Loving Father, all the fancy words in the world, expressed in eloquent prose, decorated with emotion, spoken with conviction, cannot compete with a heartfelt ‘sorry’ when all other words fail. There are times when we are all too aware of our limitations, conscious of sin, and the distance it creates between us. Sometimes ‘sorry’ is […]
O Lord, who hast mercy upon all, take away from me my sins, and mercifully kindle in me the fire of thy Holy Spirit. Take away from me the heart of stone, and give me a heart of flesh, a heart to love and adore Thee, a heart to delight in Thee, to follow and […]
Forgive those things we have done which have caused you sadness, and those things we should have done that would have brought you joy. In both we have failed ourselves, and you. Bring us back to that place where our journey began, when we said that we would follow the way that you first trod. […]
Lord, grant us simplicity of faith and a generosity of service that gives without counting cost. A life overflowing with Grace poured out from the One who gave everything, that we might show the power of love to a broken world, and share the truth from a living Word. Lord, grant us simplicity of faith, […]
Lord, we would grow with you New shoots reaching out Hands stretched upward Like leaves newly formed Soaking up your light and warmth Lord, we would grow with you Lord, we would grow with you In sunshine and rain In darkness and light In cold days and summer days From Springtime to Winter Lord, we […]
I prayed “Please Lord, my life is a mess, let your love flow through me and bring healing.” And like a river cool refreshing water you flowed through me. Not as a gentle stream, a rivulet of hope, but a torrent, sweeping debris away. All those broken branches, rust-encrusted items, and accumulated debris, which were […]
There’s a number of reasons we use the lectionary throughout the year at the Branch. One reason is that it allows us to join with hundreds of thousands of other Christians around the world who are also using the lectionary. Reading the same passages at the same time reminds us that we are part of something much, much […]
Your forgiveness is total, no notebook, tape recorder, or post-it note to remind you of that moment when.…….. You take our confession, offered with hands outstretched, and gently, like the loving heavenly Father that you are, put it to one side to be forgotten. No grudges, no itching for judgement, no resentment or ill-will. Not […]
O Lord, The house of my soul is narrow; enlarge it that you may enter in. It is ruinous, O repair it! It displeases Your sight. I confess it, I know. But who shall cleanse it, to whom shall I cry but to you? Cleanse me from my secret faults, O Lord, and spare Your […]
Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of injustice, to undo the thongs of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke? Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, […]
You were a man of suffering acquainted with grief, loved and despised in equal measure. You understand humanity, know our failings, love us despite the people that we are. When we, like Peter, deny you by word or action, forgive us. When we, like Judas, are tempted to follow a different path, forgive us. When […]
O Lord and Master of my life, take from me the spirit of sloth, despondency, lust of power, and idle talk; But grant rather the spirit of chastity, humility, patience, and love to thy servant. Yea, O Lord and King, grant me to see my own transgressions, and not to judge my brother; for blessed […]
You chose a people for your own, to lavish love upon, raise up prophets, priests and kings, to be the nation through which the Messiah would be revealed to the world, and through whom your kingdom would come. You chose this people gathered here to be your children, loved and blessed, forgiven through the one […]
It is customary, Lord to give something up during the season of Lent. What would you have me do without? I who have so much. Chocolate? Cream cakes? Cigarettes? Sweets? Swearing? The list is endless and I could give up all those things for the span of 40 days quite easily and almost painlessly. But […]
Jesus, Lamb of God, when you walked this earth you did not consider heavenly equality, though that was yours to choose, but took the role of servant, and in humility and obedience allowed the rough nails of our sin to be hammered into your flesh for the sake of our salvation. And so it is […]
Lent, which comes from the Germanic word for springtime, is often seen as a time of spiritual spring cleaning: a season in which we take inventory of our lives and lear out those things which hinder our relationship with Jesus Christ and our service to him. For centuries Christians have done this spiritual cleansing through a variety […]
Join us on Wednesday, the 13th, from 7-8pm for a unique evening of music, reflection, Scripture and prayer as we begin the season of Lent together. Childcare birth-PreK provided.
