Palm Sunday Prayer
When we gather for worship,
we are like the crowd that lined the streets,
witnessing your entry into Jerusalem.
Some of us gather, full of enthusiasm.
Some of us gather wearied by what life has thrown at us.
Some of us have come out of curiosity.
Some of us out of habit.
Some of us gather with great expectation.
Some of us with no particular hopes.
It is here, O God, that you meet us and greet us and, if we will allow,
it is here that you surprise us with your love and your grace.
So open our heavy eyes, and tired minds,
steal into our closed hearts and surprise us today with joy.
Quell those unrealistic expectations,
but open us to the possibility of hope
and allow us to glimpse the goodness of your purpose for us.
Even when we cannot name it ourselves
you know what ails us.
We submit to your knowledge of us
and we open ourselves to the need for your forgiveness,
a forgiveness that comes freely and abundantly.
So with cleansed hearts and open minds,
we join in the cry Hosanna!
Blessed is He who comes in the Name of the Lord.
Hosanna in the highest.
~ written by Rev. E. Crumlish of Castlehill Church, Ayr. Posted on the Church of Scotland’s Starters for Sunday website.
http://www.churchofscotland.org.uk/
Prayer for Peace in the Middle East
Lord God, we turn to you in these trying hours when conflict is a daily reality for our sisters and brothers in Israel and Palestine. We promise you to work to our utmost for peace and reconciliation in the region. But we know we cannot do it alone. We very much need the strength of your presence in our midst if we are to overcome the obstacles before us. So our prayer at this moment is that you add your support to our efforts, that you show yourself as a tower of strength in those moments when the barriers seem impassable. Together we can become beacons of hope for just and peaceful societies in the land so very dear to the peoples of your covenant.
– Reverend John T. Pawlikowski, Xavier University, jesuitresource. org
A Prayer for UkraineLord God,
We ask you to hold the people of Ukraine deep in your heart.
Protect them, we pray;
from violence,
from political gamesmanship,
from being used and abused.
Give, we pray,
the nations of the world the courage
and the wisdom
to stand up for justice
and the courage too,
to dare to care―generously.
Lord, in your mercy,
take from us all
the tendencies in us
that seek to lord it over others:
take from us those traits
that see us pursuing our own needs and wants
before those of others.
Teach us how to live in love
and dignity
and respect―following your example.
In your name and for your sake,
Amen
―Issued by Lord Wallace, Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, and the Very Rev. Dr. Susan Brown, convener of the Faith Impact Forum, Church of Scotland
