A Concord Pastor Comments: Monday Morning Offering: 7/18

Morning Coffee by George Mendoza

Good morning, good God!

In the gospel yesterday you spoke to Martha
who was anxious and worried about many things...

Lord, so many people cross my path
and share with me their worries and anxieties...

- Folks are anxious about keeping a job
or losing a job or finding a job
or finding a second job to make ends meet...

- Others worry about their health
or that of family and friends who are sick...

- Some are anxious about their past,
others about their future
and some about the problems of the day...

- Some worry that they worry too much
about the small things
and some worry that they worry too little
about things that really matter...

- Some folks are anxiously anticipating bad news
that may never arrive
and others worry that good news
will never come their way...

- Some have worries they've carried all their lives
and others are anxious about things
that happened this morning...

- Some are worried about being anxious
and some are anxious about being worried...

- And sometimes I'm the one who's worrying, Lord,
anxious about things over which I'm powerless
or failing to worry enough about things within my grasp...

This morning I lift up, I offer you, Lord,
the restlessness, the worries, the anxieties of us all...

Help us place in your hands
any problems too large for us to carry on our own...

Teach us to trust that you're with us
especially when we worry
that you've forgotten we're here...

Teach us to hope in your word and your promise
when we don't know where to turn,
when we're not sure where the road before us leads...

Help us to let go what we needn't hold on to,
to hold fast to what keeps us close to you...

Remind us, Lord,
that whatever troubles us:
this too shall pass...

Remind us, Lord,
that all shall be well, all shall be well,
that all manner of things shall be well...

Remind us, Lord,
not to worry about tomorrow,
that tomorrow will take care of itself...

Help us, Lord, to keep it in today...

We offer you our worries and anxieties,
our cares, problems and burdens,
and the restlessness of our restless hearts...

Remind us, Lord,
that our hearts are restless until they rest in you...

And give us patience, Lord, with one another:
help us to understand
how great might be the burdens and pain
others hold in their minds and hearts,
in their flesh and bone...

Help us generously carry our neighbors' burdens, Lord,
and help us graciously accept our neighbors' offers
to help in carrying ours...

All this I offer you in prayer, Lord,
this morning, this day and all this week...

Amen.