Author Archive: Craig

Prayer of the People, 6 Nov 2020

November 9, 2020 0 Comments

Heavenly Father, 

Unless you had come to our side, we would have stood alone in the dark. But you came to our rescue; you delivered us from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of Your Son, whom you love. You have shown the brilliant light of the Gospel into our hearts and minds. Thank you! Now your Spirit unites our voices in praise and our hopes together in the promise of eternal communion with you — the communion of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

For some of us, life is going well but we worry about the future. For others of us, life seems like a struggle and we worry about today. Some of us Lord, are haunted by memories of the past so accusations pierce the thin armour provided by time to disrupt our day and our most noble  dreams. Help us Lord! Let us live by your truth and grace. Cover us and heal us. Sanctify us for your purposes and fill us with the joy of your salvation again.

Lord anxiety is weighing heavy among us. Bind it up and cast it away even as we come to Jesus as little children. We are too easily frozen or driven by our fears. So we come to abide with you. Form in us the steady trust in you that characterized Jesus’ life.

Lord we lift up to you students at the University of Kabul in Afghanistan who suffered through a terrible attack this week. Comfort the families and friends of those whose lives were so violently taken from them. Bring healing to the wounded and to those traumatized by the surge of fear and violence. Oh Lord Jesus bring your peace that they may take up their studies and enter into the knowledge of their Creator. May they become peacemakers who reap a harvest of righteousness. 

We lift up to your our neighbours who are weathering uncertainty in their finances, in their health, in their politics, and in their work. May your church Lord be a beacon, a city on a hill, and a taste of our kinship before your Throne and at your Table. So we pray Lord as you taught us:

(Please join me in the Lord’s Prayer.)


Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one;
for yours is the kingdom,
and the power, and the glory, 
forever. 
Amen.

This Prayer of the People was part of the Origin Church Weekend Broadcast on 6 Nov 2020.

Prayer

Prayer of the People, 1 Nov 2020

November 2, 2020 0 Comments

Heavenly Father,

Thank you for the grace that has brought us into your communion— the communion of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Our hearts sing out to you in celebration of the promise Jesus has secured for us. We can be at home with you now and forevermore. Thank you!

May all creation sing your praise and may every nation and people be a witness to your grace and your righteousness. Our Hope is in you Lord.

The hope of the resurrection secured by the death , burial and resurrection of Jesus has formed our communion together. Come Holy Spirit! May your holiness grow in us so that the character of Jesus radiates in all we do and say.

Oh Father encourage the students living in the UBC campus community. Provide for their needs and open their hearts to your wisdom and beauty.

We lift up to you the people of France. we pray that would comfort and heal. We pray that your Son Jesus Christ who suffered for the sins of all would prevail against enmity, envy, and hate. May your Kingdom come!

(Please join me in the Lord’s Prayer.)


Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one;
for yours is the kingdom,
and the power, and the glory, 
forever. 
Amen.

This Prayer of the People was part of the Origin Church Weekend Broadcast on 28 October 2020.

Prayer

What if my neighbour could be president?

October 28, 2020 0 Comments

What if my neighbour could be president?

I think I would like to vote for my neighbour.

Jesus commended being a neighbour. In fact Jesus seems to think more of being a neighbour than being a president, especially if one’s vision of greatness is lording it over other people.

I think my neighbour might be a good president, especially since she doesn’t want to be president. But, she acts like a president all the time; well if by that you mean she acts like a neighbour. She’s always organizing people to meet the needs of the day and when they can’t be organized or won’t be organized, she still finds a way to get it done. She’s quite the strategist too, thinking about the future, making adjustments so humans flourish. I would vote for her.

Jesus said the greatest commandment was to love God and that the second (commandment) was like it: to love your neighbour as yourself. When asked about loving the neighbour, Jesus promoted being the neighbour who loves. Seems like we should be voting for neighbours.

One of the things I’ve noticed about great neighbours, is that they tend to love those closest to them even when they are far from home. Love starts at home, maybe leading does too.

I think my neighbour could be a good president. I’d vote for him because he’s pretty keyed up about making our community a place where you would never want to sacrifice your children in order to live here, or even survive here. He doesn’t have a lot of catchy sayings, but he does seem to tell the truth… thoughtfully. In fact, he’s always thinking about how to make this a place where the next generation could thrive.

I have another neighbour who could be president. Maybe I should vote for him. I could write him in. He has a good fence, but he’s always leaning over it to say hello. He would be appalled to condone death by drone. Over the years he’s built unlikely friendships by serving behind the scenes over and over and over. I’d vote for him in a heartbeat.

What’s wrong with voting for a neighbour? What if the most powerful elected official in the country was going to be your neighbour? That would make you pause wouldn’t it?

And then there’s my neighbour who cares about air, soil, and water — and by doing so she really cares for people. She would make an excellent president. She’s so glad for people to work and she knows the priceless value of habitats. Why can’t we have presidents who know the power of “and.” You and me. Me and you. You and me and the stuff of earth.

What if choosing leaders as if they were going to be my neighbour might actually help me vote?

I think I’d like to vote for my neighbour. What about you?

#voteforyourneighbour

Note: No neighbours have paid for this endorsement, nor have any candidates for the office of president reached out to me. Most of my neighbours are Canadian, so they can’t be president. But, I sure have enjoyed thinking about my neighbours being the president if I voted for them!

Leadership, Society

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Prayer of the People, 23 October 2020

October 26, 2020 0 Comments

Heavenly Father,

You speak the words that awaken us to you. You speak the words that convince us of your love. Your words are always true! You have spoken through your Son, revealing your purposes, so we are delighted with Him, the crucified Word existing with you before the Creation of the World. Thank you for bringing us into your communion — the communion of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

Oh that we would not let your words just fall to the ground neglected by us. Instead, let them fall deep into our hearts. We believe You are always sowing the good seed of your word into our lives, even the messy parts. And that’s where we pray you would cause the abundance of your everlasting life to emerge. We open our minds, hearts, and souls to you that you might orchestrate a new creation in us together as your people.

Even as we are full of your Word, may we also be full of your Spirit. Grant new songs to us and may the musician play and the singers sing, with sincerity and power. May thanksgiving and hope prevail over meagerness and despair. May new songs emerge from the revelation of your Word prevailing in our lives as a testimony of your character.

We long for your character to be evident in our leaders and our homes. We lift up to you the elections in British Columbia and in the United States. We join our voices with the cries of people in Nigeria, Xinjiang, Thailand, Chicago, Toronto, and Nova Scotia who yearn for righteousness and justice over oppression and violence. 

May the joy of the Lord be our strength. Strengthen us with your Word, and with the fellowship of your Spirit among us so that we may pray together with faith. We now join ourselves again to the the words of Jesus, who directs us into our concerns and your care.

(Please join me in the Lord’s Prayer.)


Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one;
for yours is the kingdom,
and the power, and the glory, 
forever. 
Amen.

This prayer is part of the Origin Church Weekend Broadcast on 23 October 2020.

Prayer

Prayer of the People, 16 October 2020

October 19, 2020 0 Comments

Prayer of the People, 16 October 2020

Heavenly Father,

Your Word and Your Spirit is establishing a conviction in our hearts that we are known and loved by you. Jesus Christ, crucified, buried, and raised from the dead stands for us as the testament of your kindness towards us and the promise of life with you now. Thank you for bringing us into your communion — the communion of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

We pray for a life not just mindful of but totally awash with the grace of your presence among us. Enliven us to you O Lord. Even in the midst of our troubles we ask you to fortify us as sojourners in this world by reminding us daily of our citizenship in your kingdom. Your kingdom has no borders and no earthly rulers. We confess, Jesus Christ is Lord.

On this globe crossed with borders, Lord, we see the ambition to dominate others taking hold. We remind ourselves that our battle is not against flesh and blood so grant us wisdom to know right from wrong and the courage to intervene for the weak. Lord we know we are weak and that demonic impulse to kill, steal, and destroy could take root in us through greed and through bitterness. 

We lift up those facing pressure because they seek to live a godly life through Christ Jesus;  Encourage them Lord. We lift up our teachers of the Gospel and your Word who so want to honour you with their lives and their words; Encourage them Lord. We lift up the members of our fellowship who are wavering in their faith because of temptation or became of disappointment; Encourage them Lord.

We lift up to you the students of Thailand, Hong Kong, and Uganda who yearn for freedom. Root them in your truth, and show them how to lead and love well.

Heavenly Father, may our lives with you be one of a long and joyful obedience. We need you so we pray as Jesus teaches us:

(Please join me in the Lord’s Prayer.)


Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one;
for yours is the kingdom,
and the power, and the glory, 
forever. 
Amen.

Church, Prayer