Prayer

Spirit of Life,

You have been so faithful to us, especially in moments of seeming despair. There have been times in our lives when we felt breathless and drained of life. Yet your spirit has filled us, carried us, and empowered us to stand up again. Fill us that way today, on this Pentecost Sunday, as we open our hearts to your life-giving presence. Empower us to be agents of life to all those we meet. In the reality of the abundant life that you’ve won for us, and in the hope of your coming kingdom, we pray. Amen.

Prayer

God our provider,

Deliver us from thinking we can supply all our needs, by our own steam. Even if we could, what a solitude existence that would be! You call us to come out of ourselves and into connection with you and with others, sometimes gently and sometimes urgently. You challenge us to see the goodness of our limits, so that we might discover the vastness of your resources for our life, growth, and development, together. Teach us, then, to lean more upon you and each other in healthy ways. Amen.

Prayer

God over all,

Memorial Day is about gratitude and remembrance. It’s about honoring the men and women who made it possible for us to gather on this day in peace. Let us not forget that the reason that there is a Memorial Day is so we might remember those who made our way of life possible. They truly are the guardians of our freedom. May our celebration of Memorial Day renew our commitment to the mission of Bon Secours Mercy Health and the ministry we share together. Amen.

Prayer

Holy God,

Where did we get the idea that holiness somehow means becoming other worldly, aloof from the concrete realities that surround us in life and work and all in between? You are a good creator who loves all that you’ve made, just as it is. May we have eyes, then, to see how all things are held together by your loving attention. Even those things that to us seem most unwieldy, edgy, and “rascally.” May we become more holy by loving it all, fully, just as you made it. Amen.

Prayer

God who cares,

We can all get sidetracked by the accoutrements of life. Influence and income and accolades. Yet if these are pursued for the own sake, apart from a life animated by the care and concern of others, we have sadly missed the boat. Help us be people who know how to care for others and are ready to make a difference. Amen.

God of the new,

We are often very good at finding the path of efficiency and sticking to it, even if it means shutting down new ideas. Yet who knows how many useful innovations have been left by the wayside because we are consistently afraid to take risks, choosing instead to lean in to the tried and true? Teach us to embrace the “both/and” embedded between creativity and stability. Help us nurture creative thinking, even as we preserve and hold on to the means and methods that can reliably sustain the ministry you have given. As we strive to move forward, we pray. Amen.

Prayer

Merciful God,

We celebrate EMS Week by recognizing the faithful devotion of our emergency responders. May they be blessed with joy and affirmation this week and beyond, for we are truly so thankful for their readiness to be there in times of need. We also come before you in prayer and concern for the ongoing crisis of burnout affecting every sector of healthcare. We call upon you for grace and strength, asking that you would protect and provide for those associates who are especially at risk of exhaustion and distress. With gratitude and a readiness to act on their behalf, we pray. Amen.