Proper 23 | Year B

O God, as another summer passes us by,
we give You thanks
for the times of rest and recreation,
leisure and celebration.
And now we settle back into daily rhythms.
Time fills up fast with meetings, plans, and duties.

In the warp and woof of life it’s easy for us
to get lost in our obligations
and neglect our life with You.

Help us to continue to make space for You,
to resist seeking value in “doing,”
and instead realize our value in “being.”

Grant us the vision to live from a posture of belonging.
We are all beloved sons and daughters.
We are not what we produce, achieve, or accomplish.

Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

Gracious God,
although we once were strangers,
You receive us as friends
and draw us home to You.

You set Your living bread before us,
that by feasting around Your table
we might be strengthened to continue the work
to which your Son commissioned us:
To love You and our Neighbor,
To feed the hungry and clothe the naked,
To bear Your divine image,
And to see the face of our brother and sister,
Our mother and father, in the faces of our enemies.

We pray for the day when we recognize that,
no matter where we are from in the world,
what we look like, or what we believe,
we are bound together by Your love.

Holy Spirit, You are the Source of life,
You feed us with the spiritual milk of Your love
and deliver us from darkness to light.

Grant us the courage to challenge
and call out the evils of our time,
that by finding ourselves encompassed by Your love,
and trusting that we are secure in You,
we would find wisdom and strength.

Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

O God, comfort those experiencing grief and loss.
Relieve those who are suffering.
Bring strength to those who are hospitalized,
confined to homes, or undergoing tests.

We pray for the family of Botham Jean,
whose life was senselessly taken in Dallas.
We pray for Your justice to reign,
and reconciliation amidst disunion.
May we resist being calloused to the news
of lives lost,

and may our cry for justice be paired with a cry for mercy.

Shield the joy of those experiencing new life;
from giving birth to babies
to putting hands to rest in retirement,
may we find You in it all.

Guard and comfort those experiencing natural disasters,
from wildfires in California to tsunamis in Japan.
Bring Your restoration amid their devastation.

Eternal God, by whose power we are created
and by whose love we are sustained,
although we know You are always with us,
on the days when it is hard to pray for ourselves,
on the days when Your love may feel a little further from us,
may we be lifted up by our sisters and brothers,
whom You have created for this very purpose.

And on the days when we feel strong,
may we be moved to honor Your creation
with our thoughts, prayers, and actions.

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

Lord have mercy,

Christ have mercy.

Proper 22 | Year B

O Lord of Beauty,
You walk in perfection,
like the deer or the gazelle.
You say we are worth loving,

You invite us to come away with You,
into Your Eternal Springtime.
You open Your mouth
and out pours grace upon grace.

Baptize us in that grace-filled Word.

Let it wash over us,
and change us into
something more like You.

Where we need repentance,
give us the strength to turn
away from everything that is not You.
So that we may stay oriented
in Your direction.

Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

O Lord of Life,
You show us not just how to live,
but that You are Life Itself.
Let us live out of that Life,
free from fear,
confident in Your promises.

When we are aggrieved,
let us not turn to anger,
but let us be quick to listen,
slow to speak,
quick to act as You would.

May our actions
be the ultimate witness of Your goodness
and of Your grace.
May we demonstrate You
in all that we think, say, and do.

Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

Father of our family,
we relentlessly ask, as Jesus did,
that You would bring us together.
Unite us under Your banner
of Love.

When we examine the rulebook,
when we look too hard to
“The way things are supposed to be,”
Prod us to look deeper.
To see the You beneath the tradition;
to see the Why, not just the What.

Change us from within,
Mold our hearts
so that our hands will act
and our mouths will speak
only in Love.

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

Lord have mercy,

Christ have mercy.

Lord have mercy,

Christ have mercy.

Proper 21 | Year B

O God, as another summer passes us by,
we give You thanks
for the times of rest and recreation,
leisure and celebration.
And now we settle back into daily rhythms.
Time fills up fast with meetings, plans, and duties.
In the warp and woof of life it’s easy for us
to get lost in our obligations
and neglect our life with You.

Help us to continue to make space for You,
to resist seeking value in “doing,”
and instead realize our value in “being.”

Grant us the vision to live from a posture of belonging.
We are all beloved sons and daughters.
We are not what we produce, achieve, or accomplish.

Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

Gracious God,
although we once were strangers,
You receive us as friends
and draw us home to You.

You set Your living bread before us,
that by feasting around Your table
we might be strengthened to continue the work
to which your Son commissioned us:
To love You and our Neighbor,
To feed the hungry and clothe the naked,
To bear Your divine image,
And to see the face of our brother and sister,
Our mother and father, in the faces of our enemies.

We pray for the day when we recognize that,
no matter where we are from in the world,
what we look like, or what we believe,
we are bound together by Your love.
Holy Spirit, You are the Source of life,
You feed us with the spiritual milk of Your love
and deliver us from darkness to light.

Grant us the courage to challenge
and call out the evils of our time,
that by finding ourselves encompassed by Your love,
and trusting that we are secure in You,
we would find wisdom and strength.

Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

O God, comfort those experiencing grief and loss.
Relieve those who are suffering.
Bring strength to those who are hospitalized,
confined to homes, or undergoing tests.

Shield the joy of those experiencing new life;
from giving birth to babies
to putting hands to rest in retirement,
may we find You in it all.

Guard and comfort those experiencing natural disasters,
from wildfires in California to hurricanes in Hawaii.
Bring Your restoration amid their devastation.

Eternal God, by whose power we are created
and by whose love we are sustained,
although we know You are always with us,
on the days when it is hard to pray for ourselves,
on the days when Your love may feel a little further from us,
may we be lifted up by our sisters and brothers,
whom You have created for this very purpose.

And on the days when we feel strong,
may we be moved to honor Your creation
with our thoughts, prayers, and actions.
All this we ask through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Lord have mercy,

Christ have mercy.

Proper 20 | Year B

O God, as our children return to the rhythm of the school year,
we ask for Your peace and blessing;
that they may learn and grow, make and be good friends.
May their minds be opened and their hearts be soft,
That they may be protected from evil and filled with love.

Guide them as they make independent decisions.
As they work, play, and relate to others;
as they navigate tricky situations and
confront their own hearts

For their teachers we pray for endless wells of patience
as they sow wisdom and insight into each child.
Grant them creativity and abundant resources.
We know safety is never guaranteed for anyone,
But we ask for it anyway.
Grant that your angels would guard and keep them,
That kind people would surround them.

Give us wisdom as we raise and teach them,
Help us model kindness, empathy, and awareness.
To encourage creativity and open-mindedness,
and to love and welcome them whole-heartedly.

Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

O God, You offer us life, and life more abundantly,
and call us to the banquet of Your love.
Your Son offers us the gifts of body and blood
as divine food — the bread of heaven and cup of salvation.

Even Your disciples left, saying,
“This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?”
But may we, like Peter, respond in our hearts:
“Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.”

May we find You in the gifts You give;
may we know You in the ones with whom we share this meal,
and in the bread of this table, Your son, Jesus Christ.

We ask this for the times when we cannot accept it,
when we can’t trust Your goodness for lack of seeing,
when we can’t believe for lack of faith.

May we be a family that holds one another up,
who has faith for those who have no faith,
who believes for those stuck in unbelief,
who reminds one another of the divine image we each bear.

Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

We pray for those who wait and watch and weep
this night, this day, and in the hours in between.
We remember those who struggle silently with illness,
whether it is mental or physical or emotional.
We pray for those living in the darkness of depression,
who seek Your face to shine upon them.

May we reflect Your face and goodness
in a kind word, a simple smile, by stopping to ask,
“How are you, really?”
Grant them rest and respite,
and grant us courage and kindness.

In all these things, we rejoice that You draw near to us.
No matter where we are,
no matter what we do,
we are Your children.
May we hold this truth
close to our hearts, close to our days.
All this we ask through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Lord have mercy,
Christ have mercy.
Lord have mercy,
Christ have mercy.

Proper 19 | Year B

King over all,
You deal gently with us,
for it is in Your nature.
Even when we turn Your mission
to our own self-serving ends,
Your default is mercy.

When we hang in the branches
Suspended between heaven and earth,
Vulnerable in our sin
and exposed to those who would rightfully wish us harm,
Hear our repentant voices cry, “Help!”
Lift us up and put us back on our mount.

Fill our mouths with praises,
with gratitude and exclamations.
Guide us gently back onto the path
of doing Your work
in Your world.

Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

God of All Provision,
How easy it is to forget.
How easy to know in our heads
but doubt in our hearts
that You provide our all.

Fickle and feckless,
like Elijah we sometimes say,
“This is enough—take us.”
Lord, thank You for feeding us anyway.
For looking past our perceived flightiness
and calling us by our True Name.

Let us not be divided by fear.
On this first anniversary of Charlottesville,
when people united under a banner of hatred,
of racism, fear, and exclusion.
And blood was shed by their hands.
We repent as a nation.
Deliver us from racism, hatred, and division,
and unite us under Your banner of Love.

Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

God who calls us beloved children,
We have seen Jesus, so we have seen You.
You are The Great Parent,
The One who cares for us,
Who feeds us with everlasting life,
Who provides a Home for us
under Your wings.
Let this Body care for Your kids well.

Kids of all ages:
from the youngest infant
to the wisest elder.
We are all Your family,
brothers and sisters.
May we treat each other like family.
And always be hospitable and welcoming
to new family members.

Enlarge our circle of siblings.
Remind us we need not compete for Your love.
For You give it freely,
just because we are Yours.
All this we ask through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Lord have mercy,
Christ have mercy.
Lord have mercy,

Proper 18 | Year B

God of hope,
when Your hungry people longed for the slave food of Egypt,
You opened the doors of heaven and rained down manna.
Feed us with the bread of life at Your table,
that we may taste the freedom of eternal life
and lead lives worthy of our calling.

We pray for those whose daily need
for nutritious food, clean water, and proper shelter goes un-met,
and for those misusing what they have
in the vain pursuit of pleasure.
Feed them with all the good things of Christ
for life now and in eternity.

Have mercy on those whose lives
have been broken by violence and crime.
Feed them with hope and a new life in Christ.
And bless our brothers and sisters in prison
and those who minister to them.

Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

You hear us calling,
You hear us calling,
Abba Father

Almighty, all-merciful God,
through Christ Jesus you have taught us to love one another,
to love our neighbors as ourselves,
and even to love our enemies.

In times of violence and fear,
let the peace of Christ rule in our hearts,
so that we may not be overcome with evil
but overcome evil with good.

Help us to see each person in light of the love and grace
You have shown us in Christ.
Put away the nightmares of terror
and awaken us to the dawning of Your new creation.

Establish among us a future where peace reigns,
where justice is accomplished with mercy, and all are reconciled.

Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

You hear us calling,
You hear us calling,
Abba Father

Merciful Father, You heard the prayers of Your people
in the wilderness and fed them bread from heaven despite their sin.
Graciously hear us today and feed us too with the Bread of Life.

Feed those who are sick or sorrowing
with healing and consolation through Christ.
We pray particularly for those mourning the loss of loved ones.
And meet the needs of others we know personally to be in want
and whom we now name silently in our hearts...

Loving God,
open our ears to hear Your word
and draw us closer to You,
that the whole world may be one with You
as You are one with us in Christ.

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

Lord have mercy,
Christ have mercy.
Lord have mercy,
Christ have mercy.

Proper 17 | Year B

O God of Grace,
You are so good to us.
We tend to get in our own way.
To look at our lives
and think, “I can work with this.”

For those times when we’ve
elbowed You out of the way,
closed our ears to Your voice,
looked at the world with our eyes
instead of Yours:
Forgive us.

Let us seek and find You
in the small-big of the world we inhabit.
To let go of both our idea of control
and our passivity.
That we may act in Your world
as You act.

Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

You hear us calling,
You hear us calling,
Abba Father

God, Our Refuge,
we seek Your loving arms,
the only true calm
amidst our chaos.

And yet,
in the tangible stuff of this earth,
we see pain and destruction,
ruin and devastation.
Wildfires in the west,
Gunfire across the land,
Explosive fire in Syria.

We see this and echo the psalmist.
We cry that You would uphold
all who are falling.
We lament while we trust,
We weep while we wait.
We believe You are near,
for where else can we go?

Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

You hear us calling,
You hear us calling,
Abba Father

God of the Small,
we are so tempted by the Big.
“Go big or go home” is our mantra,
but let us see it as a choice
and choose to go Home to You.

Let us not become swayed
by the Enormous, by the Next Big Thing.
Instead, let this body find You in the small.
You love to work Unmistakably Big,
but You also love to work
in the Atomically Small.
In a handful of loaves.
In a couple of fish.
In each and every one of us.
We humbly offer our Smallness to You
So that You may magnify it
as only You can.
And as we do so,
we find our home in You.

All this we ask through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Lord have mercy,
Christ have mercy.
Lord have mercy,
Christ have mercy.

Proper 16 | Year B

O God, we know if we could only touch You
we would be healed,
but often we look for You
and the healing You bring
in all the wrong places:
in wealth, relationships,
accomplishments, approval from others,
and our desire to "be right."

Help us to look for You
in the places You promised to be all along:
near to the brokenhearted,
in every good and perfect thing,
in every good gift given,
and every good gift received.

May we find You in meals shared with friends,
in being hospitable and generous with strangers,
in caring well for Your people,
for all people are Yours.

Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

You hear us calling,
You hear us calling,
Abba Father.

O God, You are the One
who invites us to rest
that our lives may be the better for it.
You are the One who prepares a table for us
in the presence of our enemies,
the One who is with us
in the darkest valley.

So shape our leisure and our labor,
that the world will recognize us
as Jesus' disciples.

Help us to accept Your invitation
into the deserted places,
into the rhythm of sabbath,
to join You in Your yoke that is easy
and Your burden that is light.

May we remember that You are both
the God who calls us to work
and the God who calls us to rest.

When we feel overwhelmed and anxious,
help us to resist the temptation
to white-knuckle, to "do more,"
and instead be willing to give up control,
to trust in You, and rest in the places You lead us --
in green pastures and near still waters.

Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

You hear us calling,
You hear us calling,
Abba Father.

O God who redeems us and sustains us,
visit Your people,
and pour out Your courage upon us,
that we might hurry to make You welcome
not only in our concern for others,
but also by serving them
generously and faithfully in Your name.

By Your Holy Spirit
You have made us one with Your saints
in heaven and on earth:
Help us to see Your presence
burning in the hearts of others.

Grant that we may be united
in a community of love and prayer;
give us the courage to pick up our cross
and respond to the needs of the world,
give us the stamina to follow You,
to be Your hands and heart in the world;
enable us to witness to Your goodness, grace, and mercy.

All this we ask through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Lord have mercy,
Christ have mercy.
Lord have mercy,
Christ have mercy.

Proper 15 | Year B

Oh Lord, You are the God of Joy
The One who inspires over-the-top devotion
and undignified celebration.
Let our words and actions
appear to the rest of the world
tantalizing and confounding,
magnetic and mesmerizing.

Lord, it can be difficult to speak of joy
when we need only open our eyes
to see hurt and pain,
confusion and turmoil,
both within and without our borders.

Rescue us from looking to something
other than You to bring us peace.
Not laws,
not leaders,
not laughter.
In the midst of the bad, guide our eyes to the good.
Protect our hearts while letting them stay soft to the hurt of the world.
Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

You hear us calling,
You hear us calling,
Abba Father.

Lord of all creation,
the earth is Yours, and all that is in it.
Every person, young and old;
every living thing, from the single cell
to the intricate and complex.
You are the King of Glory,
lifted high above all of it.

In Your Kingdom, Lord,
there are no borders.
There are no tribes,
no warring factions,
no rival religions,
no denominations.

Guide our hands as we work
to establish Your Kingdom
on earth as it is in heaven.

All of us, worldwide,
working in this simple day-in-day-out,
laying the foundations of Your world to come
one brick at a time,
together.
Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

You hear us calling,
You hear us calling,
Abba Father.

Father God, the One who promises
to gather us all into Him,
thank You for adopting us into this
Great Big Family.

Let us be a loving, bonded family to one another.
Where there are needs among us --
emotional, spiritual, financial, physical --
Guide us by your Holy Spirit to give and receive help.

For those of us who have enough,
let us not grow complacent,
but continue to pursue Your peace
and continue to call enough “enough".

That we may all be one,
in You, the One.

All this we ask through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Lord have mercy,
Christ have mercy.
Lord have mercy,
Christ have mercy.

Proper 14 | Year B

Covenanting God, Your people betrayed You
And exchanged their liberation for an idol.
Be close to all who experience profound betrayal;
who know what it means to trust and be let down,
to promise and be forgotten,
to sacrifice and be ignored,
to believe and be heartbroken.

Bless all who struggle with anger, bitterness,
and thoughts of revenge,
and those who wonder if they can ever trust again.
Yet You, O God, changed Your mind
and did not visit disaster on Your people.

Fill the hearts of all who are searching
for the grace to change their minds, to try again,
to hope, to live beyond their resentment,
and to trust their own judgment.

Give us grace to change our own minds,
to overcome our pride and hard-heartedness,
and to enter the freedom You promise us.

Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
You hear us calling,
You hear us calling,
Abba Father.

Liberating God, empower all Your children
who long for the freedom to vote,
to live without fear,
to break out from oppression,
to remake their societies as equals under the law.

Sustain those in Libya
who seek a new way of life.
Bless the people of Yemen and Syria
as they hope for peaceful transition of power.
Visit Your people in Zimbabwe, Burma, North Korea
and other lands where violence is part of government control
and opposition incurs danger.

Strengthen those who work
for a healthy future for Iraq and Afghanistan.
Encourage all who experience life in our own country
as a life of disadvantage, fear, or slavery.

Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
You hear us calling,
You hear us calling,
Abba Father.

Loving God, You walk with us in the valley,
accompany us in the wilderness,
speak with us on the mountain,
and promise us flourishing life with You.

Be present to all who face serious illness.
Grant them hope, alleviate their pain,
help them to plan for their future,
and above all bring them friends.

Bless the work of hospital and hospice chaplains
and all who listen and enter the mystery of pain
with the sick and the dying.
In a moment of quiet we offer You
one person we know to be facing the reality
of the end of life ... 

Fill their soul with healing balm
and still every faithless murmur.

Transforming God, You turn our weakness
into Your opportunity,
our sin into Your grace,
our pride into Your wisdom,
our folly into Your mercy,
our evil into Your goodness.

Turn the wounds of our sin
into the glory of Your resurrected body,
that we might live more truly,
love more deeply,
and follow more faithfully,
now and forever. Amen.

Lord have mercy,
Christ have mercy.
Lord have mercy,
Christ have mercy.

Proper 13 | Year B

Holy God, whose risen Son shows Your power
made perfect in weakness,
make us people who live from grace to grace
in the power of Your Spirit.

Dwell in us today
and make us people who dwell in You
this very moment.

God of glory, who knows our every weakness
and the ways weakness makes us fearful,
deepen our trust in Your perfect love.

By Your Spirit, transform fear into faith.
Beckon us through our places of weakness,
and bring us to Your everlasting glory.

You hear us calling,
You hear us calling,
Abba Father.

God of daily bread,
whose Son told His followers
to take nothing for their journey
except sandals and a walking staff,
set our feet in the direction of Your kingdom.

Mark the path of Your church
with our pilgrim feet.
Help us to discover the beauty
of the simple sandals and walking staff
You have given us.

Set our hearts to discover
the riches of Your kingdom.
Teach us to walk two by two
as brothers and sisters in faith,
and so to find our true life in You.

Sustain us so that we may sustain one another.
Nourish our most basic needs of daily bread
so that we may nourish one another.

Walk by our side
when we carry a loved one
through a difficult time.

Through Your Spirit,
who is present to us in one another,
strengthen us in faith, confirm us in hope,
and perfect us in love.

You hear us calling,
You hear us calling,
Abba Father.

God of all nations,
whose good news spreads
to the ends of the earth
and the ends of time,
make us instruments of Your peace.

We bring before You this nation
and all who live in it.
As Americans celebrate freedom and unity this week,
guide and direct this nation
as we seek yet a more perfect union.

Help us to discover true freedom
which benefits all who live here, not only a few.

May this land be a place
where the goodness of life,
the blessing of well-being,
and the bounty of community
can be found in abundance for all.

Give Your wisdom to those who lead this nation.
By Your Spirit, give us patience to seek
the paths that make for peace in this city,
this nation, and around Your world.
Comfort people whose fear of unrest
and ongoing fighting make them captives
in their own homes.

Help us, Your church,
to be a healing balm
in the midst of injury and hatred,
in this country and throughout the earth.

All these prayers we ask
in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,
who with the Father and the Spirit lives and reigns forever.

Lord have mercy,
Christ have mercy.
Lord have mercy,
Christ have mercy.

Proper 12 | Year B

God of mercy and healing,
You who hear the cries of those in need,
receive these petitions of Your people
that all who are troubled
may know peace, comfort, and courage.

Gracious God,
We are a people who strive with one another,
but we remember...

We remember Joseph,
whose brothers threw him away.
But he forgave them and became their salvation.

We remember Jacob and Esau,
who fought in their mother's womb.
But they became reconciled on the battlefield.

We remember Your people,
who suffered in exile,
and Queen Esther who took a stand,
'for such a time as this' to end the strife.

Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

You hear us calling,
You hear us calling,
Abba Father.

And still we strive against one another.
Our brothers strive against sisters,
Mothers and fathers strive against daughters and sons

We strive among races, among nations, among classes
We strive across the miles and across the ages
We strive in the Christian family, in the human family

But Jesus prayed for our unity.

Almighty God, You created one humanity
You have broken down the dividing wall of hostility.
You say there is neither Jew nor Greek, male nor female, slave nor free...
You say; "How good it is for us to dwell in unity."
You say: There's plenty good room.
You say: Get on board, there's room for many more.
You say: Lay down your sword and shield
down by the riverside and study war no more."

Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
You hear us calling,
You hear us calling,
Abba Father.

God of the journey,
We remember that Mary and Joseph
had to flee to Egypt,
taking Jesus to safety,
leaving home behind.

Remembering,
we pray for sisters and brothers
around your world
who are forced to leave their homes.

We are torn apart by the cruelty
your people are facing at the United States–Mexico border.
We pray for the successful reuniting of families
after thousands of children were separated from their parents.

Guide the leaders of the world to find creative ways to respond.
To extend protection and provide safe haven.
To care compassionately and respectfully
for the needs of our sisters and brothers.
To address the situations and circumstances
that force people to leave their homes.
To do justice and to seek peace.

Show us ways we can support
our brothers and sisters whom we encounter.
Inspire us to engage in the efforts to create a world
in which all have a safe place to call home.

We pray for the day when peace fills our hearts,
our world, our universe,
that these prayers may be made real.

This we ask through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Lord have mercy,
Christ have mercy.
Lord have mercy,
Christ have mercy.

Proper 11 | Year B

God of salvation,
who sent Your Son to seek out and save what is lost,
hear our prayers
on behalf of those who are lost in our day,
receiving these petitions and thanksgivings
with your unending compassion.

O God, we pray for those who have power
without the wisdom to use it well,
and for those who have wisdom
without the power to apply it.

We pray for people who want to learn
but have no teacher,
and some who have much to teach
but no one who will listen to them.

We pray for the wounded and diseased
who have inadequate care,
and for the pampered
who turn ill health into an obsession.

Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

You hear us calling,
You hear us calling,
Abba Father.

O God, we pray for people who are dying
with no one to mourn them,
and for those who mourn
with no one to comfort them.

For all who remain cheerful
in the midst of poverty and grave handicap,
and for some who are disgruntled
in spite of plenty and good health.

O God who created fathers,
Who fathers us as lover of our souls,
We thank You for caring for us
with kindness and attentiveness,
with celebration and generosity,
with creativity and love.

We pray for those who don’t have fathers
For those who have painful relationships with their fathers,
For those who are fathers of children,
For those who are spiritual fathers,
For those whose ideas about fathering need reinventing.
Be our Good Father.

Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

You hear us calling,
You hear us calling,
Abba Father.

Lord Jesus, when You multiplied the loaves and fishes,
You provided more than food for the body,
You offered us the gift of yourself,
the gift which satisfies every hunger
and quenches every thirst.

Your disciples were filled with fear and doubt,
but You poured out Your love and compassion on the crowd,
welcoming them as brothers and sisters.

O God, today You call us
to welcome the members of God's family
who come to our land to escape oppression,
poverty, persecution, violence, and war.
Like Your disciples, we too are filled with fear and doubt
and even suspicion.

We use fear, doubt, and even Your words
to build barriers in our hearts and in our minds.

Give us the strength to stand with and for
Your inclusive love,
And the faith to believe another world
is necessary and possible.
Let it begin with us.

Redeeming Sustainer,
visit Your people
and pour out Your strength and courage upon us,
that we may hurry to make You welcome
not only in our concern for others,
but by serving them
generously and faithfully in Your name. Amen.

Lord have mercy,
Christ have mercy.
Lord have mercy,
Christ have mercy.

Proper 10 | Year B

Friends in Christ,
God invites us to hold the needs of our sisters and brothers
as dear to us as our own needs.
Loving our neighbors as ourselves,
we offer our thanksgivings and our petitions
on behalf of the church and the world.

We confess, O God,
that we pray to You to protect us from our enemies
but we do not find ways to love and pray for our enemies.
Teach us and all people to respect everyone
as Your children, created in Your image
as a dream come true.

Help us to honor the dignity of all people,
to work out differences,
to pursue paths toward reconciliation, forgiveness,
and the rebuilding of communities with hope.

O God, wherever your Church is corrupt, purify it;
where it is in error, direct it;
where in any thing it is incorrect, reform it.
Where it is right, strengthen it;
where it is in want, provide for it;
where it is divided, reunite it;
for the sake of Jesus Christ, your Son and our Savior.

Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

You hear us calling,
You hear us calling,
Abba Father.

O God, as the tragedy of suicide
takes center stage in the news,
we pray for all who struggle
with depression, anxiety,
or feelings of hopelessness.

May we, as the People of God,
remind one another of our value
in knowing You and being known by You.
When we feel alone, You are with us.
When we feel invisible, You are the One who sees us.
You know us better than we know ourselves,
and You love us still.

Open our eyes to the needs
of our brothers and sisters,
and equip us to be people of empathy,
compassion, and hospitality.

Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

You hear us calling,
You hear us calling,
Abba Father.

O God, we pray for those being affected
by the volcanic eruptions in Hawaii and Guatemala;
for those in the paths of the wildfires burning in New Mexico;
for those in Puerto Rico
still suffering the after-effects of Hurricane Maria,
which devastated their island last September.

And even as we pray, O God,
grant us the vision to see
the ways in which we are responsible
for caring for this planet with integrity and love.

Hear our prayers,
that we may love you with our whole being,
and willingly share the concerns of our neighbors.

Loving God,
open our ears to hear Your word
and draw us closer to You,
that the whole world may be one with You
as You are one with us in Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Lord have mercy,
Christ have mercy.
Lord have mercy,
Christ have mercy.

Proper 9 | Year B

Lord God, friend of those in need,
Your Son Jesus has untied our burdens
and healed our spirits.
We lift up the prayers of our hearts for those still burdened,
those seeking healing,
those in need within the church and the world.

O God, oftentimes we choose law over love,
Habits over creativity,
Rules over compassion
Because it’s simply easier
Than facing the chaos of creation;

Grant that our lives would speak
With the voice of compassion
Instead of the voice of oppression.
May we choose love over law.
And teach us to care for one another
after the pattern of Jesus Christ
Your Son, our Lord.

Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

You hear us calling,
You hear us calling,
Abba Father.

O God, you are acquainted with all our ways,
You know when we sit down
And when we rise up,
You know our thoughts before we think them.

You fill ordinary bellies
With ordinary bread.
And ordinary lungs
With ordinary breath
But we know each bite, each breath,
Is a gift.

O God, Your son took bread
And it became for us His body.
He took wine
And it became for us the cup of salvation.

In this season of Ordinary Time,
Open our eyes to see You
In the most ordinary places,
And all of the ways in which
You make the common divine.

Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

You hear us calling,
You hear us calling,
Abba Father.

O God, on the anniversary
Of the Tulsa race riots,
We remember that You created all people
in Your image.
Save us from jealousy, hatred, and fear,
and help us to live together
as members of one family at home in the world,
sons and daughters of one Father
who live in liberty as the children of God.

We pray for those whose position and authority
affect the lives of others.
Inspire them with a vision
of the community as it might be,
where love of neighbor
and concern for one another
drive out discontent and strife, anxiety and fear.

Help us to be present
in love and in justice and in truth
and in commitment to others,
so we can make of this old world a new world.

Hear our prayers
that we may love You with our whole being
and willingly share the concerns of our neighbors. Amen.

Lord have mercy,
Christ have mercy
Lord have mercy,
Christ have mercy

Trinity Sunday | Year B

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.

Pentecost | Year B

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.

Easter 7 | Year B

O God, on this mother’s day,
we pause thank you for all the ways you are a mother to us.

You are mother to us in the way you watch over us
and watch out for us.
Scripture likens you to a mother eagle, to a mother hen, to a mother bear.
Like these creatures, you are ever mindful and fiercely protective.

You are a mother to us in the way you hold us and heal us.
Scripture likens you to a caring mother who scoops up her children in her arms
and comforts them.
You are a nurturer and a giver of compassion.
You understand our tears, calm our fears, and soothe our disappointments.
You bandage our injuries and kiss our wounds.

You are mother to us the way you labor and love.
Our holy scripture likens you to a midwife,
to a pregnant woman in labor, to a nursing mother.
As life-giver, you have given birth to us as infants.
But you always seem to be in labor,
birthing and rebirthing new creations in us and around us.

And for this, O God, we give you thanks.

You hear us calling,
You hear us calling,
Abba Father.

O God, we ask your blessings for all the women in our world
who have experienced the wonder of bringing forth new life.
We ask for strength as they walk the demanding journey that is motherhood.
We ask for wisdom on how best to raise their children.
We ask for mercy as they inevitably make mistakes.

For all these mothers, O God, we ask your blessings.

We also ask your blessings on all the women
for whom being a mother is a source of pain and anxiety.

For mothers like Eve, whose children are entangled in rivalry.
For mothers like Hagar, who have been cast aside and forced to mother alone.
For mothers like Naomi, who have lost a child and must carry on.
For mothers like Moses’s, who made a difficult decision to give up her child because
she felt she could not provide the safest or healthiest environment.
For mothers like Pharaoh’s daughter, who have chosen to lovingly raise a child that
isn’t theirs by birth.
For mothers like Leah’s and Rachel’s, who are forced to watch a judgmental and
broken society favor one child over another.
For mothers like Bathsheba, whose children face tremendous or even terminal illness.
For mothers like Mary, who have a complicated pregnancy story they are embarrassed
to explain.

For all these mothers, O God, we ask your blessings.

You hear us calling,
You hear us calling,
Abba Father.

O God, we ask for grace for all the mothers
in perilous situations around the world.

For mothers in countries like Syria and Somalia,
whose impoverished and war-torn nations
have made protecting their children nearly impossible.

For mothers in places like Venezuela,
who are faced with food shortages
and are forced to skip meals so their children can eat.

And for mothers in places like Tulsa,
who may be struggling to provide for their children.
We pray especially for those who are single parents and must bear these burdens alone.

When they feel alone, we ask for the gift of your divine presence.
When they feel aimless, we ask for the gift of your divine providence.
When they feel desperate, we ask for the gift of your divine provision.

For all these mothers, O God, we ask for grace.

You hear us calling,
You hear us calling,
Abba Father.

O God, we also remember the women in our midst
who desire to be mothers, but are not.

For women like Tamar, who have tried every possible way to become a mother and have come
up empty handed.For women like Rachel, who watch family members give birth, but remain childless.
For women like Sarah, who endure the pain of their husbands having children with other
women.
For women who never had children but mother their coworkers and colleagues,
their godchildren and neighborhood children, their nephews and nieces.
We ask for mercy and grace and patience and peace for all these women today.

God, we ask for grace for those of us who may not be mothers,
but experience pain on this day.
For sons and daughters whose mothers
are sources of tension rather than peace,
judgment rather than compassion,
and hurt rather than love.

And for sons and daughters who have lost mothers
and now ache from the absence of maternal love.
In their lives, O God, be mother today.
No matter how we experience this day,
we trust that you, O God, rejoice with those who rejoice
and mourn with those who mourn.

Our names our written on your heart
and our stories are engraved on your palm.
All of this we ask through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Lord have mercy,
Christ have mercy,
Lord have mercy,
Christ have mercy.

Easter 6 | Year B

Sisters and brothers in Christ,
God invites us to bring our doubts and fears,
our joys and concerns, our petitions and praise,
and offer them for the earth and all its creatures.

God, you put us here on earth as embodied human beings,
For your glory and for our learning.
We experience you in all kinds of ways:
In nature,
In relationships,
In community,
In silence,
In sacredness.

Help us to seek you and find you,
In the places you’ve promised to be
And in the places we least expect you.
Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

Love shall overcome,
Love shall overcome,
Love shall overcome,
Love shall overcome.

O God, you have left a lot of hints about yourself along the way,
From stone tablets to still, small voices,
From prophets to angel messengers,
From subtle rainbows to dramatic rescues.

Then you sent Christ Jesus, the epitome of you, to teach us about yourself,
About your love,
About forgiveness,
And about resurrection.

We pray for the feeding of the hungry,
the clothing of the destitute,
the housing of the homeless,
the reformation of prisoners,
and the rehabilitation of those lost in addiction.

Bless every agency, church or government,
which is dedicated to the care of our disadvantaged sisters and brothers.
Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

Love shall overcome,
Love shall overcome,
Love shall overcome,
Love shall overcome.

O God, help us to love one another,
Because love is from God;
And everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.
You are Love.
As Christ abides in you, and we abide in Christ,
So we abide in Love.

We meditate on all we’ve learned of you,
We meditate on the life and work of Christ;
So we ask that we may know more deeply, more fully,
The Love in which we abide.

Receive these prayers, O God,
and transform us through them,
that we may have eyes to see and hearts to understand
not only what you do on our behalf,
but what you call us to do
so that your kingdom will be brought to bear in glory.

We ask all of this through Christ, our Lord. Amen

Hear our prayer
Hear your people
Turn our hearts to you
Make us whole again

Hear our prayer
Hear your people
Turn our hearts to you
Make us one

Easter 5 | Year B

O God, by your grace you have called us in this Diocese to a
fellowship of faith. Bless our Bishops Ed Gungor and Quintin Moore,
other clergy, and all our people. Grant that your Word
may be truly preached and truly heard,
your Sacraments faithfully administered
and faithfully received.

By your Spirit, fashion our lives according to the example of your
Son, and grant that we may show the power of your love to
all among whom we live; through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.

Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
You hear us calling,
You hear us calling,
Abba Father.