Prayer

Eternal Light,

Sometimes our desire to help friends and family leads us to overstep boundaries and provide unsolicited advice for all the problems they face. Despite our best intentions, we risk short-circuiting their own process of self-discovery. Help us, therefore, to be patient with those we love and desire to help, and to show them greater respect by fully entrusting them into your hands. May we humbly share with them the light that we’ve found, and then have faith that they will find their own way. Through your help, gracious God, we pray. Amen.

Prayer

God of life,

Our ministry’s value of stewardship calls us to be responsible with all our resources, including the Earth itself. Help us as associates and partners in ministry with you, to ensure that all we do is guided by a concern for creation. On National Arbor Day, we are glad to take time both to celebrate your creation and to remember our fundamental vocation, to steward the gifts of the earth responsibly. Amen.

Prayer

God of the humble,

Your opposition to those who are proud seems like a natural consequence of pride itself. For we know by experience and we see every day how surely pride can destroy relationships. When we cannot see past ourselves and we leave no room for others, let alone you, we wind up secluded and alone rather than as you would have us: living in the joy of true community. Humble us today, in the work that we share and the ministry we are striving to perform. May we cultivate a community anchored in humility, where people are valued and wanted and know that they belong. Amen.

Prayer

Ever-true God,

Our integrity as a ministry depends on the conscientiousness of every single associate we have the privilege of serving alongside. Inspire us to cultivate this organizational value in such a way that our reputation in our communities and among all those we encounter will speak for itself. That we are a place of hospitality, quality care, and an unflinching concern to put the needs of those who are vulnerable first and foremost. Individually and collectively, we ask for the strength and stamina to continue the legacy of care we have received and now extend, long into the future. Amen.

Prayer

Almighty,

As our Jewish colleagues continue their observance of Passover, we all are invited to take time and remember the gracious ways you have shown us deliverance. Personally and collectively, your divine hand has long been at work, guiding and yet also inviting us, to receive your liberation and live according to its promise. Help us to do so, today and henceforth, for the life of the world. Amen.

Prayer

Creator of all things,

The creatures of the Earth reflect your love and creativity. The abundance of the Earth witnesses to your ongoing care and provision. The systems of the Earth that exist in a delicate balance witness to your vision of harmony for all creation. Loving God, you call us to be good, effective, and just stewards of the gift of Earth. As we celebrate this Earth Day, clarify our vision and renew our hearts, that we might dedicate ourselves to extending the compassionate ministry of Jesus through our care for our common home. Amen.

Prayer

Servant Lord,

When you knew all authority on heaven and earth had been given to you, you stooped low and washed your disciples’ feet. You then told them, and us, that this is the pattern of leadership that should define our lives, too. Help us this day, to follow your example and discover the joy of your upside-down kingdom—where the last are first, the humble are exalted, and those who are held in lowest esteem by human eyes are the first to be blessed in yours. May we all find grace today, to lift others up in words and deeds, serving one another as your hands and feet in the world today. Amen.