The following prayers were written by Matthijs for the March 14 service at Wine Before Breakfast that focused on the end of Mark 3.
Dear God, we turn to you, as we come to this shore. You brought us here. Your boat is ready. A sea of people stands around us. Yet we are alone, and afraid. To you we pray, dear God: Send your Spirit and save us. [Silent and spoken prayers for the church, as we know it] Dear God, for a while we may bask in your light and hear your voice. Nourish the growing seed in our hearts. But soon, we fear, the storm will break. Its clouds fill our horizon. The punishment for our sins and the failings of our generation bear down on us like a flood. And we are still alone. To you we pray, dear God, Send your Spirit and make us one. [Prayers for the world in which we live.] Dear God, Demons have entered our sanctuaries, despoiled our houses, divided our families. Guilt, despair, and corruption infest our nations, our screens, and our minds. There is no health in us. Dear God, you who gave Jesus the power to bind the strong man, you forgive our sins and prepare for us a table. To you we pray: send your Spirit and set us free. [Prayers for schools and universities.] Dear God, you who are truth and word and spirit, you know the tasks we are given to accomplish; our efforts at sowing and our hope of a harvest. You observe our exhaustion and our tiredness. To you we pray, dear God: Refresh our minds with your love and wisdom and grace. Make us your true scroll keepers, bringing words and questions that engage and support. [Prayers for our own intentions and our loved ones.] Dear God, dear Spirit of Consolation, you who fill this house with your presence, To you we pray, in the name of Jesus your Son who brings us together: give us strength this day for our journey. Carry us forward by your mercy into your promised kingdom. Amen.