by Ed Horstmann

“Prayer is an uprising against the disorder of the world.”
Karl Barth

In recent years there have been so many references in the media to the decline of the church, we may be in danger of forgetting that the vitality of the church cannot always be measured in numbers. Small groups of faithful people, with or without church buildings, find ways in changing times to practice the strengths that define us: compassion, spiritual curiosity, and openness to the Spirit. After all, faith is a way of life, and can be cultivated wherever we live and move and have our being. As Jesus said, “Wherever two or three are gathered, there am I in the midst of them.”

One of the strengths of the church is the capacity to pray. “Congregations pray,” writes Gary Gunderson in his book, Deeply Woven Roots. “And the prayer makes and marks the difference between them and other voluntary forms of association…Prayer is not just a service provided to the community. It is the experienced intersection of the holy and human…As we grow through life, we must constantly learn to pray in new ways, seeking depth to match the complexity of our experience. The passage and reversals of life literally force us to our knees and into silence.”

We pray to care for others, to deepen our friendship with God, and to galvanize our communities of faith in response to opportunities and threats. On the morning of October 28 we prayed as a congregation for the friends, families and communities associated with Tree of Life Congregation in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in the aftermath of the shootings there that claimed the lives of eleven people and left six others wounded. Who could begin to count the number of people whose lives have been so radically disrupted by these acts of violence?

May all our prayers center us in the Spirit, so that we may be ambassadors of God’s ongoing movement of peace, faith, hope and love.

PASTORAL PRAYER

O God of peace, O God of compassion:
We gather in your presence this morning, in the warm embrace of your love.
We give thanks for the many ways that you care for us, encourage us, and are an experience of sanctuary for us.

We gather also in the awareness that your love strengthens us to reach out to the world around us with faith, hope and love: that as we cared for, so also do you call upon us to care for others

On this day, we reach beyond our community to pray for all those whose lives have ben impacted by the recent acts of violence at the Tree of Life Congregation in Pittsburgh. We share in the deep sense of loss that their families, friends and community are feeling. We stand with our Jewish brothers and sisters across the world, especially as we see the rise of language and actions designed to threaten their wellbeing. We pray that all those entrusted with responsibilities for leadership will use their authority to denounce any words or actions that deny or threaten the sacredness of all people.

O God of all creation, when we lose track of our sacred calling to live in peace, and to resolve conflict in kindly ways, call us back to your vision of peace on earth and good will among all people. When we lose track of the deep interconnectedness of all life, call us back to your vision of peace on earth and good will among all people. When we lose sight of a vision for life on earth that is established on a foundation of mutual respect and kindness, fill us with your love, and strengthen us to be ambassadors of your mercy.

And as we begin to make our transition from this sanctuary to the sanctuary of the wider world, help us at all times and in all places to be an experience of grace for others. Infuse our lives with patience and vision so that we may walk with dignity in the details of our lives while at the same time holding to your loving embrace for all humankind. Help us to relinquish any anxiety about the future, and in its place may we take up the bold adventure of faith, with tough minds and tender hearts.

All this we ask in Jesus’ name. Amen.