Passionate God, we thank You for Your love for us,
for Your patience and trust.
Today we are thankful for the joys of community.
We see signs of life and love everywhere—
from handshakes and hugs
to conversations and praying for one another.
We pray for our community,
that you continue to be with us in our happiness and weariness,
our celebrations and struggles.
We pray for our world that faces so much violence;
especially for those suffering war conditions and the threat of war.
May leaders at every level learn to speak in favor of humanity and justice.
May all people walk the path of peace, the path of forgiveness, the path of equality.
Leader: Lord, in Your mercy,
All: Hear our prayer.
O God, we pray for the fires
raging across California, Australia, and the Middle East.
Sustain those who serve and provide relief for the long haul.
Protect our firefighters, community volunteers
and those serving while even serving time in prison.
Almighty God, on this Veterans Day weekend
we commend to your gracious care and keeping
all the men and women of our armed forces,
at home and abroad.
Defend them day by day by your grace;
strengthen them in their trials and temptations;
give them the courage to face the perils that trouble them;
and grant them a sense of your abiding presence,
wherever they may be.
Leader: Lord, in Your mercy,
All: Hear our prayer.
Embracing God, we pray for those who suffer
in our community and throughout the world.
We remember those who face daily persecution and discrimination.
Enfold them in your loving arms.
Teach us the power of love and forgiveness,
that our words may be ones of healing.
O God, we offer prayers for those voices that have been silenced.
We ask for your spirit of reconciliation to be near.
We pray there may be an end to bullying in schools,
harassment in homes and workplaces,
discriminatory laws and practices.
May we learn the call to be bearers of peace
and spread Your imagination for the world through love and solidarity.
All this we ask through Christ, our Lord. Amen.