In a recent worship series on Indigenous Justice at MMC,* I wrote the following prayer. As wars and violence rage around the world and across our news feeds, there is work for peace we can do right here, right now.
Eternal Presence—
Liberator and Deliverer
we cry out to you,
confessing our faltering fasts.
Our relationship with the land is distorted by greed, fear, and short-sightedness,
and we have not always been good neighbors or stewards of the earth’s gifts.
When you called for liberation,
we tightened the ropes that bind us and our relations.
When you shared a kin-dom vision of restoration
we feigned busyness and blindness.
Forgive us for our apathy,
our willful ignorance,
our half-hearted commitment to our own transformation.
Shake the despair from our bones.
Awaken our hearts.
God of mercy, hear our prayer.
(silence for reflection)
Inspired by the mercy of God,
the example of Jesus,
and the enduring presence of the Holy Breath, may we be:
Healers of relationship;
Tenders to the land;
Breakers of chains;
Restorers of ruined neighborhoods;
Campaigners of hope;
Lovers of the living waters;
Pilgrims on paths of peace.
May it be so.
*A full outline and worship resource on this series is slated to be published in the Leader magazine in Spring 2025.
Thanks for this prayer.