{"id":21736,"date":"2020-03-14T00:24:31","date_gmt":"2020-03-14T05:24:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.globalministries.org\/resource\/pray_with_germany_sunday_may_3_2020\/"},"modified":"2021-05-10T13:05:38","modified_gmt":"2021-05-10T18:05:38","slug":"pray_with_germany_sunday_may_3_2020","status":"publish","type":"resource","link":"https:\/\/www.globalministries.org\/resource\/pray_with_germany_sunday_may_3_2020\/","title":{"rendered":"Pray with Germany, Sunday, May 3, 2020"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"germany_1.jpg\"Lectionary Selection:\u00a0<\/strong> Luke 4:14-21<\/p>\n

Prayers for <\/strong>Germany:\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

God of Mercy, Ground of Being,
when your child Jesus was afraid, knowing the horror that lay in store for him;
when he was humiliated and tortured;
when his friends deserted him;
when he writhed in anguish on a cross designed for a criminal;
when, no longer able to hold himself up, he suffocated and died \u2013
I believe you were with him \u2013 you suffered his fear, his loneliness, his agonizing hours.<\/p>\n

I believe you are suffering with your children on this frail planet earth today.
Jesus died at the hands of Rome for proclaiming the kingdom of heaven on earth.
Ignoring the kingdom of heaven, we have built tiny kingdoms of our own with little
regard for your creation.<\/p>\n

In this time of isolation, illness, and fear for the future, help us to remember our brother Jesus and his time of trial and 40 days of fasting and isolation in the wilderness; how he had to confront moral choices not unlike our own \u2013 the desire for comfort, power and recognition plague us. When slowly we come out of our isolation, our fast of human contact, help us to not forget we are just one of your unnumbered creations. Let us not forget this wilderness time. Help us to be more worthy citizens of our mother earth.<\/p>\n

AMEN<\/p>\n

\"germany_2.jpg\"<\/p>\n

Mission Stewardship Moment from <\/strong>Germany<\/strong>:<\/strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Friends, there is little new to report since last month. We here are among the 100 countries worldwide that are on some form of \u201clockdown.\u201d During this month, I had hoped to clean out the closets, finish a book I\u2019m translating, and read through the pile of books that has been waiting for me for a very long time.<\/p>\n

Instead, I have been learning to keep our congregation together through online media. This is a humbling experience, frustrating and yet ultimately rewarding. Instead of sanctuary worship and dinner church once a month, we are worshipping weekly at 11:00am Central Europe time and also having our ongoing discussion group on Thursday evenings. It has been a blessing for all of us, and while I still struggle with the nuts and bolts of the technical bits, I am grateful that we can and do worship together, stay in touch with each other and remain a congregation. We chose an interactive platform so that we could see each other\u2019s faces, which lets others take part in the service by reading scripture and sharing prayers and concerns. We stay afterward for \u201cvirtual\u201d coffee hour.<\/p>\n

\"germany_3.jpg\"I know that many congregations are doing much of the same. Computer technology will always be a deep mystery for me and, that said, I am grateful for the folks who work to make this technology useable for folks like me. I\u2019m sure I am not alone!<\/p>\n

Yesterday I was able to capture a bit of spring in a nearby park: a lilac bush heavy with clusters of fragrance, and a tree trying on its new leaves. Also a selfie in front of a picture I took in Galuzzo, near Florence, Italy.<\/p>\n

Prayer and Mission Moment by Rosalind Gnatt<\/em><\/p>\n

Mission Partners in <\/strong>Germany<\/strong>:<\/a><\/p>\n

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