Dearest Lord, our world is torn by war, causing thousands to flee their homelands in the Middle East and Africa. Help us to welcome these and other refugees into our hearts and homes. For as you taught us, “Whoever welcomes one such child welcomes me.”
A harvest of righteousness is sown in peace for those who make peace.
Dearest Lord, your church is precious to us. Help us to remember, as witnesses to your infinite love, to walk into the world with a gentleness born of wisdom and the teachings of kindness on our tongues.
A harvest of righteousness is sown in peace for those who make peace.
Dearest Lord, we cringe as we contemplate the Presidential politics of the coming year. Let those who run for office and those of us who vote remember that wisdom from above is pure, peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without a trace of partiality or hypocrisy.
A harvest of righteousness is sown in peace for those who make peace.
Dearest Lord, let us remember your teaching, “Whoever wants to be first must be last of all and servant of all.” Help us to find you in the poor, the homeless, the hungry and helpless, the hopeless, the foreign, the forgotten and abandoned at sea.
A harvest of righteousness is sown in peace for those who make peace.
Dearest Lord, help us to honor your temple, this earth. Let us not plunder it for our earthly purposes and pleasures, but rather protect and cherish the seas and skies and shores and plants and animals that are perfect expressions of your grandeur.
A harvest of righteousness is shown in peace for those who make peace.
Dearest Lord, we know that we should not be anxious about earthly things, but this is perhaps the most difficult task of all — to set aside worry and hand wringing for trust in your wisdom and love and purpose. Be with those of us who suffer sickness, sadness, and uncertainty; help us all to be your healing hands and hearts of love in the world.
A harvest of righteousness is shown in peace for those who make peace.
In your wisdom we shall be like trees planted by the water, bearing fruit in due season, with leaves that do not wither.