God who keeps appearing to us, with us… in the flowers blooming from their buds, resurrection, in the greening leaves, resurrection, in the warming sun, resurrection, emerging from the waters of baptism, hearing the voice of a friend across the sea, in a breakfast on the beach after a long night, its all resurrection, resurrection appearances reaching out throughout our scriptures and into our very present living – weaving hope through our despair, laminating the dough of our anxiety with peace, sowing seeds of trust in the soil of our unknowing. And so, we pray even now, oh Christ, show us a glimpse of resurrection, that even here, oh God, resurrection might have a place among us, and in us and through us.
We pray for our world, our country, our neighbors, our families, and ourselves, in the valleys of death and violence, oppression and illness, injustice and greed, harm, hatred, and loneliness, resurrect love and compassion, empathy and peace, justice and interdependence, care for neighbor and human decency, integrity, patience, and belonging.
Forgive us for our part in the harm. Teach us new ways of being. Embolden us to actually change our lives to join this work, O God. In the paradox of faith, we know that the mystery of all of this is often beyond us, to be last is to be first, that to die is to live. So release us from our cynicism and desire to sort it all out, let us dive right into the mystery. Humor us with the miraculous depth of possibility that is your work of Love. Let this wading around in the mystery transform us.
God who through your permeating presence holds all things in love, teach us to loosen our grips, to simplify our plans, when offered rigidity or fluidity, make us like water, flowing through each bend and break with constant, durable hope
We commit ourselves to being resurrection people, people who speak life in times of death, love in times of loss, and peace in times of war.
Teach us once more to practice resurrection, O Lord, with not only our thoughts but through our very lives.
For all we have named and for all we hold deep inside our spirits, we pray in the name of Jesus the crucified and resurrected Christ, who taught us all how to pray saying
Our Father…