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Thursday, June 02, 2022

A PRAYER FOR TIMES AS THESE

God is with you.
And also with you.
In God we pray:

Creating One
whose redeeming work
has given us hope
that the peace and justice
of your Kin-Dom
will come at last
and be fulfilled
in your perfecting love.

This, O Presence of Sacredness,
has been our hope through the ages
yet, we would be dishonest
if we claimed that such hope
has not come with
ebbs and flows
in the crises that fill each day.

Once, again, O Faithful One,
we are in an ebb
of hope
hopelessness is mounting
and it seems to pique
in each yesterday
only to find new intensity
in the events of today.

We are traumatized,
O Gentle Whisperer,
the carnage of disease
the autrocity of war
the heinous acts of
mass shootings
the apostacy in your
church
the political scandal
of democracy
the conflict in civil rights
denying the personhood
of women
and
people of color
the hatred of people
who do not fit our expectations
of what gender and sexuality
is to be
the animosity toward
other nations
amd the abhorrence of
white nationalism
might this list end here?

no

but my brain cannot
name anymore
of the ways
we have become
other than who you
created us to be.

Listening God
who hears our prayers
spoken and unknown to us
within our hearts and minds
we do not expect our
throughts and prayers
to be enough to change your world
no doubt actions of faithful
service
in the way of Jesus
must come from
and accompany our words
and tears.

Still, we are tired
overwhelmed
somewhere between raw
yet numb
feeling helpless
and defeated
a people whose faith
is diminished along with
our hope.

we know the repitiveness
of our words
they are older
than the Scriptures
themself
"How long, O God, how long?"

It is not to question your Righteousness
O Just and Judging One
it is but a expression
of the faith we have in you
trusting that you will act
trusting that you will bring peace
trusting that you will provide justice
for all who have been wronged

but, yes, there is within our cry
a gnawing advesary
that tempts of to places
of apathy
where we begin to wonder
will anything ever change?
will the madness of harm and violence
ever cease?
will there be a day
when the hurt and loss
and evil and destruction
will be but a
memory?

Help us, O God,

help those who are suffering
may their grief be accompanied
with comfort

help those who are leaders
of state
may their decisions be made
with the truth and wisdom
that is your Spirit

help those who care for the hurting
may their work and help be given
in strength and perseverance

help those who have betrayed
by the church
and those who have betrayed
your good news
may the abused and often
invisible survivors
find resolution
and their predators
come to true repentance

help those who suffer
in poverty and homelessness
in loneliness and isolation
may we find ways to open doors to safe places
where all can be at home

help the depressed and anxiety filled
may they find respite and
times when your calm
soothes their troubled souls

help us all
as we seek answers
as we discern what it is
we need to do
as we need places apart
from the daily challenges
that renewed and revived
we together
may make a difference
and move our society and culture
away from the capitalism
that defines rich and poor
and the impirial systems
that divide and separate
excluding in the lie
that might makes right

may your Kin-Dom come
O Sovereign of Hosts
may your Kin-Dom come
here and now
without exception
may your Kin-Dom come
Amen.