Adoration

Father, how amazingly great the Trinity is! Father, Son and Spirit – all equally God, all different and yet, one. A loving unity!

God, you are God alone. You alone hold power and glory. And yet, this power and glory doesn’t cause division, but it lives in unity. How many groups of 3 people can live in unity in this fallen world? And how many can love one another in this fallen world? The Father cares about the glory of the Son and the Son willingly submits to the will of the Father! And although the Spirit searches the depths of God, He doesn’t become proud and doesn’t try to lift Himself above the Father or the Son.

How many kings have not fallen at the hand of their sons? How many princes have not fallen at the hand of their brothers? How many friends have not betrayed each other on the way to human glory? How many times have pitiful creatures not used knowledge, so-called knowledge, to lift ourselves above our neighbors?

How amazing is Jesus’ trust, love and obedience towards the Father! In good times, it is easy to love the one next to you. But Jesus loved the Father and submitted himself to the Father in the darkest of moments when there was no way out anymore. In the good times everybody is friends with everybody, we are quick to find fault when times are tough. Jesus, however, didn’t lash out at the Father even when things went really bad.

God, you are truly set apart!

Confession

We confess, Lord, that we fall so very short of this glorious standard. Lord, we fall short of consistently loving our brothers and sisters. We sometimes struggle to relate to our brothers and sisters. We make many mistakes in speaking to one another – sometimes are inconsiderate and sometimes we are too numb. Many times we forget to serve one another and sometimes think of ourselves more highly than of our brothers and sisters.

At times we have been quick to pass judgement on our brothers and sisters. And yes, Lord, we have even fallen into the temptation to not think sufficiently highly of the leaders we have.

Forgive us, Lord, for our rebellion against you and for forgetting your promises and wonderful plan and believing the lies according to which we are better than our neighbors. In stead of being a people for your own possession reflecting the glorious image of the Trinity we have allowed ourselves to believe the lies of the world.

Thanksgiving

Lord, we are grateful that in your great mercy, you forgive us and that you direct our steps to a better place. You are a loving father who puts us back on the right path. You are not out to get us and punish us. But you are out to correct us so we can enjoy your presence abundantly both individually and communally.

We are grateful Lord for your awesome grace that you have put us together in community. It is still a broken community, but your grace overpowers the brokenness and overcomes evil with good.

We are grateful, Lord, that we can meet with one another, people from so many different backgrounds, with so many different gifts in so many different stages of life. We thank you for giving us the Holy Spirit to remind us of your promises and enable us to obey them. We thank you that we have the opportunity to serve one another and love one another both in good times and in difficult times.

And how blessed we are to have brothers and sisters not only in this church, but in other churches as well, both in this country as well as in other countries and to be part of a community of believers that spans history and which, one day, soon enough, will gather together and celebrate with you face to face your great accomplishments.

Supplication

Lord, we pray that we would live with your glorious plan in mind, trusting in your resolve and faithfulness which you displayed at the cross. Help us not believe the lies of the world, but very practically love one another.

Help us show mercy to one another and grace. Help us think how Jesus would have thought. Help us seek each other’s well being and seek ways to serve one another. Help us see your work in our brothers and sisters and our own weaknesses in them. Help us be humble and loving, respecting and forgiving one another.

Lord, glorify your name in Washington DC by bringing to you more and more people. Help your churches love one another and work lovingly with one another. We pray that your people in this city would be captivated by the glorious image of the Trinity and of Jesus and live as free people for your glory and not for sin.

In Jesus’ Name

Amen.