Mosaic Gathering Prayer, March 8, 2020:
You are welcome here—
The young and old, those who have visions and those who dream dreams.
You are welcome here—
The sinner and saint, those who seek forgiveness and those who long for peace.
You are welcome here—
The hurt and the doubting, those who know the wilderness and those who feel lost.
You are welcome here; for you are loved by God.
For our world bombarded by illness and disease.
Lord, have mercy. Bring healing and protection.
For our neighbors on this planet suffering under the weight of chaotic weather systems.
Lord, have mercy. Bring healing community and restoration.
God, we give you our tears.
We give you our hearts.
They are brimming with doubt and are saturated with fear,
but we give them to you anyway,
for you promise to love us as we are.
You promise to walk with us to the ends of the earth, so in this moment,
we promise to tell the truth.
God, you ask us to be brave and bold,
but we cower in fear.
You ask us to love our neighbors as ourselves,
but we hold tight to privilege and the status quo.
And you ask us to risk it all to follow you,
but we are content with the injustices at hand.
Forgive us for our sin and lift our eyes to you.
In our valley, lead us to your green pasture.
Restore our lives beside the still waters.
Gratefully we pray, Amen.