On Sunday after Sunday in our worship we sing: Worthy is Christ, the Lamb who was slain, Whose blood set us free to be people of God. Power and riches, wisdom and strength, And honor and blessing and glory are his. And with these words in mind this day, we pray […]
Prayers for Russia
War with Ukraine dominates what has been prayed here for Russia, together with ceasefire talks, sanctions and strained relations with neighboring countries. Other prayers hold protesters and journalists at risk, nuclear tension, wildfires in Siberia, and the care of creation in the far north.
The Moment to Decide: Prayers for Colombia’s Peace Vote, Mexico’s Volcano, and Syria (October 6, 2016)
At the time of the Mexican war, often viewed as a practice war for the United States shortly before the American Civil War, the poet James Russell Lowell penned lines that still speak to us: Once to every man and nation, comes the moment to decide, In the strife of truth with falsehood, for the […]
A Glimpse of All Your Works: Prayers After North Korea’s Nuclear Test and Typhoon Meranti (September 15, 2016)
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. […]
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 […]
He Comes to Us as One Unknown: A Prayer for Refugees, the Sick, and All Who Cry for Justice (April 7, 2016)
He comes to us as One unknown, without a name, as of old, by the lakeside, He came to those men who knew Him not. He speaks to us the same words: ‘Follow thou me!’ and sets us to the tasks which He has to fulfill for our time. –Albert Schweitzer You come to us, […]
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 […]
There Is Nowhere God Is Not: Prayers After the Sinai Plane Crash and the Afghanistan Earthquake (November 5, 2015)
God of love, God of inclusion, God of justice and peace, we come to you with hearts heavy with the things that are happening in our world over which we have no control. Lack of control is scary, feels threatening. And yet, even in the midst of our confusion and frustration, there is a truth […]
Love One Another: Prayers After the Pakistan Helicopter Crash and Oklahoma Tornadoes (May 8, 2015)
Jesus said, “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.” God of Love and Light and Life, God of All Time and No Time, sometimes the demands of everyday life just overtake us and we forget, we lose track, we neglect those things to which we have committed ourselves- […]
Love Is Patient: A Prayer for Migrants, Ukraine, and Argentina’s Protests (February 19, 2015)
This week has seen the headline that the Mediterranean is the grave of migrants, while in the last 5 days alone over 3,000 have been rescued from sinking people-smuggling boats escaping the chaos and fighting throughout the Middle East. The freeze and massive snow falls in the northeastern states of the U.S. and Canada continue […]
Enough: A Prayer After the Peshawar School Massacre (December 18, 2014)
A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. – John 13:34 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. – Matthew 11:29 I have come into the […]