image by Dick DeMarsico, World Telegram staff photographer via wikimedia commons
Most gracious and all wise God, before whose face the generations rise and fall;
Thou in whom we live, and move, and have our being.
We thank thee [for] all of thy good and gracious gifts, for life and for health;
for food and for raiment; for the beauties of nature and human nature.
We come before thee painfully aware of our inadequacies and shortcomings.
We come before thee painfully aware of our inadequacies and shortcomings.
We realize that we stand surrounded with the mountains of love
and we deliberately dwell in the valley of hate.
We stand amid the forces of truth and deliberately lie.
We are forever offered the high road
and yet we choose to travel the low road.
For these sins O God forgive.
Break the spell of that which blinds our minds.
Purify our hearts that we may see thee.
O God in these turbulent days when fear and doubt are mounting high
give us broad visions, penetrating eyes, and power of endurance.
Help us to work with renewed vigor for a warless world,
for a better distribution of wealth
and for a brother/sisterhood that transcends race or color.
In the name and spirit of Jesus we pray. Amen.
Martin Luther King, Jr. 1929 -1968, American pastor and civil rights activist
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May the God who gives endurance and encouragement
give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had,
so that with one mind and one voice
you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
prayer & verse 
