"Prayers of the Community"

A Prayer by Glenda Thomson
January 4th, 2009

 

God of light, you illuminated the way of the wise men to Bethlehem
to reveal the Christ child to the all the world.
We give thanks always for your guiding and reassuring presence
as we make our way through our own lives
to you.
We give thanks for wonderful Earth,
which nourishes and inspires us
in constant and astonishing ways.
In Cascadia, we are especially attentive to the natural world.
Day after day it tells us that the land, sea, air,
and human and other-than-human residents,
are partners.
None has dominance in ecological time,
at least not for long.
Our corner of Cascadia snuggles under a beautiful white blanket these days.
We hear the laughter
of children and adults playing in snow,
revelling in the softened angles of our edgy, urban landscape.
And we give thanks.
We hear the trills of chickadees
and twitters of bushtits
at our backyard feeders.
And we give thanks.
But then, we hear the cries
of homeless ones,
aching in a cold-shouldered city.
We hear the cries
of children
who have neither cosy jackets, nor warm boots, nor full bellies.
We hear the cries
of families of avalanche victims.
We hear the cries
of families of fallen soldiers.
Of  Palestinians, especially of Gaza.
Of Israelis.
We hear the cries
of people who have lost their homes, their jobs, their health.
Bless them all, dear Lord.
Within our own community,
we hold several people in our prayers:
• Elizabeth MacLeod, who is in hospital with pneumonia;
• Jean Moore, who remains in hospital;
• Muriel Bamford, who returned home from hospital on Christmas Day;
• Florence Millen, who grieves the death on December 23rd of her sister, Georgie; and
• our many friends who have been housebound, unable to join their family and faith communities throughout this Christmas season.
Bless each one, dear Lord.
In the next quiet moments, oh compassionate One,
hold close the beloved whom we name in our hearts.
....
Let us pray in the words of Jesus, your only-begotten son,
who brought your presence to the world:

 

Loving God, in Whom is 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 trespasses

As we forgive those who trespass against us.

Lead us not into temptation,

But deliver us from evil.

For thine is the Kingdom

The Power

And the Glory

Forever and ever,

Amen.