Special to United Methodist Insight
“Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.”
Our parent God, you teach us to stretch our hearts to embrace the whole humanity. You ask us to lift up our eyes to see the rain and the sunshine falling on everyone. Burst open our narrow vision, and enable us to see the common humanity of your worldwide children, even during these trying times when we tend to shoo away your vision of global solidarity and your intent of the One Church as a neighborhood of siblings.
“Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”
May your realm of healing and wholeness take deep roots in us, here on this pandemic- stricken earth, O God. Provider of the living template of your domain for our times and all times, we long to experience wellness and restoration, along with all your creation. Shatter our narrow tendencies that lock down your kingdom inside the four walls of the church. Grace us with other-centeredness for the sake of living out the pattern of your kin-dom.
“Give us this day our daily bread.”
Nourish us with what we need for keeping us alive. Help us to honor our life on earth by refusing to be hoarders of essentials, be it grocery products or earth’s resources. Give us daily resistance against our wants that take priority over our needs. At this time, we lift up the invisible and expendable women and men who set out to work daily so that we can have our daily meals on our tables. Strengthen our resolve for advocacy for the most marginalized, now and beyond Covid-19.
“Forgive our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.”
We come to you to make peace with ourselves, Lord. We acknowledge at this time the trespasses we committed against our fellow human beings, non-human beings, and the earth. Create a clean heart in us, gracious God. Give us your Spirit’s aid to name our trespasses and repent of our shortcomings. Help us to forgive ourselves at times when we are not able to, and when we are settled down to self-rejection. Grant us the grace to forgive all those who trespass against us, even when it is difficult to pinpoint who the real enemy is in this pandemic.
“Lead us not into temptation; deliver us from evil.”
Save us from ourselves, as we tend to trifle with ordinary testings and temptations assuming that these do not matter. Enlighten our eyes to see evil lurking even in the manifestations of larger power structures that put profit before people, greed before lives. Deliver us from evil, as we continually practice faith in the One who withstood temptations, and triumphed over evil.
“For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory forever.”
Yours is the final victory, O Eternal God and our Everyday Companion, when each day seems like eternity during this time of stress and trauma. Yet we, your children, know deep inside that you are the cross-over that connects the crisis-ridden present with the boundless eternity we will inherit, and that you will see us through. Thank you for this everydayness of assurance through the redeeming work of the One who taught us this prayer, even Jesus the Christ. Amen.
Glory E. Dharmaraj, Ph.D. serves as President, World Association for Christian Communication-North America. She retired from her post as Director of Mission Theology for United Methodist Women.