Prayers of the People

By Susan McCaslin
November 20, 2005

O Holy One,
you who are present in all creation

in the November sun
and snow-tinged peaks
in the grace of bare maples
and the wings of geese

Thank you for your presence in our very breath.

Let our lives be ordered in you
as electrons in atoms
as suns in solar systems,
as solar systems in galaxies.

Help us to give back a portion of the light
that is ever and always yours

Help us to receive the food that is always replenished—
your word of insight and truth
laid on the plate before we  ask

and open our hearts to share our material abundance
with the less fortunate—the poor and the hungry

Help us to let go of what we are trying to control
and release it to you in faith
that your ways are more gracious,
more surprising, and more generous than we could have imagined.

Release us from our fears
so our lives may become a blessing to others.

Help us to experience how giving and receiving are a single motion.

Be within us when we lose sight of our purpose within your larger purpose.

When the weight of darkness and despair seem overwhelming
help us to know that nothing is outside your mercy.

We pray this day

for those suffering with AIDS in Africa and elsewhere in the world

for the cold and homeless on the streets of Vancouver

for those living with depression, anxiety or mental illness

for those who are struggling with relationships, loss, or separations

for those who are suffering with long-term illness,
especially Donna Scribner and her family

for those grieving the death of loved ones,
[mention of those being held in our hearts]

and for the family and friends of Bob Stewart, B.C. archivist, who also died earlier this week

Let us pause in a moment of silence to commit to you our deepest concerns

We ask all these things in the name of the Christ who taught us when we pray to say ...[The Lord's Prayer]