World Communion Sunday and Gun Violence – Pastoral Prayer
God of all the countries and all people,
You call us to be one family,
To see that we are all in this together.
And yet, and yet,
Here we are praying for another gun shooting.
Every time it happens, whether in schools or movie theaters,
in churches or while filming the news,
we weep.
We prayer for all the loved ones affected:
Mothers and daughters, fathers and sons,
Teachers and students, friends and fiancées,
And we pray for our nation:
Show us where to begin as individuals and a people,
That we might be a nation who does not glorify violence,
That we might be a nation who acts
Creatively and courageously
To end this violence against the innocent.
Help us be prophetic;
Help us embody your Shalom;
And see that, yes indeed, we are all in this together.
Hold us in your embrace, sustain us with your grace.
Gracious God, through all the trials and turmoil of life
through storms
dangers
fears
endings
big decisions
sadness
loss
illness
at the time of death
hold us in your embrace, sustain us with your grace
Loving God, through times of great joy in life
through births
growth
new seasons
rebirth
recovery
health
wholeness
healing of mind, body, or spirit
hold us in your embrace, sustain us with your grace
God of the universe
God of bread and wine
God of morning and night
God of water, sun, earth, air
God of all
We give you thanks for all the gifts of life.
God of all
Bless our lives
bless those we love
our pets
animals of kinds
all creatures
great and small.
Help us to care for the earth, your own creation.
We ask this through the great love
of your child, Jesus,
the vine, the branches,
the cup, the hand,
our savior.
Adapted from a prayer written by Terri Pilarsky on RevGalBlogPals
Categories: Liturgy