A Prayer for the Inauguration
Almighty God,
You are the Lord of all the earth,
Which you created to be in harmony.
We mourn the discord in our world,
And especially the division in our country.
Christ came to us to bring about our healing,
And to inaugurate the beginning of a new era.
It was marked by the arrival of the Prince of Peace,
Yet sometimes peace seems far from our grasp.
Mend our brokenness and knit us together,
That our bond to one another may be stronger than it ever was before.
You, who makes all things new, are able to bring about a new day.
So we pray that you will use our willingness to serve you to serve others.
Help us to set aside our pain to make space for healing of relationship.
Enable us to make room for reconciliation, not only in our hearts,
But at every level of life from our homes to our community to the highest levels of our government.
Teach us your ways once more:
To forgive as we have first been forgiven by you,
To choose righteousness in relationships over being right,
To embrace those that are in opposition to us,
To seek you in the face and heart of every person.
We yearn for an end to violence and words of hatred.
We pray for unity and peaceful transference of power.
Let us seal the pain of the past in the tomb,
And choose to allow new life and the love of Christ to live in us from this day forward.
We commend to you those that will provide leadership in this time of great turmoil.
Grant them your wisdom and guard them from error.
Assist us as we strive to come together for the good of all our people,
Not just those with whom we agree.
Teach us to embrace our commonality as a place to begin new conversations,
And help us to look beyond our differences, too often used to prevent healing encounters.
We have been redeemed by your grace.
Now may we grant grace to others:
Those who are in the positions of power and authority,
And those who are struggling with their place in this world, this country, and this difficult time.
Send your Spirit upon us once again,
For we need a double portion to persevere in the midst of such dire circumstances.
Bring about healing in this pandemic,
A restoration of the ability to safely gather and experience the joy of community,
Hope for recovery to those who are suffering economic hardship and loss,
And the knowledge that we are defined by your love which will outlast all earthly categories and distinctions.
The future is unknown to us,
But you have promised us that all is never lost.
May you be our guide, guardian, strength, and hope.
Let there be peace, O God,
And let it begin with us.
In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, we pray.
Amen.
In Faith, Hope, & Love,
Pastor Sarah