Holy, holy, holy God,
in calling forth creation from the void,
revealing yourself in human flesh,
and pouring forth your wisdom to guide us,
you manifest your concern for your whole universe.
You invite us, as your people,
to gather the world's needs into our hearts
and bring them before you.
O God of the universe, we thank you for hearing us
Regardless of where we are physically:
In places where we hope peace is possible:
Between North and South Korea,
Between Israel and Palestine.
In places torn by war, violence,
And all manner of human atrocities.
Places like Syria, Nigeria, and Afghanistan.
In places of political unrest.
In places preparing for the upcoming hurricane season:
The Caribbean islands, Mexico, Bermuda, and the United States,
Especially Puerto Rico.
In homeless shelters, refugee camps, houses of worship,
In cities, on farms, and all the places we call home in between.
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
You hear us calling,
You hear us calling,
Abba Father.
O God of the universe, we thank you for hearing us
Regardless of where we are emotionally:
For those grieving and those celebrating,
Those marrying and those divorcing,
For those being baptized and those being buried,
Those caring for children and those caring for the elderly,
For those laboring and those unemployed,
And all people at a beginning or an end.
O God, we thank you for hearing us,
even when we come like Nicodemus;
With a reputation to uphold,
Burning with curiosity,
Hoping to be enlightened in secret.
You know how secretly needy we are.
We admit we are both fascinated and confused.
You are like a telescope,
Revealing the mysteries of heaven.
You are like a mirror,
Revealing our true potential.
Still you speak to us and say:
To get to the end, we must go back to the beginning.
To become the People of God, we must be re-born.
Birth is messy business - a rite of passage for all.
Grant that we may participate in this mystery:
To be born of the spirit, from the womb of heaven,
Into the arms of heaven.
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
You hear us calling,
You hear us calling,
Abba Father.
O God, we ask that you continue to bless us
With all we need for the living of these days -
These sacred, ordinary days.
That our everyday lives may be gifted
To experience the depth and vitality of Christian community,
And grant us grace to share your message of hope,
To reach out to the poor and hurting,
And to bring you glory and honor in our city of Tulsa.
Holy, holy, holy God,
fill us with strength and courage,
with discernment and compassion,
that we may be your instruments of justice and love in this world,
that it may be on earth as it is in heaven. Amen.
Lord have mercy,
Christ have mercy,
Lord have mercy,
Christ have mercy.