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Holy and Gracious God, We give you thanks for the gift of life and in particular for the gift of your Son, our Shepherd. We come to you as a people who are lost and in need of you - your love, your grace, your salvation. You know us, each of us, by name, and call us to your side. We come before you, humbled by your compassion for us, for this world. We lay down before you all that causes us discord and division; take away all hatred and prejudice, remove from our hearts all that hinders us from union with you and with our brothers and sisters. Call us into one Body, one Spirit, that we may be your heart, your hands, your love, pouring forth into this broken world. Grant that even as you are the gate, that contains and keeps us from ourselves, you are also the opening that leads us out of the self and into the Body. Give us your grace, which will unite us, a diverse and often divided people, into One, bound by truth and peace, faith and charity, that we may be one mind, one mouth, one body in Christ Jesus, our Good Shepherd. Amen.
Thank you. Amen.
ReplyDeleteI did not preach today but thought about the lessons this morning here - thinking about the Gate and the Golden Gate bridge and the Tibet protests. One time I re-wrote the GS reading for Mother's Day. Read it here.
ReplyDeleteI loved this. It expressed my thoughts and longings so well that I used it for church this morning.
ReplyDeleteThank you.