John 3:16 (normal)

I originally wrote this prayer during the pandemic, and it was recorded and streamed to the congregation of Decatur First UMC for Sunday worship. It’s come back around, as lectionary texts do, so I revisited it for these times. You can read the pandemic version here.

Creating and redeeming God, we come seeking your presence.  

Your word tells us that you love us, and that you love this world so much.  

You love it in all of its wonder and mystery, 

but you love it no less in the ordinary, repetition of our daily lives.  

Your presence expands to fill the enormity of the universe, 

beyond our tiny vulnerable planet there is an expanse that we can barely imagine, and in all of that space, there is nowhere that you are not.

And, yet you are here.  

In every moment of every day, in every crevice of our daily life, 

there is nowhere that you are not.    

 You are present in breathing in and breathing out,

no more and no less than in the farthest reaches of the galaxy.  

We are seamlessly merged together by your love - each of us, with you, 

and with this world that you love so much.  

Like your love, our prayers are both big and small.  

We pray for our world and the problems we have almost given up on - 

For a swift end to war and violence. 

For respect and honesty in our political discourse. 

For justice to roll down and for systems of oppression to be dismantled.  

And we offer our small prayers for those who do battle with the darkness every day -

those struggling to stay sober

those managing depression and despair,

those coming to terms with a new diagnosis,

those seeking work in order to live. 

We pray for those who are suffering and in pain, and for all who grieve.  

Wherever we are hurting, Lord, heal us. 

Wherever we are broken, restore us. 

And may the grief that we feel now grow warmer, less lonely, and more compassionate over time.  

We ask all of this in the name of Jesus, who came to save the world, and all of us, and who taught us to pray by saying, 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 tresspasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.  And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.  For thine is the kingdom and the power and glory forever.  Amen.