Originally written for an Order of St. Luke Healing Service in Melbourne, Australia
Gracious God, loving parent, you watch over us like a mother with her children. You have created a world for us with a richness, a beauty beyond description. As another spring blossoms around us, we are awed again by the splendour of the renewal of life.
The trees leaf out, the cups of the daffodils reach up to the sky in supplication, the wisteria stretches heavy with blossoms and heavenly with a heady aroma. Make our hearts to bloom like the spring, with all the richness of the newness of life which you have created for us.
Spirit of all life,
we bring our prayer to you.
Eternal Spirit, you blow like the wind. Where you come from and where you are going we know not, yet we know that you are always with us, as near to us as our hands and the very air we breath. We pause to sense your presence, to remember your mighty power and your meek gentleness. You are slow to anger and quick to forgive. We are grateful, thankful, for your mercy for we are not perfect people.
We have failed to do things we should have done, and we have done things which we should not have done. Forgive us our wrongdoings and help us to forgive others. Let us not harbour grudges, for with grudges in port there is no shelter from the storm of resentments which tear at our souls.
Spirit of all life,
we bring our prayer to you.
Provider of peace, we pray for peace. We pray for peace in our world. Not just the peace of no warfare, but the peace, the shalom, the salaam, that is peace with justice for all people. We pray for a world where children get the food and health care they need.
We pray for a world where resources are shared equitably with all. We pray for a world where our swords are beaten into plowshares, a place where war is studied no more.
Spirit of all life,
we bring our prayer to you.
We pray for our country. May our land be one that is free and fair. A place where everyone is given a fair go. May this be a country where we remember all who have gone before us. May we respect its indigenous people, flora and fauna. May we be good stewards of this [sunburnt] land which we call home.
Spirit of all life,
we bring our prayer to you.
We pray for our communities. May we be good neighbours. May we open our hearts to those around us in need of a helping hand, an encouraging word, a pat on the back. In the silence of this moment, we lift to you the prayers of peace weighing upon our individual hearts.
Spirit of all life,
we bring our prayer to you.
We bring our prayer to a close with these words of challenge to all of us in the words of St. Francis:
Make us instruments of your peace.
Where there is hatred let us sow love;
Where there is injury, pardon;
Where there is discord, union;
Where there is doubt, faith;
Where there is despair, hope;
Where there is darkness, light;
Where there is sadness, joy.
Spirit of all life,
we bring our prayer to you. Amen!
