Brothers and sisters,
Sisters and brothers,
Holy siblings in the family of God.
Let us join our hearts and our voices
as we offer our prayers and petitions.

Good Shepherd,
we, Your flock, are all ears.
We're tuned to Your voice;
teach us to hear You
and only You.
Let us follow willingly,
a pasture full of Resurrection People,
guided by Your voice
through deathly valleys
and life-giving pathways alike.

On this day to celebrate mothers,
we honor those in our midst.
Bless them in their work and bring them peace.
For those whose mothers have departed,
whose mothers have abandoned or wounded them,
for all for whom the idea of motherhood
brings nothing but pain and grief,
we pray grace, peace, restoration.

Leader: Lord, in Your mercy

All: Hear our prayer

Gracious Caretaker,
When You speak, we believe You.
We take Your words to heart.
We hold on to them,
sometimes as treasure,
sometimes for dear life.

As we walk through this world of
uncertain futures,
uncertain finances,
uncertain fitness,
we pray You will help us find firm footing
in the resurrected emptiness of Your tomb.
Heal our hearts affected by grief.
Heal our land affected by greed.

We pray for the family of Kendrick Castillo
and all children affected by gun violence.
Restore to them what was taken
and give us courage and a will
to bring about Your redemption.

Leader: Lord, in Your mercy

All: Hear our prayer

Judicious Gardener,
we praise You for Your creativity
in diversity.
Blessing and glory and wisdom,
resplendently on display
among Your people.
Guide our eyes to see
Your strength in each other.

Demonstrate Your power
through the various gifts You gave us,
that we might unite one another.
Resurrected.
You gave us our voices,
and we lift them now to You
offering up our own prayers
whether silently or aloud…

All this we ask through Christ, our Lord. Amen.