Prayer

Love who loved us first,

Every day we are challenged to embody the values we hold as a ministry. We sincerely believe in respecting others’ dignity; expressing integrity and sharing compassion; practicing good stewardship as we strive to offer the highest quality service. Yet despite our convictions, we still need your help to make all this real in the lives of our patients, their families, and our wider communities. When interacting with the annoying client, an ungrateful patient, or the vendor making things harder than they need to be, help us show love to those we encounter, the kind of love that transforms even enemies into neighbors and lets our values shine bright. Amen.

Prayer

Word of Life,

It is not always convenient to carve our own way through life’s biggest questions. To go with the flow and follow the crowd is always the easier path. Yet when we are tempted this way, help us remember that uniformity is not the same thing as unity. Give us courage to follow our convictions and take responsibility for our sincerely held beliefs. May we harbor the hope that a more genuine experience of community awaits us, as we embrace the harder but more rewarding path of dialogue, mutual respect, and listening well to the voices of others. Above all else, may we each have the wisdom of St. Polycarp—to know when we must forsake the crowd so as to find you again, in the quiet of our hearts. Amen.

Prayer

God in the ordinary,

How wonderful it is to be human. You made us unique in creation, as “ensouled bodies” or “embodied souls.” We occupy this wondrous space in-between angels and animals. We can sing with the hosts of heaven while working the ground, preparing the earth for seedlings to grow. We can worship your glory while breaking bread with each other and telling laughter-filled stories. As we look at the calendar today, as we consult this device that sometimes feels a lot like a taskmaster, let Today’s “Twosday” be just weird enough that it’s easy to be amused. Thank you for the thought that perhaps you smile along with us. Amen.

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.