Gracious and loving Father, we come to you grateful for and humbled by so many things, but we are especially thankful for the fellowship we have with you and with this community of faith. We rejoice in the unity we all have in Christ!

God, you tell us that before time existed, you were there. Before the world came into being, you just were. And, long after this creation fades away, you will continue to be. Father, we recognize that humanity is such a small part of all that is, yet we are sorry that we fool ourselves into believing we are invincible – forgive us, Father!

Gracious God, help us to remember the days of Moses when even the mountains trembled before you. And, be patient with us as we try to remember who you are and whose we are. So much has filled our lives, making it hard for us to recall or even to experience the wonder and awe of your power and presence.

We mourn and hurt with victims of hate crimes like the one that happened in Annapolis, MD this week. And, we experience worry and anxieties over:

• acts of war and threats of death and destruction,
• viruses that spread through the world without a cure
• anger and ignorance reflected by our own political leaders,
• sickness of our loved ones,
• and our own personal struggles to love you and to love our neighbors.

Forgive us for getting so caught up in our worries and anxieties that we forget that you are a God who is slow to anger and who abounds in steadfast love. You are present in all the broken places in our lives and throughout the world. You wait for us to turn to you for healing, for justice, for peace. Stir us to the kind of prayerful action, and persistent prayer that will set us apart from the ways of world.

We confess to you, God,, that when we look at what’s going on around us, we are troubled and concerned. Please silence our anxieties and fears, humble our desires for greatness, and fill us with compassion.

Lord, come to us as you went to the Israelites. And, lead us out of all that prevents us from being your people. Remind us of how much we have been forgiven so that we may remember to withhold harsh judgment against our brothers and sisters whose lives may be different from our own.

Long before we drew lines on our maps that separate one people from another, you claimed us all as your beloved. May we be a church that seeks to live in holy love and a church that responds to the barriers that divide race from race, rich from poor, men from women, young from old, and culture from culture. Let us not try your patience any longer with our selfish ways.

Holy Spirit, confront us with the hidden prejudices and fears that deny and betray our prayers. Enable us to see the causes of tension, remove from us all sense of superiority, and teach us to grow in unity with all God’s children.

Christ, our Lord and Savior, reconcile us by your cross! Fill us with compassion for the cry of the alien, the refugee, and the immigrant. Lead this church into ministries that help the orphans and widows. Set us free from vain discussions that prevent us from true worship. Lead us into:

• sharing our dinner tables with the hungry
• sharing our homes with the homeless
• sharing our clothing with the naked

And, sharing the new heart that you through your Spirit has given us with everyone so that we may serve as beacons of hope for all who come seeking you!

In Jesus’ Name, Amen.