O Creator of the Universe,
Fashioner of the Pleiades and Orion,
who formed us from the dust of stars and galaxies,
we turn to you in awe and wonder:
many and great are your works, O God.
Let justice roll down like a freshening river
and righteousness rise within us
like an ever-flowing stream
that we may care for our neighbors in your Name.
Turn our deep darkness into morning, O Savior,
and open our ears to the prophetic voices
that call us to repentance and renewal in love.
May we turn our backs on those
who glorify hatred
and crush the defenseless beneath their knee;
may we live instead in charity and peace
founded on equality
as You have commanded us, O God of Compassion.
May we stand in solidarity against injustice,
against the exploitation of the vulnerable
and the trampling of the oppressed.
Make us abundant in grace, mercy, and unity,
living by your precepts, O Holy One,
watered by compassion and charity
like green olive trees in the courtyards of God.
May we worship You, Merciful God,
by living out our words or worship with action,
in lending aid for any in need or peril,
by offering You lives of integrity and righteous love.
May we live lives of grace and blessing.
by seeking good for the needy,
food for the hungry,
and shelter for the refugee.
Place your benevolent hand upon us
and anoint us with a Spirit of Truth, O Lord.
Grant your favor and peace
to those who call upon You
as we pray.
Amen.
The Rev. Leslie Scoopmire is a writer, musician, and a priest in the Diocese of Missouri. She is priest-in-charge of St. Martin’s Episcopal Church in Ellisville, MO. She posts daily prayers at her blog Abiding In Hope, and collects spiritual writings and images at Poems, Psalms, and Prayers.