“All who eat and drink without discerning the body, eat and drink judgment against themselves.” (1 Corinthians 11:29)
“Even when our cups run dry, God’s grace overflows. Even when our plates are empty, God’s generosity overflows. And even when our hearts are barren, God’s love overflows. Friends, you have been called and claimed by the God of all things, and by the abundance of God’s grace, and by the power of God’s Love, your sins have been forgiven.” (Assurance of Pardon, Presbytery Today magazine)
World Communion Sunday was celebrated in many locations throughout the world this past Sunday, October 6. World Communion Sunday is a day of celebration of our oneness in Christ. “The concept spread very slowly at the start. People did not give it a whole lot of thought. It was during the Second World War that the spirit caught hold, because we were trying to hold the world together. World Wide Communion symbolized the effort to hold things together, in a spiritual sense. It emphasized that we are one in the Spirit and the Gospel of Jesus Christ.” (from Presbyterian Mission, https://www.presbyterianmission.org.)
Holy Father, bless this bread we eat. May we share with all the sustenance necessary for living in unity with and for one another, and not against each other, for we are all brothers and sisters.
Lord, hear our prayers and have mercy on us all.
Help us to shape our thoughts and our prayers, beyond ourselves. Help us to lift everyone up into your hands of Love and Light. Holy Father, we pray to you for all living in the paths of devastation due to storms and climate change all over the world.
In the United States, the southeastern states are hunkering down or evacuating due to the imminent threats of Storm Milton hitting that area this evening. The effects of the last storm – enormous loss of life and property – just two weeks ago arestill being cleaned up.
Lord, hear our prayers and have mercy on us all.
Holy Father, wars are raging. Lives destroyed. People are hungry. Sick. Dying. Dead. It goes on and on. God, when does the fury stop? How many more must suffer?
Lord, hear our prayers and have mercy on us all.
Lord, a sampling of world headlines as we’ve seem them—
- “Ukraine just blew up 5 of Russia’s Shahed Attack Drones.” (Oktyabrsky, Russia – Forbes Magazine)
- “Syria says Israeli strike in Damascus killed civilians.” (Damascus, Syria – BBC)
- “Newly elected mayor is beheaded in Mexico.” (Guanajuato, Mexico – CBS News)
- “Two Dead, 8 Wounded After Barrage of 90 Rockets Pummel Northern Israel.” (Kiryat Shmona, Israel – The Jerusalem Post)
The list goes on and on and on…
We pray from our knees to you: help these war-savaged areas in our world.
Lord, hear our prayers and have mercy on us all.
This world beats at a different pace now. We all vibrate in a heightened state of anxiety and uncertainty. We are afraid.
Lord, hear our prayers and have mercy on us all.
We break the bread you so selflessly give, to share with all. May no one be hungry, and may all have enough to eat.
Lord, hear our prayers and have mercy on us all.
“God of extravagant mercy, with hands outstretched You have poured out wonder and pleasure and delight, goodness and beauty and bounty. Take these offerings, we pray, as our protest against all that is evil and ugly and impoverished, trivial and wretched and tyrannical, in our world and in ourselves—and thus may we and other know ourselves to be blessed.” (Presbytery Today)
Lord, hear our prayers and have mercy on us all.
In grace, we pray. May love lead the way. May the beauty of each day remind of us of your presence in all ways and in all things.
Amen.
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