Oh, sigh with us

Prayers for the world, August 2021 

The sea bed shuddered,
rocking the islands cradling
fragile lives not yet restored.

pause

Creator of all, through you
we, too, are breaking again
with the people of Haiti,
with all life on Haiti,
with death and grief and pain
through the land of Haiti.

Creator of all, sigh with us;
then show us how to endure together.


The tanks thunder, guns
flash and bullets rain
on towns still not standing tall.

pause

Sustainer of all, through you
we, too, are breaking again
with the people of Afghanistan,
with all life in Afghanistan,
with death and grief and pain
through the land of Afghanistan.

Sustainer of all, sigh with us;
then show us how to resist together.


Flames engulf forests and the smoke
chokes clouds and all below,
earth groaning, but is the pain rebirth?

pause

Breath of all, through you
we, too, are breaking still
with all creation,
with all life in creation,
with death and grief and pain
through all creation.

Breath of all, sigh with us;
then show us how to change together.


Doors shut us in again, borders
lock us out again, invisible wolf
huffing and puffing the house down.

pause

Healer of all, through you
we, too, are breaking still
under this virus,
life with this virus,
death and grief and pain
with this virus.

Healer of all, sigh with us;
then show us back to life together.


Creator of seas and islands,
Sustainer of justice and peace,
Breath in all that lives,
Healer of all that breaks:
sigh with us and
then show us how to thrive, together.

Amen.

Fellow creatives and ministers, Alex Sangster and David MacGregor continue this mood of prayer, with O God of the Sorrows w. Lord Have Mercy. 

Have mercy

Confession

With a Kyrie played – not sung – as a response

We do not want to give up,
to do without,
and we are too quick
to criticise and complain
when our leaders ask us to,
or when mistakes are made
because we have yet learned
what it is we need to learn:
Kyrie eleison

musical refrain

We have stopped praying
for the countries worse off than ourselves –
Spain, USA, UK, Brazil – busier
with patting ourselves on the back,
or getting hooked on the doom
news cycles making us afraid
for ourselves:
Kyrie eleison

musical refrain

We have helped the earth
by leaving cars in driveways
and planes on runways for much
of this year, with all the plastics
for testing and shielding and practicing
hygiene, is the earth still paying a price
for keeping us safe?
Kyrie eleison

musical refrain

We have neglected again the artists
who keep our souls alive, open
windows onto the Sacred, and unveil
mirrors to help us see and understand –
yet to the artists we turn to carry us
through the pandemic:
Kyrie eleison

musical refrain

We are feeling sorry for ourselves,
unable to travel, to be with people
we miss, to go on holiday, to do
anything without going so much
slower, keeping distance, wearing masks,
and washing our hands raw:
Kyrie eleison

musical refrain

Forgiveness
The One who is Holy
is merciful in character
and welcomes our return,
accepts our confession,
and, indeed, does show us
mercy.
This is the promise,
enter it and live.
Amen.

Peace for the hardest of times

Acts 10:34-43 

tell good news of peace
to all the earth,
tell good news of peace

though the earth is wounded,
scarred, and scorched, is made
a wasteland before our eyes, oh

tell good news of peace
to all the earth,
tell good news of peace

though homes have fallen, lives
are lost or changed forever,
livelihoods gone up in smoke -

oh, tell good news of peace
to all the earth,
tell good news of peace

though kangaroos, possums,
and koalas flee the flames or
far too often perish, with herds
and flocks, and packs, and dens -

tell good news of peace
to all the earth:
oh, tell good news of peace

with teams of brave ones,
flying tanks and leaky buckets,
pour water on the burning earth
with love and care and our protection

with silent presence stand beside
the grieving, the angry, the utterly bereft,
with love and care and deep compassion

with gentle calm accept the trust
of animal to human in these upside down
times of need and bind the wounds,
quench the thirst with love
and care and hopeful devotion

oh tell good news of peace
to all the earth:
tell good news of peace.

Lament for creation

after Psalm 79:1–9 

O Holy One,
humanity inherited your creation
here on Earth,
and defile this holy temple,
have brought it all to ruin.

Your messengers are slaughtered,
blood runs rivers on this ravaged
Earth –
we are a mockery, our descendants
will look on us with shame.

How long, O Holy One?
Will you be angry forever?
Hear the voices of the contrite,
heed our plea for help.
Hold humanity to account – not ransom –
restore your Earthly temple.

Remember us not for the mistakes
our ancestors – even we – have made,
but meet us with your compassion;
we are brought so very, very, low.

Help us, Holy One of restoration,
deliver us, forgive humanity,
for your own names' sake:
restore your Earth to life.
Amen.