Prayers of the People, E5B

​At the Spirit's urging,
all along our journeys of faith,
we have been greeted by
teachers
who took the time time
to explain what we read,
what we heard,
what we wondered.
Today, we give thanks
for those faithful disciples
who have come alongside us
with kindness and courage,
patience and grace,
and led the way to understanding
and to inclusion in the community.
Hear our prayers for those
who have not been so fortunate, Lord;
who have been excluded from your house
by those who cannot wrap their heads
around the radical hospitality
practiced by Jesus
who welcomed ALL.
Hear our prayers for those
who read but do not comprehend,
who have no one to help them
understand,
who travel bewildered
by a desert road
looking for hope
in a barren land.
Hear our prayers for the church,
which in all its good intentions,
often fails to live out its purpose
because of rules
that stand in the way,
Send your Spirit
now, O God,
and open the hearts
of your people
everywhere,
that the Word may be heard
and understood
through the continuing faithfulness
of those committed to discipleship.