God who is near to us, stay close. As we live and move and breathe, hem us in, behind and before, be with us in our lying down, in our rising, in our thoughts and dreams, in our work, and actions- for we know your kingdom of love is here. God who rules and reconciles in a way counter to empire, who walks by our side, you hear the prayers of our hearts, now hear them in our voices:
- We pray for those experiencing injustice, racial oppression, political violence, genocide, deportation, dehumanization, poverty, lack of access to food, medical treatment, safe water, safe housing, those experiencing sexual violence, domestic violence, for those worried about the holidays, those feeling lonely, or angry or unwound with grief, for our queer siblings, for those feeling the effects of greed, consumerism, climate change, sickness or disease. For those who have lost all hope, for those trying to hold on to some sliver of it- for each and every one of us gathered- We pray, Christ have mercy, lead us in the way of compassion and truth, comfort our afflictions, forgive our mistakes, send us companions for the journey, reign in our lives.
- And for the perpetrators of injustice, even amidst our advocacy, our action, and our fury we pray, Christ have mercy, open their eyes to another way of being, let justice roll down like water, putting out the fires their choices have caused, lead them in the way of compassion and truth, comfort their afflictions, forgive their mistakes, send them companions for the journey, reign in their lives.
With-us-God, Throughout time and space, we your people have talked in cycles, give us a king we cry- offer us guidance we whisper. Please, O God, we pray, make us feel safe amidst this ever-changing world. How do we know we can trust you?
Throughout time and space we have wondered in cycles, will these oppressions ever end? Will we be rescued in our time of need? Can we make it through the darkness? Is there a hand to hold in this storm?
Throughout time and space we have asked, who is my neighbor? Who is the least of these? When did I see you, God? We are certain, we think, we have never entertained royalty…
Yet, Lord Jesus Christ, King of our hearts, you were born one of us. Not a far off power on an ethereal throne, but a boy in Palestine, born in a manger, subverting our expectations from the start. Christ our King, you came to be the servant of all, especially the sick, the weak, the sinful, the poor, the heavy-hearted. In a world full of leaders who value power, you came into the world not to conquer, but to teach, not for profit, but for peace. You teach us to give rather than receive, not to hoard but to release.
God who shows us new ways of being, who makes a way in the wilderness where we see no path ahead, settle our hearts that relentlessly search for more, awaken us to the sacred movements of your spirit right here, right now, in this beloved community.
God who reorients our living, settle our impulse to consume, our grasping at false senses of protection, that are rooted in scarcity, rather than abundance, teach us to co-labor rather than compete, to risk something big for something good, to trust in the boundless possibilities of community, rather than the narrow, false-security of individualism, As we reach out our hands, meet us with your embrace. As we reach out our hands, may we hold what we have loosely, not working for personal gain, but committing what we have to the work of love you show us.
Shepherd God, who in Jesus of Nazareth shows us an alternative to the kings, queens, and emperors of history, help us to emulate the leadership of Jesus: a leadership focused on love, seeking justice for all people. Help us to recognize our role in this work, teach us the life-changing power based in loving you and our neighbors, of showing up, and standing tall, shoulder to shoulder, that we might distribute the load more equitably, giving not only of our thoughts and beliefs, but of our resources, our time, our lives. Loving god, together may we co-create a world ruled not through domination, but by radical, all-powerful compassion and love, we pray all these things in the name of Jesus our Christ, the one who taught us to pray saying:
Our Father…