Holy God,

you call us to be faithful in our everyday lives,

in times of joy and of sorrow,

in busyness and at rest,

in the simple things and the complicated ones.

Help us to follow you faithfully,

to seek your guidance and strength,

and to believe even when you feel far away.

Creator God,

the world is your gift and our home.

Give us determination and courage

to live kindly and gently on the earth.

Forgive our greed; our constant need for more.

We pray for the world’s leaders,

that they will not let us down in their deliberations and decisions.
We pray for young people,

giving thanks for their voices, calling for change;

and that we older humans

will leave them a world that can sustain life,

a world of justice and peace.

God of love, you know of human pain.

We bring to you all who suffer;

those who are ill or frail,

those who are poor or homeless,

refugees, political prisoners, prisoners of conscience 

(remembering especially Nazanin Zaghari Ratcliffe)

those who are anxious or sad or lonely,

those who have lost loved ones

and those whose lives are drawing to a close,

In our suffering you often seem far away.

Bless us all with the knowledge of your presence,

and help us to be faithful even when life is dark. 

We remember …

And we give you thanks

for those who inspire and guide us,

for those whose memory we treasure,

for your voice calling us to follow,

and for your great love for us,

constant and true even when we waver or turn away.

Bless us in our lives’ journeys,

and, at the end, bring us home to you. Amen

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