New Zealand

World News This Week in Prayer, Thursday, June 28, 2018

Dear Lord,

In the Northern Hemisphere, we expectantly “roll out those lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer…”* but there is a parent and grandparent duty. We plan exciting activities for little ones in our care, for camps and vacations and community programs. In this season of school year endings we watch and wait for exam results with our teenagers and give thanks for the achievements of adult graduates. Yet we weep with parents separated from their infants and children by borders and systems for achingly interminable periods. We pray for their reunion and an end to this unnatural separation and detention in the U.S. Open the hearts of guards and administrators to their moral duties in this humanitarian crisis.

In the Southern Hemisphere, celebrating, with the PM of New Zealand, the birth of a daughter who, she says “will be brought up by the international community.” We pray for those who do not understand the idea of extended family. For those extended families of great grandparents, grandparents, godparents, foster parents, cousins, aunts and uncles, nephews and nieces, brothers and sisters all, raising children to wonderful achievements, we give thanks.

In all corners of this world, we pray for those who live and grow in what society calls dysfunctional families, for those stressed by life’s circumstances, for those caught in the waiting and busyness, for those who cannot even see a future. We know that for as many as are well-rounded personalities there are also those for whom things go badly wrong and their suffering is great; may the Christian family extend it’s care and compassion and bring the Hope which arises from Your Great Love of each and all. We pray for those who thought life would include a better day. May the Holy Spirit bring a gentle lightheartedness and may those “lazy, hazy, … days” settle about them.

We pray for those battling the expanding wildfires on Saddleworth Moor, England, especially those for whom the area brings up memories of the horrific murders fifty years ago of children and youth. Lord have mercy.

We pray for the twelve boys and their soccer coach lost in the Tham Luang Cave, Chiang Rai Province, Thailand; for their families and the many rescue workers and divers. May we heed the words of the governor exhorting rescuers to care for them as if they were their own. Lord illumine their paths.

We pray for the Rohingya as more information emerges about the part played by Myanmar officials in their expulsion.

We pray that the ceasefire agreed in South Sudan will happen and will hold.

As the football world cup continues in Russia we pray for all who have hospitably opened their homes to visiting fans and for those who seek to use the game to bring communities together, especially in Sydney, Australia.

With three rescue ships full of migrants and one finally allowed to dock in Malta, with borders being closed and calls for automatic deportation of those who think they have reached sanctuary we pray for all who work in border control; migration and volunteer aid agencies. For those who live on the margins and those who witness and tend to them, bring Your strength.

Lord, hear these prayers.

For your world and all that we appreciate, care for and love,

We pray in your name.

Amen.

* Lyricist Charles Tobias

World News This Week in Prayer – Thursday, July 6, 2017

Lord, time after time the news reflects what has happened; this week’s events reflecting what has already happened. So we pray for those for whom the news is also “olds” – for they remember the pain, the trauma, the fear, the deep changes in their lives.

We pray for those caught in the fire in a multi-story building in Johannesburg, South Africa and for those still suffering trauma from earlier fires.

We pray for those who watch the North Korean missile firings with horror and remember.

In the US Fourth of July celebrations of thirteen American colonies adoption of the Declaration of Independence, proclaiming citizens’ right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, in every announcement of liberation we pray also for the people of Mosul, Iraq and Raqqa and Idlib, Syria.

As Canada celebrates 150 years since the 1867 Constitution of Canada allowed for the merger of 3 colonies. We pray for Indigenous people across the world, and especially for the First Nations, Inuit and Metis of Canada, the Native Hawaiian, American Indian and Alaska Natives of the US, the Indigenous Peoples of Brazil, the Māori Tribes of New Zealand and the Indigenous Australian Peoples.

Following the arrest of Ebtisam al-Saegh, a human rights activist in Bahrain and the peace-and-love celebration in Malheur National Forest, Oregon, USA where there were 15 arrests and 2 deaths, we pray for those who peacefully demonstrate remembering especially those who protested in Washington DC, USA in January and still face legal charges.

We pray for the life of baby Charlie Gard and his parents, as the legal case in the UK has ended and now others try to intervene. We also pray for other bereaved parents in their grief.

Lawrence Moore, a church mission and discipleship consultant who also attends Worsley Road United Reformed Church in Salford, England, prays:

“O God,

There are many who pray far more desperately for the coming of your Kingdom than I do.

They beg you for daily bread because they go to bed hungry.

They pray for deliverance from oppression and exploitation.

They long for people who look and behave like you –

who see their desperation and are moved to tears of compassion or

a burning anger that will not let them rest while things stay as they are.

Fill me with your Holy Spirit, I pray,

that my heart will overflow with your compassion,

that I will find the courage to stand up against injustice,

that I will make a Jesus-shaped difference to my world.

Grant, by your grace, that I will be the answer to the prayers of the very least

and proclaim with my life as well as my mouth

that Jesus is the Messiah.”

Amen.

World News This Week in Prayer – Thursday, April 27, 2017

Amen.
Yes.
So be it.
It will certainly be like this.
May it be so.
This is the truth.
On this we can depend.
Amen!

Compassionate and loving God, as we watch events unfold across our world, our emotions often cannot be translated into words. So we call out to You with a word You gave us through Your holy Word and on the lips of Your Word made flesh: “Amen”. Amen, we say, at once pleading, celebrating, and hoping for the coming of Your kingdom into our world of laughter and tears, fear and faith.

Although our news is often filled with suffering and hate, we know that Your love is evident all around us, O God. Our amens are joyful as we celebrate the small glimpses of Your kingdom that we can see in this world. We rejoice at the humanity of Syrian photographer Abd Alkader Habak, who put down his camera to rescue a child who was injured in a car bomb explosion in Aleppo, Syria. As we commemorate the World Health Organization’s World Malaria Day this week, we delight in the development of the world’s first malaria vaccine, which will be distributed throughout Ghana, Kenya, and Malawi beginning in 2018. We are glad at the news of a newly-discovered coral reef in Brazil, where scientists may find new species of plant and animal life. As we observe all the ways Your gifts of love and talent are present in our world, our amens become a celebration of Your promise to be with us always, and so we shout with joy:

Amen! On this we can depend.

As we witness the pain of Your beloved children and the abuse of Your beloved creation, our amens turn to pleas for Your intervention. The consequences of humanity’s mistreatment of the earth continue to spread as more landslides plague Latin America and South America, including a landslide in Maniales, Colombia that left at least 17 dead, while victims of Cyclone Debbie in Australia and New Zealand continue struggling to recover from flooding and damage. Our abuse of one another reveals the sinfulness of our human hearts. As of now, 29 people have died during protests and counter-protests in Venezuela in the wake of a political struggle over separation of powers. A wave of violence in the Laikipia region of Kenya in recent weeks has left damage to property and people, including the shooting of well-known conservationist Kuki Gallmann. Decisions from the Supreme Court of the US have made way for a series of hurried judicial executions in Arkansas, including the first double execution in 16 years. As our hearts break at the suffering and injustice in our world, our amens become a reminder of Your promises of a just and joy-filled future, and so we cry out to You:

Amen! May it be so.

As we watch for signs of Your Spirit at work in the world, our amens ascend as hopeful reminders of Your loving presence and the seeds of Your kingdom that are being planted all around us. The provincial government of Ontario, Canada, is tackling poverty with a test program which gives poor people a basic income, an initiative similar to one launched in Finland earlier this year. The potential for compassionate and discerning governments can be glimpsed in Vietnam, where a hostage situation resulting from a dispute over land rights ended with the safe release of all hostages, along with a promise from local authorities to investigate and re-examine local land use policies. On Earth Day over 600 marches and protests took place around the world, as individuals and groups used their voices to highlight the importance of science for improving lives and protecting our fragile planet. As we witness these small ways that Your kingdom breaks into our world, our amens become a song of hope that love will prevail, and so we exclaim:

Amen! It will certainly be like this.

Hear the amens of our lips and our hearts this day and always, O God. Bring reassurance to those who plead, joy to those who celebrate, and comfort to those who mourn. In faithfulness to Your promise to hear our prayers, bring us help and hope as we cry, sing, shout, and pray without ceasing, in the name of Your Son, Jesus Christ.

Amen and amen.

World News This Week in Prayer- Thursday, April 6, 2017

The Scottish theologian, William Barclay, suggested using ‘the mind of God’ instead of ‘the Word’ for Jesus. And so John 1:1, 2-5, 14 reads

In the beginning was the mind of God,… 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it….. 14 The mind of God became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

Philippians 2:5 says: ‘Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus’.

Father/Mother God, as we try to come to rest before You, we come not alone but accompanied by the throngs of people near and far who impact our lives and consciousness. Help us to be still and put aside our need to fix things, sort out situations, come up with solutions, and allow Your Holy Spirit indwelling in us, to be freed to be…as You are.

God, indwelling in us, help us to be still and know, in the depths of our being, that You are God. May Your mind be in us as it was in Jesus.

From the throng surrounding us come people across the globe who are suffering from violent events in nature during this last week…

In particular we hold to Your light and loving care those killed and rendered homeless by floods, cyclones, landslides, droughts, famines and snow storms in New Zealand, Australia, Mocoa in Columbia, Catacaos in Peru, Somalia, Yemen, New England in the USA. As well as the immediate tragic events, the long-term consequences can be catastrophic.

Lord, you have given us humans custody of Your creation and as provision for our needs, but not our greed-bloated wants. Inspire and move us to do what we can now for those in great need, and to amend our lifestyle choices to provide a healthy legacy for our children and grandchildren. Give wisdom to lawmakers to provide protection for this, our shared planet, so richly endowed by you.

Lord God, may Your mind be in us as it was in Jesus.

We give thanks for the very promising progress by scientists in London, UK in making a working and cost-effective desalinization filter from graphene oxide. Almost 800 million people desperately need access to clean drinking water, the lack of which currently causes the death of 1000 children every day.

Jesus, You are the spiritual water of life. Help us to work together to provide water essential for physical life and health for our sisters and brothers throughout the world.

Lord God, may Your mind be in us as it was in Jesus.

We hear again and again of gas attacks and hate-fueled violence in Syria, Russia, Chechnya, Pakistan, the UK, and so many other places, attacks on your children created in Your image, yet perpetrated by others made in Your image who have chosen to turn away from Your reality of truth, light and love. Lord, have mercy on the perpetrators and all of us who condone such evil by our silence and inaction. We give thanks for those medics and others who seek to bring help and care in the middle of such carnage and devastation. Help us to seek Your mind as to the way forward, to bring light into the darkness. Guide our political leaders to know Your mind as they struggle to deal with these situations, that they may not be guided solely by fiscal and trade benefits which seem to help our nations in the short-term. You are inviting us to live with the long-term infinite viewpoint which is Yours beyond time and space and is one of justice and righteousness.

Lord God, may Your mind be in us as it was in Jesus.

As we come to Holy Week, where we have the greatest evidence of love conquering evil, Archbishop Desmond Tutu reminds us in his prayer:

“Goodness is stronger than evil;
love is stronger than hate;
light is stronger than darkness;
life is stronger than death.
Victory is ours, victory is ours
through Him who loved us.”*

Lord God, may Your mind be in us as it was in Jesus. AMEN

World News This Week In Prayer, Thursday, March 30th, 2017

Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten in God’s sight. But even the hairs of your head are all counted. Do not be afraid; you are of more value than many sparrows. Luke 12:6-7

In the glory of the changing seasons; in the beauty of the aurora; we bless you God our creator. In the care for each and every part of your creation we are comforted that there are neither too many nor too few for your attention. We confess that sometimes we are distracted by numbers:

How do we cope when there are 17 million Yemenis – almost two thirds of the population – critically food insecure and requiring urgent humanitarian assistance, the International Rescue Committee (IRC) said. That’s more than the total number of people affected by food insecurity in South Sudan (4.9m), Somalia (2.9m) and northeast Nigeria (4.7m) combined. Children are particularly at risk with two million children under the age of five acutely malnourished.
How do we cope when there are mounting deaths in the Iraq cities of Mosul and Raqqa and continuing deaths in the Mediterranean Sea and news emerging of deaths from meningitis in Nigeria?
How do we cope when 4 people and a terrorist are shot in London, U.K.?
What do we do when Cyclone Debbie causes havoc across Hamilton Island and across Queensland, Australia, yet some in authority are determined to deny the evidence of global climate change and repeal laws to curb this?
With an elephant killed by poachers “every 25 minutes” and zoos resorting to removing rhino horns for their protection, extinction is apparently inevitable – how can we save the complex ecosystem of our world and which we barely understand? Encourage our generosity as more than 25 zoos around the world are working to preserve rhino populations.
We are encouraged by the further discernment of the governor of Cross River State in Nigeria as a super highway design is being revised to circumvent impact on the pristine forest, indigenous communities and habitat for gorillas. There are other sparrows including the pangolins, forest elephants and chimpanzees that need our consideration.
Unusual El Nino storm patterns bring devastating floods in Peru, but snow in parts of the Canary Islands replenishes water supplies.

And yet, and yet there is good news. Extinction is not reversed but evidence has emerged that the Tasmanian tiger may still exist in parts of Indonesia. The South American Tagua seeds found in Panama and in the Andes of Ecuador, Bolivia, Columbia, northwestern Brazil and Peru, known as vegetable ivory or “plant elephant,” may be increasingly used in place of elephant ivory. Continuing study of the complex Kaikoura, New Zealand earthquake helps us unravel more of the marvels of our ecosystem. We learn to consider best practice for water storage and flood control. Strangely, we read that Tonga is giving chicks to communities in a fight against obesity. We read of the helping hands for an exhausted runner in the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.A. half marathon “love run”.

All these are little things in the face of the huge problems the media talk about too little, it would seem, to make a difference. The thing is, Creator God, numbers and size don’t matter to you: one by one we make a difference because you make all the difference in the world. Amen

World News in Prayer – Thursday, February 16, 2017

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. 1 Corinthians 13.4-8

As many of us have just celebrated St Valentine’s Day, let us not only remember our love for one another but also our love for God, and the debt which we owe him for the creation of our earth and selves. In Genesis 1:31 it is written – God saw everything that he had made, and indeed, it was very good. Lord, give us the will to mold this world ever closer to your heart’s desire and the patience to work with what we have, where we are. Many of us work hard to inspire and maintain our planet, to conserve it and enjoy the fruits it holds, so we pray that those working against it and causing its destruction from global warming are halted in their ignorance of its fragility.

We are saddened to hear that over 400 pilot whales have died after being beached on Farewell Spit, New Zealand, but we thank you, Lord, for the people of Project Jonah and the hundreds of volunteers singing to, pouring water on, and guiding hundreds more of these beautiful creatures back out to sea.

Creator God, let Your glory touch us in the light we see, the fruitfulness of the earth, and the joy of its creatures. Inspire and breathe love and life into our lives.

We pray for the people of Bali, Indonesia, after landslides killed 12 people and destroyed villages. We pray for the families of those who died in an avalanche at a Tignes ski resort in France. We pray for the people of the Philippines, where an earthquake has claimed the lives of eight people, injured 120 more, and where nearly 100 aftershocks have been felt. We pray for the people of Taipei, Taiwan, where 150 people died in five days during a crippling cold spell. We pray for those affected by bushfires spreading across New South Wales, Australia. We pray for the people of Oroville, California, US, who have been forced to evacuate their homes in the wake of continued structural damage to the Oroville dam. We pray for the people in the Northeastern US, where seven blizzards and snow storms have dumped up to seventy inches of snow in the last nine days and where widespread power outages are occurring regularly. Lord, although we are in awe of the beauty of this earth, we are so often shocked and disillusioned by the magnitude and frequency of natural disasters. Help us, Lord, as we seek Your comfort and understanding during these events.

Creator God, thank You for the universe, our great home, for its vastness and riches beyond our knowledge. Deliver to us your true plan.

We pray for the eight who died in a fierce battle in Kashmir, India, and for the dozens of fighters killed in inter-factional fighting in northern Syria. We beg of You, Lord, to hold back man’s desire for control over Your lands.

Creator God, humble us and embrace us with Your tenderness.

Let us pray for the people of Lahore, Pakistan, where 13 people were killed and dozens more injured by a suicide bomber, for the two radio journalists shot dead during a live broadcast in the Dominican Republic, and for the thirty-two lives lost and thirteen people injured when their tour bus overturned near Taipei, Taiwan. Lord, give strength and comfort to grieving families and friends.

Creator God, console and comfort us when tragedy occurs.

Lord, as we humans appear to become ever more polarised between the rich and powerful and the poor and powerless, we ask You to enlighten and inspire the strong to strengthen the weak. Help seal divisions between those who consume too much and those who have nothing to consume. Help those with plenty be fuelled with a desire to share with those who have little. Assist us in healing our flawed society so that we may cherish each other and delight in living together in peace and harmony.

Amen.

World News This Week in Prayer – Thursday, December 15, 2016

We have come to worship you, Shepherd of Israel. Out of the busy-ness we create for ourselves at this season, we come to remember why. We give thanks for the bravery of Mary, for the courage of Joseph, and we ask that these qualities support us in the face of overwhelming commercialization and the rewriting of the good news.

This week, as we think of Mary, we pray for all preparing to give birth, for their midwives, doctors and all who provide equipment, medicines and other support. We give thanks for the California, USA company, We Care Solar, which, realizing the difficulties of providing midwifery and other medical care when electric light is not reliable, invented “solar suitcases”.

As we think of Joseph, we pray for fathers facing the need to become refugees to keep their children safe – those who are too small, too old, too frail, yet in fear for their lives must run. With the news that any ceasefire in Aleppo, Syria, has been violated and praying for those who are frustrated in their attempts to give shelter and aid, we must cry out for these your children, Shepherd God.

We pray for the people of Yemen, as the humanitarian crisis deepens; and for the people of Palmyra as so-called ISIS retakes the city. Because the media is silent we must cry out for these your children, Shepherd God.

As the western side of the Pacific ring of fire seems to be particularly active, we think of those whose lives continue to be affected – in Aceh province, Indonesia; in the Solomon Islands; in New Zealand and Japan. While we give thanks that scientists note the changing coastlines which may give clues to earthquake predictions, because the media is silent we must cry out for these your children, Shepherd God.

We pray for Christians in Nigeria and Egypt following attacks on churches and cathedrals. For all who are attacked for their faith, because the media is silent we must cry out for these your children, Shepherd God.

We pray for those recently married, who in their love radiate the good news that in love there is room for all in this world. We praise you, Shepherd of Israel. Amen

World News This Week in Prayer – Thursday, December 8, 2016

“Father in heaven,
The day draws near when the glory of your Son
Will make radiant the night of the waiting world.
May the lure of greed not impede us from the joy
Which moves the heart of those who seek Him.
May the darkness not blind us
To the vision of wisdom
Which fills the minds of those who find Him.

~ The Roman Missal

In this Advent season, we prepare for Christmas. In the hustle and bustle of all the commercialization which now dominates this Christian holiday, let us remember the underlying truth behind it. We are preparing for the coming of our Saviour, Jesus Christ, sent by the Lord, His and our Father.

As nations mark Human Rights Day on Saturday, we pray that governments worldwide will ensure their people have adequate health care and proper provision of food, clothing, housing, and social welfare. May all the earth be captured by the will to love; may all the earth be touched to change.

We pray for the mayor and two journalists killed by a sniper in Imatra, Finland; for the two nurses killed and the doctors wounded by rebel shelling in a makeshift field hospital in Aleppo, Syria; for those wounded by a female suicide bomber who used children as decoys in a car bombing in Libya; and for the thousands killed over the past few months in the crackdown on drugs in the Philippines. Help loved ones, overcome with grief and fear, turn to you, O Lord.

Lord, in your tenderness, hold them.

We pray for the many people killed in a warehouse fire in California, US; for those killed and injured in a hotel fire in Karachi, Pakistan; for the passengers and crew members who died in a plane crash in Pakistan; for the more than 100 found dead after an earthquake struck Indonesia; for those killed and the over half a million people suffering after days of severe flooding in Thailand; and for those affected by the latest in a series of serious after-shocks following the devastating earthquake a few weeks ago in New Zealand. Lord, give recovery workers strength and perseverance as they attempt to locate survivors from these tragedies.

Lord, in your tenderness, hold them.

As hundreds of sexual abuse claims are being revealed in the world of soccer in England, we pray that victims receive the compassion and justice they deserve from living with the scarring of a crime that is so often unreported or brought to trial. We pray for courage and strength for both the victims and their families.

Lord, in your tenderness, hold them.

After more than 400,000 people had been forced to flee Aleppo, Syria we now hear that some families have returned to their homes, as government forces reclaim territories once held by rebels. We pray, O Lord, for your protection and support, so that these people may rebuild their homes and lives in safety without further fear of violence and oppression.

Lord, in your tenderness, hold them.

Help us, Lord, to open our arms and reach out our hands in support of all Your people. Give them peace in their lives, and in their hearts. Let us share the joy and spirit of Your Son’s birth with them, as well as with our own families and friends. Lastly, let us remember to give thanks above all to You, our Lord, who is with us in the best and worst of times.

Amen.

World News This Week in Prayer – Thursday, Oct. 20, 2016

Once again, Lord, the voice of the prophets remains strikingly relevant through the centuries. Joel 2:24-25a reminds us that:

The threshing floors shall be full of grain,
the vats shall overflow with wine and oil.
I will repay you for the years
that the swarming locust has eaten.

As we pray for people who are victims of atrocities in Mosul, Iraq, Aleppo, Syria; and in Yemen, these words reveal the potential of these lands.

Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

We pray for the people of Thailand, mourning their King and awaiting a new leader; for the people of Srebrenica, Bosnia and Herzegovina, having elected a new Bosnian Serb mayor; and for the people of the US, awaiting their chance to elect a new president.

Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

We pray for rescue and relief for those caught in floods in central Vietnam, the Iberian Peninsula, and Tenerife, Spain following prolonged droughts; for those being hit by typhoons in the Philippines; for those dealing with the aftermath of hurricane Matthew in Haiti, the US, and Canada; for those affected by damaging winds on the west coast of the US and Canada; and for those in areas of the US and South Africa where record high temperatures are causing record-breaking droughts.

Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

We give thanks for our imagination:

For the rescue and repair of a Kiwi egg, using just masking tape, to help save and support this endangered species in New Zealand; for the jungle school for rescued orangutans in Indonesia; and for gleaning feedback initiatives – collecting food rejected or wasted by supermarkets and farms and redistributing it to people in need – which are occurring throughout the UK, the US, and Spain.

These remind us that however much WE have caused the problems of warring nations and environmental destruction, YOU, O Lord, have given us the imagination and creative skill to start repairing the damage, allowing the environment to heal and our human generosity to overcome our greed.

Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

And let our cry come to you. Amen

World News This Week In Prayer – Thursday, March 13, 2014

Lord, our creator who neither slumbers nor sleeps; Lord, our protector, guide and help, be in our coming in prayer and our going out to the world in compassion.

This week is the 25^th anniversary of the World Wide Web, giving us such a great ability to know more about our world and to share with each other. Therefore we praise you for our international links:

The Cathedral church of St Edmundsbury, “St James and St Edmund” in Suffolk, England, this year celebrating its centenary, historically linked with Martha’s Vineyard in United States.

For this year’s centenary of the Brownies, sisters in Girl Scouting world wide.

And then we pause to wonder – these are organizations of human creation, maybe we should celebrate more of what you have given us, your creation of us and our environment. We praise you for the great diversity of the Amazon rainforest.

As Tropical Cyclone Lusi tracks towards New Zealand and a tourist is rescued from a storm on Snæfellsjökull, Iceland, we praise you for the stunning beauty of lands of fire and ice; the amazing systems of ocean currents and storm and calm.

And so we seek your mercy on the paucity of our thoughts and prayers. Give us the words to say to each other and to you as we pray:

for those seeking the lost Malaysia Airlines plane; the relatives and friends desperate for news;

for those caught up in the gas explosion in New York, United States which has left 2 people dead;

for those in Japan, and other disaster hit areas of the world, still living in temporary housing on this, the third anniversary of the devastating Japanese tsunami;

for those with greater access to mobile phones than to clean drinking water;

for the people of Ukraine, especially the province of Crimea;

for the people of Syria.

Lord, keep us in our going out and our coming in, forever more. Amen