Week of September 3, 2025
Rev. Catherine Nance
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From Jeremiah 18:1-4 ….
The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord: 2 “Come, go down to the potter’s house, and there I will let you hear my words.” 3 So I went down to the potter’s house, and there he was working at his wheel. 4 The vessel he was making of clay was spoiled in the potter’s hand, and he reworked it into another vessel, as seemed good to him.
O God who scooped up mud and formed us in your image, we give you thanks for the breath of life that you have breathed into us. For gardeners and farmers, this is a favorite illustration of you as Creator. Digging in the dirt. Tossing aside rocks, fashioning the damp earth in your hands. Artists resonate with this scene at the potter’s wheel, not being satisfied with the first attempt. Starting over is a sign of your grace as you smooth out imperfections.
As a church body, we pray for those who are hurting around the world. Hunger and war and rescue efforts are things we do not deal with day-to-day. It is easy to dismiss them as another news story. Knowing that we are stopping for a moment to pray turns these ‘headlines’ and news briefs into flesh and blood. These are your children who are hurting, O God, fashioned in your image just as we are. May the breath of your Holy Spirit connect us and give us a sense of unity.
We pause to give you thanks for claiming us as your own. May any insecurities or troubles be smoothed out in knowing that you are at work in us and in those around us. In the middle of this week, we need to feel your Spirit moving through us, reshaping, remolding us to resemble more of you and less of us. As the hymn writer puts it, Fill with thy Spirit till all shall see Christ only, always, living in me!
We offer the prayers on behalf of our church family and feel the unity of love that only your grace can provide.
We pray for ….
- A member and dear friend who is struggling with health issues.
- A member in the hospital and awaiting answers and praying to go home.
- Families who are grieving the death of their father.
- Discernment for a member who is deciding about surgery or waiting for second opinion.
- Those who have been in hospital recently; prayers for strength and healing.
- A member navigating the obstacles of insurance approval for prescription needed.
- Sisters helping their mom make decisions after returning home from rehab.
- Afghanistan and Sudan after the earthquake and mudslide. Lord, in your mercy ….
- Families at Annunciation Catholic Church, Minneapolis MN
We continue to pray for ….
- Safe return of those who traveled to Zimbabwe with Pastor Sam.
- A member who will begin a clinical trial soon for cancer treatment.
- A member who has lost a parent.
- A friend whose cancer has spread.
- Parents seeking guidance in supporting a child.
- Friends who are struggling with personal situations.
- Unnamed requests known by you alone.
We give thanks for ….
- Good news from the oncologist on the last CT scan.
- Minimal side effects from the new anti-cancer drug.
- A grandbaby in NICU who is making progress after an emergency C-section.
We hold these concerns in our hearts, knowing that our prayers are powerful and effective. And we pray as Christ taught us…
Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil, for thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever. Amen.
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