Prayers of the People

God be with you,

And also with you.

Let us pray.

We come before your presence, O Strong Rock of Our Salvation with thanksgiving.  You offer us in the course of our days an ever-flowing spring of living water, gushing up to life eternal.  And you feed us in your Church with the work you call us to do following your will, living out your Good News of mercy, reconciliation and peace in the world around us.  We pray to you today for your church in the Evanston Deanery, particularly for the people of the Church of St. James the Less in Northfield and Megan, their Rector.  O Lord, you are our God and we are the people of your pasture and the sheep of your hand.  Keep us faithful to your calling, that in all our journeying we may not be wayward wanderers but committed seekers of your Spirit.

God in your mercy,

Hear our prayer.

Savior of the World, you are a great King above all gods and mortal rulers alike.  In your hand are the caverns of the earth, the heights of the hills are yours, you made the sea and molded the dry land, O Word of God.  Everything is yours.  Nothing is ours.  We come to you in this time of war praying that our leaders and the leaders of the nations will not harden their hearts to the plight of those who suffer but will act mercifully and with justice.  You reign in service and in sacrifice. Teach all in positions of authority to perceive your mighty Way which is crowned not by iron or gold but with thorns.  Guard all civilians who find themselves in the path of bullets and bombs and comfort all who mourn those who are being killed - in Afghanistan and Pakistan, in Sudan and Ukraine, in Iran and throughout the Middle East.  Embrace the suffering, O Wounded Healer, O Dying Rising One, and make of our broken ways your own.

God in your mercy,

Hear our prayer.

Lord our Maker, we bow down and bend the knee before you, our souls heavy with our many cares and concerns - for ourselves, for our world, for those who we hold in our hearts.  We pray you to share your healing, restoring grace with Sally, Sherry, Aidan, Isabelle, Anne, Victor, Ben, Chuck and family, Heather, Vicki, Darold, Donna, James, Lexi, and Christine.

Are there others?

And we ask you to lead into your eternal rest all who have died, particularly those killed in the Middle East, in Sudan, in Afghanistan and Pakistan, and in Ukraine.  Give them your peace where war is no more.  Make light perpetual to shine upon them.

God in your mercy,

Hear our prayer.

Almighty God, you know that we have no power in ourselves to help ourselves: Keep us both outwardly in our bodies and inwardly in our souls, that we may be defended from all adversities which may happen to the body, and from all evil thoughts which may assault and hurt the soul; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.         The Book of Common Prayer

Amen.