Harold Kidd
Minister Commissioner
A Diary of Personal Prayers for General Assembly - Day 7 (Friday June 27 -first, below)
Day 6 (Thursday June 26)
Day 5 (Wednesday June 25Day 4 (Tuesday June 24)
Day 3 (Monday June 23)
Day 2 (Sunday June 22)
Day 1 (Saturday June 21)
“My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus blood and righteousness, I dare not trust the sweetest frame but wholly lean on Jesus name, on Christ the Solid Rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand, all other ground is sinking sand.”
Dear Lord, we thank you for this week of General Assembly. Thank you for the preaching which has encouraged our hearts and challenged us to be open to the voice of the Spirit, Thank you for the many prayers offered in committee, and in plenary as we prepared to vote our conscience in responding to significant overtures that will affect the life and witness of your church. Thank you for the many opportunities to worship in community, and for Holy Communion.
Thank you for this wonderful week of fellowship and intense labor with fellow commissioners Karen Ceasar, Leslie Evans, Sue fisher, Cynthia De Guzman, and Suzanne Swartz. Thank you for the experience of encountering new sisters and brothers within the body of Christ. Whether it was while riding the VTA, eating at Johnny Rockets, walks to group meals, or in other ways; you allowed us to share our personal stories as well as our faith.
Lord, I must confess that today has been a difficult day in the life of your church for most of us. Theologically we do not agree on issues related to human sexuality. Difficult as this ongoing debate has been, you have ways of reminding us that you are with us, no matter the circumstances or the vote, and the future of the Church still resides in your loving embrace and under your sovereign will
Thank you for the seminarian from Auburn Theological Seminary, who led us after dinner in singing; “Great is Thy faithfulness, O God [our Father] there is no shadow of turning with Thee, all [we] have needed Thy hands have provided, great is Thy faithfulness Lord unto me.”
Lord we believe, Lord help our unbelief.
We praise you for the passion, concern and actions taken by this General Assembly in response to domestic and global issues where there is no justice, no mercy, nor peace. As we continue to wrestle with the role and responsibility of the church in witness of your justice and mercy, domestically and abroad, may the Holy Spirit direct our path. Grant us the courage to demonstrate our faith in you, to walk humbly with you our God, following where you lead.
As we move towards adjournment, may the Holy Spirit go with us as we return to our families and churches, with news of what has transpired this week. May the Holy Spirit ever lead us into your intended will for the church in this 21st Century.
Lord, hear our prayers
Harold E. Kidd
Pacific Presbytery
First Presbyterian Church of Inglewood
DAY 6: THURSDAY JUNE 26 2008
Lord, you are the giver of every good and perfect gift. We thank you this day for the wonderful rainbow of persons who have gathered here in San Jose, in witness to our faith in you O Christ, and in service to your holy Church. Thanking you for everyone’s contributions however great or small. Thanking you for the many volunteers from area congregations who have welcomed us in the spirit of hospitality.
We give you thanks for the many gifts given to the body of Christ in our desire to be faithful to the Great Commandment and the Great Commission. We give you thanks for our minister and elder commissioners to this 218th General Assembly. We give you thanks for the full representation of the church in Assembly. We are thanking you for each Youth Advisory Delegate, Ecumenical Advisory Delegate, our Missionary Advisory Delegates, and Theological Student Advisory Delegates.
Lord, thank you for this experience of General Assembly. May it be for each of us a humbling experience, an experience promoting our love for your Church, an experience building our sense of belonging to a connectional Church, an experience nurturing us in becoming more informed on the structure, theology and mission of the PCUSA, as well as areas of disagreement and challenge which still prevent us from being a truly inclusive and multicultural Church.
May the Holy Spirit ever guide us in openness and resolve to break down the barriers that yet remain. Barriers that keep us divided and in conflict. As the Spirit speaks to us in our need for reform, grant us the humility to listen, the compassion to understand, and the willingness to follow where the Spirit would lead. O Christ, prove us wrong. Porve that your love which has delivered us from the bonds of sin and death, is greater than the issues we use as reason for our division.
Lord, hear our prayers.
Harold E. Kidd
Pacific Presbytery
First Presbyterian Church of Inglewood
DAY 5: WEDNESDAY JUNE 25 2008
O God how excellent is Thy name in all the earth. From everlasting unto everlasting you are God. We affirm that you are God of all creation. That life cannot exist without your having called that life into existence. Precious in your sight is all humanity. And yet we must acknowledge that we do not always acknowledge the signature of your divine image in all persons.
God of Abraham, God and Father of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, I thank you for those overtures the General Assembly Committee on Ecumenical and Interfaith Relations is presenting this evening which calls and challenges us to consider significant ties we shall nurture in our interfaith relationships as Christians, with Jews and Muslims. We wrestle with use of appropriate language in our overtures and amendments. Guide our decisions that our use of language may clearly state the intent of our hearts in our desire to be instruments of your will in the building of interfaith relationships.
Are you not the God of Abraham? Are you not Love? Is not Abraham considered by Christians, Jews and Muslims to be the founding father of our respective faiths? Are we not taught to love our neighbors as we do ourselves? Continue to lead us in our love for you; to build and nurture interfaith relationships with our Jewish and Muslim sisters and brothers.
The issues and challenges within our communities and world call for a united dialogue and commitment from the ecumenical and interfaith communities in ways allowing us to appreciate each other’s faith traditions, learning from the strengths each tradition has to offer; in ways that will empower us to work together in unity for the good of the people of the world.
Lord, as your disciples you have called us to demonstrate in and through our relationships with others, your love, your peace and the unity of you, our triune God. Grant us wisdom to discern your will and in discerning to obey.
Lord, hear our prayers.
Harold E. Kidd
Pacific Presbytery
First Presbyterian Church of Inglewood
Precious Lord, as I sit here this afternoon in committee, listening to important yet tedious debates concerning the intent and language of different overtures, I pause to give you thanks. I pause for a few moments of renewal through worship in this quiet time. How wonderfully amazing is your grace. It was your grace that woke me up this morning, your grace which started me on my way, your grace that continues to blot out my transgressions and remember my sins no more.
Thank you Lord for reminding me that grace is costly, that it was not by the blood of bulls and goats that you have saved us, but with your own precious blood of the lamb. As I contemplate the days of my life, surely your grace has seen me thus far and your grace will certainly see me home. What shall I render unto you O Lord for all your blessings? I will serve you with gladness, and your praise shall continually be on my lips. I will give you the best years of my life and service.
Thank you for the Holy Spirit, present last evening in worship, reminding us that it is in the Thin Place where we encounter you our, transcendent God. Thanks for reminding us that it is in our relationship with you and with each other, that we come to understand how we are to do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with you our God.
Thank you Lord for friends like Ann Hayman, as we sit here in fellowship, rehearsing seminary days, enjoying each other’s company. Thank you Lord for friends like Larry James as we sat at table together have lunch, catching up with each other on how life has been and is for us, and for the opportunity to pray with each other.
Thank you Lord, for these special moments, in the midst of the activities in this day.
Lord, hear my prayers.
Harold E. Kidd,
Pacific Presbytery
First Presbyterian Church of Inglewood
DAY 3: MONDAY JUNE 23 2008
NOTE: I've been assigned to the Bills and Overtures Committee and am tracking overtures referred to the Health Issues Committee. The overture sent by our Presbytery (10-02) under the leadership of Howard Dotson was approved for referral to the General Assembly during plenary. My prayer for today gives focus to the many heath issues under review by this committee.
O God my Father, your praise shall continually be on my lips. I come to you this morning thanking you for another day.
“One more day, one more day,
I thank you just for one more day,
One more day, the Lord has made a way,
I thank you just for one more day.”
Today Lord I am reminded of how devastating the HIV/AIDS pandemic has become throughout the world. That AIDS touches every fabric of human life, persons of every social-economic status, and people of every nation and continent on our planet.
During the General Assembly committee on Health Issues opening hearings today may your Spirit be present in allowing this committee to truly discern your love, and your justice in its response to overtures dealing with complex health issues. Lord what would you have us to do? How are we to do justice, love kindness and walk humbly with you our God in responding to persons facing critical health issues which rob them of life, and liberty in the experience of your divine purpose for their creation?
God, creator and sustainer of all life, we remember those in our families, churches, communities and world in need of care and support from your Church. Grant us your courage and strength to become more proactive through advocacy and funding in our response to the HIV/AIDS pandemic, in our congregational support of families faced with serious mental illness and those with disabilities.
Grant us wisdom and fortitude of will, to respond through continued advocacy and funding which brings balance and equality to the variety of opinions of the abortion issue in full compliance with the PCUSA 1992 abortion policy and its 2006 revision. Let Thy will be done O God.
Harold E. Kidd,
Pacific Presbytery
First Presbyterian Church of Inglewood
DAY 2: SUNDAY JUNE 22 2008
O Lord I thank you for a new day. I thank you for the rest given me last evening after a very long yet exciting day. One could not leave last evening’s election of the Rev. Bruce Reyes-Chow as Moderator of the 218th General Assembly without having the sense that Bruce is part of your divine will in leadership for our denomination over the next two years. We thank you God that the Spirit spoke with such overwhelming clarity through Bruce as well as the voting commissioners.
May our new moderator be anointed with the Spirit to listen to your voice and the concerns of your people in working to bring new vision, healing and renewal to your Church. May the Holy Spirit work in him and through him to the blessing of the Church. Many are called, but few are chosen.
Special prayers today O God that you will guide the Pic-Biz technicians in resolving the many problems we encountered yesterday in accessing the system, reading committee reports, bills and overtures. May your constant care and presence grant us the faith to be at peace in the midst of today’s labor.
Content to give you the management of our activities. Content to give ourselves fully to the work of this General Assembly; grant us time for renewal in fellowship with others, in the joy of encountering old friends from years gone by and in meeting new ones; in the holy conversations we experience while breaking bread at table.
Lord grant me understanding as the Bill and Overtures Committee convenes for the first time today. Use me Lord in whatever ways you see fit in service to Thy Holy Church. Today may we each be inspired to Do justice, Love kindness, and Walk humbly with you our God.
Lord, hear our prayers. Amen.
Harold E. Kidd,
Pacific Presbytery
First Presbyterian Church of Inglewood
DAY 1: SATURDAY JUNE 21, 2008
O Lord, what a morning! Such a wonderful day for the gathering of your people as we begin this journey of prayerful discernment through our worship, committee meetings, and plenary sessions to discern your will for the future of the Church. Be with us in the selection of Moderator for the 218th General Assembly.
We pray today for our General Assembly and commissioners meeting in San Jose, California, June 21 – 28, 2008. We pray for the presence of the Holy Spirit to abide with us, offering guidance in addressing the critical issues coming before the General Assembly. Cleanse our hearts of any false doctrines, superstitions, beliefs and attitudes which fail to communicate your message of reconciliation, of loving one’s neighbor as we love to ourselves.
O God of eternal light and truth, we seek a fresh encounter with you that will fill our hearts with a sense of awe and humility, reminding us that you are the Great God, the Almighty God, and your purposes for the Church far transcend human effort or agendas. We need Thee O God! We ask you to fill this Convention Center with your divine presence. May the Holy Spirit fall afresh upon us. May the business of the Church move beyond the business of divisiveness to the business of winning souls for Christ. Then shall we come to your altar with exceedingly great joy and praise.
Grant us wisdom, grant us courage to be a faithful Church in these critical days and times. We pray today for the unity of the Church. In our common unity of One Lord, one faith, one baptism might we gain a deeper understanding of your of will for the expansion of the Kingdom, for spiritual renewal in the Church, for justice and mercy to once again shine as a spiritual light upon our domestic and foreign policies, and for peace in our world.
Speak, Lord, that we your servants might hear and in hearing obey. Lord, hear our prayers. Amen
Harold E. Kidd,
Pacific Presbytery
First Presbyterian Church of Inglewood