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