Prayer

Joyful Spirit,

You brought joy into this world by all that you created. Precious animals, green foliage, beautiful flowers, and the air we breathe; signs of your love for us. Today, we often experience people who come into our lives that illuminate joy just by walking past us. The kind of joy that catches the soul, because of the love within them. We pray that this love continues to flow from person to person until the world is filled with an unending joy. Amen. 

Prayer

God of all that is good,

There is so much delight in our world, even amidst so many challenges and trials. We all have so much coming at us each day, that we often forget to take time to stop, breathe, and look around.  When we allow ourselves to do just that, we come to recognize all that you have given to us, that we truly do have much to be thankful for in our little “stream” of the globe. Thank you for all the good in our world. Amen.

Prayer

God of Grace,

Often, we feel so small in a universe of eight billion people. With so much happening around our nation and world, we can sometimes question whether our little portion of help is worth the effort. But the truth of the matter is, when we put our hands and actions together, we build community, and through your grace, many blessings result from that work, spreading out to make a better world. Help us to remember that no service to others, regardless of how big or small, goes unnoticed by you. With your grace, we pray. Amen. 

Prayer

God of New Life,

We are called to live a baptismal life in and through the work we do each day, and in the personal lives that we lead.  Guide us to be sacramental people, ready to become outward signs of your love to all those we meet.  As we care for the sick and dying this day, let our words and comforting touch make your love and compassion tangible for others. Help us to remember that though we may not always be able to cure, we can always care. Amen. 

Prayer

Guiding Light,

Wise Men from the east, upon hearing of the birth of the King, set out and followed a star to the place where Jesus laid by his mother.  Overcome with great joy, they did him homage and offered gifts of thanksgiving. So often in our lives, we too, are given signs and wonders, but sometimes miss the opportunities to follow your Guiding Light. Help us to be more aware of the signs and wonders around us, there to guide us through life, so that we too can experience great joy and thanksgiving. We ask this in your name, the Light of the world, Amen.

Prayer

God of Courage,

As we walk through life attempting to do good and be good in the world, we often find that our attempts lack total success.  However, when we allow ourselves to be guided by you, we receive courage to continue striving, learning from what did not quite work, and moving forward in trying again.  Remind us that failure is not fatal; rather, it is just part of the journey to success. Grant us the courage to remain on the journey, learning what you are teaching us through past mistakes. Amen.

Prayer

Gracious God,

As a ministry united, we believe you have called each of us to serve as your hands and feet to a world in need. Such an incredible mission should inspire us each day! For if what we call “heaven” is the place where your will is done, then a most humbling thought follows: we have been invited and empowered by you, to bring some measure of heaven to earth as we work to restore wholeness in the lives we encounter. For our own sake and for the sake of all those we have the privilege of serving—our patients and families, neighbors and colleagues, and our surrounding communities—may heaven come down, in and through us, with your grace to sustain us, today! Amen.