Holy one, gather us in your presence, seated around the oasis of your love, that we may hear and give voice to the prayers of your heart.
Draw into your circle all who are enmeshed in fear and anger, in striking out and striking back, in rigid demands that become unbridgeable barriers to finding a way towards peace. As the war between Israeland Hamas spills over into other countries … as conditions in Gaza continue to deteriorate … as Hamas refuses to release the October 6 Israeli hostages … as Hezbollah forces attack Northern Israel leading to massive evacuations … as we hear with horror that pagers and walkie-talkies filled with explosives were sent into Lebanon where they detonated with devastating effect … as a missile fired by Houthis landed in central Israel … as Israeli special forces raid an alleged missile site in Syria … as the innocent on all sides become more and more traumatized, and the world more and more fearful that the conflict will only escalate…
Gather us into your presence, hush us as a mother hushes a frightened child, protect and guide us.
Draw into your holy circle all who espouse violence and rile up hatred, those who spread lies and slander, all who trade their souls for political power and economic dominance. Enliven all elections, all governance, with your spirit of compassion, with your commitment to justice, with your longing to uplift those who have the least. As electioneering in the United States spreads false rumors about Haitian immigrants … … as Haiti takes the first steps towards holding its first election since 2016 … as Perugrapples with the mixed legacy of former President Fujimori, who died after serving prison time for corruption and human rights abuses …
Fill those we admire and those we abhor with your heart’s longing for all to live together in mutual joy and well-being and honor.
Draw into your healing circle all the hurting earth – land, sea, and sky. As droughts in the Amazon Basin leave rivers at an all-time low … As climate change disrupts the economy and almost the entire way of life in Somalia … As the World Health Organization reports that starvation in war-stricken Sudan “is almost everywhere” … As deadly wildfires rage in Portugal … As Storm Boris batters Italyafter causing widespread flooding in Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Austria …
Make us one in caring for one another, one in serving one another, one in healing the earth.
One in hearing, and sharing, and being your prayers for all peoples.
Holy one, gather us into your presence…into your heart.
Weekly Scripture – Micah 4:1-4: 6:6-8 & Matthew 21:18-22; 24:32-36
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