Lead us out of this conflict

November 13, 2020November 16, 2020 / Eric Mathews / Leave a comment

O God, who has ordained that all men should live

and work together as brethren,

remove, we humbly beg you, the spirit of strife

and commitment to bitterness,

from those who are now quarreling,

so that seeking only what is just and equal

they may go forward in brotherly unity and accord.

Lead us out of the night of this conflict and into the day of justice.

Give us grace to be instruments

of the kingdom of love and justice in human affairs,

and patience in dealing with all the sins and selfishness of men,

and humility in recognizing our own,

that we may judge wisely between brothers,

between nations and peoples,

and by composing and reducing their differences,

build ourselves up into a true community of peoples and nations.

Reinhold Niebuhr, 1892-1971, American theologian and professor

The HarperCollins Book of Prayers freely modified

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Psalm 9:7-10

The Lord reigns forever;
he has established his throne for judgment.
He rules the world in righteousness
and judges the peoples with equity.
The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed,
a stronghold in times of trouble.
Those who know your name trust in you,
for you, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you.

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a sign of your goodness

September 23, 2020September 22, 2020 / Eric Mathews / 2 Comments

Father, I’m a man of my time and situation,

Around me, the signs and symbols of man’s fear, hatred, alienation;

a bomb exploding in a market square;

. . . faces on TV twisted in mocking confrontation.

It’s not that we haven’t tried, Father,

to find ways to peace and reconciliation

but always too little, too late;

the forces of opposition were too great . . .

I am perplexed, angry, hopeless, sick, I want to turn

my back, wash my hands, save myself, my family, get out.

But every time I turn to go

there stands in my way a cross . . .

Lord, make me a child of hope, reborn from apathy,

cynicism, and despair, ready to work for that new man

you have made possible by walking the way of the cross yourself.

I do have hope grounded on your victory over powers

of evil, death itself, focused on your kingdom,

breaking on us now as light out of deep darkness.

And I do see signs of hope immediately around me.

I see a wider sign:

I see a sign – flower growing on a bombed-out site.

The sign – an empty cross. The burden, Lord, is yours.

Lord, I am a prisoner of hope! There is life before death.

Prayer from Northern Ireland

The Lion Prayer Collection

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Psalm 86:16-17

Turn to me and have mercy on me;
show your strength in behalf of your servant;
save me, because I serve you
just as my mother did.
Give me a sign of your goodness,
that my enemies may see it and be put to shame,
for you, Lord, have helped me and comforted me.

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