I was invited to offer the invocation at an interfaith prayer breakfast this morning, part of a series of events at Trinitarian Congregational Church in Concord, in commemoration of 9/11.
Let us pray...
In the quiet sanctuaries of our hearts,
let each of us name and come before the One
we call Holy…
Gracious God, source of all that is good,
font of every good gift,
grant us the healing of nations
that brings forth justice
and welcomes peace
that the peoples of your world
might rejoice and grow and live as one…
Well-spring of all that is truly human,
heal our hearts of all that stands in the way
of our coming together to shelter and feed,
to clothe and care for one another:
let none go without while others have too much…
Depths of all wisdom,
give us healing words to speak to one another;
give us courage to announce to all
what is true, what is just and what is good:
counsel us to seek the truth
and to recognize it when we find it…
Font of all that is pure,
heal and cleanse whatever soils our dreams and desires,
our imaginations and creative spirits:
with beauty and integrity shape and form
our thoughts, our hopes, our plans
and let that light which is yours alone
shine in us, through us and among us…
Creator of every good gift,
restore our relationship with the world you have made,
with the earth on which we walk,
the air we breathe, the water we drink,
and with all that lives and grows and moves
around and above us:
forgive our poor stewardship
and make us faithful guardians
of your garden…
Unfailing source of courage and strength,
heal what keeps us from loving and working with one another
in our families, in our neighborhoods,
in our cities and towns,
and in our faith communities:
help us come together
despite our differences
and teach us to learn from one another
through our differences…
Bless our gathering this morning
and the spirit we share at these tables,
may this food, the harvest you’ve given us,
nourish each and all of us
for the work of healing that leads to peace…
We praise you, we bless you, we thank you
and we call you Holy!
Amen.
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Thanks - Love this - and it's splendid serendipity that I posted esrlier in the week about the interfaith Assisi meeting coming up in October. :-))
ReplyDeleteThere are some opposed to it but your prayer hits the heart of what can and should be able to unite people of all faiths without losing integrity.
Blessings
Thanks - I've put a link to this on my blog - what was on the menu ?
ReplyDeleteBlessings
Coffee, tea, OJ, fresh fruit, several kinds of quiche, pastries!
ReplyDeleteWhat no bagels ?
ReplyDeleteThere may have been but because of a doctor's appointment I had to "pray and run" - didn't have even a bite!
ReplyDelete"make us faithful guardians of your garden..." love it!!
ReplyDeleteMeighan