God, of whose creative force it is said: “Before the world was created, the Holy One kept creating worlds and destroying them. Finally He created this one, and was satisfied. He said to Adam: ‘This is the last world I shall make. I place it in your hands: hold it in trust.’ “ [Gates of […]
Jacob and Esau: A Prayer of Repentance for a Despoiled Inheritance and Hope for Rebuilding Harmony (July 9, 2015)
Too often, God, we approach your beloved and beautiful world as Jacob approached his long-ago betrayed brother Esau. We know that we have despoiled an amazing inheritance: saturating our atmosphere with an intolerable load of carbon dioxide depriving many species of habitat and nutrition until extinction claims them approaching economic systems nationally and internationally with […]
We Live in the In-Between Times: An Easter Prayer After Garissa and for a Thirsty Planet (April 3, 2015)
It is the in-between time. At my church, we have just ended the Maundy Thursday service, remembered Jesus’ institution of the first Eucharist, been commanded to love as he loves us, washed one another’s feet, then stripped the altar. Tonight, Jesus will spend in agonizing prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane, and we, his disciples, will try […]
Renewing the Rainbow Covenant: Prayers for Malawi’s Floods and a Warming World (February 5, 2015)
The story has it, God, that only a few generations after you created the world and pronounced it “Good”, you looked down and saw that it was filled with wickedness. So much so, that you decided to wipe out every living creature. Except for the family of one righteous man – Noah – and a […]
That We May All Be One: A Prayer for Christian Unity and for Paris (January 15, 2015)
Throughout the world, this Sunday marks the beginning of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, and so together we pray for the church of Christ, that we may all be one. Litany of Thanksgiving Because I love you, O my people, I was born in Bethlehem. They called me Emmanuel, for I am God […]
Stir Up Your Power: An Advent Prayer for Justice, Torture Victims, and the Climate (December 11, 2014)
World in Prayer, Dec. 11th Stir up your power, Lord Christ, and come. With your abundant grace and might, free us from the sin that would obstruct your mercy, that willingly we might bear your redeeming love to all the world. We long for this stirring, O God, as we look around our […]
God, Be With Us in the Chaos: Prayers for Mexico’s Missing Students and Ukraine (November 13, 2014)
As we gather the thoughts of our hearts in prayer, we give thanks to the Creator who brings order out of chaos. Let us bring the chaos of our lives and our world to God, to hold in love. Let us pray for those whose memories are chaos: For all veterans whose lives are affected […]
Two Thirds of Our Planet: A Prayer for an Interlinked World and the Missing at Sea (May 22, 2014)
Two thirds of our planet are covered by sea. Two thirds of our planet are still unexplored. (Hans Hass) Lord, you are so immense, intelligent and intangible, that we think you are incomprehensible, impenetrable, inscrutable. Somehow that gives us the idea that you cannot know or understand us, our environment, our planet. We act […]
All Shall Be Well: A Prayer with Julian of Norwich for Refugees, the Chibok Girls, and Mothers (May 8, 2014)
This week in the liturgical churches, we commemorate the death of Saint Julian of Norwich and her “Revelations of Divine Love”, the first known book in the English language written by a woman. And Sunday is sometimes called “Good Shepherd Sunday”, reminding us of God’s unbounded providence and grace. In the United States, it is […]
Teach Us Patience: A Prayer for Clean Water, the West African Ebola Outbreak, and Talks on Ukraine (April 10, 2014)
Loving God, by your grace teach us patience – and renewed hope when we face such disappointments as: the failure to date to address human rights abuses in Syria; the failure of any sub-Saharan African country to meet Millennial Development Goals of cutting in half the number of people not having access to clean water […]