Pastoral Prayer for May 30, 2021

            Tenderhearted God, You who hang the stars and planets in their places also wipe the tears from the faces of those who mourn or who are scared. We gather as your Church, your people, this morning to lift up our gratitude for Your liberating love through Jesus Christ and for the opportunity to live this day, live this life, focused on living humbly and in service to the Gospel.

            Lord, we gather this morning and are so grateful that as a nation, we can begin waking up from the Rip Van Winkley stupor of shut-down COVID life.  Make us mindful of those people who are still anxious to go maskless because of underlying health conditions and help us to be patient as we re-engage life with all of its fulness. We are especially mindful of the fact of how fortunate we have been with our ready abundance of health care and the vaccine; yet, we are mindful of the many places throughout our world where there is a shortage of doctors, quality healthcare, and vaccine and treatments for those suffering from this mutating virus. We pray for our sisters and brother around the world still gripped in the pandemic.

            Holy Spirit, we pray you blow winds of peace into those places in the world where there is war and civil unrest from the streets of Columbia and Hong Kong to the alleyways of Jerusalem, Gaza and to the suburbs of Miami-Dade and Broward Counties. Forgive us for our fixation and glorification of violence and replace our hearts of stone with hearts of mercy and grace.  Forgive our proclivity to take the easy economic way out of trouble instead of rooting out the base causes of injustice.

            On this Memorial Day weekend, we take this Sabbath Day and use it to remember the lives of all who have died in service of our country. Memorial Day is so much more than beach and beer; it’s a reminder that others have given the ultimate sacrifice for the freedoms we enjoy. We pray for their families and we commit those who have died into You loving Providential care.

            We pray for the K family as we mourn B’s death.  We hold JG and RP up to You as they grieve the death of their brothers.

            We pray for those students graduating and ask that You keep them safe while they prepare for a new phase in their life.

            We commit to You those preparing for a major surgery or are facing a dire diagnosis; assuage their anxiety and fill them with the hope of Easter.

            We pray for our local, state and  national leaders whether in government, law enforcement, or in the judicial system. Holy Spirit, we pray that You haunt them when their decisions are unjust and encourage and bless their efforts when their work makes for justice and fairness.

            Ancient of Days, You who have delicately knit us together in our mother’s womb, plumb the depths of our spirit and being and receive the prayers we silently offer You now…

            Now hear us as we pray the prayer Jesus taught his beloved: Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy Name. Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done, on Earth as it is in heaven.  Give us this day, our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors; Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil, for Thine is the Kingdom, the Power, and the Glory forever. Amen.

Copyright May 30, 2021 by Patrick H. Wrisley