Woodbine United Methodist Church

09/13/2026

09/11/2026

Special prayer in remembrance of September 11th

God of history and memory, we remember. We remember the loss of so many dear and beloved people—whether they were in the towers that collapsed, on the streets, or on the planes. We remember that sense of vulnerability and shock. We remember the numbness that overwhelmed us as we watched the screen for hours on end, waiting for an explanation and understanding in the face of such pain. God of hope and presence, we remember. We remember those who rushed to help, who carried the wounded down countless flights of stairs, who stood up in the search for justice and mercy. We remember and we ask ourselves if there will ever be an end… to violence, to war, to hatred, to death. We remember and we lament our world’s inability to learn the things that lead to peace. We turn to You now, in our remembrance, God of justice and peace. Grant us the willingness to pray sincerely that Your kingdom may come on earth as it is in heaven. Amen. (Adapted from Discipleship Ministry UMC)

09/08/2026

Lord, in these strange days we are overcome by sadness and loneliness, by bitterness and suffering.And so it is not hard for us to feel downcast and weary.
But our hope is renewed when we remember that Your love, O God, never ends, and Your goodness has no end. That love and that goodness are renewed each challenging morning; and as we face life, we contemplate
the greatness of Your faithfulness. God, You are all we have; in whom we can trust. Lord, help us to rest in You, to trust that You are taking care of everything. In You, and in You alone, we place our hopes for peace for all humanity. Amen. (Inspired by Lamentations 3:19–22)

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Señor, en estos días tan extraños nos invaden la tristeza y la soledad, la amargura y el sufrimiento.
Por eso no nos cuesta sentirnos abatidos y agotados.
Pero nuestra esperanza se renueva cuando recordamos que Tu amor, oh Dios, nunca cesa, y que Tu bondad no tiene fin. Ese amor y esa bondad se renuevan cada mañana llena de retos; y, al afrontar la vida, contemplamos
la grandeza de Tu fidelidad. Dios, Tú eres todo lo que tenemos;
en quien podemos confiar. Señor, ayúdanos a descansar en Ti, a confiar en que Tú te ocupas de todo. En Ti, y solo en Ti, ponemos nuestras esperanzas de paz para toda la humanidad. Amén. (Insperado de Lamentações 3-19-22)

09/01/2026

Holy God, you call ordinary people from unexpected places and send them into hard and holy work. As you met Moses in the fire that did not consume, and as you met Peter on the road of costly discipleship, meet us now in, even we are in diferent place. Shape us by your presence, not by fear; by service, not by power; by love that risks itself for the sake of others. Receive our lives as a sign that we trust your “I AM” to go with us and that we are willing to follow Christ, even when the way is demanding. Use us to bring freedom, healing, and hope to your world. Amen.

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Dios santo, tú llamas a personas comunes y corrientes de lugares inesperados y las envías a realizar una labor ardua y santa. Así como te encontraste con Moisés en la hoguera que no lo consumió, y como te encontraste con Pedro en el camino del discipulado que exige un gran sacrificio, encuéntranos ahora, aunque estemos en lugares distintos. Moldeanos con tu presencia, no con el miedo; con el servicio, no con el poder; con el amor que se arriesga por el bien de los demás. Recibe nuestras vidas como una señal de que confiamos en que tu «YO SOY» nos acompaña y de que estamos dispuestos a seguir a Cristo, incluso cuando el camino es exigente. Úsanos para llevar libertad, sanación y esperanza a tu mundo. Amén.

(adapted from “Discipleship Ministry”)

08/18/2026

O God, Sustainer of all life and Creator of the universe, you set us aside to be leaders, so help us see things as they are and not only as they affect ourselves. Grant that we may have a wise and modest estimate of our own powers and live in full contact with all things high, true, and good. Teach us our failings and our faults; give us courage to acknowledge them and, by your grace, enable us to overcome them. Lift us above the unstable currents of our self-will and establish us on the rock of your purposes. Be to each of us the secret stay and the inner guide of our lives. May your Spirit dwell in us more and more, that your peace which exceeds all understanding may possess our hearts and minds. Amen.

Adapted from Lawrence Gandiya, Zimbabwe. Found in Prayers Encircling the World: An International Anthology (Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 1998), 91.

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Oh Dios, Sustentador de toda vida y Creador del universo, tú nos has elegido para ser líderes; ayúdanos, pues, a ver las cosas tal como son y no solo en la medida en que nos afectan a nosotros mismos. Concédenos que tengamos una visión sabia y modesta de nuestras propias capacidades y que vivamos en pleno contacto con todo lo que es elevado, verdadero y bueno. Muéstranos nuestras debilidades y nuestros errores; danos el valor para reconocerlos y, por tu gracia, permítenos superarlos. Elevanos por encima de las corrientes inestables de nuestra obstinación y afiánzanos en la roca de tus propósitos. Sé para cada uno de nosotros el apoyo secreto y la guía interior de nuestras vidas. Que tu Espíritu more cada vez más en nosotros, para que tu paz, que sobrepasa todo entendimiento, posea nuestros corazones y mentes. Amén.

Adaptado de Lawrence Gandiya, Zimbabue. Tomado de *Prayers Encircling the World: An International Anthology* (Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 1998), 91.

08/11/2026

O God, we yearn to be a community of believers,
united in your Spirit.
And yet we are fraught with divisions:
denominational, political, theological.
We are weighed down by tensions and the things that break us apart.
Forgive us, great God, for this great sin.
Help us to learn to live in community together,
loving one another, in spite of our differences,
and respecting one another in everything that we do and say.
Help us to be as you call us, one in heart and mind.
Only through the grace of your son, Jesus Christ,
can we achieve this. Amen. (Discipleship Ministry - UMC)

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Oh Dios, anhelamos ser una comunidad de creyentes,
unidos en tu Espíritu.
Y, sin embargo, estamos plagados de divisiones:
denominacionales, políticas, teológicas.
Nos agobian las tensiones y las cosas que nos separan.
Perdónanos, Dios grandioso, por este gran pecado.
Ayúdanos a aprender a vivir juntos en comunidad,
amándonos unos a otros, a pesar de nuestras diferencias,
y respetándonos mutuamente en todo lo que hacemos y decimos.
Ayúdanos a ser como tú nos llamas: uno en corazón y en mente.
Solo a través de la gracia de tu Hijo, Jesucristo,
podemos lograrlo. Amén.