Eternal God, You gather your people from north and south, east and west, into your presence. (Luke 13:22–30) You place the least, the last, the lost, and the lonely at the head of your table. In Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace, you upend our understanding of what it means to worship you, to follow you, and to live in your kingdom.
Our lives rush forward, the ground shifts beneath our feet, and what was knit together frays at the edges. This Lent, we seek respite, firm ground, and deep peace. We seek to live with faith and hope in the realities of our lives. Though we fall short of loving you and our neighbor fully, we seek refuge in your divine household, trusting that we belong to you now and forever. As we acknowledge your beauty and presence, we hold fast to the assurance that in Christ, we are forgiven and made new.
And so approach you with our deepest longings and fragile hopes, for ourselves and for our neighbors:
For your creation, this good earth and all its creatures; for the abundant gifts you give us; and the ability to steward them with generosity and care; Open wide the doorway of life.
For those who live and work where missiles fly overhead; for those deployed to areas of conflict, and for their loved ones; for the safety and protection of innocent lives; for leaders who hold the power of life and death at their fingertips; for conversations that devolve, and violence that erupts out of chaos; Open wide the doorway of peace.
For all whose livelihoods, rights, and status are not secure; for all whose lives are treated as less than sacred; for those who do not have food, shelter, water, or what they need to thrive; and for all whose hearts and minds are anxious and afraid; Open wide the doorway of hope and possibility.
For all who navigate the twists in turns in a labyrinth of grief; for all who face the fragility of our human bodies, the medical tests, the life-changing diagnosis, surgery, recovery, rehab, and the caregiving that comes with it; Lord, open wide the doorway of comfort and healing
For all who are called to repair the breach, to build bridges across growing divides; for all who create community networks that care for the vulnerable; for all who speak with courage and truth; Open wide the doorway of patience and compassion.
For this church and your church around the world; for people who seek justice, love kindness, and walk humbly; for those attempting to follow the often hard way of Jesus; Christ; for those who ask, “what do you require of us,”
Open wide the doorway of love and humility.
For what we do not yet have words for and for what is too tender to speak out loud; for those things known only to us, we offer our silent prayers: …Lord, hear our prayers.
We ask all of this in the name of Christ who teaches us to pray: Our Father…. Amen.