Sundays after Easter
Prayer
Pastoral Prayers For All Seasons
Object:
We come before you this morning, O God, out of deep concern for our world. Hostility, hatred, and fear have long been with us. They are wretchedly displayed in verbal attacks, physical abuse, murder, starvation, rape, prejudice, war ... there seems to be no end.
We vent our uncontrolled anger on women and men, wives, and husbands, mothers and fathers and defenseless children. Unable to cope with our own problems, we brutally attack family members, friends, and neighbors.
As nations we appear unable to roll back the prejudice and hatred that separate us. So we turn to threats of war, or war itself, claiming it to be the legitimate peacemaker. When we behave destructively, we offer what we believe are noble justifications, which convince no one, not even ourselves.
We desire peace, but bullied by fear, we turn to violence. We want friendship, but conditioned by half-truths and biases, we choose to live a lie rather than face the frightening task of trusting an enemy.
But not all is lost, dear Lord. You are still our God and we are still -- regardless how tenuously we cling to your fatherhood -- your children. Your truth guides us. Your love chastens us. Your strength supports us. Your wisdom corrects us. We face a grave danger, but we are not bereft. We do not stand alone; even death is not the end, but the beginning of new life. Lord, increase our faith.
In the name of our Master we pray. Amen.
We vent our uncontrolled anger on women and men, wives, and husbands, mothers and fathers and defenseless children. Unable to cope with our own problems, we brutally attack family members, friends, and neighbors.
As nations we appear unable to roll back the prejudice and hatred that separate us. So we turn to threats of war, or war itself, claiming it to be the legitimate peacemaker. When we behave destructively, we offer what we believe are noble justifications, which convince no one, not even ourselves.
We desire peace, but bullied by fear, we turn to violence. We want friendship, but conditioned by half-truths and biases, we choose to live a lie rather than face the frightening task of trusting an enemy.
But not all is lost, dear Lord. You are still our God and we are still -- regardless how tenuously we cling to your fatherhood -- your children. Your truth guides us. Your love chastens us. Your strength supports us. Your wisdom corrects us. We face a grave danger, but we are not bereft. We do not stand alone; even death is not the end, but the beginning of new life. Lord, increase our faith.
In the name of our Master we pray. Amen.
