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The Reverend Christine V. Hides

Eternal God, Creator of heaven and earth,

You are the autumn artist painting the living masterpiece of vibrant colors and golden light outside our doors. As the migrating cranes call to one another overhead, reading the map of glistening rivers and lakes, they sing a soulful song of homecoming. Your fingerprints on every corner of the landscape, a sign that your Spirit is ever near.

Delighting in your glorious canvas, we pause from the fullness of the week. We seek even briefly, to break free of the push and pull that marks each second of the day. We remember the sacred and ordinary moments that mold our hearts with your love and grace: the kindness that comforts, the breathtaking melody that reaches our ears, the warmth and shelter of family and friends, and the joy of discovering new ways of living and being as the people you created us to be.

It is you O Lord, who set the earth on its foundation, you who stretched the universe as a star covered tent, you who makes the water to flow, the grass to flourish, the sun to rise and set; and so we entrust you with our intercessions, praying for the world and those we love. We name in our hearts those who await healing and strength to endure the trials they face. When illness and loss, injury and discord, grief and unexpected events wear us thin, draw us close to one another and close to you. Make a way for the inbreaking of hope and the breath to say, bless the Lord, O my soul.

The concerns of this world are numerous. We become speechless with the weight of tragedy and injustice. We pray for peace among nations and individuals, especially Russia, Ukraine, Iran, and Afghanistan. We pray for coal miners and their loved ones in Turkey. We pray for the victims of mass shootings in Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Alabama, and California.  We pray for the rights of women, children, and those who live in places ruled by tyrants. We pray for the hungry and unhoused as colder weather arrives. We pray for the therapists, doctors, and counselors working tirelessly in the midst of a mental health crisis.  These are a small portion of the needs of the word which we bring to you Holy God, who sustains and renews all things. Trusting in your unfailing love and your mercy which endures forever, we join our voices in prayer: Our Father…Amen.