This past Sunday, as an 11th-hour substitute, I was asked to offer a prayer for the people during our worship service. Those of you familiar with the contemplative Thomas Merton will recognize large portions of his litany of intercession. His prayer touched my heart and though a large portion of the words were penned by him, I offered it up as a petition from my own heart. Let us, again, center ourselves with a deep breath, and open our hearts to pray together for the global community, and for the church universal...
Almighty and merciful God,
Father and Mother of us all,
Creator and Ruler of the Universe,
Your designs are inscrutable
Your glory is without blemish
Your compassion is unending.
In you, O Lord, is our peace
Teach us to wait and trust as we juggle our day to day responsibilities
Teach us to rejoice in each act of self-giving on behalf of others
Teach us to uphold human dignity and community
Teach us to see your face in every person we meet, to stay in love with you
Teach us to recognize the diverse signs of your kingdom, hard as they are to recognize at times,
in every expression of love, justice, and reconciliation
Heal and console those who have been wounded by the shootings in Ft. Hood, Texas
Bless and console those who have been touched by death and illness in this past week
Grant wisdom and clarity to those seeking employment, to those juggling with displacement
Teach us to be joyful in the abundance of your gifts
Teach us how to share those gifts in witness of your love and Mercy
Grant light, strenth, and patience to all who work for liberty and lasting peace on this earth
All this we pray in the Name of our Servant Lord, Jesus the Christ.
Amen.
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