A prophet from long ago and far away asks us who we are and whose we are. Do we know where we have been and where we are going? Americans are a people who live in both unity and diversity, seeking to live the ideals set forth by our founding fathers. Today we compare our times to those of the prophet Hosea, who lived in Israel in what outwardly seemed a period of prosperity and strength. Let us worship the God of Israel and the God of America, seeking His guidance and direction for our own times.
Pastoral Prayer
We praise Thee, O God, for connecting Thyself long ago to the people of Israel, and for patiently shaping them through the centuries. We thank Thee for inspiring prophets to become voices of correction and alarm to Israel when they strayed from Thy paths and unthinkingly thwarted Thy will. We praise Thee also for leading the people of the United States of America in our early years. Thou hast been a light unto us as to all peoples, and we thank Thee for Thy persistent guidance through many conflicts. We ask Thee to be with us now as we face situations unlike anything we have ever encountered in our history. Grant us wisdom, grant us courage, for the living of these days.
We pray for candidates who have been or who are engaged in primary elections throughout our land. Enable each of them to strive purposefully to perceive what is truly the best for our nation, and to seek to convince the electorate of the virtues of which we are capable. If we are to be a democracy, may it be one which lives up to its highest values, where truly we seek liberty and justice for all, and where we hold the truth to be self-evident, that all people are indeed created equal and are equal. May the people be as committed to those values as we expect it from our elected representatives. Inspire us to see that democracy depends on the people even more than on their politicians.
We pray for those who find themselves engulfed by obstacles they cannot overcome, especially for children who are separated from their parents at our border, and for their parents. We pray for those who feel trapped by illnesses they shall never overcome, for those who see no way out of situations which have hemmed them in on all sides. Life can be such an unmarred blessing for many of us and such an enormous burden for others of us. Break through the feeling of helplessness or despair which holds many of Thy sons and daughters in its grip. Use us in whatever way possible to be extricators of those in great need. May the spirit which was in Jesus Christ also be in us, so that we may become Thy ministers of mercy. These prayers we make in Jesus’ name, now joining together in prayer as he taught us, saying, Our Father….