On Sunday after Sunday in our worship we sing:
Worthy is Christ, the Lamb who was slain,
Whose blood set us free to be people of God.
Power and riches, wisdom and strength,
And honor and blessing and glory are his.
And with these words in mind this day, we pray to the God of Love, the God of relationship, the God of community- Creator, Son, and Living Spirit.
God, our creator, guide us in truth and love.
As the Mosul offensive rages in Syria, we rejoice in the 50 villages which have been freed from the control of ISIL, but we grieve for the millions of refugees who have lost their homes, their families, their livelihoods, and some, their lives, in the search for peace.
God, our creator, guide us in truth and love.
Together, we grieve for the families and friends of the 13 dead and more than two dozen injured in the crash of a tour bus in California, USA. Even as authorities seek for answers, guide them in the path of truth.
God, our creator, guide us in truth and love.
As protests continue at the Dakota Access Pipeline in North Dakota, USA, we grieve with the 27 peaceful activists arrested on October 10th, as they supported the Standing Rock Sioux who believe that the pipeline will taint their water supplies and encroach on tribal burial sites. Fill us with the daring and commitment to support and honor indigenous peoples where we are and throughout the world.
God, our creator, guide us in truth and love.
As the people of the United States are in the final days of the presidential campaign, we pray for a nation that is deeply divided. May they act and vote out of love, mercy, and justice rather than out of arrogance or hatred or fear.
God, our creator, guide us in truth and love.
Justice-Seeking God, grant to all of your children in every nation, especially Syria, Burundi, Colombia, Great Britain, Greece, Russia, China, and the USA, leaders and policymakers who can ensure equality and justice through equitable taxes, jobs which pay a living wage, and who refuse to resort to war instead of diplomacy.
God, our creator, guide us in truth and love.
Peace-Bringing God, we pray for the vulnerable in Somalia, Eritrea, Mexico, Venezuela, and throughout your world where violence and corruption destroy and devastate lives. Forgive us, and call us to account where for the sake of economic advantage in the name of “free trade” we sell arms to governments and groups who abuse their own citizens.
God, our creator, guide us in truth and love.
Justice-Seeking God, help light and truth to illuminate various trade agreements being negotiated in secret such as TTIP and CETA between the US, Canada and Europe which would give international companies the right to sue sovereign governments to advance corporate interests while having the power to force national institutions to purchase their goods and services even when not in the interests of the country and its citizens.
God, our creator, guide us in truth and love.
In our zeal to defend our own positions, to prove ourselves “right”, help us to never lose sight of the reality that each person we encounter is a child of your own making, regardless of race, ethnicity, creed, economic situation, sexuality, or age. May we see in the faces of those around us and across this globe your own face, filled with love and hope, mercy and peace.
God, our creator, guide us in truth and love.
Into your hands, God of Grace and Mercy, we entrust all for whom we pray, certain of your loving care and immeasurable grace, shown to us in Jesus the Christ. AMEN
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