August 11, 2019
Rev. Dr. Jason Santos
As we look ahead to the final weeks of summer, we’re reminded that a seasonal shift is upon us. Our Sunday newspapers are littered with ads that boast the best “back-to-school” sales, as our grocery stores beckon us to stock up for “one last summer BBQ.” With cooler, less humid days on the horizon, we prepare to say goodbye to summer and to welcome autumn and all that it brings.
On this College and Young Adult Sunday, we’re also reminded that there are young people in our congregations who are preparing themselves for a semester ahead. With aspirations of a fresh start, they look forward to returning to their educational institutions. Armed with the latest accessories for their dorm rooms and apartments, these young adults ready themselves for this transition and all that it will bring. Praying for these young people during this time is part of our calling as a community of faith, but they are not the only people we should be praying for.
Right now, there are hundreds of collegiate ministers, campus pastors and college chaplains who are preparing worship spaces, compiling rosters and making plans to launch into another year of collegiate ministry. These faithful saints are the unsung heroes in our children’s formation that we can easily overlook if we’re not attentive. We don’t always see them in our Sunday morning services or when we drop our students off at their educational institutions, but they are there waiting to journey alongside our youth.
It is with their ministry and well-being in mind that we invite you to pray the prayer below as a reminder of their work and its importance. As we lift them up, may they feel the presence of God’s Spirit upon them.
Rev. Jason Brian Santos, Ph.D., Mission Coordinator for Christian Formation and Small Church Support, Presbyterian Mission Agency
Revised Common Lectionary Readings for Sunday, August 11, 2019, the Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C)
First Reading Isaiah 1:1, 10-20
Psalm 50:1-8, 22-23
Second Reading Hebrews 11:1-3, 8-16
Gospel Luke 12:32-40
Today’s Focus: College and Young Adult Sunday
Let us join in prayer for:
PC(USA) Agencies’ Staff
Let us pray:
God of grace, we thank you that our children have the opportunity to learn and grow in institutions of education and training, and today we ask that you not only guide them as they prepare for a new school year, but that you also be with those ministers who come alongside our youth. Give them strength for the year ahead, that they will be filled with grace, hope and peace. Give them discernment as they help our young people make important decisions for the future. And give them hope that their tireless work might help form faithful followers of Christ. Thank you for them and all the ministry that happens in and through them. We offer these prayers in the name of Christ Jesus. Amen.