O how wondrous is the foreknowledge of the divine heart that knew every creature in advance. For when God looked upon the human face that he had formed, he glimpsed all his works, in that same human form, all summed up. O how wondrous is the inspiration that has thus animated the human being. […]
Prayers for Australia
Fire and water shape much of what is prayed for Australia: bushfires and heatwaves, floods, hail and cyclones. Asylum policy and offshore detention are named, along with violence against women and mining accidents, and there is regular thanksgiving for wildlife, reefs and species returning to the wild.
The True Riches: Prayers After Storm Earl, Macedonia’s Floods, and Ethiopia’s Protests (August 11, 2016)
Loving God, Ancient of Days, so often we lift our prayers to you driven by our emotions. Frightened by the evident dangers- natural and man-made- which the world faces, we cry out clumsily like little children. Enraged by the evident injustices the world faces, we strike out verbally to establish our own opposition. Squelched by […]
Lord, Have Mercy: Prayers for Libya, Syria, Nauru’s Detained Refugees, and the Legacy of Jo Cox (June 23, 2016)
Violent protests, burning and looting in Pretoria, South Africa, over mayoral election… Foreign supporters of ISIS have taken over Sirte, Libya, murdering, torturing, crucifying Muslims and Christians… Russian fighters are dropping cluster bombs in Syria, indiscriminately endangering and killing civilians and children as well as fighters… Lord, have mercy. Christ, have mercy. Violence and hatred […]
Lord, Hear Our Prayer: For EgyptAir Flight MS804, Sri Lanka’s Landslides, and Venezuela’s Hunger (May 19, 2016)
Heavenly Father, we come to you with open but hurt hearts with this week’s news. May the Holy Spirit fill us with strength and compassion towards our neighbors, near and far. We pray for the millions of students who celebrate their graduations. May their learning enrich our world. Lord, hear our prayer. We pray for […]
Love One Another: Prayers for Fort McMurray’s Wildfire Evacuees and Refugees Held on Nauru (May 5, 2016)
“You move us to delight in praising You; for You have formed us for Yourself, and our hearts are restless till they find rest in You.” -St Augustine of Hippo in ‘Confessions’ “(Humans) are the ultimate paradox: the finite made for the infinite.” -Archbishop Desmond Tutu in ‘God has a Dream – a vision of […]
Free Me from the Shackles of My Privilege: A Prayer from Somalia to Haiti (March 11, 2016)
Alpha and Omega God, I realize again and again that I am a person of privilege. I am confronted with the fact that I have so much, so many opportunities. I am convicted by my daily “concerns;” which restaurant will I go to for dinner, will my latest on-line shopping purchases be delivered on […]
Lord, Hear Our Lament: Prayers for Fiji’s Cyclone and Acid Attack Survivors in India (February 25, 2016)
Lord, as your cherished people we adore you for your unfailing love toward all creation. Your thoughts are not ours; we recognize that your thinking is on a far greater scale than our mere time and place even when we do not understand. Your ways not ours, yet you call us into new ways […]
Prayers of Contrast: Bombings in Istanbul and Jakarta, and Flint’s Poisoned Water (January 14, 2016)
Your love is steadfast, O Lord, but how fickle we are. We are never satisfied. In our dissatisfaction we destroy that which we do not understand and devastate that which satisfies as if there is never enough. Our prayers are prayers of contrast as we recognize political, financial and economic pressures are very different across […]
We Wait with Mary: An Advent Prayer for Syrian Refugees Welcomed to Canada (December 10, 2015)
God of the Whole World, we wait with Mary during this season of Hanukkah and thank You for our lives’ many miracles and blessings. We light one candle each day in recognition of the illumination and hope You bring into our homes and neighborhoods. In this halfway point of Advent, we pray for those who […]
So Yes, Bring Us the Refugees: A Thanksgiving Prayer for Welcome and Everyday Courage (November 26, 2015)
17 Pray constantly, and 18 give thanks to God no matter what circumstances you find yourself in. (This is God’s will for all of you in Jesus the Anointed.) 19 Don’t suppress the Spirit. ~ 1 Thessalonians 5: 17 – 19 The Voice Compassionate and merciful God it is good to give you thanks and praise this […]