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World News This Week in Prayer – Thursday, Sept. 5, 2019

Kindle a flame to lighten the dark and take all fear away.
~ John L Bell and Graham Maule*

When nations are being riven by fear, lies, lack of trust in political, business
and so many seeming to seek leadership positions for their own aggrandisement rather than the common good:

Kindle a flame to lighten the dark and take all fear away, so justice and truth prevails.

When all efforts have been made to cope with natural disasters:

Hurricane Dorian, devastating the Bahamas and threatening east coast states of the USA;
Severe ice cap melting in Greenland, the Antarctic and Arctic – threatening low lying communities and countries throughout the world;
Bird migrants arriving at their usual time in northern countries (e.g. the UK and Scandinavia) to find food sources already flowered and unavailable due to climate change

Kindle a flame to lighten the dark and take all fear away.

When people are exhausted from the struggles against injustice and terror:

1.9 million people facing losing their citizenship in Assam, India;
Those detained, disappeared or tortured in Kashmir;
Starvation, violence, lack of medical care and hopelessness experienced by millions in Yemen, and in stateless camps throughout the Middle East, Libya, Sudan and so many other countries;
The fear of so many in Afghanistan where the US -Taliban deal does nothing to stop bombings and the use of children as suicide bombers;
Increased xenophobic riots in South Africa leading to deaths, injuries and boycotts;
Thousands of economically disadvantaged groups left without education or medical care after Christian and Muslim schools and health centers were seized by the government in Eritrea;
The desperate and often life-threatening experience of refugees in the US, Mexico, Sweden, the European Union, Canada, India, Bangladesh, Turkey, Australia and so many other countries

Kindle a flame to lighten the dark and take all fear away.

When people seek to care for their fellow human beings in need:

Over 1,000 people in the Central African Republic have become foster parents, like Henriette and Jean-Philippe Idjara. Despite having 4 children, and having lost 5 others through illness, they adopted 2 teenage boys who had seen their father executed by rebels. Alone and in fear of their lives, the boys had fled and walked 150 miles in a week, before being found exhausted and rescued by the Idjaras.
We give thanks for all who open their hearts and homes to brothers and sisters in need of any sort, without checking their balance sheet first. Help us to dare to trust in You, our shield and our defender.
We give thanks and remember all who act as carers (paid or unpaid), ambulance workers, medical staff, police, firefighters, military personnel, ministers and priests of all faiths, and those who keep our communities clean and safe with often little thanks. We pray for their protection and support, praying especially for their mental health dealing with the sights and situations we so often prefer not to see.. Throughout the world, the silent loss of way too many of those helpers of us all, their high rates of suicide and mental and physical illness from so much stress, is a scandal and source of shame..

Kindle a flame to lighten the dark and take all fear away. Bless and strengthen them by your loving spirit and help us provide them with the care and support they need.

When families are changing, new life is being formed and others prepare to leave this earthly life:

Give us all a sense of thankfulness and proportion as to what is real or imaginary;
help us nurture truth rather than deceit;
humility rather than hubris;
tenderness, love and compassion rather than aggression, hatred and division.

Despite all we like to think, we are not in charge. You are.

O God, save us from ourselves, from double standards and divided hearts, and give us light and life in Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.

World News this Week in Prayer – Thursday, August 1, 2019

My soul cries out with a joyful shout that the God of my heart is great,

and my spirit sings of the wondrous things that you bring to the ones who wait.

You fixed your sight on your servant’s plight, and my weakness you did not spurn,

so from east to west shall my name be blest. Could the world be about to turn?

Canticle of the Turning/ Irish traditional tune

O, God, who sees and hears the plight of your children, your beloved ones, in every place, in every land, we ask that you hear the voices of the forty-four pro-democracy protestors arrested in Hong Kong; for the families of the two young mothers killed in a drive-by shooting in Chicago, U.S.A. as they were part of an anti-crime street vigil; for those arrested in Moscow, Russia, for protesting over the lack of free elections. You have given us the desire to work and fight and speak for justice; empower those who dare to live into this desire and grant them peace of heart and mind. Empower us, even as we sing:

My heart shall sing of the day you bring. Let the fires of your justice burn.

Wipe away all tears, for the dawn draws near, and the world is about to turn.

O God of peace and justice, you who call us to be peacemakers and to work for justice, we ask that you bring your healing touch of peace to the ongoing tensions between Israel and Palestine over the Israeli razing of Palestinian buildings; to North Korea where there have been additional tests of short-range missiles; to the attempts of the U.S. peace envoy for Afghanistan to establish talks with the Taliban; to the offer of Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammed Javada Zarif to talk with Saudi Arabia. And as our hearts break over the shooting in California, U.S. which killed three and injured more than a dozen; over the more than 900 children separated from their families at the U.S.– Mexico border this year, in spite of a court order against such action; over Italy denying admittance to 116 African asylum-seekers, we fall to our knees, even as we sing:

From the halls of pow’r to the fortress tow’r, not a stone will be left on stone.

Let the king beware for your justice tears ev’ry tyrant from his throne..

The hungry poor shall weep no more, for the food they can never earn;

there are tables spread, ev’ry mouth be fed, for the world is about to turn.

O God of love, who never fails to accept and comfort us, even when we fail and fall, we ask that you keep us ever-mindful that, even in the midst of a world which seemingly filled only with pain and heartache and injustice, there are good and beautiful and wonderful things happening: the increase in the previously endangered tiger population in India; the faithful members of the ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union) working tirelessly at the southern U.S. border in behalf of the asylum-seekers there; the young woman, Rachel Oehlert, who has used her struggle with dyslexia to allow her to begin a small charity, Truly Make Believe, which has volunteers who read to children in children’s hospitals who are far from home. And so, with tear-filled eyes and thankful hearts, we sing:

My heart shall sing of the day you bring. Let the fires of your justice burn.

Wipe away all tears, for the dawn draws near, and the world is about to turn.

Hear our prayers for our world this day, Most Holy God. Amen and amen.

World News This Week in Prayer- Thursday, June 13, 2019

Wherever you are right now, take a moment to feel God’s presence and center yourself in that presence.

Holy One, our faith journeys reveal new things to us each and every day. Each journey is different, and each journey brings forth feelings of both faith and doubt, of both righteous anger and of peace. Help us to recognize that no matter what we may be feeling in this very instant, You are with us.

Creator of all life, remind us that we are created in Your own image. And that each and every person we come across is also created in Your image. Fearfully and wonderfully made by you. As we pray for the world, may we realize that these are not just places, but that they are made up of people who are beloved by You.

May your presence be felt among the protesters in Hong Kong, who have been met with tear gas and rubber bullets and arrests. May they be safe and unharmed as they stand up for justice. We also lift up prayers for the justice system in China as a whole, and for the Chinese government. May it be guided gy righteousness rather than fear or control.

May your presence be felt by the thousands affected by the drought in India who have had to evacuate their homes and villages. And for the ongoing problems of drought year after year in these same areas. We pray for your land and for your people, that they may find some aid and comfort in community.

May your presence be felt by all those who have been shut out of houses of worship because of who they love. On this 50th anniversary of the Stonewall uprising in New York City, we recognize how far we have come and how far we still need to go toward equal rights for the LGBTQ+ Community. We forget that in many parts of the world, homosexuality is still punishable by prison or even death. We lift up the people of Botswana, where same-sex relationships have just been decriminalized, and pray for the day where Love is Love all over the world.

May your presence be felt by our children, as we pray specifically for the 5-year-old who died of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo and the 6 migrant children who have recently died in custody at the United States-Mexico border. May we learn to value all of our children, who are our greatest hope for the future.

And, finally, we pray for all those places in the world that so desperately need to feel Your presence, O God. May they feel the presence of Justice; may they feel the presence of Compassion; may they feel the presence of Love. And may we each be vessels of Your presence all the days of our lives. Amen.

World News This Week in Prayer – Thursday, May 2, 2019

This week’s prayers begin with music. Music composed in the late 18th century by an Austrian composer, using an ancient Latin text. Music sung, this past Sunday, by a touring Russian ensemble, at the beginning of worship in an Episcopal church in California, U.S.

But perhaps a bit of background is in order. The members of the World in Prayer team who take turns writing the prayers come from two continents, and half a dozen different denominations. And I, the writer for this week – my week began with music. The St. Petersburg Men’s Ensemble had performed at our church last Saturday. And when we booked the performance, they had asked – asked! – if it would be ok if they also sang during worship Sunday morning, so that in that way they could celebrate their Easter. (Don’t worry if you’re a bit confused – in the Eastern Orthodox churches, Easter occurs the Sunday after Easter in churches that follow the Western Christian calendar.) As they sang Mozart’s Ave Verdum Corpus, I was transported…into a place where the differences between us in language, culture, nationality, politics all fell away. Where even the words of the text didn’t matter. Where the music itself caught us up into a place so very near to God…

And I thought, “If only we could recognize every stranger as the bearer of amazing gifts.”

Listen.
And then let’s pray.

Mozart’s Ave Verum Corpus, performed by the St. Petersburg Men’s Ensemble on their “Live in Newport” DVD. Copyright 2014. Reproduced with permission. (If you have difficulty viewing the embedded video, you can also access the recording by going to https://youtu.be/EblcqRqLV0Q )

Holy One, give us eyes to see every approaching stranger as one bearing amazing gifts.

As United States President Donald Trump proposes charging a fee to those seeking asylum in the US,
As practical, along-the-way support dries up for those in the latest migrant caravan crossing Mexico,
As Pope Francis donates $500,000 to the migrant caravan,
As the number of migrants and refugees reaching Europe – Spain, Greece, Italy, Malta and Cyprus – by sea so far this year exceeds 12,000,
As the United Nations warns of a worsening humanitarian situation facing civilians across northwest Syria, with rising casualties, and “waves of displacement” due to intensifying conflict,

Give us eyes to see past fear and exhaustion, past seemingly-overwhelming numbers and unending needs.
Give us eyes to see the beauty that they bring.
Give us eyes to see the hidden, extraordinary gifts each stranger has to offer.

Risen One, give us ears to hear the music that unites us.

As Israel paused this week to for the annual remembrance honoring victims of the Holocaust,
As a young man spouting Christian hatred toward Jews attacked a United States synagogue,
As an attack on a Protestant church in Burkina Faso kills six,
and 40 Christians were reportedly killed in Nigeria on Easter,

Give us ears to hear beyond the burgeoning hatred and fomented distrust.
Give us ears to hear past religious divisions.
Give us ears to hear that all faiths that proclaim love, sing the song of the One God who draws us.

Beloved One, give us wisdom to succor every endangered being.

As Cyclone Fani makes landfall on the Eastern coast of India, where nearly 1,000,000 people were evacuated yesterday,
As the same cyclone endangers hundreds of thousands of Rohingya refugees still living in tents in Bangladesh, with no place to go and no resources to get there,
As Mozambique and Comoro struggle through the continuing downpours to try to begin recovery from the two devastating cyclones that hit there in the past six weeks,
As we learn that what was once the second largest breeding colony of Emperor penguins in Antarctica has completely disappeared due to climate change,
and the United Kingdom Parliament declares a climate change emergency earlier this week,

Give us wisdom to hold out our hands to all in danger.
Give us wisdom to share our knowledge.
Give us wisdom to heal our aching world.

Holy One, so fill us with the music of the spheres, that we can do nothing else than joyously sing the song of your unending love.
Amen.

World News This Week in Prayer, Thursday, February 28, 2019

Longing for light, we wait in darkness.

Longing for truth, we turn to you.

Make us your own, your holy people,

Light for the world to see.

Christ, be our light! Shine in our hearts.

Shine through the darkness.

Christ, be our light! Shine in your church gathered today.

Words and music by Bernadette Farrell

Tune: Christ, Be Our Light

O God, there are days when the light seems dim, when our hearts are torn apart, and so we come to you in prayer for:

those within the United Methodist Church in the United States whose hearts are breaking over the decision to continue to forbid same-sex marriages and the ordination of LGBTQIA clergy;
those whose lives are breaking due to toll that clergy sex-abuse within the Roman Catholic and Southern Baptist churches has taken on them;
and those who continue to use your Name and Word to bludgeon others into submission to their way of believing.

For all these children of yours, we pray for your light to shine and grant them hearts of compassion and peace;

God of grace, hear us.

O God, there are days when the light seems almost gone, when our hearts are confused and angry, and so we come to you in prayer for:

the leaders of the United States and North Korea who are meeting in Vietnam to discuss denuclearization;
the parliament of Britain as they struggle with a decision regarding Brexit;
the government of Venezuela, as they destroy humanitarian aid at the border with Brazil, preventing it from reaching their people who are in desperate need;
the governments of India and Pakistan, as animosity and military action between the two countries escalates.

For all these children of yours, we pray for your light to shine and grant them hearts of wisdom and justice;

God of grace, hear us.

O God, there are days when the light begins to shine again and our hearts are filled with hope, and so we come to you in prayer for:

the House of Representatives of the United States voting to invalidate the emergency declaration regarding border security;
the on-going work of the American Civil Liberties Union to prevent further separation of families at the U.S.-Mexico border and to re-unite families already separated;
the courageous young people, continuing the March for Our Lives Movement and the countless women worldwide in the #MeToo movement, all working to shine the light on the need for gun control and on sexual abuse.

For all these children of yours, we pray that your light continues to shine to grant them hearts of courage and daring;

God of grace, hear us.

For all these people and situations, we pray, confident in your hearing, healing presence in our lives and in our world, as we sing:

Many the gifts, many the people,

Many the hearts that yearn to belong.

Let us be servants to one another,

Signs of your kingdom come.

Christ, be our light! Shine in our hearts.

Shine through the darkness.

Christ, be our light! Shine in your church gathered today.

Amen. Let it be so.

World News This Week in Prayer – Thursday, 21 February 2019

[Italics are quotes from “Ella’s Song” by Sweet Honey in the Rock.]

We who believe in freedom cannot rest until it comes.

Almighty God, we pray for all who fear for their lives around the globe, living in war-torn areas, living in fear of terrorism, and living under oppressive governments, including:

the civilians in Baghuz, Syria that have been evacuated from the area occupied by the Islamic State, and for as many as 200 men, women, and children that may still be there.
the people of Haiti, where political unrest has led to destruction and death, including a young boy, Roberto Journal, who was unarmed, following his mother’s instructions, and allegedly killed by a police officer.

May we all be moved to work for change and toward safety for all of our neighbors in all areas of the world.

Until the killing of black men, black mother’s sons
Is as important as the killing of white men, white mothers’ sons,
We who believe in freedom cannot rest until it comes.

Holy One, we lift up all survivors of sexual abuse, especially as we are so often reminded in the news of the growing tide of sexual abuse scandals involving priests around the world. We pray this day for:

all students from the religious Antonio Provolo Institute for the Deaf in Lujan de Cuyo, Argentina, where one of the worst cases yet among the global abuse scandals has been uncovered.
all youth who have recently come forward as victims of the devastating sexual, psychological, and spiritual abuse they suffered within the Community of St. John in Switzerland.

May they each be comforted by Your peace and strength, and may they find the courage to speak out.

To me young people come first;
They have the courage where we fail,
And if I can but shed some light as they carry us through the gale,
We who believe in freedom cannot rest until it comes.

Compassionate God, while the economics and morals of oil production and distribution are complicated, we all mourn when we see an entire country’s economy in such jeopardy that its people are starving:

in Venezuela, where sanctions from the United States have accelerated the unprecedented collapse of its oil output and set off a domino where millions of people are unable to get basic supplies, leading to starvation and illness.
in Iran, where sanctions from the United States are choking its entire economy and hurting its people, even those who have nothing to do with its ballistic missile program.

May we look beyond our own agenda and see that when Your people hurt, we all hurt.

Struggling myself don’t mean a whole lot; I’ve come to realize
That teaching others to stand up and fight is the only way my struggle survives;
We who believe in freedom cannot rest until it comes.

Loving God, we pray for those affected by political and racial discord as fighting over the United States-Mexico border wall intensifies and tensions increase:

for those fleeing danger to come to the United States hoping to be safe; for the undocumented immigrants who still are not reunited with their families; and for all those who are facing persecution because of their immigration status.
for the government officials involved in decision making, that they be guided by love, and therefore guided by You.

May we learn to solve crises with love instead of with hatred.

Not needing to clutch for power,
Not needing the light just to shine on me;
I need to be one in the number as we stand against tyranny;
We who believe in freedom cannot rest until it comes.

May Your Holy Spirit guide us into becoming partners with You in this world’s transformation as we who believe in freedom are transformed into agents of Your justice, mercy, and love. Amen.

World News This Week in Prayer – Thursday, January 17, 2019

As the words of the Spirit echo in our ears,
“You are my child, my beloved.”
“You bring me delight and joy.”

The news of the week shakes us back to reality,
the world is not as it could be,
the heavenly kingdom struggles to break forth.

Grant us courage in the face of our challenges, Ever-present God.
Help us to mount up with the wings of eagles.
Sustain us, that we may run without wearying.

Show us how to support our neighbors impacted by the government shutdown in the United States,
many of whom are required to work, without receiving their pay.
As the days drag on, and the bills mount, guide us to open our hearts, and hands to support one another.

Be present, Giver of Comfort, with the families of those killed in the siege in Nairobi, Kenya.
Bring peace in the lives of those impacted by the attack, and those who responded to give aid.
Work in all of our hearts to bring about a more peaceful world, we pray.

We pray for leadership in Parliament in the United Kingdom,
as confidence is shaken, and the way forward is uncertain.
May your spirit guide decision-making for the good of all people.

Send your spirit, like a dove, to descend on all who are anxious, we pray:
our neighbors in Mexico struggling with shortages of gasoline,
our neighbors in Australia where nearly 40 suspicious packages have been sent to consulates and embassies,
our neighbors struggling in their relationships,
our neighbors suffering with cancer, diabetes, and a myriad of other illnesses.
our neighbors who are worried, depressed, alone…

Guide us, Holy One, to open our eyes and see the joys in life as well:
Where new love blossoms and steadfast love gives hope,
Where new jobs bring excitement, and long-standing employment brings fulfillment,
Where change brings new opportunities, and tradition brings stability…

Open our eyes
to acknowledge the shadows of life
even as we celebrate rays of hope and healing.

Speak to us again, so that we may remember,
We are your children,
We are your beloved.

World News This Week in Prayer- Thursday, January 3, 2019

Even youths will faint and be weary, and the young will fall exhausted;

but those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength,

they shall mount up with wings like eagles,

they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.

Isaiah 40:30-31

Heavenly God,

How can we ever thank you? How can we thank you for another year of life. Another year of blessings. Another year of your presence in our lives, whether we choose to hold on to you or not. Here we stand, Lord, at the beginning of a new year of life remembering this past year and thinking ahead to the next. While there is so much to consider, worry and look forward to in the next year, there is still so much to remember from the last. Help us, God, to gives thanks for the good and send us comfort for all the things which brought your people hurt, distress, and sadness in the last.

Lord in your mercy; renew our sense of gratitude.

Lord, we lift up all who have struggled this past year, in particular those who have been left behind after their dear ones have gone to be with you in their new heavenly homes. We lift up the many who have and continue to suffer and die in Yemen. We lift up your children in all war-torn places who continue to suffer due to conflicts, wars, and crises which cover so many places and yet about which little is known in other parts of the world. We ask that you walk alongside your dear children. May your strength wash over them as a blanket of healing.

Lord in your mercy; renew our strength.

While this next year may bring pain and heartache to some of your children, may we find hope in knowing that you will always walk with us regardless of what may happen. We ask that you be with the many families who are still separated from their little children at Mexico’s border. While so many of us will never understand this kind of separation, we know that your presence is so necessary for your terrified children and their devastated parents.

Lord in your mercy; renew our hope.

As we reflect on this past year, we remember all those who will no longer be a part of our lives in the coming days and months. We already know that our lives will not be the same without them, and yet we know that their memories will live on with us even though their presence feels so far from us. We particularly pray for the many who have died and the many still missing because of the volcano eruption and landslides in Indonesia. May you bring solace to those overcome with worry because of their still missing loved ones.

Lord in your mercy; renew our memories.

God, while it may seem that this year will be the same as the last, help us to cling to you and have the courage to share your hope and divine love with everyone we meet as we re-imagine our lives as not only our own, but as your own blessed children. For this and for your hope, we give thanks. May you continually nurture our voices that we might share your love with all. Hear these words, Lord, that we might continually draw near to you.

Lord in your mercy; renew your people.

Amen.

World News This Week in Prayer – Thursday, November 29, 2018

Holy One,

When what we have is yours and what we receive is a gift from you, we offer up our words of prayer in the knowledge that you are the Word from whom all our prayers flow. We pray with grief for the things that have broken your heart; we pray with joy for the things that have made you dance.

We pray with awareness that we cannot fix the world, but, instead, we can learn to see and taste and touch and know this world as your Creation. In this time and space, we try to take our next step of faith and in so doing, we hope to discover you.

We pray for that which fills us with grief: the devastation from wildfires in California (USA); the violence inflicted on asylum-seekers at the Mexico-United States border; the ongoing conflicts in Yemen; the cruel treatment of the Rohyinga in Myanmar; all who care for someone who struggles with addiction and mental illness; all who wait and watch and weep at the bedsides of loved ones this week.

We pray for that which fills us with fear: the unfolding havoc of climate change around the world; the flaring tensions between Ukraine and Russia; the continued fallout from the murder of Saudi journalist Khashoggi; the precariousness of a Brexit deal; the rise of raging, hate-filled political rhetoric in countries near and far from us.

We pray for that which gives us strength: the compassion of strangers who care for migrants in the Mediterranean and in Central America; the rise of women leaders in Ethiopia; the energy of students who fight gun violence in the United States; those who believe we belong to each other; those who live as if we belong to you.

Lord, teach us how to love what you love. Show us how to nurture what you nurture. Reveal to us how to speak your Word, today and in the days to come.

Amen.

World News This Week in Prayer – Thursday, November 15, 2018

Thanksgiving Prayer

“Oh, may this bounteous God through all our life be near us,
With ever joyful hearts and blessed peace to cheer us;
And keep us in His grace, and guide us when perplexed;
And guard us through all ills in this world, till the next!”
(verse 2, “Now Thank We All Our God,” by Martin Rinkart)

Holy and loving God, in this season where those in the United States celebrate Thanksgiving, we remember seed time and harvest, bounty and want, “all the ills in this world and the next.” Yet in the middle of all that makes us “perplexed” we come to You in prayer, with grateful hearts.

Along the migrant caravan trails – crossing through Mexico from Honduras, Guatemala, Nicaragua and El Salvador -we give thanks for the acts of kindness among ordinary citizens who share from their widow’s mite: food, blessing, care.

From the fire-ravaged towns of California, U.S., and flood and landslide-swept path of Typhoon Yutu in the Philippines, the we give thanks for the heroism of firefighters, first responders, search and rescue teams, and medical staff in the long work of protecting and healing. Your “peace which passeth all understanding” includes wiping away all tears of those who have perished, all who grieve. Thank you for hope itself, when all seems beyond hope.

Within the heartache of hate-filled violence in the U.S. against Jewish worshippers in Pittsburgh and college students in Thousand Oaks, amidst the terror with which Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh face the idea of forced repatriation to Myanmar (possibly beginning as early as this week), we find gratitude for such outpouring of love from mourners, families and people of all faith. Bind us together with such strength that the perpetrators of hate will tremble, bow down, and be resurrected in love.

In remembrances of the first World War to end all wars, we give thanks for stories of sacrifice in the face of war, and determination after. May our Prince of Peace yet find a home in the hearts of all. We give thanks for acts of courage and conscience that still seek to turn swords into ploughshares.

Around our own Thanksgiving tables, filled with aromas of abundance, may we smell the cooking fires of refugee camps across the world. We give thanks for aid workers and charities and missionaries who welcome those who have been abandoned, targeted or turned out. Like Jesus with the 5,000, may gratitude for what is too meagre turn into a miracle of more than enough.

Holy God, from Your house to ours, from our house across the world, we receive the gift of love, and determine to share it in word and deed, gratefully.

Amen.