Prayers of the People
from the Eucharist at the 189th Annual Convention
October 25, 2008
Bangor, Maine
Holy God, we thank you for calling us together in one body: Bless your church and all who minister in your name, Katharine, our Presiding Bishop; Stephen, our Bishop; Margaret, Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church; and all the people and clergy of our congregations and this diocese. We remember before you especially (the people may add their own prayers)...
Sustaining God, we thank you for our country and for the civil liberties we enjoy: Give to our leaders the wisdom to perceive what is right and the courage to do it. Lift up the poor and displaced among us. Protect all who bear arms in our name and all who seek to create a lasting peace. Make each of us mindful of our responsibilities as we prepare to cast our ballots. Make us instruments of your peace wherever we may be. We remember before you especially (the people may add their own prayers)…
God with Many Faces, we ask your mercy on your suffering children throughout the world: Be present with the victims of starvation, disease, war, and the vagaries of global warming, and with those who are oppressed by the fears and prejudices of others. Encourage compassion in every place. May your cry for justice be heard in the corridors of power! We remember before you especially (the people may add their own prayers)…
God Among Us, be known where we live: Open our eyes to see your hand at work in the homes, the shops, the offices, the schools, and the parish halls in which we live and work and learn and worship. Help us to reach out to our neighbors, to serve the poor, the unemployed and the children among us. We remember before you especially (the people may add their own prayers)…
Healer of Body, Mind and Spirit, visit your children in any need or trouble: Illumine with the Spirit’s presence the sick bed, the prison cell, the drug house, the migrant camp, the alleyway, the back seat and all the places where your people struggle with weakness, mortality and heartache. May they – and we – feel your healing touch. We remember before you especially (the people may add their own prayers)…
God of Life and Death, we hold in our hearts those who have gone from us here, our family members and friends, those known to us and those known only to you: Give to all who have died the blessing of your forgiveness. Bring them to the place of perpetual light and love. We remember before you especially Alissa Wiederkehr and her family (the people may add their own prayers)…
Loving God, you know our prayers before we ask. Take our prayers to your heart. Bless us as we seek to do your will. And grant us that peace which passes all understanding; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
