Prayer

God,

We’re all different. Different needs, desires, places in life, and ages. We do share some things in common, or at least one. In common, we are all hungry to know ourselves as loved by you, our Heavenly Father. We all long to fully realize our home as infants in your arms, cradled and comforted, seeing you gaze down upon us with eyes of compassion and love. We long to know this kind of love that can barely be put into words, but yet that we know is real. Your love is faintly known by some of us, more profoundly by others, yet we all hunger for more. And this is our calling, to know ourselves as children who can give very little but are so open to receive all the love that there is to be given by you.

Sadly, though, we sometimes become old in our hearts and turn away from your love. We try to satisfy our hunger for your love by creating self-made value for ourselves. Sometimes, we do this by judging others based on what they have or don’t have, what they are or are not; to bring ourselves up, we bring others low. Rather than turning to your love to heal our wounds, we attempt our own medical treatment by bruising others.

We don’t always display ourselves to the world as having deep and sincere love for each other whether rich or poor, athletic or bookish, artistic or administrative, charming or rather plain. This tapestry and patchwork quilt we call the body of Christ often becomes separated and fragmented into pieces. Rather than a community deeply connected in our diversity of gifts and characters you have given each of us, we often line ourselves up based on similar perceived values, tastes, outlook or interest rather than truly connecting as a colorful mosaic.

So, we say we’re sorry for this Lord. Today we return to you Lord, as your children. We run to you with our hearts open to welcome your love. Grant each of us an increasing measure or your presence and the knowledge of your love. Just as the wind blows into a sail to push a ship forward, fill each of us with your Spirit that we may go forward into all things knowing of our beloved status. Just as a sailing vessel would create wakes behind it, let our movement forward in your Spirit create wakes of love disturbing the sea of lives that are drifting around us until we reach the shores of heaven and are fully alive in the very presence of your glory. May new and renewed relationships be realized where they never would have been because we each increasingly know of your love.

To you be given all glory, always and forevermore. Amen.