God of all,
my heart is full of wonder,
as I consider the mysterious and magnificent ways your spirit
and presence are at work in the world.
In the beginning your spirit hovered over the churning chaos,
and with a word you began to create order,
to bring forth life, to create a hope where there was none.
As the sea raged and threatened to capsize the boat where
Jesus slept, the disciples woke their rabbi, pleading for help
and, again, with a word, Jesus calmed the storm.
These past days have seen storms wreak havoc in many places:
tornadoes in the United States,
clouds of dust from the Sahara Desert blanketing Greece,
heavier than usual snowfall in Finland,
weeks of rain causing devastating floods in Kenya,
flooding in China destroying infrastructure and resulting in
many deaths, and the list goes on and on.
Speak into our lives, O God,
so we may care for those impacted by these severe weather
events, so we might learn to better care for this planet you
created and which we call home.
We pray, Creating God, for the other inhabitants of the earth,
that we might learn to live in harmony with all of your creation.
We are thankful for the tireless work of rescue teams in
Australia, who worked to save 130 pilot whales from a mass beaching, and for the authorities in Canada working to free a stranded orca calf.
God, you charged humanity with the task of stewarding the
resources of this planet. Help us to be aware of the myriad
of ways we impact the land, plants, and animals, both in
life-giving and life-taking ways.
Through your Spirit,
guide us to act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly …
not only with you, O God,
but also with one another,
and with all that you have created.
Remind us today, and every day,
that you declared creation to be good, and humanity very good.
Through your Spirit,
open our eyes,
open our hearts,
open our minds,
open our hands,
that we might partner with you
in co-creating your beloved community …
Here
Now
Amen.
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