Almighty God,
Outside these walls, within them, and even within each and every one of us, there is suffering, there is loss, there is grief. Whether sequestered or plain for all to see, there is pain raging within us, caused by the injustices and hardness of this uncaring world.
But you are the Creator of Life, the Lord and Lover of Creation. You are present within all that surrounds us, in everything we encounter, in every moment we experience. And, you are within us: present in every thought, and in every word we hear and share.
You are here as we gather together this morning; as we seek and share your presence, your love, and your strength. You are with us as we confront the losses and injustices we’ve experienced. You are with us as we recoil from the inhumanity and hardheartedness we find in others, and in this world. You share our grief, our pain, and our oppression.
We need and welcome your presence here, Lord: our loving and almighty Savior. Help us see your love, which exists even in the heart of those who oppress and injure us. For we are all joined through your love, no matter how often we forget it.
Help us remember that your hope is undying and eternal. Help us remember joy in the midst of sadness, success in the midst of challenge, and good things in the midst of bad.
Help us to leave this time of worship and fellowship as healed, hopeful and better people, determined to work for a better world: fulfilling your commission to spread your Gospel to all and throughout all Creation.
Amen.
Copyright 2024, Allen Vander Meulen III, all rights reserved.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
The Here and the Hereafter 