Wisdom of the Ages, you who know the number of hairs on each of our heads and for whom a sparrow does not fall without your noticing, on this day, we remember the most vulnerable among us, and renew our commitment to be in solidarity with them. Surround them, we pray, with compassionate communities, even as you continue to care for this fragile and suffering world.
Strength for our Journey, our Scriptures say that we are all made in your image, created to be sisters and brothers to one another, held together by the fabric of love. Yet the world's systems and structures threaten to tear us apart, making a virtue of self-interest and a luxury of kindness. Guide us in paths of right relationship with our neighbors near and far.
Teach us to act justly, to love tenderly, and to walk humbly with you.
Home to all who seek Refuge, your words are always ones of healing and peace, your aims always call us in the direction of life and well-being. Renew in us a commitment to the very ones who most need us standing with them -- children, the elderly, the poor and disabled. Restore in us the dream that one day all of your people -- rich, poor, old, young, working, unemployed, weak, or strong -- will honor one another with more than words. We will honor one another by refusing to let go of one another. This is our prayer and our promise.
* Copyright 2008 by Mark Richardson, pastor of Trinity United Methodist Church, Los Osos, California. Published by the General Board of Discipleship of The United Methodist Church.
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