Lord, well before you died for our sins on the cross, you taught us to love each other. You commanded us to not kill, to love our neighbors as we love ourselves. You asked us to be patient, kind, and accepting.
Lord, we are hurting. There is constant senseless killing, no regard for human lives, and division rather than unity. Our nations flag has flown at half staff far too often lately. We ask for your peace and sense of calm.
We ask for your strength and direction in being the change we want to see in the world. We ask you to show us ways that we can offer kindness, love and support to each other, right here in Central New York. When we are feeling road rage, or get angry because someone cut us off in line at the grocery store, or we feel slighted because something didn’t go the way we wanted it to, give us patience, understanding, tolerance and kindness. Help us not to use violence to make a statement of our opinions. Let us instead engage in healthy dialogue…to learn, listen and understand. Help us to always do unto others as we want to have done to us.
Lord, within our church community, we hold the family of John Thompson in prayer as they grieve their loss. We ask for your healing of Candee Schneckenburger, Susan Mills, Pat Levine, Morgan McCastor, and Kristen Seamans. And we know there are others that need your love that we are unaware of. Help them to feel your Holy Spirit in their time of need.
And now Lord, as we bring our concerns, celebrations and questions to you silently, we ask that you hear our voice. And we ask that you help us hear your voice as we talk with you.