A Prayer for the Church

The following is the prayer we used at Elm Park UMC yesterday for the Collect. I believe it is poignant and powerful.

The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
Let us pray.
Lord God, may we never forget that the church exists in the world, not for its own sake, but for your glory and the service of humanity. Save us as a church people from getting wrapped up in our own affairs and the mundane things that absorb so much of our time and energy. Help us to get our priorities right:

to seek first your kingdom and the hallowing of your name;
to obey our Lord's command to preach the gospel everywhere and to everyone;
to minister for his sake to the poor, the afflicted and the oppressed;
to practice the royal law by loving our neighbor as ourselves.

Give us a new vision of what the church should be, and of your purpose for it, here and in every place, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Yesterday's weight: Unknown | Yesterday's workout: None