Heavenly Father, we are so grateful that we can gather together this morning to learn from the sacred writings and from one another.  We ask for your help in all our endeavors as we pray, saying: Lord, we praise you and we thank you.

We pray for peace and justice for those in this world who are affected by violence, poverty or lack of opportunity.  We pray that those in positions of power may be moved by a sense of fairness so that all people everywhere may share in the bounty of your good earth.  Lord, we praise you and we thank you.

In the Anglican cycle of prayer, we give thanks for the Church in the Province of the West Indies.  In the Diocese of Maryland, we lift in prayer the ministries of Emmanuel, Cumberland; Epiphany, Odenton; and Epiphany, Dulaney Valley.  We give thanks for all who are new or visiting with us today and pray that they find the fellowship and love that Christ Church offers.  Lord, we praise you and we thank you.

As the lesson for today tells us, learning scripture helps to equip us for doing good work.  We give thanks for all who serve in different aspects of Biblical education and Christian formation within our parish, especially those who volunteer their time to guide the young people of Christ Church.  We raise up in prayer the youth and their leaders on their trip to the Howard County Conservancy this afternoon.  We also give thanks for the participants in our ministry to Springfield Hospital and for their many years of monthly trips to provide companionship and caring to the patients at the hospital.  Lord, we praise you and we thank you.

We pray for comfort and courage for all who are ill or experiencing other difficulties.  We remember those who have died.  We give thanks for their lives among us on earth and for the day we will join them in everlasting life.  We give thanks for the joy occasioned by the birthdays, wedding and baptism anniversaries and other milestones celebrated by members of our congregation this coming week, especially.  Lord, we praise you and we thank you.

As we prepare for next Sunday’s Annual Meeting, we pray for your help in discerning how we each can contribute to the good work of Christ Church in the year ahead.  May we share with others that which we have been given in such abundance by your grace and goodness. And may we remember always to praise you and to thank you.  Amen.

O Lord God, Jesus constantly reminds us that we must look beyond ourselves and beyond people like us to experience the full embrace of love.  On this Service Sunday, we are humbly reminded of those in need in the world around us, and of your call to us to serve them in His Name.  Thank you for those in our parish who work with a resource center and library in a village in Uganda, who help provide people homes through Dreambuilders, who work to provide food and comfort to our homeless neighbors at the Route 1 day shelter only a few miles away from here.  Saying together, we pray: Oh, Lord, surround us with your grace.

Help us in the Anglican Communion around the world, as well as here in our own Christ Church, to stretch beyond the known and the comfortable.  Today, in the Anglican Cycle of Prayer, we pray for the Province of West Africa and in our own  Diocese; for Copley Parish, Gunpowder; Emmanuel, Baltimore and Emmanuel, Bel Air and we welcome our visitors and those new to our congregation.  Saying together, we pray: Oh, Lord, surround us with your grace.

Lord, so often we take your gifts of healing for granted.  Help us to be like the Samaritan in today’s Gospel, to turn from our busy lives, remembering to give you thanks and praise for all you do for us.  We lift in prayer those among us and those dear to us in need of healing.  We pray for those we love who have died and for those who mourn for them.  Saying together, we pray: Oh, Lord, surround us with your grace.

“Shout for joy to God, all the earth!”  So begins the psalm for today, and so we, too, shout with joy for the occasions in our lives that make us glad, especially for the birthdays, baptismal anniversaries and wedding anniversaries.  Thanking you for these days, and saying together, we pray: Oh, Lord, surround us with your grace.

Lord, in his letter to Timothy, Paul repeats a saying, apparently well-known in his time: “If we have died with him, we will also live with him; if we endure, we will also reign with him”.  Grant us grace that we, too, may know these words deeply in our own time.  Amen.

Lord Jesus, God with us, the words You spoke to Your disciples, when You walked upon this earth, teach us daily on our individual journeys as we walk and sometimes as we stumble along the path. You send us out into a world in need each day and You call us to do the work you set before us with a humble spirit and a grateful heart. We, who are so blessed with abundance, sometimes struggle with a spirit of scarcity. You teach us with the tiny mustard seed that there is greater abundance of spirit than we could ever dream of within just a single seed of faith. We pray together this morning, in faith: Lord God, with a grateful heart we give our thanks.

We give thanks for and we welcome all who are new to us or are visiting with us this morning. We pray together that the seed of love you have planted in the hearts of each of your children in this world will bring peace and security upon this earth for all people. We pray especially, within the Anglican Communion, for the Church of Wales and within our own Diocese, for Christ Church, Rocky Spring, Christ Church, West River and Christ The King, Woodlawn. We give thanks for our Bishops, Eugene and John; for our clergy, Richard and Gina, and we lift up those of our parish family attending the annual retreat. We pray: Lord God, with a grateful heart we give our thanks.

Your compassion and Your loving care carries us throughout our days. We pray this morning for all who are in need of care and healing of any kind; who suffer in mind or body or spirit. We pray for those who have died. Carry them home safely, Lord, into your loving and eternal arms. Watch over and bring comfort and healing to those who grieve their loss. We pray; Lord God, with a grateful heart we give our thanks.

You shower our lives with the gift of joyful celebrations. We give thanks this morning for birthdays, baptismal anniversaries and wedding anniversaries. We pray; Lord God, with a grateful heart we give our thanks.

Eternal God, you plant the tiny mustard seed of faith within each one of us. May our hearts nourish it lovingly, and our lives provide a fertile ground to root that seed and grow it for your purpose in this world that we might be so blessed, in all humility, to serve you well. Amen.

As Timothy instructed those he was teaching, we today turn to God with supplications, prayers, intercessions and thanksgivings for the many joys and concerns in our lives. We pray to our Lord Jesus Christ, the one mediator between God and Humankind, saying Lord, hear our prayer.

We pray for World leaders, and all those who are tasked with making decisions on the behalf of others. Help all leaders to put the welfare of others above their own wants, and guide us as we make decisions that affect those around us. We pray to the Lord: Lord, Hear Our Prayer

Support us as a Church family as we gather to hear the Word of the Lord and celebrate in community. We welcome and give thanks for our new Assistant Rector, Gina. We pray for all those who minister at Christ Church, especially our Sunday School students and teachers, past and present, whom we honor today. In the Anglican Cycle of Prayer we
pray for the Church of the Province of Uganda. In the Diocese of Maryland we pray for Ascension, Westminster; Ascension, Middle River; and the Cathedral of the Incarnation, Baltimore. Be with us as we work together to do your will on Earth. We pray to the Lord: Lord, Hear Our Prayer

Be with us when we find ourselves in difficult situations that we cannot handle alone, or are asked to help others in their time of need. We pray for those who cannot find shelter or are in need of food, medicine, or other physical necessities. We pray for those who are sick in mind, body, or spirit, and in need of your comfort. May all who are suffering find comfort in Your love and the love of friend and neighbor. We pray to the Lord: Lord, Hear Our Prayer

Grieve with us as we pray for all the departed. Comfort those who mourn today. We pray to the Lord: Lord, Hear Our Prayer

Rejoice with us as we recognize those who have celebrations of joy and happiness, including birthdays, wedding and baptismal anniversaries. May we always be thankful for the blessings in our lives. We pray to the Lord: Lord, Hear Our
Prayer

Heavenly Father, you gave us the gift of Your Son, whose teachings we use to lead us through our lives. Be with us in our times of celebration, and our times of anxiety, as we continue our journey towards everlasting life with you. Amen

Oh Lord, as we stand before you on this Labor Day weekend, the symbolic dividing line between the end of one secular season and the beginning of another, we pause to take stock of the season behind and the season ahead.  Only you fully know our hopes, fears, dreams, and disappointments as we say in the words of the psalmist “Oh Lord, you search me and you know me.”

Thank you, Lord, for the values of labor, whether as a child, a student, a parent, a volunteer, whether in or out of the paid workforce, by our choice or not of our own making.  Thank you for setting us at tasks that challenge and fulfill us.  Help all those seeking work to find what they need.  We ask your help in discerning the ways by which our labor can better your world, as we acknowledge:

“Oh Lord, you search me and you know me.”

As Paul worked with Timothy, Onesimus, and the other early Christians to build your Church, may we follow in their examples, in our own time, in our own labors.  In our tradition, we give thanks for the Church around the world, today remembering the Episcopal Church of the Sudan.  In our Diocese of Maryland, we give thanks for the work done in your Name in Advent, Baltimore; All Hallows’, South River; and All Saints’, Reisterstown.  Here in our own Christ Church, giving thanks for all who labor in your Name, and asking your blessing and guidance on our new assistant rector, Gina, we acknowledge: “Oh Lord, you search me and you know me.”

We rejoice in this community of Christians, giving thanks together in our times of joy – our birthdays, baptismal anniversaries, and wedding anniversaries that are celebrated this week.  We welcome everyone here today who is new or visiting.  We lift up those who are ill or especially need our prayers..  We pray for those who have died..  In recognition that only You know all that’s in our hearts and on our minds, we acknowledge: “Oh Lord, you search me and you know me.”

Oh Lord, as the people listening to Jesus in today’s Gospel struggled with what it meant to be His disciple, so we also labor for understanding.  Help us embrace the comfort of knowing that we are as clay in God the potter’s hands, able to be vessels that seem good to Him, ready to labor in His service.  Thank you for your unending and unshakeable presence in our lives, as expressed in today’s psalm: “I come to the end – I am still with you.”  Amen.

Knowing that we are never alone; that Almighty God walks beside us every step, we lift up our prayers and allow God to carry our burdens, saying: Lord, have mercy.

For the ability to put our trust in God, that we may find refuge and bring security to others. For Christians everywhere, and for those who do not yet know His name. We pray for Christ Church and all who are new or visiting today. We give thanks for this Diocese and for the ministry of St. Thomas’, Hancock and Nativity, Cedarcroft. In the Anglican Cycle of Prayer we give thanks for Iglesia Anglicana del Cono Sur de America. Let us pray to the Lord. Lord, have mercy.

We thank you, God, for your gifts, your strength, and your guidance, especially when we are most in need. We give thanks for all those celebrating the anniversary of a birth, baptism, or wedding this week. Let us pray to the Lord. Lord, have mercy.

For those whose worldly possessions has caused them to have turned from their faith, that they may hear the call to do God’s work; and for those who have nothing, yet their faith is abundant, that they may inherit the Earth. We pray for the hungry, the homeless, the unemployed, those who are sick, and those who sorrow. Let us pray to the Lord. Lord, have mercy.

We give thanks to our Lord for His Salvation and grace that extends beyond this Earthly world. We rejoice in the promise of everlasting life as we pray for all those that have gone before us. Let us pray to the Lord. Lord, have mercy.

Almighty God, accept our prayers and help us to recognize our own temptations, that we may allow you to guide us and better serve you on the path of righteousness. We ask this in the name of Your Son, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Savior, Jesus, your love walked into the Temple on the Sabbath and your heart responded to the years of suffering housed in a crippled soul.  Her need was greater for you, at that moment in time, than all the protocols of the Sabbath.  Without one plea from her poor and broken spirit, You recognized her need and you healed her.  Your love and your mercy echoes through the generations and you teach us through all ages that the heart of worship is selfless love. Lord, Christ, we rejoice that our lives are in your hands.  We give you thanks and we each pray: Lord, let your love live through me today.

As we leave this worship place today, may we live into your call to be your heart, your hands and your feet in this world; a love that brings peace, strength and hope.  May we learn each day that in this sometimes weary land, You are always enough. We each pray: Lord, let your love live through me today.

We thank you for the blessing of our brothers and sisters in the Anglican Church of Southern Africa and in our Diocese we pray for St. Mark’s On The Hill, Pikesville, St. Peter’s, Ellicott City and St. George’s, Mt. Savage.  We give thanks for our Bishops Eugene and John and for our Rector Richard, and for our staff; Maggie, Jenifer, Linda, Cynthia, HouFei and Elizabeth and for our Wardens, Ellen and Rick.  We lift up all of those hearts at Christ Church who are filled with your love and selflessly give of themselves in your name. We each pray: Lord, let your love live through me today.

We pray for your mercy and for your love; for the hands and hearts that will carry peace to the broken, hope to those hungry or lost and strength to suffering souls. In our own congregation we pray for those who suffer in mind, body or spirit and for those who care for them, especially.  We each pray; Lord, let your love live through me today.

We pray for those souls who have departed this life. Welcome them home, we pray, Lord, into your loving arms and the peace and joy of your eternal kingdom.  Comfort their families and all who grieve and suffer loss this day.  We each pray, Lord, let your love live through me today.

We rejoice with our Church family for those visiting with us today, and we give thanks for occasions of joy in our lives as we celebrate birthdays, baptismal anniversaries and wedding anniversaries.  We each pray: Lord, let your love live through me today.

Lord Christ, your love reaches out through the ages. You call to us and teach us through your Word this day and so we give thanks for all who hear your call and carry it into our world.  We seek the gifts of humility and selflessness to faithfully carry that love in our own lives, We pray; Lord, live in and through me. Amen

Heavenly Father, Your word tells us that Abraham lived his faith while staying in the temporary shelter of a tent, anticipating life in a home with a true foundation.  We pray that we also find faith in the one true foundation as we live through uncertain but temporary times.  For this we pray, saying: Lord, hear our prayer and guide us.

We pray for the will and the courage to do good, to seek justice for all and to help to rescue the oppressed, particularly those affected by violence, poverty and disasters.  We pray for those in positions of power throughout this world that they may make decisions to bring peace and hope to those who suffer.  We pray, saying: Lord, hear our prayer and guide us.

In the Anglican cycle of prayer, we lift up the Church of the Province of South East Asia.  We give thanks for the Diocese of Maryland, for our Bishops Eugene and John, and for those in other leadership positions, past and present, within our Diocese. We give thanks for the opportunity to come together at Christ Church, for Richard our Rector, and for all who worship here today, including those who are new or visiting.  May we learn how to serve the Church by the examples set by others.  We pray saying: Lord, hear our prayer and guide us.

We ask for comfort for those who are ill in body, mind or spirit, and those you now name, and for faith and wisdom for those who care for the ill.  For this, we pray saying: Lord, hear our prayer and guide us.

We remember those who have died and entered eternal life.  May we also look forward to entering your heavenly country.  We pray saying: Lord, hear our prayer and guide us.

We give thanks for the joy of those in our congregation who celebrate anniversaries of their wedding, birth, baptism or other occasions.  May we always be conscious of these blessings and show our gratitude for all that we have.  We pray saying: Lord, hear our prayer and guide us.

As we look to the week ahead, we pray that we will honor You with thanksgiving.  We pray that we will remember our love for You and that we will show that love through acts of kindness to others.  And we pray that that we will abandon our fears and replace them with faith in Your mercy.  For this pray in Jesus’ name.  Amen.

Scripture reminds us to not only hear the Word of the Lord but also to listen to the teaching of our God. As we prepare for the coming week, help us to remember that through faith, we increase our understanding and hear God’s call more clearly. We ask for God’s grace, saying: Lord, help us to grow in faith.

As we travel, work, and play during these remaining summer days, let us recall every day all the ways, large and small, that God reveals himself, saying: Lord, help us to grow in faith.

We pray that God’s Holy Spirit will guide those in power that they may strive to do that which is good, seek justice, and bring comfort to the suffering, saying: Lord, help us to grow in faith.

In the Anglican cycle of prayer, we give thanks for the Scottish Episcopal Church. In the Diocese of Maryland, we pray for St. Mary’s Emmorton and St. Margaret’s, Annapolis. We give thanks for the preaching and teaching of God’s Word at Christ Church for almost three centuries. We give thanks for all of our opportunities to practice faith in action, for our Rector, and for all who worship here today, including those who are new or visiting, saying: Lord, help us to grow in faith.

We lift up in prayer those who are ill in mind, body, or spirit and those caring for them. May we all find strength and comfort through God’s Holy Spirit, saying: Lord, help us to grow in faith. God has prepared a place for all of those who die in faith. We remember those who have entered God’s Holy City. May they rest in peace and may God’s love comfort those who grieve, saying: Lord, help us to grow in faith.

We rejoice with those in our congregation who are celebrating anniversaries of their wedding, birth, baptism or other joyous occasions. We give thanks for these times of shared memories, love, and laughter, saying: Lord, help us to grow in faith.

We pray that as we depart today, you will help us to hear You and to really listen amid the clamor and busyness of our daily lives, that we may live our faith according to your will. Amen.