Lord, God our Father,
through Jesus Christ, your Son,
in the power of your Holy Spirit,
give light to our eyes, that we may see your light,
the brightly shining light of reconciliation!
For this is the greatest sickness,
when one cannot see the light, even during the day.
Free us from this sickness,
us and all Christians who celebrate Easter either well or poorly,
the entire human community, both near and far,
who are again and again being confused and endangered anew!
Bless what comes to pass in this church and in other churches
and communities that are now still separated from us,
that it may be a testimony to your name, your kingdom, and your will!
Reign also over all the various concerns of the government authorities,
administrations, and courts here and all over the world!
Strengthen the teachers in consideration of their high task
for the growing generation;
the people who write newspapers,
conscious of their grave responsibility for public opinion that they influence;
the doctors and nurses,
for genuine attentiveness to the needs of those who are in their care!
Substitute your comfort, your counsel, and your help
for all that would accuse the many lonely, poor, sick and confused among us!
And let your mercy be apparent and powerful to all who are here in this house,
along with their families!
We place ourselves and all that we lack and that the world requires
in your hands.
Our hope is on you. We trust in you.
You have never let your people be put to shame,
whenever they earnestly called on you.
What you have begun,
you will surely finish. Amen.
Karl Barth, 1886 – 1968, Swiss Reformed theologian
______________________________
From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh.
Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh,
we regard him thus no longer.
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.
The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.
All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself
and gave us the ministry of reconciliation;
that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself,
not counting their trespasses against them,
and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.
prayer & verse 
