A prayer for worship on our first day in the new building

From Psalm 94

How lovely is Your dwelling place, O Lord of Hosts, Shepherd of Israel. Our hearts have longed to be here before you; our spirits sing for joy in the presence of the Living God!

May all your creatures be welcome in this place: May travelers find rest, may the broken find healing, may all who celebrate find songs of joy, and may the outcast know welcome. How blessed we are to live and work and raise Your family here.

And how blessed are all in whom You live -- whose lives become roads you travel. Our strength is in You; may our hearts be highways to the Living Lord.

For better is one day in Your courts than thousands elsewhere. We would rather hold open the door in Your house than live anywhere -- no matter how grand -- outside the shelter of Your grace, Your mercy, and Your favor. You have withheld no good thing from us.

Our hearts are filled with joy.

Today is the 26th day of our 40 Days of Water Project. 45 of us in the Connections community have committed to make water our only beverage during this period. We're keeping track of what we would have spent on other beverages and will be donating those amounts to help Blood Water Mission hit their goal of installing 1000 clean water wells across Africa.

In addition to helping others, we're also challenging ourselves to stretch and grow through this project as well. Here are some thoughts from one of our students, Learyn von Sprecken, about her experience so far:

"Well let's see the hardest thing to give up would probably have to be milk, but whenever I'm with friends and see them drinking soda that's pretty hard too. I only being able to drink water has made me realize and think about how much harder it must be for people who can't even drink water.

I have mentioned it to most of my friends and I have gotten a variety of responses. Most of my friends have found it to be very amazing that I am only drinking water and that I am doing it for the people of Africa and are very supportive. Only drinking water has not only been a good thing for me to do for other people, but also for myself.

I have never really liked water, one of the things that has made this difficult, and as a result of that I don't think I was drinking enough. Since I have started this I feel like I have become healthier. The most meaningful thing for me is now every time I drink water I start thinking about the parents and children in Africa who can't even get clean water and would love for 40 days to be able to drink clean water and then I think how lucky I am to have fresh clean water. Overall this has not been as bad as I thought it would, and I am definitely glad I chose to participate."

Prayer for worship

Holy, Holy, Holy God, you have created all things and made us in your image. We come before you in wonder and awe.

We pray for places where your earth is exploited or marred, where your creatures are abused or misused. We pray for all who lack freedom or are oppressed. Father, strength of all, hear our prayer.

Jesus, Light and Life of the world, we pray to you for all who walk in darkness. For all who feel beyond hope or are outcasts in our world. Healer, giver of hope to the hopeless, hear our prayer.

Spirit of Holiness, you breathe life into all. We give you thanks for your renewal and refreshment. We pray that we and all your church may reach out in love. We pray for Fred and Shawn and Chad and all our pastors, and for the ministry of all your faithful people. Holy Spirit of God, hear our prayer.

May we be bound together in Unity.
May we be bound together in Love.
May we be bound together with those who walked in faith before us, and may our lives bear witness to those yet to come.

(Adapted from Clouds & Glory A, p. 80-81)