O God who gives us the hope of heaven,
set its beauty before our eyes.
Now, in this moment, eyes shut,
help us to see your kingdom and its light.
For we see not only with our eyes, but with our spirit;
and we hear your word, not only with our ears, but with our souls;
and we pray to you, not only with our minds, but from our hearts.
We refuse to ignore the sorrows and the hurts of the world.
We refuse to look away and pretend that pain does not exist;
for there is no help found when problems are dismissed,
and there is no relief from illnesses that are not treated.
But with courage, we face life:
we lift up our world to you, O God, and we pray.
We pray for the sick. Around our earth there are those at this moment who are dying; who are in pain; who are facing the end of their days; whose face grave unknowns. We pray for those in hospitals, whether wealthy and well-cared-for, or simple, with others attending, or poor, in rooms without electricity, in heat and humidity, unsterile. We pray for those who suffer at home. We pray for those whose pain is lived with every day; who walk about and live on, keeping their pain within, bearing up beneath their load.
We pray for those who are in turmoil. Some of us cannot let go of the things that hold us back; some cannot wrench free from their problems. Some return to the same broken places in their minds, time and again, and are tired of it. Some cannot find peace within their thoughts. Some are racked by traumas: of war, of tragedy, of family, of loss. God, penetrate the darkness in which they live. Help them find this same light behind closed eyes that we now experience. Massage us with soft words, until we let go of the tenseness with which we grip our trouble. Show us the reality of hope, the truth of resting in your love.
O God, our Maker: you hold the world in your hands. Keep us each in your love and care, and we look to the day when we shall see your love in the flesh, and shall adore and praise you face to face. Amen.
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