God of resurrection and new life, inspire your church to reconsider what makes us holy. When we focus on our own piety or others’ sin, show us Christ’s faithfulness. Help us to continue to creatively explore new ways of being church in the midst of the coronavirus.
Breathe life and peace into your creation. Protect homes, fields, and communities from damaging winds. Bless environmentalists, engineers, and legislators who work to curb pollution and to ensure clean air for us and for future generations.
We pray for all essential workers in New York City and around the country who continue to work and put their own wellbeing on the line to help us face this crisis. We pray for doctors, nurses, first responders, researchers, law enforcement, caregivers, and all working to combat COVID-19. Be with those who work in service and restaurant professions, those keeping stores stocked and making at home deliveries, for teachers both at home and online working tirelessly to give our children an education in the midst of crisis. We pray for those who transport goods to the places that need them, provide them with what they need along the journey. Keep them safe, keep them healthy, and help us to find ways to provide them with the supplies that they need to do their jobs well. We ask that you continue to be with employers and employees who are struggling to figure out how to keep things going during this time.
By the resurrection of the wounded Christ, draw near to those wounded in body or spirit. Liberate all who are bound by grief, abuse, addiction, or pain. Restore faith to the despairing and hope to the suffering. We pray for those in our own community especially Peter, Laura, Kathy, Susan, Tom S., Maeve, Anita, Tracy, Justin, Judah, Catalina Ann, Jacqueline, Bob, Joe I., Tony, Joe W., Cliff, Jan, Kara, Diane, Jennifer, Ingke, Barney, Edwin, Diane, Rosetta, Franco and anyone we name silently in our hearts, aloud in our homes, or in the comments below. Provide for those who do not have enough to eat, those who are unemployed or underemployed, and those who rely on the generosity of others.
We commend these and all our prayers to you, O God. Come near to us with your saving help, for the sake of Jesus Christ, our risen Lord.
Amen.
The Art of Enduring
For Holy Saturday
This blessing
can wait as long
as you can.
Longer.
This blessing
began eons ago
and knows the art
of enduring.
This blessing
has passed
through ages
and generations,
witnessed the turning
of centuries,
weathered the spiraling
of history.
This blessing
is in no rush.
This blessing
will plant itself
by your door.
This blessing
will keep vigil
and chant prayers.
This blessing
will bring a friend
for company.
This blessing
will pack a lunch
and a thermos
of coffee.
This blessing
will bide
its sweet time
until it hears
the beginning
of breath,
the stirring
of limbs,
the stretching,
reaching,
rising
of what had lain
dead within you
and is ready
to return.
—Jan Richardson
from Circle of Grace
Used with Permission of the Author
Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, Bellerose 