The Prayers of the People

God be with you,

And also with you.

Let us pray.

O God, our Light and our Salvation, we cry to you in times of darkness and despair.  As we witness acts of violence, hubris, and injustice in our society, as we hear of disaster, division, and destruction abroad, we turn to you and implore you to uphold, defend, and restore all who sit in the region and shadow of death, particularly in Gaza, Iran, Minnesota, Spain, Syria, and Ukraine.   Have mercy and answer us - break the rod of the oppressor, lift up the heads of all who are bowed down.   Your ways are true, King of all the saints; teach your larger story, your saving path of wisdom, compassion and humility to us and to all in positions of authority.  Guide the nations of the earth to follow in the way that leads to true goodness, true peace in that kingdom beyond all the imperfect kingdoms of the earth.

God in your mercy,

Hear our prayer.

O Jesus, the Strength of our Life, the majesty and glory of Your name transcend the earth and fill the heavens.  We sing and make music to you with sounds of great gladness.  We pray to you this day for your Church, especially for this community of St. Elisabeth’s as we meet for our Annual Meeting to discern our common life in the year ahead.  Give us love, patience, wisdom and a clear sense of our vocation.  You call us away from devotion to the false idols of money and possessions, status and fame, power and control.  You call us to follow you into the deeper places of the spirit and into the wounded places of your world.   Help us, by your grace, to repent of our pursuit of selfishness, to offer our lives generously to you and to pursue your high calling, your larger story, here in our days- to walk according to your word and daily learn, refreshed and restored, that you will not let us fall but will raise us into the fullness of who we are meant to be.

God in your mercy,

Hear our prayer.

O Holy Spirit, our Helper, hearken to our voice when we call.  Surround with your healing power and loving presence all those who are in anguish, all who are afraid, all who are in prison or detainment, all who are sick or sorrowing, all who bear heavy burdens or who are in any kind of trouble, particularly Sally, Sherry, Aidan, Isabelle, Ben, Sam, Lexi, Charlotte, James, Chuck, Cheryl, and Griffin. Are there others?

We pray to you for all those who have died, particularly those persons killed in the train accident in Spain this past week, in the protests in Iran and in the war in Ukraine.  We pray for the repose of the soul of Renee Good and the souls of all who have been killed by law enforcement.

Shed your light eternal graciously, we pray, upon every person who dies and upon every person who mourns, knowing that each of your children is precious in your sight.

God in your mercy,

Hear our prayer.

Silence

Give us grace, O Lord, to answer readily the call of our Savior Jesus Christ and proclaim to all people the Good News of his salvation, that we and the whole world may perceive the glory of his marvelous works; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.              The Book of Common Prayer

Amen.