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“PRAYERS”
“It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of former Rhode Island Conference Minister The Rev. Dr. Daehler Hayes on Friday, Sept. 27, following a brief illness. A public memorial service will be held on Saturday, October 26 at Central Congregational Church, 296 Angell Street, Providence. In the spirit of Daehler’s care and concern for community and outreach, please bring either canned food which will be donated to Camp Street Ministries, and/or some finger food for the reception following the service.”
Central Congregational Church will be hosting a reception following the memorial service on Sat. Oct 26. They are hoping that folks around the conference will want to help with that and will bring finger food to share. So, can you add to your announcements in Sunday bulletins the following?
Thank you so much for your participation.
Pastoral Prayer God of the Mountaintops, from up here you can see forever – down into fluffy white clouds, down further to the patchwork fields below. The air is so crisp and clean, a little thin . . . . Is that part of our giddiness? We love you, Jesus! When we are up here with you, everything is perfect. When we are up here, with a new friend, or a long time love, everything else is so far away it doesn’t matter.
But you are not just up here – You are God of the Plains and God of the Valleys, God of the Every Day. You are still God when loved ones die, friends betray, careers collapse, when temptations’ snares have us struggling, and we feel that we are below the bottom. Help us to realize you were there then and you carry us through, bringing us back to the here and now.
We pray for those who have health issues to be resolved, for those who are aging and no longer able to live on their own, for those who have lost a loved one, for families in turmoil and children estranged from parents, for immigrants who face an uncertain future, for those with a criminal record who cannot find a job, for the three refugee families in Providence who lost their home to fire.
And, O God, reconcile us to you anew each day so that we might know what a fearful and wonderful thing it is to be reconciled to one another. We commend all our prayers to you, knowing that you hear all the joys and concerns of our hearts – even the ones we cannot put into words. Amen.
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