Prayer

God over all,

Today is cause for double celebration. With our American colleagues, we honor and celebrate the legacy of presidents like George Washington and Abraham Lincoln, whose birthdays we also acknowledge this month. At the same time, we give thanks for the remarkable diversity of languages spoken across the globe, which give voice and expression to the cultural riches of the whole human family. As the world’s many tongues are threatened by globalization, we pray that the American ideal of unity-in-diversity might be more and more realized, within its own borders and beyond. With thanks for those leaders who have championed the strength of our diversity, we pray, Amen.

Prayer

Mighty God,

On this day we unite our cries for justice and stand up together for victims of oppression all over the globe. Help us be the ones who dismantle structures of sin and build our communities so that all can flourish. You alone are worthy to judge human hearts, and for that we are thankful. For even as we strive to defend those who are vulnerable, we know that we too are in need of forgiveness and kindness, mercy and grace. Give us courage, this day, to welcome your healing and make pathways of peace for our neighbors—highways of justice all over the earth. Amen.

Prayer

God of Joy,

We often hear reports of “bad weather” coming. Days of challenge and strife that are supposedly headed our way. When such news tempts us to sorrow, urge us instead to welcome your joy. Let your joy be our strength as we face every storm. For you did not give us a spirit of caution. Rather, you bring us together in a spirit of power and boldness, of love and devotion to you and the work of your healing. Help us, then, to defy the storms through joy and to look forward to your coming kingdom. As agents of good news and hope, we pray. Amen.

Prayer

Faithful God,

We know all too well the temptation to say one thing and do another. Help us each day to practice what we preach, letting faith come alive in the good that we do for all those in need. On this side of heaven, we know we always need help, if your love is to bear fruit in our words and our deeds. Yes, we often will fail, and so we ask for your grace to cover our sins and empower us to go on. For the life of the world, we pray for the gift of more faith! Amen.

Prayer

Eternal God,

It is easy for us to get wrapped up in the pace and the hustle of our work and routines. In fact, some of us like it. We get addicted to the frenzy, having lost long ago the ability to sit still. Some of us would not know what to do with ourselves were it not for the chaos of crisis! Yet we know in our hearts that life in the fast lane comes with great risks. Burnout awaits. Before that day comes, before we are forced to slow down by circumstance or events, help us to practice the wisdom of those who have gone before us. Stop. Breathe. Live in this moment. Yes, time is perhaps the greatest of gifts you have given. May we learn to fill it with presence and love, attention and faithfulness, to you and each other. Amen.

Prayer

Good Physician,

Throughout this week we give thanks and pray for all our cardiovascular specialists. From front-line technicians to back-end administrators and all in-between, these dedicated professionals have carried such a great burden during COVID-19, and have only continued to provide such exceptional, compassionate care. We acknowledge them and their service. As they continue to defend the very pulse of life within us, we ask you to fill them, heart and soul, with new strength and refreshment from your own sacred heart. Amen.

Prayer

Friend of the weak,

We who are weary and heavy-laden come to you, just as your son Jesus told us to. In humble faith we ask you to make good on your promise to give us rest. Let our bodies be filled with your spirit of life. As we serve you today by serving your people, may our footsteps be light as we pursue the work set before us. For those alongside us who are especially weary, exhausted and sore, hungry for sleep and anxious for rest, refreshment, and a sign of life’s joy… We pray for them, today, and ask you to give them satisfying sleep. For good sleep we pray, Amen.