a neighborhood prayer

This prayer below was first introduced to me from Robert Benson when we had our prayer group with him on Halcyon in Nashville. I am grateful for the richness of the words and for beauty of community and liturgy that Robert welcomed me into.   This has become an old favorite and I am grateful for the neighborhoods on Halcyon in Nashville, on Oakhurst Drive in Knoxville and now on 16th Ave in Seattle that have been given to us at different seasons in our lives to wrap up in this prayer. 

A Prayer for the Neighborhood

O God, who created all people in your image:

We give You thanks for the diversity

of races and cultures in this world,

and for the ways in which that beauty can be seen

here in our neighborhood.

Enrich our lives, we pray,

By ever-widening circles of fellowship,

and show us Your presence

in those who differ most from us,

until our knowledge of Your love is made perfect

in our love for all Your children.

We thank you, O Lord.

Look with compassion, we pray, on all of us who are

bound together in the common life of this neighborhood:

Grant that Your holy and life-giving spirit

 may so move our hearts

that the barriers that divide us may crumble and

that we may live together in mutual forbearance and respect.

Hear us, O Lord.

We offer to You our prayers for our neighbors,

commending them to Your goodness,

and knowing that You will do for them

far more than we can desire or pray for.

We pray especially for all those

who are afflicted or distressed, in mind, body, or estate,

through sickness or violence or grief or calamity of any kind,

those named aloud or known only in the secrets of our hearts….

Lord, have mercy. Christ, have mercy.

Keep watch, dear Lord, we pray

with all who work or watch or weep this day

and give Your angels charge over us all:

Tend the sick, we pray, and give rest to the weary;

soothe the suffering and bless the dying;

pity the afflicted and shield the joyous;

and all for Your love’s sake.

Amen.

From the Book of Common Prayer

Saturday fun at the neighborhood frozen yogurt shop
(not sure why we thought frozen yogurt was a good idea since it was in the 20's this weekend, but lots of smiles were still served up!)