Daily we seem to be confronted by news stories about various illustrations of evil actions. Atrocities of war are reported; parents do terrible things to their children; vicious crimes are committed against hapless victims. In the painful uncertainties that emerge because of such situations, we wonder where God is, and how these tragedies are allowed to occur. Today we address the origin of evil, seeking insight and wisdom from God about this persistent problem. Let us therefore with open hearts and searching minds worship God.
Pastoral Prayer
We bow before Thee, our loving Creator, asking for a special measure of Thy sustaining presence in a universal experience none of us has ever faced before. In the pandemic which has circled the globe, we lift our prayers for the families and friends of all who have died from the virus, for those who have been stricken by it and whose health may be permanently impaired because of it, and for those who care for everyone who is hospitalized anywhere as a result of it. May Thy power in the midst of sorrow be particularly felt by all such people. We pray also for ourselves who have endured a long isolation because of the virus, and whose patience may be wearing very thin because of the seemingly endless duration. May Thy spirit particularly uphold those who strongly sense that their lives are slowly disappearing because of the necessity of social distancing.
Lord God, we thank Thee that we can turn to Thee in prayer, feeling free to place all our burdens and concerns before Thee. We do not ask for miraculous cures to all our problems, but we pray for strength to endure whatever must be endured. Be with us also in the mental and spiritual warfare we wage against what appear to be insoluble problems and implacable situations. Without Thee we feel overwhelmed, but with Thee we feel enabled to withstand whatever comes our way.
We ask Thee to forgive us for all the ways in which we have failed to follow Thy commandments and have strayed from the leading of Thy spirit in our lives. As we ask for forgiveness for our own sins, we also ask for the inclination to forgive anyone who has sinned against us. Grant us the insight always to observe our lives more closely and equitably than is our inclination. Help us to see ourselves as we are rather than as the paragons of virtue we choose to think we are. Give us patience and endurance for whatever is the length of our life’s path, so that we may serve Thee ably and cheerfully all along the way. We pray these things in Jesus’ name, now joining together in the prayer he taught his initial followers, saying, Our Father….