May 20, 2020 | Inspired
Leader: I will praise you, Lord, among all the nations.
Psalm 118
Reader 1: I thank you for you answered me; you have been my savior.
Reader 2: The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.
Reading – Acts 17:15, 22-28
Reader 3: Then Paul stood up at the Areopagus and said, “You Athenians, I see that in every respect you are very religious. For as I walked around looking carefully at your shrines, I even discovered an altar inscribed, ‘To an Unknown God.’ What therefore you unknowingly worship, I proclaim to you. The God who made the world and all that is in it, the Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in sanctuaries made by human hands, nor is he served by human hands because he needs anything. Rather it is he who gives to everyone life and breath and everything. He made from one the whole human race to dwell on the entire surface of the earth, and he fixed the ordered seasons and the boundaries of their regions, so that people might seek God, even perhaps grope for him and find him, though indeed he is not far from any one of us.”
Reflection:
Leader: Paul’s sermon at the Areopagus, in ancient Athens, is a powerful example of his oratorical skills and his belief in Jesus Christ. Paul invites his listeners to accept the God of Jesus Christ as the “unknown God” named in their shrine. His words awaken a new faith in many of them and they come to believe in the Christian God, in whom, “we live and move and have our being,” How often our own faith is inspired by the words of others, especially when those words carry the conviction of the speaker. We should be inspired by the conviction of Paul in our own ministry.
Intentional Prayer
Leader: Filled with your Spirit, O God, we pray:
All: Lord, hear our prayer.
Reader 1: For CommonSpirit Health to serve with inspiration to innovate to better serve our communities, we pray:
All: Lord, hear our prayer.
Reader 2: That the word of God bring comfort to those who are ill and those who are lonely, we pray:
All: Lord, hear our prayer.
Reader 3: That the word of God will be our source of hope to all, we pray:
All: Lord, hear our prayer.
All: Personal Petitions:
The Lord’s Prayer
Reader 3: Our Father …
Closing Prayer
Reader 4: You sent us your Eternal Word, O God, in the person of Jesus Christ. Sustain us in your goodness that we might remain faithful to the words the he has given us and come to know the truth of your revelation. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Leader: I will praise you, Lord, among all the nations.
Peace be with you all and have a wonderful week!