Easter 6 | Year B

Sisters and brothers in Christ,
God invites us to bring our doubts and fears,
our joys and concerns, our petitions and praise,
and offer them for the earth and all its creatures.

God, you put us here on earth as embodied human beings,
For your glory and for our learning.
We experience you in all kinds of ways:
In nature,
In relationships,
In community,
In silence,
In sacredness.

Help us to seek you and find you,
In the places you’ve promised to be
And in the places we least expect you.
Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

Love shall overcome,
Love shall overcome,
Love shall overcome,
Love shall overcome.

O God, you have left a lot of hints about yourself along the way,
From stone tablets to still, small voices,
From prophets to angel messengers,
From subtle rainbows to dramatic rescues.

Then you sent Christ Jesus, the epitome of you, to teach us about yourself,
About your love,
About forgiveness,
And about resurrection.

We pray for the feeding of the hungry,
the clothing of the destitute,
the housing of the homeless,
the reformation of prisoners,
and the rehabilitation of those lost in addiction.

Bless every agency, church or government,
which is dedicated to the care of our disadvantaged sisters and brothers.
Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

Love shall overcome,
Love shall overcome,
Love shall overcome,
Love shall overcome.

O God, help us to love one another,
Because love is from God;
And everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.
You are Love.
As Christ abides in you, and we abide in Christ,
So we abide in Love.

We meditate on all we’ve learned of you,
We meditate on the life and work of Christ;
So we ask that we may know more deeply, more fully,
The Love in which we abide.

Receive these prayers, O God,
and transform us through them,
that we may have eyes to see and hearts to understand
not only what you do on our behalf,
but what you call us to do
so that your kingdom will be brought to bear in glory.

We ask all of this through Christ, our Lord. Amen

Hear our prayer
Hear your people
Turn our hearts to you
Make us whole again

Hear our prayer
Hear your people
Turn our hearts to you
Make us one

Easter 3 | Year B

Holy and Mysterious God, the light of your love shines on, illuminating the places where you are present.  As the disciples pondered the stories of your appearance, you penetrated the darkness of their fear and doubt with your word of peace.  You showed them the appalling marks of evil pierced on your hands and feet.  You opened their minds to understand why you had to die to defeat such evil and death. Increase our understanding, we pray, and open our minds and hearts to receive you.

You have called us to follow in the way of your risen Son, and to care for those who are our companions, not only with words of comfort, but with acts of love. Seeking to be true friends of all, we offer our prayers on behalf of the church and the world.

Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

You hear us calling,
You hear us calling,
Abba Father.

We also keep company with the travelers on the Emmaus road who felt the strange burning of the truth and hope and love weaving into the sadness that consumed them on their walk. We find ourselves in the eternal movement between fear and faith, doubt and conviction, wonder and worry, and we trust that you are present with us, O God. We pray that like the disciples, we will be able to stand and tell the whole message about this life. 

We give thanks for those who:    

rise early in the morning to prepare food at countless soup kitchens around the world;
search the night streets for lost children and shepherd them to places of safety;
keep watch amidst the sick and dying in countless hospitals and in countless places.

Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

You hear us calling,
You hear us calling,
Abba Father.

Bring to us O God, the sense of your living presence as we go into this new week.  Renew in your Church the faith you want us to have, the faith that is not afraid to reach out in your name and to share the treasure you have given us, that treasure which is greater than silver and gold.

Finally, O Lord, we ask that you would bless us at Sanctuary with vision for the future and reverence for the past.  Guide us each day as we minister to one another and to world for which you gave yourself.  Help us each day to bear witness to your name and to do that which you would have us do.  We ask it through Christ Jesus our Lord.  Amen

Lord have mercy,
Christ have mercy.
Lord have mercy
Christ have mercy.

Seventh Sunday in Easter | Year A

You hear us calling.
You hear us calling.
Abba Father.

O God, your Son remained with his disciples after his resurrection,
teaching them to love all people as neighbors.
As his disciples in this age,
we offer our prayers on behalf of the universe
in which we are privileged to live
and our neighbors with whom we share it.

We pray for your church gathered around the world.
As we recognize Ascension Day
we are recognizing your rule in the world - here and now.
Help us to live in a way that acknowledges you are not absent, 
but King of kings and Lord of Lords;
Even here, even now you are Lord in the midst of our pain and suffering, 
our joy and celebration, and we submit to the Rule of Christ in our lives

You hear us calling,
You hear us calling,
Abba Father.

Shepherding God,
the Psalmist assures us that you walk with us in the darkest of valleys,
that your rod and staff will bring us comfort,
that we will find a banquet table set before us, 
even in the midst of our enemies,
that goodness and mercy will be our companions on the road of life.

We rest in the assurance that your promises are true and sure,
that you will lead us to green pastures,
that you will guide us to find still waters to nourish our souls.

You hear us calling,
You hear us calling,
Abba Father.

O God we pray for the people of Manchester.
At an event that was supposed to bring joy and unity
We found death and destruction.
We pray for the lives lost - innocent men, women, and children.
This world could not keep them safe and so we turn to you, O God
To wrap them in your love and grant them justice.

Give peace to those who are left to pick up the pieces of their lives,
Those putting children to sleep without a parent, friend, or sibling;
Those laying to rest sons and daughters, mothers and fathers, loved ones and colleagues.
Give grace to the first responders
and those who ran into the face of danger for the sake of others.
Help us to continue to live in a way that bears witness to your kingdom of love and mercy
in a world torn apart by injustice, intolerance, and hate.

Lord have mercy,
Christ have mercy,
Lord have mercy,
Christ have mercy.

Guide us in the path of discipleship,
so that, as you have blessed us,
we may be a blessing for others,
bringing the promise of the kingdom near
by our words and deeds.

All of this we ask in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit
One God, now and forever. 
Amen.

Lord have mercy,
Christ have mercy.
Lord have mercy,
Christ have mercy.

Fifth Sunday in Easter | Year A

The following Prayers of the People were curated by Trinity Grace Church Tribeca in New York City for Mother’s Day 2017:

God on this mother’s day, we pause thank you for all the ways you are a mother to us.
You are mother to us in the way you watch over us and watch out for us.
Our holy scripture likens you to a mother eagle, to a mother hen, to a mother bear.
Like these creatures, you are ever mindful and fiercely protective.
For this, O God, we give you thanks.

You are a mother to us in the way you hold us and heal us.
Our holy scripture likens you to a caring mother who scoops up her children in her arms and comforts them.
You are a nurturer and a giver of compassion.
You understand our tears, calm our fears, and soothe our disappointments. You bandage our injuries and kiss our wounds.
For this, O God, we give you thanks.

You are mother to us the way you labor and love.
Our holy scripture likens you to a midwife, to a pregnant woman in labor, to a nursing mother.
As life-giver, you have given birth to us as infants.
But you always seem to be in labor, birthing and rebirthing new creations in us and around us.
And for this, O God, we give you thanks.

God, we ask your blessings for all the women in our world who have
experienced the wonder of bringing forth new life. We ask for strength as they walk
the demanding journey that is motherhood. We ask for wisdom on how best to raise
their children. We ask for mercy as they inevitably make mistakes.
For all these mothers, O God, we ask your blessings.

We also ask your blessings on all the women for whom being a mother is a source of
pain and anxiety.
For mothers who are like Eve, whose children are entangled in rivalry.
For mothers who are like Hagar, who have been cast aside and forced to mother alone.
For mothers who are like Naomi, who have lost a child and must carry on.
For mothers who are like Moses’s, who made a difficult decision to give up her child
because she felt she could not provide the safest or healthiest environment.
For mothers like Pharaoh’s daughter, who have chosen to lovingly raise a child that
isn’t theirs by birth.
For mothers like Leah’s and Rachel’s, who are forced to watch a judgmental and
broken society favor one child over another.
For mothers like Bathsheba, whose children face tremendous or even terminal illness.
For mothers like Mary, who have a complicated pregnancy story that they are
embarrassed to explain.
For all these mothers, O God, we ask your blessings.

God, we ask for grace for all the mothers in perilous situations around the world.
For mothers in countries like Syria and Somalia, whose impoverished and war-torn nations have made protecting their children nearly impossible.
For mothers in places like Palestine, who are forced to raise their children behind concrete walls and without equal protection under the law.
For mothers in places like Venezuela, who are faced with food shortages and are forced to skip meals so their children can eat.
And for mothers in places like New York City, who may be struggling to provide for their children.
We pray especially for those who are single parents and must bear these burdens alone.

When they feel alone, we ask for the gift of your divine presence.
When they feel aimless, we ask for the gift of your divine providence.
When they feel desperate, we ask for the gift of your divine provision.
For all these mothers, O God, we ask for grace.

God, we also remember the women in our midst who desire to be mothers, but are not.
For women like Tamar, who have tried every possible way to become a mother and have come up empty handed.
For women like Rachel, who have been forced to watch their family members give birth but remain childless.
For women like Sarah, who have had to endure the pain of their husbands having children with other women.
For women who never had children but have mothered their coworkers and colleagues, their godchildren and neighborhood children, their nephews and nieces.

We ask for mercy and grace and patience and peace for all these women today.
God, we also ask for grace for those of us who may not be mothers, but experience
pain on this day.
For the sons and daughters whose mothers are sources of tension rather than peace, judgment rather than compassion, and hurt rather than love.
And for the sons and daughters who have lost mothers and now ache from the absence of maternal love.
In their lives, O God, be mother today.

No matter how we experience this day, we trust that you rejoice with those who
rejoice and mourn with those who mourn.
Our names our written on your heart and our stories are engraved on your palm.

You are Abba.
You are Mama.
This day and each day.

Amen.

---

Sources:

- Duke Divinity School’s Clergy Health Initiative
- Amy Young of “The Messy Middle”
- United Methodist Church Discipleship Ministries
- Xavier University’s Jesuit Resource
- Trinity Grace Church Tribeca liturgy, 2016
- Image: Stoning of Stephen. Paolo Uccello, 1397-1475 

Fourth Sunday in Easter | Year A

O God, whose Son described himself as the door of the sheep,
the gateway to a fuller and richer life:
Have mercy on those afflicted by doubt or perplexity amid the mysteries of life;
and enable them to know the comforting presence of Christ,
that they may learn to walk humbly by faith in him
and find rest and respite in every circumstance still to come.

Sovereign God, we pray for the leaders of the nations,
that building on the foundations of justice, truth, and freedom,
they may unite people everywhere in harmony, peace, and mutual respect,
that your will may be done on earth as it is in heaven.

You hear us calling,
You hear us calling,
Abba Father

O God, direct the minds of those we have elected to serve,
from our city of Tulsa to the state of Oklahoma,
from those serving in Congress to the Senate,
and those at the highest levels of our government.

Grant that they may exercise their responsibilities
in such a way as to consider all things wisely and thoughtfully,
and for the sake of the welfare of the people;
and grant them understanding hearts, sound judgements,
and a concern always for the common good and the benefit of all.

You hear us calling,
You hear us calling,
Abba Father

God of all the earth, we have discovered so much knowledge
and yet possess so little wisdom,
and so we pray that in your mercy you may save us from ourselves.
Help us to learn the right use of nature  no less quickly than we unlock
and discover its treasures;
give us hearts and wills made new in Jesus Christ
And dedicate our gifts of knowledge to the service of others and to your glory.

Consoling God, comfort of the sorrowful and strength of the weary:
May the prayers of all that call upon you in any difficulty capture your attention,
that they may know that your mercy has been with them to bear them up
and support them even in the midst of their trouble.

Lord have mercy,
Christ have mercy.
Lord have mercy,
Christ have mercy.

God of all, near and far, and whose love recognizes no barriers of nation or race or color,
we ask your blessing on the Church in all the world;
that through the witness of its faith, its worship and its life,
your way may be known upon the earth
and your saving power among all the nations.

We give you thanks, O God, for all who have followed Jesus Christ, the Good Shepherd,
and we commit ourselves and those we love to your care this day,
praying that you will guard us from every danger and guide us in the way of truth,
until we enter into the fullness of your presence.

You hear us calling,
You hear us calling,
Abba Father.

Open our hearts to your power moving
around us and between us and within us,
until your glory is revealed in our love of both friend and enemy,
in communities transformed by justice and compassion,
and in the healing of all that is broken. All this we ask in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Lord have mercy,
Christ have mercy.
Lord have mercy,
Christ have mercy.

Third Sunday in Easter | Year A

Sisters and brothers in Christ,
God invites us to bring our doubts and fears,
our joys and concerns, our petitions and praise,
and offer them for the earth and all its creatures.

O God, you have called us to follow in the way of your risen Son,
and to care for those who are our companions,
not only with words of comfort, but with acts of love.
Seeking to be true friends of all,
we offer our prayers on behalf of the church and the world.

You hear us calling,
You hear us calling,
Abba Father

O God, giver of life, let us live our lives in the fullness of the Spirit,
with humility, care, and compassion, and in your Son’s image.
Let us forgive where forgiveness is sought.
Let us strive to ease the burdens of others,
and in so doing, lighten our own load.

We ask of you in your infinite wisdom,
to cherish us all in this world you created
and protect those who cannot protect themselves.
As we celebrate this Easter season,
we pray for our brothers and sisters around the world
for whom this season has brought only heartache and pain.

You hear us calling,
You hear us calling,
Abba Father

Let our thoughts and prayers turn to all refugees
whose lives are lived in the desperation of poverty,
the fear of illness, and ill-treatment,
in the struggles for freedom and justice,
in the weariness of war, and in the bleakness of despair.

We imagine you, O God,
seeing the precious lives of your loved ones in each nation,
each with their own struggles
and pray that if we are all your children,
as is Christ Jesus,
that you help us to see clearly who and what we are called to be for one another.

Lord have mercy,
Christ have mercy.
Lord have mercy,
Christ have mercy.

We pray for those countries involved in continuing conflicts;
for the violence in South Sudan where tens of thousands have been killed
and thousands more are fleeing the border;
for the rising tensions over North Korea
where the United States is desperately seeking to resolve and ease relations
and for the ongoing conflict in Syria.

As we hear the death toll from the bombing of a crowded
bus convoy near Aleppo has reached 126 lives, including 68 children,
we pray for those innocent souls caught up between the warring sides.
We pray for the all service personnel in active duty around the world,
and ask that you will keep them safe
until they return home to their families and those whom they love.

Lord have mercy,
Christ have mercy.
Lord have mercy,
Christ have mercy.

Elusive God,
companion on the way,
you walk behind, beside, beyond;
you catch us unawares.
Break through the disillusionment
and despair clouding our vision,
that, with wide-eyed wonder,
we may find our way and journey on
as messengers of your good news

You hear us calling,
You hear us calling,
Abba Father

Guide us in the path of discipleship,
so that, as you have blessed us,
we may be a blessing for others,
bringing the promise of the Kingdom near
by our words and deeds

Receive these prayers, O God,
and transform us through them,
that we may have eyes to see and hearts to understand
not only what you do on our behalf,
but what you call us to do
so that your Kingdom will come to fruition in glory.
We ask these things in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Lord have mercy,
Christ have mercy.
Lord have mercy,
Christ have mercy.

Second Sunday in Easter | Year A

O God, in this moment we bring our collective faith and offer the prayers that can only be prayed with the faith of a community.

We pray for the Universal Church, for its members and its mission.
We recognize that we are all part of one body
focused on bringing your image to bear in a world that has greatly distorted your image
and what it means to be human.
And just as your body is broken and blood is shed in the Eucharist,
so break us and pour us out for the sake of the world.

Draw your Church together, O God, into one great company of disciples,
Together following our Lord Jesus Christ into every walk of life,
Together serving him in his mission to the world,
And together witnessing to his love on every corner and every margin.

You hear us calling,
You hear us calling,
Abba Father

O God our Creator,
When you speak there is light and life.
When you act there is justice and love.
Grant that your voice may be in the mouths of those in authority,
and your actions may be present in the works of our government,
so that what we say and what we do as a nation would be filled with your Holy Spirit.

You hear us calling,
You hear us calling,
Abba Father

O God we thank you that you still walk through
our locked doors of fear, insecurity, and loneliness.
Just as you appeared to your disciples
and offered them your Peace, so grant us your Peace that passes understanding.
Just as you bore your wounds to your disciples,
grant us the courage required to be vulnerable with our own wounds,
that we might become agents of healing to one another.

Just as you breathed on your disciples,
inviting them to receive the Holy Spirit,
we ask that you would send us a Holy Wind: 
a Holy Wind that dismantles us,
a Holy Wind that overrides barriers and opens communication,
a Holy Wind that signals your rule among us.

Lord have mercy,
Christ have mercy.
Lord have mercy,
Christ have mercy.

Hear again our prayers for the world.
Again we pray for what seems impossible:
Peace in places where war reigns.
An end to strife over boundaries.
Food for the hungry.
Shelter for the impoverished.
Understanding of differences between peoples.

Jesus, we believe you; all we heard is true.
You break the bread, and we recognize you.
You are the fire that burns within us;
Use us to light the world.

You hear us calling,
You hear us calling,
Abba Father

O God by the glorious resurrection of your Son, Jesus Christ
You have broken the power of death
And brought life and immortality to light;
Grant that we who have been raised with him
May triumph over all temptation
And rejoice in the hope of eternal glory

Lord have mercy,
Christ have mercy.
Lord have mercy,
Christ have mercy.

O God, Thank you for this place,
for the people who dreamed the vision of this sanctuary and this church.
We sit in chairs where others have sat in years past.
And we sit in chairs that will be filled in the future by those not yet born.
But for now we are the stewards of your grace in this time and in this place.
Help us to be good stewards of that grace,
shrewd managers of that grace,
and dedicated investors in the good news of your saving grace for the sake of others.

Open our hearts to your power moving
around us and between us and within us,
until your glory is revealed in our love of both friend and enemy,
in communities transformed by justice and compassion,
and in the healing of all that is broken.

All this we ask in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Lord have mercy,
Christ have mercy.
Lord have mercy,
Christ have mercy.