Offered in Worship at Broadway Baptist Church, Louisville

November 28, 2010

Rev. Chris Caldwell, Pastor

0 God, we give thanks for doors in life you have opened for us. Doors labeled

Life
Learning
Love

Doors leading to

Fun
Fascination
Fulfillment

Doors leading to

Family
Friends
Fellowship

We offer you our forgiveness for doors we have refused to open. Doors labeled

Compassion
Forgiveness
Generosity
Honesty
Civility
Patience

We offer you our forgiveness for doors we should have kept closed. Doors
labeled

Unfaithfulness
Greed
Hatred
Prejudices
Spite

We pray for people behind their own unique door

We pray for the man behind the crafted solid oak door, which faces onto a lush green lawn. We pray for him as he considers his family, who are a bedrock of love and support, and his business, which teeters on a cliff of strain and uncertainty.

We pray for the woman behind the apartment door, which faces onto an evening parking lot where yet again the flashing blue lights speak of violence. We pray for her as she considers her daughter, who soon will graduate from college, and her son, who again roams the streets late at night.

We pray for the army medic behind a door of sandbags, proud of serving his nation, yet depleted by too many deployments.

We pray for the prisoner behind a door ofbars, ashamed of her past, clinging to her sobriety.

We pray for widowers passing through doors of funeral homes.

We pray for patients passing through the doors of operating rooms.

We pray for our fellow pilgrims who have passed with us through the doors of this sanctuary.

May we who are troubled find peace
May we who are discouraged find hope
May we who are weary find strength

Finally, 0 God who stands at the door and knocks, may we who need to make a decision today, open the door to you.

Amen