Prayer for Today, Sunday, June 12

Holy and Dynamic Presence,

You are spirit and we seek to worship You in spirit and in truth this Pentecost Sunday. We remember the passion the Holy Spirit engendered at the birth of Christ’s church. We trace the development of that institution and see times when that passion was aflame with love and hope. We also see times when the institution stifled creativity and was oppressive. It is easy for us, O God, to see the faults of ages past. Forgive our shortsightedness, we pray. On this Pentecost Sunday may we be receptive to the “wind and fire” of Your Spirit that moves us into the community, speaking the languages of our culture, and proclaiming Your love that comes to all through Jesus the Christ. It is in His name we pray, AMEN.
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Wear something red to church today. It is Pentecost!

Bettie Linton’s funeral will be 10:00 a.m. on Thursday at Ladusau-Evans Funeral Home. Please pray for Bettie’s family and friends.

Tonight is an ice-cream social in the Fellowship Hall. It starts at 6:00 p.m. Bring some cookies of ice cream. We will have a wonderful time of fellowship.

The scripture for today is Matthew 26:1-5:
When Jesus had finished saying all these things, he said to his disciples, “You know that after two days the Passover is coming, and the Son of Man will be handed over to be crucified.”Then the chief priests and the elders of the people gathered in the palace of the high priest, who was called Caiaphas, and they conspired to arrest Jesus by stealth and kill him. But they said, “Not during the festival, or there may be a riot among the people.”

The Psalm for this week is Psalm 136:1-4, 10-26:
O give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever.
O give thanks to the God of gods, for his steadfast love endures forever.
O give thanks to the Lord of lords, for his steadfast love endures forever;
who alone does great wonders, for his steadfast love endures forever;
who struck Egypt through their firstborn, for his steadfast love endures forever;
and brought Israel out from among them, for his steadfast love endures forever;
with a strong hand and an outstretched arm, for his steadfast love endures forever;
who divided the Red Sea in two, for his steadfast love endures forever;
and made Israel pass through the midst of it, for his steadfast love endures forever;
but overthrew Pharaoh and his army in the Red Sea, for his steadfast love endures forever;
who led his people through the wilderness, for his steadfast love endures forever;
who struck down great kings, for his steadfast love endures forever;
and killed famous kings, for his steadfast love endures forever;
Sihon, king of the Amorites, for his steadfast love endures forever;
and Og, king of Bashan, for his steadfast love endures forever;
and gave their land as a heritage, for his steadfast love endures forever;
a heritage to his servant Israel, for his steadfast love endures forever.
It is he who remembered us in our low estate, for his steadfast love endures forever;
and rescued us from our foes, for his steadfast love endures forever;
who gives food to all flesh, for his steadfast love endures forever.
O give thanks to the God of heaven, for his steadfast love endures forever.

Grace and peace,

John McLemore