Day 189 | Thursday, 24 September 2020

Day 189 - Audio Version

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Day 189  |  Thursday, 24  September 2020

THANKS TO ALL OF YOU FOR THE BIRTHDAY GREETINGS I HAD A GOOD DAY!

A Beginning: Justice and Mercy
“Let justice roll down like water.  Let mercy bloom like a flower.  Let all God's people join hands and none be excluded.  Let differences be like presents to open.  Let strangers turn into our best friends. Raise your voice against injustice; sing a new song of hope.  Let God fill you with love; let God chase away fear.  Walk with Jesus the paths of peace and bring in the promised day.”

 An Invocation:
“Holy God, source of story and song, help us hear your Word in the midst of these words. Help us feel your heart-wrenching care in the midst of troubled days. Help us know your abiding presence. We open our hearts, minds and hands to receive. Fill us and bless us. Amen.”

 A Prayer of Confession: Peace and Justice
“God beyond our grasp, source of blessing and hope, we turn to you with questions in our hearts. Can we find some common ground upon which to build a new community? Can we confess our racism and find a deeper love beyond all color? Can we cast out fear, let go of "succeeding-at-all-costs" and trust you for our needs? Can we talk instead of fight, disarm instead of esca-late, take a risk for peace instead of preparing for war?

Great God of life, you love this world and grieve when we cause harm to any of its people. You are saddened by hungry families, warring tribes, abused children.
God, source of hope, bringer of peace, restore in us a vision of a human community where all are valued, and peace is a daily offering. Hear our prayer, God of justice and peace. Amen.”

 A Prayer for Peace:
“Holy God, weave praise into the fabric of our days so our lives become a blessing to others. Weave peace into our words and deeds so hatred and anger are disarmed. Weave love into our work so accomplishments are imbued with humility. Weave kindness into our actions so the world becomes a joyous place to live. Weave hope into every encounter so we may testify to God's continuing resurrection. Weave songs into our worship so our morning might echo in praise to God. Amen.”

 A Prayer for Division:
“Redeemer God, you have sent us Christ to show us the way, and yet our hearts are troubled. We are a divided people. Even Paul wrote in his letters to the newborn churches what they must do to be unified even in their diversity.

Teach us this lesson, O God. Teach us to love brother and sister as your children, even when we disagree. Teach us not to build coalitions, but to seek solutions. Teach us not to invest in being offended, but to pour our energy into understanding. We pray to you that our hearts do not become hardened but remain open - even to a middle way.

O God, when our anxiety is high, it is easy to forget that we have pledged our lives to you. Guide us, even when you are hard to hear, and help us to work toward the good of your creation, whatever that means for our future. Amen.”

 A Blessing: “Let us now put aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely. Let us do it now. Amen.”

 Today: prayers for peace for those suffering from injustices.