How great is this place,

for it is the touching-place of God.

In Christ, we are gathered from the edges

and woven into the dream.

Here we feel the hint of heaven,

where justice, love and mercy meet.

Here we celebrate

the blessedness of unity in God.

We, who were once far off,

are brought near.

And so we pray,

God, creator of all,

in your love, you have made each one of us

in your grace, you gather us together in your image

in your mercy, you make us restless until we find our rest in you.

Disturb us in our contentment,

distract us from our comforts

deter us from our conflicts

until your kingdom comes and your will is done.

Amen.

Today we celebrate the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity and for the reconciliation of all that gets between us and stops us seeing each other as brothers and sisters. 

God of all,

because of your great love

our sins have been washed away

and we are part of the beloved community.

We come before you, a holy family,

a rainbow people, united in the beautiful diversity of your creation.

We celebrate the rich tapestry of the human family.

We commit ourselves to overcome prejudice and disunity wherever we find it and to walk humbly in your presence.

Amen

May God bless you with discomfort

at easy answers, half-truths, and superficial relationships,

so that you may live deep within your heart.

May God bless you with anger

at injustice, oppression and exploitation of people,

so that you may work for justice, freedom and peace.

May God bless you with tears

to shed for those who suffer pain, rejection, hunger, and war,

so that you may reach out your hand to comfort them

and turn their pain into joy.

And may God bless you with enough foolishness

to believe that you can make a difference in the world,

so that you can do what others claim cannot be done

to bring justice and kindness to all our children and the poor.

Amen