At St. John’s we believe in the power of prayer. Prayers are an important part of our worship services, all church gatherings, and in our quiet times alone. At both services we share the ‘joys and concerns’ of our congregation in prayer. You are always welcome to share your prayer requests (private or public) with our pastors, or in our book of ‘joys and concerns’ in the front of the sanctuary near the lectern (by the door to the pastor’s study) which are read by the pastor as part of our Sunday morning prayers during worship services.
There is a small group of folks who minister quietly behind the scenes, praying for St. John’s members and friends, neighbors in the Lansdale community, and people around the world. When a prayer request is received in the church office, Lisa calls the first person in the prayer chain group, then each member notifies the next person in the group. No in-person meetings are required, so you may participate from home. Won’t you consider joining this important ministry? If you are interested or would like to learn more about the Prayer Chain Ministry, please contact Karen Filson at 215-603-1991 or kkfilson@yahoo.com.
A Prayer (Rev. Dr. Barbara Kershner Daniel) (Rev. Daniel is pastor of Evangelical Reformed UCC in Frederick, Md. & was a Student Pastor at St. John’s in the summer of 1982.)
“God, we know that you are with us at all times and places. Be with those who are suffering from this disease. Be with the family and friends of those who are sick or who have died. As they worry and grieve, give them peace. Be with all the health care professionals, those working in long-term care facilities, our first responders. May they know your protection and peace. Be with our children and youth as they and their teachers who are accompanying the many new ways of learning. Be with their parents who are juggling work with their children at home.
Be with all of us as we seek to be good neighbors to one another, paying attention to what each one of us can do to stop the spread, and to care for one another.
Give us strength and courage during the uncertainty of these days. Amen.”
“But those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.” (Isaiah 40:31)
There is a Daily Devotional with a daily prayer in the blue section at the bottom right of the home page of our website, updated each day by the United Church of Christ. Click here to read today’s Daily Devotional AND an archive of past Daily Devotionals on the UCC website.
There are many variations of The Lord’s Prayer spoken in churches around the world. These are the words of The Lord’s Prayer we pray each week at St. John’s:
The Lord’s Prayer: 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 debts as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever. Amen
At our Sunday 10:15 am service we recite The Lord’s Prayer at the end of the Children’s Message, to help the children as well as all gathered memorize and regularly recite this prayer that Jesus taught us to pray. We also include it in our Wednesday Night Live service each week, and at the end our our monthly church council meetings, our council members gather together and hold hands and recite The Lord’s Prayer, as well as reciting it at all special worship gatherings.
Prayer Vigil Each year St. John’s holds a Prayer Vigil from noon on Maundy Thursday to noon on Good Friday. Volunteers sign up to silently pray for one full hour on that day. You are encouraged to be in St. John’s sanctuary during your prayer time but can choose to pray from wherever you need to be at your selected hour. The sign up sheet is displayed in the sanctuary in the weeks leading to Maundy Thursday.
The following prayer comes from the website of Church World Service:
Dearest Lord, teach me to be generous, teach me to serve you as I should,
to give and not to count the cost, to fight and not to heed the wounds,
to toil and not to seek for rest, to labor and ask not for reward,
save that of knowing that I do your most holy will.
St. Ignatius Loyola – 16th century