Tag Archives: unity

Prayer for Louisiana and Afghanistan

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Prayer for Haiti and Cuba (2)As we gather for worship, we recognize the deep pain of our world- Haiti, Cuba, the fires out west, Louisiana, Afghanistan, and so many other places.⁠
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We join those who mourn the tremendous loss of life and home ⁠
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ALL: Holy One, we trust you weep with us. ⁠Your healing, saving work continues. ⁠
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Hear our cry for those who continue to live in destruction, violence, and oppression. Those running to a new home in a new place. And all who are welcoming the refugees ⁠
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ALL: Holy One, we trust you welcome them. ⁠Your healing, saving work continues. ⁠
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Hear our cry for American and Afghan families as they cry for their loved ones who died in the terror attack on the Kabul airport, as they pray those who remain are safe, as they wonder about 20 years of war and the future of that land.⁠
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Hear our cry for those in the path of Hurricane Ida as they cry for the powerful storm to lessen, as they pray those who remain are safe, as they wonder about the destruction to come on the anniversary of Katrina.⁠
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ALL: Holy One, we trust you never abandon. Your healing, saving work continues. ⁠
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Hear our cry for your work of peace to be fulfilled.⁠
No more war⁠
No more storms⁠
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No more tears⁠
No more separation⁠
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No more evil⁠
No more devastation⁠
No more death⁠
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Jesus, save us from helplessness⁠
Strengthen our minds, our bodies, our resolve. ⁠
We trust we are part of your healing, saving work. ⁠
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Jesus, save us from overwhelm⁠
Strengthen our faith, our hope, our calling.⁠
We trust the triumph of your goodness and grace.⁠
For you are the Resurrection and the Life. ⁠
Amen. ⁠
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Prayer for Louisiana and Afghanistan © 2021, Lisa Ann Moss Degrenia

You are welcome to use this work in a worship setting with proper attribution.
Please leave a comment for information and permission to publish this work in any form.

Prayer for the 20th Anniversary of the September 11th Attacks

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Image by David Mark via Pixabay

We come together with persons all over the world to remember the day our world changed. We come together in faith, in hope, in God’s infinite love.

Heavenly Father, we commend to your mercy and grace all who died in the September eleventh attacks and all who have died in the past twenty years while laboring to end terrorism.

In New York City: 2,342 persons
In Arlington, Virginia: 184 persons
In Shanksville, Pennsylvania: 40 persons
411 New York City rescue workers that day plus so many more from the aftereffects
Thousands of military personnel and civilians in the following years of war

Over 70 countries lost loved ones that day: family members, friends, co-workers, neighbors, heroes. In the face of all this loss we claim your grace, your faithfulness, and your power to bring good out of evil.

Compassionate One, it’s been twenty years, yet the pain is fresh and the need is great. Comfort all who continue to mourn the loss of loved ones. Come with assurance and peace for all who remain traumatized, anxious, or fearful for the future. Come with protection and freedom for all who continue to live in the midst of hostility and oppression.

Bring wholeness and hope to every broken place- to broken bodies, broken hearts, and broken spirits. To broken relationships, broken systems, and broken faith.

Draw together leaders of every nation. Give them ears to hear your wisdom and the courage to respond. Inspire them to work together for peace, justice, and freedom. Inspire us, too.

Strengthen all who risk their lives to protect others. Guard and favor all who work to make your world a place of peace. Guard and guide us, too.

God of the Nations, hear our prayer for our enemies and for ourselves. Help us love and pray for those who hate us. We claim your abiding, your humility, and your strength as we strive to fulfill this call.

Save us from revenge, false teaching, and blind suspicion. Help us recognize our contributions to conflict. Help us understand the hurt that feeds the hate.

Change the hearts of all who seek their way by evil and violent means, by coercion and corruption and privilege, including our own. Create in us clean hearts that beat with your unconditional compassion.

Leave no one in the shadows of evil and death, O God.
Fill us all with your light and make us all instruments of your peace.

Our world remains a dangerous place, O God, but with you there is shalom and hope. With you there is persevering and purpose. You are our Rock, our Shield, our Defender forever.
Amen.
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9/11 Anniversary Prayer © 2011, Lisa Ann Moss Degrenia and Nicole Sallee
Updated 2021

You are welcome to use this work in a worship setting with proper attribution.
Please leave a comment for information and permission to publish this work in any form.

Independence Day Prayer for Unity (Psalm 133)

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Psalm 133 Ben Shahn

Psalm 133 by Ben Shahn

Psalm 133
How very good and pleasant it is when kindred live together in unity!
It is like the precious oil on the head,
running down upon the beard, on the beard of Aaron,
running down over the collar of his robes.
It is like the dew of Hermon, which falls on the mountains of Zion.
For there the Lord ordained his blessing, life forevermore.

On this Independence Day, I long for our neighborhoods and nation to experience the freedom of this psalm- the freedom of true unity. I long for the dividing walls to come crashing down. I long for an end to destructive division.

In this Psalm, the goodness of God-breathed unity is compared to the anointing of Aaron as high priest and dew on the mountains of Hermon and Zion in Israel.

True unity is precious, like sacred, costly oil or a trusted source of water in the wilderness.

True unity brings abundant blessing to an entire community. It is generous and lavish. There is so much oil it runs down Aaron’s beard and on to his robe. There is so much dew it can sustain plants, animals, and people on a rugged mountainside.

True unity means goodness for all. It is pervasive, crossing unjust boundaries. The anointing oil is mixed with spices so the aroma pervades the gathering. The dew makes way for fragrant flowers, fruits, and crops which are enjoyed by the whole community.

True unity is holy and unique. The oil is set apart for the ritual anointing of a priest or king. It is used for no other purpose. Mount Hermon is set apart for its height and snow, the highest point in the region at over 9,000 feet. Mount Zion in Jerusalem is set apart for the worship of God. True unity sets a group of people apart, a rare and beautiful light in our world.

Holy God
One yet Three
Reach into the abundance of your companionship
Bring forth unity and healing in our land
Pour out peace on violent homes and hearts
Shower compassion on selfish and short-sighted motives
Rain down justice, generosity, and goodness
so all are covered in blessing and harmony and life
Forevermore
Forevermore
Amen

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Independence Day Prayer for Unity © 2021 Lisa Ann Moss Degrenia
Leave a comment for information and permission to publish this work in any form.

Jesus is Misunderstood- Worship Resources based on Mark 3.20-35

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the savior by henry ossawa tanner

The Savior by Henry Ossawa Tanner

1. PRAYER: Make Us One by Lisa Degrenia
And he called them to him, and spoke to them in parables, “How can Satan cast out Satan? If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand. – Mark 3:23-25

Make us
One with you and each other
One in your great work of peace
One in your words and ways
One in commitment to reconciliation and righteousness
One in facing falsehood
One in the bloody bonds of persecution
One in your joy
One in your promises
One on earth and one in heaven
Amen

2. PRAYER: Belonging and Home by Lisa Degrenia
And looking at those who sat around him, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! Whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother.” – Mark 3:34-34

Jesus, you pour out your unbroken spirit
You shower down unending blessing
Belonging and Home

Your family is fruitful and multiplying
Like the stars in the sky
Like the sand on the shore

Your promise is real
Even when some try to label and divide
Even when our hearts are too heavy to perceive it

You pour out your unbroken spirit
Calling to the east and west
New siblings shout, “I am the Lord’s!”
From the north and the south
New kin claim your unfailing name

Hallelujah! Glory, Hallelujah!
To the reach of your saving embrace

3. REFLECTION AND PRAYER: Grace Under Pressure by Lisa Degrenia

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© 2021 You are welcome to use the original portions of this work in a worship setting with proper attribution. (by Lisa Ann Moss Degrenia, http://www.revlisad.com) Please leave a comment for information and permission to publish this work in any form.

Worship and Sermon Resources for Trinity Sunday

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1. PRAYER: Holy Trinity, Community of Love by Lisa Degrenia
Holy Trinity, Community of Love,
Draw us together in your creative light

Root us in the ground of your being,
Vulnerable before one another,
Unashamed in your presence and each other’s

Make us joyful in the ways you gift each of us:
Quick to celebrate, serve, and share
Quick to live your love
Amen.

This prayer was inspired by the story of the creation of humanity found at the end of Genesis 1 and the beginning of Genesis 2.

2. PRAYER: Prayer to the Holy Trinity by Lisa Degrenia
Holy Trinity:
Creating Love
Saving Love
Sanctifying Love

You welcome us to your unity
Your community
You do not condemn
but make the way to new life, eternal life, with you through Christ
Hallelujah!

Grant us grace to receive the fullness of your mercy and healing and transformation.
Free us from all things that block living your love fully,
so we may be joyful and faithful in all things,
so we may speak your words with truth and fruitfulness,
so we may live and lead wisely,
so we may be your instruments of peace and hope,
so we may love as you love.

Glory to you, forever!
Honor to you, forever!
Praise and blessing to you, forever!
Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Amen!

3. PRAYER AND HYMN: Joyful Praise
Great for opening a worship service. Combines verses of the hymn Joyful, Joyful We Adore Thee with a prayer from I, Francis by Carlo Carretto

4. CALL TO WORSHIP: Receive and Rejoice by Lisa Degrenia
Receive and Rejoice!
Rejoice with an indescribable joy
Inexpressible
Unspeakable
A joy greater than words
A great and glorious joy
Loose
Liberated
Boundless

Receive and Rejoice!
A joy worthy of new birth
Of a living hope
A joy anchored in the imperishable
The Eternal
Undefiled and Unfading

Receive and Rejoice!
This joy was chosen for you
Destined for you
Sanctified, sprinkled and saved for you
By the Merciful One
God… Father of grace and glory
God… Son and Savior
God… Spirit and Sustainer

Receive and Rejoice!

Based on 1 Peter 1:1-9 (NRSV)

5. RESOURCES: Trinity, Community, and Love
Quotes, an original prayer, plus an original poem/song lyric

6. REFLECTION: Holy Trinity by Steve Garnaas Holmes

7. PRAYER: a prayer from the Eastern Church

Glory to the Father, our true and only hope
Glory to the Son, our true and only refuge
Glory to the Holy Spirit, our true and only protection
Glory to the Holy Trinity, our true and only light
Now and to the ages of ages, Amen

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© 2021 You are welcome to use the original portions of this work in a worship setting with proper attribution. (by Lisa Ann Moss Degrenia, http://www.revlisad.com) Please leave a comment for information and permission to publish this work in any form.