Dean’s Letter: Election Prayers from the Listening Hub

Hello St. Paul’s,

We now know the outcome of Tuesday’s election, at least in broad strokes, and I know many of you are unhappy with the results. Regardless of events in the world, we are people of prayer, and our response to historic moments, whether they are joyful or tragic, always includes prayer. If you are wrestling with strong and negative emotions, look to the Psalms for a way to express your feelings in prayer. As you know, we have a treasury of wonderful prayers in the Book of Common Prayer, but we also value the individual creative talents of all people. Members of our Listening Hub group recently wrote prayers for this season, and I share some of them with you here, so that you can incorporate them into your own prayer life. Thank you, Canon Richard Lief and the Listening Hub, for these offerings.

Almighty God,: through this divisive and angry time in our nation, bring us inner calm. Despite our grave concerns, let each of us move forward “with malice toward none, with charity for all”. Grant that our vastly diverse peoples, holding hugely divergent values and viewpoints, may come to see that we are still one nation and must remain so. Calm our fears and focus our minds; and may we all commit to being Micah 6:8 people: resolved to do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with our God. Amen.

Almighty God, lover of truth, beauty and love: we are called to live these virtues through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Open our eyes through the lens of compassion and mature discernment to be aware of the great dangers that are hovering over us and our country, and indeed the world. Deliver us from our fears as we see our democracy being threatened through irresponsible rhetoric and cries of hate. Deliver our fellow citizens and ourselves from being beguiled by straw figures. Lift our hearts to your presence and strengthen our will to live by your truth, beauty and love. Give us the courage to make no peace with oppression. Give us the strength to gather all people around your heavenly throne. Into your hands we commend our spirits. In Jesus’ Name we pray. Amen

Holy Creator, bless us with your grace, and still the troubled waters of these times. Help us to make peace, accept differences with others, and value the dignity of all citizens in our country. Amen.

O God, omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent: we humbly acknowledge that you are the presider of this current jangling presidential election process; that you are the great discerner who fills us with keenness of mind; that you are in the moment whenever two or three are gathered together. Grant us spiritual energy that we may embody your justice, ingenuity, and compassion toward all sorts and conditions of persons, through the power of the Trinity. Amen.

And finally one of the comforting gems from the Book of Common Prayer:

O God of peace, you have taught us that in returning and
rest we shall be saved, in quietness and confidence shall be
our strength: By the might of your Spirit lift us, we pray,
to your presence, where we may be still and know that you are God; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Your sister in Christ,
Penny