Jesus said, “Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. 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. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is […]
How Can We Ask Forgiveness: Prayers for South Sudan’s Children and the Rohingya (June 19, 2014)
Dearest One, How can I ask forgiveness for letting a person die? How can we ask forgiveness not just for ourselves, but for the whole world? Not just for this moment in time, but for all of human history, for all lives to come? Four sleeping homeless people were run over – apparently deliberately – […]
Wind Who Makes All Winds That Blow: A Pentecost Prayer for the Church and a Groaning World (June 5, 2014)
Wind who makes all winds that blow, gusts that bend the sapling low, gales that heave the sea in waves, stirrings in the mind’s deep caves: aim your breath with steady power on your church, this day, this hour. Raise, renew the life we’ve lost, Spirit God of Pentecost. Loving God, Creator God, your children are […]
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 […]
A Good Friday Vigil: Prayers for the Korean Ferry, South Sudan, Forgiveness, and New Beginnings (April 17, 2014)
I write this during the long vigil between Maundy Thursday and Good Friday. The time when those who follow the ancient traditions of the Christian church year stay up and keep watch with Jesus, as he prays in agony in the Garden of Gethsemane. We have, once again, been present as he washes the disciples’ […]
Calm Me, Lord: A Prayer for Storm-Battered Britain, the Homs Ceasefire, and the Sochi Olympics (February 13, 2014)
Calm me, Lord Calm me, Lord, as you calmed the storm; Still me, Lord, keep me from harm, Let all the tumult within me cease, enfold me, Lord, in your peace. Text: David Adam What a maelstrom of events is present in the news this week. Torrential unseasonal rain in Indonesia has affected the Pacific […]
Salt of the Earth: Prayers for the Sochi Olympics, the Dan River Coal Ash Spill, and Homs (February 6, 2014)
Jesus, you call us to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world. May we shine the light of your peace and love to its farthest corners as we remember your world in our prayers. We pray for Russia as it hosts the Winter Olympics in Sochi, for the athletes who […]
Jesus Calls Us Still: Prayers for Migrants Lost off Greece, the Geneva Talks on Syria, and Kiev (January 23, 2014)
Just as Jesus called Peter, Andrew, James and John to follow him long ago, Jesus calls us today to follow him. One of the ways we follow is through prayer. Let us join our hearts together and pray. Holy God, help us we pray, to hear your call to us. Make us ready to change the […]
Home by Another Road: A New Year Prayer for a World Still Broken After Christmas (January 2, 2014)
World in Prayer This Week – January 2, 2014 “And having been warned in dream not to return to Herod, they [the Wise Ones] left for their own country by another road.” Matthew 2:12 (NRSV) God of dreams and desires, in this sacred season you reach to the world in rhythms beyond the rational. An […]
Dear Lord and Father of Mankind: An Advent Prayer Remembering Nelson Mandela (December 12, 2013)
This week, Dear Lord, has been one where the contrast between what is right and what is convenient or what we choose to do has been held up to scrutiny. We give thanks for the example that change is possible through the life journey and work of Nelson Mandela. We pray for honesty, humility, and […]