Writer’s note: I am one of half dozen members of our small World in Prayer Team who needed a break. But then I read last week’s posting and realised I could not be party to this important ministry faltering – albeit temporarily. I find myself with nothing, yet also too much, to pray for – so I offer my journey in prayer…
Holy One, words are jumbled, like my thoughts and concerns, piling one on top of the other. I wonder how to distil this into some sort of sense for my sisters and brothers walking with me across the globe on their unique journey into and with You…
So we bring you everything, and tip it out in front of you*.
For wisdom: for all gathering in conferences and assemblies across the spectrum of human interests: that integrity, listening hearts and minds may come together to make just and equitable decision affecting all and not favour just the few. Forgive us for trying to protect the status quo at the expense of those without status.
Lord hear our prayer: and lead us to respond to your promptings.
We pray for religious groups of all faiths stuck in bigoted fear and revulsion of those ‘different’ from them, unable to see that they too are made and loved in the image of God the Creator of all.
We include all those at the troubled and divided Lambeth Conference of Anglican/Episcopal Bishops from around the world in Canterbury, England. Help them and all of us remember that true reconciliation can only take place when we are reconciled genuinely with You.
Lord hear our prayer: and lead us to respond to your promptings.
For justice: while some of us have had 4 vaccinations and booster shots against Covid, billions are still unprotected despite all the failed promises of so many countries earlier in the pandemic. For a change of heart in greedy oil companies and states swamped with immense profits while billions are struggling to pay for fuel, food and heat.
Lord hear our prayer: and lead us to respond to your promptings.
For the small but significant signs that human ingenuity is finding new ways to solve problems. In Odense, Denmark(the birthplace of Hans Christian Anderson) surplus heat from internet servers are being used via heat exchange technology to provide hot water to many residents. Further expansion of this is taking place in Sweden, Finland, UK, Laos, and Vietnam using publicly accessible space data including tracking and starting to reverse deforestation across the world.
Lord hear our prayer: and lead us to respond to your promptings.
Our planet damaged by our greedy misuse of its resources is showing forest fires on all continents, and harvests are crippled by drought, war, and political decisions from USA, Canada, UK, France, Turkey, Spain, sub-Saharan African countries, Ukraine, the Middle East, Afghanistan, and even Siberia. We give thanks for all working to counteract this, to educating and amending our ways even at the cost of our own personal comfort. We pray for protection of those whistle-blowers often doing so in danger of their own lives.
Lord hear our prayer: and lead us to respond to your promptings.
In 2016, while a member of the Resident Group on Iona, Scotland, this affirmation came to Dora Nyamwija from Kenya. It calls me on and out, and so I share it…
“We may not change the whole world –
but we could make a difference.
We shall not wait to feed all the hungry children in Africa, Asia, South America or even Glasgow, Scotland,
and we shall start here and now
by sharing the food we have with each other.
We shall not wait for border laws to change,
and we shall start now
by opening our homes to strangers and friends.
We shall not wait for the whole world to stop hatred,
discrimination, injustice, oppression,
and we shall start here and now:
through accepting ourselves, our neighbors
and spreading as much kindness as we can.
We shall not wait to serve god in heaven,
and we shall start here and now
through serving those we meet in our daily lives.”
Holy One: make sense of our groanings, whispers and yells. Transform them and us with your wisdom, mercy, love, and Holy Spirit so that Your will may be done on this broken, wounded but glorious earth and its peoples as is done in heaven.
Amen.
*“We bring you everything, and tip it out in front of you.” – New prayers from the Iona Community, Wild Goose Publications, The Iona Community – www.ionabooks.com
Leave a Reply