We Pray for the World and the Church (4th Sunday in Lent)

Lector: Beloved Mystery, we, your children, yearn to know you better.  During this time of Lent help us to be more aware of how we might live more fully as your beloved community.Help us to love one another and your creation more deeply.

Let us praise the Almighty Creator and the wonders of this creation.

We ask your ongoing blessings for our beloved priests, Berto and Hugh.  We thank them for their generosity and care.  We pray and give heartfelt thanks to our Presiding Bishop, Michael and our Acting Bishop, Melissa, as they approach new crossroads in their clerical lives, and we pray for wisdom and discernment in those who select their successors. We pray for spiritual leaders everywhere, that they keep steady on the path of goodness and that they, with their flocks, find their way to an ever greater  knowledge of You.

Let us praise the Almighty Creator and the wonders of this creation .

We pray for all those affected by the turmoil afflicting countries and people throughout the world—for those bearing arms against one another in Borneo, for the displaced and hungry people of Yemen, Syria, Gaza, Ukraine, and elsewhere.  We pray fervently for those who are blinded by the enticement of  destructive arms and lust  for power.  We pray that women and children be safe and nourished. And we pray for all those working to help the displaced and downtrodden, including Doctors Without Borders, Red Cross workers, and all those serving through our Episcopal Church charities. 

Let us praise the Almighty Creator and the wonders of this creation.

We pray  most fervently for leaders of countries, heads of states and governments, and for those who seek to become leaders of governments.  May they recognize and speak truth . May they implement ways to help those in need . May they take the lead in ending the plague of gratuitous gun violence in this country and the world. May they find ways to welcome and nurture those who have been forced to leave their native  countries and cultures.

Let us praise the Almighty Creator and the wonders of this creation .

We pray for the earth itself—for the air, the water, the many plants and creatures, seen and unseen, whose survival depends upon responsible stewardship—a stewardship we share with the Indigenous peoples who were here before us.  Help us to find and support enduring approaches to uplift  and sustain the beautiful creation in which we live. And may we never lose sight of our indebtedness to those who dwelled here in ancient times.

Let us praise the Almighty Creator and the wonders of this creation.

We pray for all those in need in our community, including those with inadequate housing, mental and developmental difficulties, and broken families.  These people are part of our family, and we embrace them in words and deeds.

Let us praise the Almighty Creator and the wonders of this creation.

We pray and thank the dedicated service of all whose work lessens the difficulties that many face— through food, through counseling and teaching, through beauty and the arts, through response to health emergencies, and through fair implementation of the justice system.

Let us praise the Almighty Creator and the wonders of this creation.

And we ask blessings on all those with needs known only to us (pause to pray silently or aloud), and for those on our Parish Prayer List …

Let us praise the Almighty Creator and the wonders of this creation.

Let us pray also for the recently deceased and for their loving friends and families.  May they be comforted by your abundant love in their darkest moments. AMEN