Dr. Meredith Holladay
Pastoral Prayer, Sunday, June 21
God what must you think of our violence, our insecurity, our fear of one another, our hatred toward others?
God what must you think as you look at the world – your good world – and see hurt, pain, sickness, suffering? What must you think as you see your children hurting, dying, at the hands of others? Are they also your children? We wonder this – maybe not very loudly – but we do. We wonder how the hateful, the self-righteous, the oppressing can be called your children.
When we whisper or cry out loud WHY – are we speaking for you? Are we asking you? Are you asking us – why? Why must we live this way?
God, where are you in our midst? Where do we find you and your voice – your Gospel – your good news – as we observe darkness, death, inexplicable violence.
Help us, God. Help us to say Sorry. Help us to acknowledge the pain – maybe at our hands, and maybe at the hands of someone else, but most certainly in the midst of all our lives. Be in our words and our being as we open our hearts and our hands uttering “We are sorry.”
Forgive us God. Forgive us our own complicity. Forgive us our silence. Forgive us for not knowing what to say – what to do.
Guide us to listen – to listen with patience and with grace. Be present in our conversations and our asking. Meet us in our listening – that we might respond to our world and our neighbors with humility.
Grant your children rest, O God, rest for the weary, the sick, and sad. Rest for the busy, the hectic, the anxious. Grant us your perfect rest – this Sabbath day, and in Sabbath moments throughout all our days.
We pray all this in the name of your Son, our Christ, who taught us to pray…
