Living and Reigning God
We give you thanks on this Easter morning for the Resurrection of your son Jesus Christ! Lord, help us to make Jesus' victory our own and to viscerally experience this liberating Good News. From whatever graves we may currently inhabit, may we hear Jesus' clarion call to follow him to new life. We do not expect magic or instant gratification, rather we pray for your powerful presence as we journey on our path of renewal. From our destructive sin turn us to accept your transforming grace, from isolating loneliness lead us towards a healing community, from instinctive fear inspire intentional love, from paralyzing personal grief awaken us to compassion towards others, in our helpless despair reveal your Incarnate One so that we might be living testimonies to your resurrection, that we might, in St. Augustine's words, be alleluia from head to toe.
On this Easter morning we remember all those who are sick, who are suffering, those who have died, and those who grieve those deaths. God, who through your son Jesus conquered death, we commend the souls of all who have died to your loving eternal embrace. May those of us who suffer from any affliction feel your comforting presence and receive your healing power to sooth and mend our broken hearts. May the light of Jesus' love break through the shadows and slowly bring back to life even the most painful and deadened parts of our spirits.
Compassionate God, we remember the men and women of our armed services and ask that you might protect them and give them a special portion of Easter Good News. We pray for all people living in countries affected by war including Iraq and Afghanistan, Israel and Palestine, Darfur, the Congo. God we pray for the day when our swords will become plowshares and war will be no more.
Lord, much of the world remains in the hypnotic thrall of crucifixion. Billions of your precious children living and dying in poverty, habitual war strangling fragile efforts for peace, the weak exploited for gain by the greedy, loss of jobs and homes throughout our nation devastating families, and the continued inequality among peoples rotting the fabric of our society. On this day of resurrection we remember Jesus' first sermon when he told us that he came to bring good news to the poor, release the captive, give sight to the blind, liberation to the oppressed. Commission us today to be apostles of your radical Gospel that Love is more powerful than death, that passion is more powerful than the grave. May we labor in your kingdom with the confidence that there is no evil we cannot overcome if we are bound by the blessed power of your sacrificial love and resurrecting Holy Spirit.
Thank you God for your son Jesus, for his life, for his death, and for his resurrection. Hear us as we pray the prayer he taught us:
Our Father, who art in heaven,Hallowed be thy Name.
Thy kingdom come.
Thy will be done,
On earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
As we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
But deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
and the power,
and the glory,
for ever and ever.
Amen.
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