Lifting our voices and turning toward God, let us pray for the church, the earth, and all who are in need.
A time of silence.
Lord of compassion, as we the people of your family, the church, conclude our Lenten journey with the walk through Jerusalem to the cross, help us to understand that Jesus’ pain and sorrow is the pain and sorrow of our neighbors. Jesus bleeds with the blood of child soldiers in the Congo. When Jesus is scourged, he screams out with the helplessness of every prisoner who is forsaken and tortured. We he feels forsaken, it is the loneliness despair of our neighbors he feels. When Jesus gasps for breath on the cross it is with the convulsions of the children of Syria poisoned by Sarin. Lord, when we weep for Jesus, teach us to weep for our neighbors around the world whose wounds he takes upon him.
Hear us O God.
Your mercy is great.
Lord of forgiveness, as we walk through Jerusalem with Jesus this week, help us remember that Jesus took our guilt and nailed it to the cross. Help us remember that on the cross he breaks down the dividing walls that we, in our ignorance, keep building up. Help us remember that we are to live this day as resurrection people, freed from our sins and freed from the specter of a judgmental God, so that we may live not for ourselves but for our sisters and brothers–not for ourselves, but for our God.
Hear us O God.
Your mercy is great.
Lord of the Great Banquet of victory to come, We thank you for the Victory Feast of our Lord’s body and blood. We thank you for the young people who will join us for the first time at this Feast. And we pray that as we break this bread together and lift this cup of promise, that we are all strengthened to live as one, and to love one another as you have loved us. May that love we share bring healing to those you have given us to care for, including all those we mention before you now, aloud and in our hearts….
Hear us O God,
Your mercy is great.
