Collects and Prayers - September 27, 2009

Greeting
Leader: With joy in our hearts, we come with thanksgiving
People: For the ways God abundantly feeds us.
Leader: As our forefathers gathered in the desert
People: We gather here to worship God and serve each other
Leader: As the apostles distributed bread and fish to the thousands
People: So too will we feed the hungry.

Collect
Lord, who fed Israel in the wilderness, who fills the hungry with good things, and who feeds the world through the body of Christ, we come to you today as wanderers in a spiritual wasteland, bearing gifts of food and asking you for mercy, that you would bless our offerings to feed your children who hunger for both spiritual and physical nourishment. This we ask in the name of Jesus, our Lord, the bread of life, who with you and the Holy Spirit live and reign forever and ever. Amen.

Prayers of the People
We pray for world leaders, that they may listen to the voices of those who live in poverty, and begin to use their power generously for the good of all.
Lord, in your goodness, hear our prayer.

We pray for those who do not have enough to eat. Help us to recognize that hunger affects not nameless, faceless people, but other human beings: people with families, hopes, and dreams for a better future. Allow us to work hard to bring about positive change in the lives of these people.
Lord, in your goodness, hear our prayer.

We pray for the Church, that it may demonstrate to the world a living, vibrant faith, which seeks to include and share, and speaks out against the scandal of hunger.
Lord, in your goodness, hear our prayer.

We pray for those whose bellies are full, yet they hunger for the bread of understanding.
Lord, in your goodness, hear our prayer.

We pray for those whose broken relationships leaving them longing for compassion.
Lord, in your goodness, hear our prayer.

We give thanks for the miracle of abundance, especially here in this community. As this church faces the daunting tasks of growth and ministry in Brier Creek, may we move from a mindset of scarcity to one of abundance, reaching out to those neighbors whose spirits are starved and trusting in God to multiply our resources like the loaves and fishes.
Lord, in your goodness, hear our prayer.

We give thanks for the generosity of many and for the hands that perform Christ’s miraculous work of feeding. We ask for your blessing upon them, that they may be filled in every way and come to know Christ through loving, generous actions.
Lord, in your goodness, hear our prayer.