Thank You Prayer

Many folk ask about the "Thank You" prayer frequently used by Sally Peters. It comes from an excellent resource, Worship & Daily Life: A Resource for Worship Planners published by Discipleship Resources. Here it is:

Thank you, God for those who, like you,
repair our homes and our hearts:
for electricians who fix our wiring and restore power lines;
for surgeons who repair blocked arteries and remove tumors;
for plumbers who unclog drains and fix leaking pipes;
for therapists who dispel the demons of our mind.

Thank you, God, for those who, like your Son,
teach and guide us:
for teachers who give our children knowledge;
for saints who have taught us the true meaning of faith;
for professors who have challenged and pushed us to think;
for dads and moms who teach us to be uncommonly wise.

Thank you, God, for those who, like your Word,
enrich our lives in the arts:
for singers whose voices make our hearts soar;
for writers whose written word gives us a new perspective;
for musicians who help us hear God's songs;
for painters whose images give us a new vision.

Thank you, God, for those who, like your Spirit,
work behind the scenes and out of the spotlight:
for secretaries who by their work make our work better;
for janitors who clean up after us;
for medical clerks who keep track of our records;
for cooks who make our meals.

We thank you, God, for all the ways in which
the work we do imitates the work you do.
We pray that in our work we glorify you.
We pray that through our work we may reveal you.
We pray that as we work we may be aware of working with you.

Amen.

Vocation & Call Sermons

Every so often pastors involved with the Centered Life initiative share sermons dealing with vocation and call. Here's a sampling:

I. “Where am I called?” (Luke 2:8-20)
II. “How is God involved in my calling?” (Luke 19:1-10)
III. “Why am I called?” (Acts 4:1-20)

Bob Ericson
Trinity Lutheran Church
Watertown, MN

I. “Living as Found People” (I Timothy 1:12-17 & Luke 15:1-10)
II. “Where is church?”
III. “Living out our callings at. . .” (I Timothy 6:6-19 & Luke 16:19-31)
IV. “What is a centered life?” (II Timothy 1 & Luke 17)

Chris Bellefeuille & Wayne Peterson
St. Barnabas Lutheran Church
Plymouth, MN

“Called Into Daily Life” (John 3:1-5,10 & Mark 1:14-20)

David Whelan
Peace Lutheran Church
Menomonie, WI

“Faith Active in Love” (Galatians 5:13-14 & John 13:1-17)

Mary Kaye Ashley
Como Park Lutheran Church
St. Paul, MN

The companion site to Jack Fortin's lifelong learning course, Living Out Our Callings, also contains some sermonic fodder.

Faith & Work Resources

In response to a request for faith & work resources:

Jack draws many of his illustrations from Laura Nash’s Church on Sunday, Work on Monday; in turn, Nash draws upon Robert Wuthnow’s The Crisis in the Churches.

If you havn’t already seen it, Paul Minus’ Taking Faith to Work would function as a nice small group resource.

Finally, you’ll find two articles, one short (CNN Money) and the other long (Fortune), on “God at Work” linked here: http://www.marcgunther.com/?p=100

God's Stewardship of Time: Stewardship in Families

Luther Seminary's Stewardship in the 21st Century initiative this week picks up a The Clergy Journal article penned by Marilyn Sharpe of The Youth & Family Institute, "God's Stewardship of Time." It looks to be a helpful series for our upcoming Connections series on living out our callings at home. Here's a taste:

"Ultimately, though, stewardship is all about time. Time is God's gift of life, measured not in units of minutes, hours, days, and years; but rather measured in opportunities to be present with one another, to love one another as God has first loved us, and to serve one another with time, talent, and treasure."

The careful stewardship of time in the home will provide opportunities to engage the four keys for nurturing faith:
1 - Caring Conversations
2 - Family Devotions
3 - Rituals and Traditions
4 - Family Service

more

Prayers for Podiatrists

Have you ever prayed for plasterers, podiatrists and prepress operators?

Thanks to Mary Kaye Ashley, the folk at Como Park Lutheran Church (St. Paul, MN) have.

Mary Kaye's working through a dictionary of occupational titles, crafting weekly petitions for particular professions. She's currently working through the 'P's. Here's a sampling:

• Mighty & glorious God, we give you thanks for plasterers and all who work to create shelter for us, places to live & work. Help them to feel Your spark of Creation as they make things new. Lord, in your mercy,
• Powerful & loving God, we give you thanks for plumbers and pipe fitters as they go about their work to care for others by bringing clean water & means for sanitation, to serve the health of all people. Help them to know your Spirit as their work touches people they never know. Lord, in your mercy,
• Great & gracious God, we give you thanks for podiatrists, and for all others who give care and treatment to people so they may be the feet of Jesus in our world, healthy and strong. Lord, in your mercy,
• Mighty & merciful God, we remember today police officers, detectives and special agents. May all who protect and serve seek to do so in ways that bring you glory .Protect them as they go about their work. Lord, in your mercy,
• God of direction and detail, thank you for people who do precision assembly. Help them to know that the care they bring to their work makes a significant difference for others in your world. May we all see You in the intricacies of life. Lord, in your mercy,
• Glorious & gentle God, we thank you today for prepress operators. As their work helps us to get accurate information in ways that are well-able to be read, and catch our eyes, may they have a sense of the wonder of your creativity and attention to every detail in our lives. Lord, in your mercy,
• God of nurture and growth, thank you for the persons in our world who teach preschool and care for children. Give them energy and patience, strength and Your wisdom for the work they do to invest in the future of the world. Lord, in your mercy,
• Amazing God, we thank you for those who operate printing presses in our world. May the work they do bring good news to people longing for hope and information. Lord, in your mercy,
• Powerful God, thank you for private detectives and investigators. May they serve people's needs for information and justice in ways that reflect Your concerns for mercy and righteousness in the world. Lord, in your mercy,

Sabbatical Opportunities for Pastors

Two clergy renewal opportunities recently came to our attention:

1) Pastor's Retreat Network
"Retreat centers dedicated to spiritual formation designed for pastors, pastor couples, or ministry teams."

2) National Clergy Renewal Program
Lilly funded grants "to strengthen Christian congregations by providing an opportunity for pastors to step away briefly from the persistent obligations of daily parish life and to engage in a period of renewal and reflection."

Spiritual Disciplines Handbook: Practices That Transform Us

The folk at Trinity Lutheran Church in Eau Claire, WI commend Adele Ahlberg Calhoun's Spiritual Disciplines Handbook as a new Faith Practices resource. Here's the blurb:

"Fasting. Solitude. Contemplative prayer. Lectio divina.Have you heard about these practices and wanted to try them? Have you wandered from one practice to another not sure quite what to do? Are you overwhelmed by all the to-dos of your spiritual life?We have good desires--for a more intimate prayer life, perhaps, or deeper insight from God's Word--but we don't know how to get there. So we give up our pursuit, tired from wandering aimlessly, and end up feeling guilty and more distant from God instead of closer. In the Spiritual Disciplines Handbook Adele Calhoun gives us directions for our journey toward intimacy with Christ. While the word discipline may make us want to run and hide, the author shows how desires and discipline work together to lead us to the transformation we're longing for--the transformation only Christ can bring. Instead of just giving information about spiritual disciplines, this Handbook is full of practical, accessible guidance that helps you actually do them.Mothers, fathers, plumbers, nurses, students--we're all on a journey. And spiritual disciplines are for all of us who desire to know Christ deeply and be like him. Here is direction for our desire, leading us to the ultimate destination: more of Christ himself. "