Prayers of the People, P+21C

Binder of Wounds,
hear our prayers.
Your children cry for food
and for shelter
and for medical attention
and are ignored
by those who have everything they need
and more. 
Send your church
to nourish and strengthen those who are 
hungry.
Send your church into the streets
to cry out for justice
on behalf of those who have no voice.
Send your church, O God,
where the power-hungry dare not go.

Holy Emancipator,
hear our prayers.
Your children cry for freedom
and for welcome
and for hope
and are shackled 
by those whose ancestors
came looking for the same.
Send your church to offer support
for those who do not speak
or understand
the language of hate.
Send your church into the streets
to warn and to question and to witness
the horrors of those who wear masks.
Send your church, O God,
where the lawmakers refuse to go.

Hope of the Hopeless,
hear our prayers.
Your children are troubled and in anguish.
Disconnected and discouraged,
your people seek community
where stories are shared
and humanity is rediscovered
through the breaking of bread
and the honesty of tears.
Send your church to gather your people.
Send your church to be a light
in the darkness.
Send your church, O God,
to make a difference in a world
that has forgotten 
what it means 
​to follow Christ.