Dearly Beloved,
Grace and Peace to you.
A prayer for compassion (based on Romans 12)
Our response to the violence in the world, and to the the terrorist attacks of ten years ago, begins in prayer. We worship a God who sees the suffering of the oppressed and comes to set them free, and calls us to join in this great work. We follow Jesus, who calls us to take up our cross and be gentle in the face of violence and fear. Therefore we pray:
God of love, by your mercy we present our whole lives to you as a living sacrifice, seeking not to be conformed to this world but to be transformed by the renewal of our mindfulness, so that we may discern what is your delight, what is good and life-giving and whole.
Therefore let our love be genuine. May we turn from what is evil, and hold fast to what is good; may we love one another with mutual affection and outdo one another in honoring others. May we not lag in zeal, but be ardent in spirit, serving you. By your grace may we rejoice in hope, be patient in suffering, and persevere in prayer. Help us by your Spirit to contribute to the needs of the saints and extend hospitality to strangers.
We bless those who persecute us; we bless and do not curse them. We rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. We desire to live in harmony with one another; we seek not to be above others but to associate with the lowly, not claiming to be wiser than we are. We will not repay anyone evil for evil, but take thought for what is noble in the sight of all. By your grace, we will live peaceably with all. We take no part in vengeance: if our enemies are hungry, we will feed them; if they are thirsty, we will give them something to drink. We will not be overcome by evil, but by your grace we shall overcome evil with good.
This is our spiritual worship, and our faith. For this we give you thanks, and we ask your blessing. Amen.
Deep Blessings,
Pastor Steve
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Copyright © Steve Garnaas-Holmes
Unfolding Light
www.unfoldinglight.net