Prayers
Laura Collins
September 12, 2004
We pray for Iraq. For the families of more than 1,000 U.S. soldiers and for the families of more than 10,000 Iraqis and others who have died since this war began. We pray for all who have been maimed physically or emotionally or spiritually by the fighting and for those who have lost their homes. We pray for those who have been imprisoned without indictment or for those who keep guard of them. We pray for all those in the military and government who make life and death decisions every day.
Holy God, bring your wisdom and healing and peace.
Where there is darkness, may your light dawn. (A candle is lit).
(Sung response)
We pray for the Sudan. For the hundreds of thousands who have already died and for the hundreds of thousands of refugees who have been created by the killings and rapes and destruction of villages and who now live in desperate poverty and fear. For the strength of the African Union as they seek solutions and for the attention of the rest of the world, that we might acknowledge the atrocities and unite in intervention and aid.
Holy God, bring your wisdom and healing and peace.
Where there is darkness, may your light dawn. (A candle is lit).
(Sung response)
We pray for Beslan. For the grieving families of those hundreds killed in the terrorist attack, for the hundreds more injured and in need of care, and for the city itself. We pray for the situation in Chechnya from which the terrorism arose and for people around the world who feel so desperate and angry and hopeless that they would descend into such violence and madness.
Holy God, bring your wisdom and healing and peace.
Where there is darkness, may your light dawn. (A candle is lit).
(Sung response)
We pray for Afghanistan, where our military intervention continues and rebuilding is still required. We pray for places around the world where violence past and present continues to undermine progress, where old wounds have never been healed and new aggressions add fuel to the fire. For Israel and Palestine. For Pakistan and India and the Kashmir. For North and South Korea. For Rwanda. May the blood-soaked earth cry out not for vengeance, but for peace.
Holy God, bring your wisdom and healing and peace.
Where there is darkness, may your light dawn. (A candle is lit).
(Sung response)
We pray for our own country as we pass the 3rd anniversary of September 11. For all still grieving the losses of that day and for those who survived with scars internal and external. For our nation as we continue to find our way forward. May we move beyond fear toward insight.
Holy God, bring your wisdom and healing and peace.
Where there is darkness, may your light dawn. (A candle is lit).
(Sung response)
We pray for the presidential elections this fall. May the best of our 228 years of democracy win the day. May integrity and fairness and civic hopefulness be on display for all the world to see. May all those who are elected serve with humility and grace. We pray for our currently elected officials, from Mayor Porter to George Bush and for all leaders in government, business, education, health and religion, that justice may guide all decisions and that we may be leaders in creating strong and healthy communities.
Holy God, bring your wisdom and healing and peace.
Where there is darkness, may your light dawn. (A candle is lit).
(Sung response)
We pray for our earth. For air and water and soil, poisoned and dying by our reckless overuse of resources and by callous decisions at the individual and corporate levels to continue to pollute. We pray for those regions of the world already impacted by the effects of global warming: equatorial nations experiencing pronounced periods of drought and island nations watching sea level rise threaten their continued existence. For all the species created by God for perfect ecological balance who are ceasing to exist even now.
Holy God, bring your wisdom and healing and peace.
Where there is darkness, may your light dawn. (A candle is lit).
(Sung response)
For the AIDS crisis around the world. For all who are working to educate and heal those infected and those at risk and for those working to create a cure. For those who have been orphaned by AIDS and those who care for them. For all who are sick and suffering from preventable disease or malnutrition or unsanitary conditions. For all who live with diseases that still have no cure and for all who give them care.
Holy God, bring your wisdom and healing and peace.
Where there is darkness, may your light dawn. (A candle is lit).
(Sung response)
For the places and people our congregation supports in ministries of advocacy and compassion and welcome. For our brothers and sisters in Jinocauo, Nicaragua; for the Silver Spring Interfaith Housing Coalition, for Shepherd’s Table and Loaves and Fishes, for Ministries United in Silver Spring/Takoma; for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people who seek equality and dignity in the church and in society; for Church World Service’s work in Sierre Leone and Diakonia’s work in South Africa. For all those places where our church and the church around the world offers the love of Christ in both tangible and intangible ways.
Holy God, bring your wisdom and healing and peace.
Where there is darkness, may your light dawn. (A candle is lit).
(Sung response)
Finally, we pray for our congregation. In this time of leadership transition, may we remain faithful in our devotion, hopeful in our expectations, truthful in our communication, and kind and loving in our relationships. May we be open to your Spirit, patiently waiting for clear guidance and trusting that you are able to do all things well.
Holy God, bring your wisdom and healing and peace.
Where there is darkness, may your light dawn. (A candle is lit).
(Sung response)
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