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.