Prayer for Today, Sunday, August 28

God of Tender Mercies,

Scripture tells us Your history with humankind has always been one of invitation. You continue to seek us out and invite us into relationship with You. Your will is for us to be in relationship with You as You continually shower us with grace. Please forgive us, Loving God, when we turn away. Forgive us, we pray, when we look only inward and fail to turn into Your embrace. May today be a day of acceptance as we respond to Your love. In Jesus name we pray, AMEN.
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Please pray for Paula Redding’s father, Paul Spratt, who is facing troubling surgery for a bowl obstruction. He is in Bass Hospital.

Dorothy Immel is in Greenbriar Assisted Living Room #98. Please pray for Dorotha as she goes through rehab after surgery to repair her broken leg. I just discovered yesterday that her fracture was a compound fracture, but she is in good spirits.

Two weeks from today is September 11th, the tenth anniversary of the attack. We will host an ecumenical September 11th Prayer Vigil for the community at 7:00 p.m. in the sanctuary. Please put that date and time on your calendar.

Today is Fall Kick-Off. Wear your school colors and stay for the “tailgate” luncheon.

We are entering Week 40 of our daily scripture readings. The scripture for today is Ephesians 1:1-2:
Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, To the saints who are in Ephesus and are faithful in Christ Jesus: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

The Psalm for this week is Psalm 53:
Fools say in their hearts, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, they commit abominable acts; there is no one who does good.
God looks down from heaven on humankind to see if there are any who are wise, who seek after God.
They have all fallen away, they are all alike perverse; there is no one who does good, no, not one.
Have they no knowledge, those evildoers, who eat up my people as they eat bread, and do not call upon God?
There they shall be in great terror, in terror such as has not been. For God will scatter the bones of the ungodly; they will be put to shame, for God has rejected them.
O that deliverance for Israel would come from Zion! When God restores the fortunes of his people, Jacob will rejoice; Israel will be glad.
Grace and peace,

John McLemore