Empowering God,
you gave the church
the abiding presence of your Holy Spirit.
Look upon your church today and hear our prayer.
Holy Spirit, Creator,
in the beginning you moved over the waters.
From your breath all creation draws life.
Without you, life turns to dust.
Bring to mind the places where you have created life this week.
Bring to mind the places of chaos where you continue to move
Bring to mind the promise of your presence moving among us
Holy Spirit, Counselor,
by your inspiration, the prophets spoke and acted in faith.
You clothed them in power to be bearers of your Word.
In the quiet of this moment, counsel us
as to where we have lived out of our brokenness
and caused harm to You, to ourselves, to others, and to the earth.
Holy Spirit, receive our prayers of quiet repentance.
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
You hear us calling,
You hear us calling,
Abba Father.
Holy Spirit, Sanctifier, you created us children of God;
you make us the living temple of your presence;
you intercede within us with sighs too deep for words.
Bring to mind ways to seek reconciliation in relationships
that are strained or broken.
Give us the strength and courage to follow through.
We remember your church was born
in wind and fire,
not to sweep us heavenward
like a presumptuous tower,
but to guide us down the dusty roads of this world
so that we may lift up the downcast,
heal the broken, reconcile what is lost,
and bring peace amidst unrest.
So we say, “Come, Holy Spirit!”
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
You hear us calling,
You hear us calling,
Abba Father.
Come, Holy Spirit,
fill our lives with your presence—
so that more and more every day,
all that we do and say and hope
will be an act of worship to you
and an expression of love to others,
to the glory of your name.
Grant that, gathered and directed by your Spirit,
we may confess Christ as Lord
and combine our diverse gifts with a singular passion
to continue his mission in this world
until we join in your eternal praise. Amen.
All of this we ask through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Lord have mercy,
Christ have mercy,
Lord have mercy,
Christ have mercy.