God of this day and of all days,
In a world which has so much to say and not much time for listening, you have drawn us here this morning to be still and to hear your voice.
In a world that seems soaked in hate, but thirsty for love, pour out your word of love. Bind up the wounded and brokenhearted. In a world that seems heavy with condemnation, but light on forgiveness, pour out your word of freeing forgiveness.
Bless and fortify, and send the peacekeepers, the Gospel speakers. Speak through your church for the forgiveness and benefit and building up of all those whom, by your word, you created, made and formed.
Lord,
In a world that seems long on worry and fear, but short on hope, have us pause to reflect that you carry and deliver hope in the most unlikely ways and into the most undignified places. Turn us in hope to Christ.
Hope in the author of love, who knows what it is to be abandoned and so enters into our lonely pain that we might be wrapped in His love, never to be alone. Hope in the fount of joy, who knows grief and so enters into our sadness to comfort the sorrowful. Hope in the friend of sinners, who loves sinners so much that He took our sins as His own on the cross. Hope in the Word made flesh, who by His speaking, forgives, restores and enlivens everyone who hears and believes. Open our ears to hear, cause us to believe, that we are forgiven and made new in Christ, and therefore, we are made free in Christ.
AMEN.