
We come aching from the weight of the responsibility,
aching from the chilling challenge of knowing our abundance,
aching from the gnawing awareness that we have much to share.
We come clinging to our meager lunches;
bless them, and us.
break them, and us.
share them, and us.