Pastoral Prayer

First Parish in Waltham

October 19, 2014
Spirit of Life, Source of All,
We are grateful to be together once again in this sanctuary,
this community made of memories of the past
and of hope for the future.
We have come to step away from our daily lives, to pause,
and to renew our spirits.
We have come to share each others pain and joy,
so that burdens can be made lighter and joy magnified.
Our world feels confusing and dangerous these days.
There is much to be afraid of:
the violence and atrocities taking place in the Middle East,
the terrible suffering in West Africa,
and the damage being done to our beautiful earth, our home.
We fear for our own safety, and our future.
Our hearts go out to all those who suffer.
We pray for courage to be able to hear all the bad news
so that we may face it and not turn away.
We pray for compassion for all those trying to survive in conditions
that we can scarcely imagine.
Help us to sustain ourselves, to nourish our hearts and our spirits,
that we may in turn offer sustenance to those who need help.
Grant that this community of faith may continue to offer us the support we
need to live our lives through all of our sorrows and joys.
We bring with us today our concerns and hopes for people in our own lives. In
the silence that follows, I invite you to speak a name or phrase aloud so that
together we may hold them close and offer them our love and care.
Source of solace and strength, we ask that our hearts may be opened to all
whose names we have mentioned and the many more that we hold close, that
they, and we, will find peace and comfort.
May our hearts be open to compassion, may our minds be open to wisdom, and
may our spirits be open to grace.
Amen.

Blessed be,
Amen