Mighty and merciful God, our hearts are full of gratitude.  We are grateful for good health and for recovery from illness.  We are grateful to be safe in this moment, right here and right now.  We are grateful for food to eat today.  Some of us are grateful for work to do and others are grateful for rest and more time to spend with you.  We are grateful for community scattered in quarantine and “stay-at-home advisories.”  We are grateful for this moment of electronic connection to a service of worship of your resurrection power and love.

Dear God, as grateful as we are for the small graces of daily living in this chaotic season, we also ache for the world.  The illness, disease and death.  The unemployment, homelessness and hunger.  The abuse, alcoholism, marital strife of couples trapped together in four walls.  The schools closed, graduations cancelled, dreams dashed.  The exhaustion of doctors, nurses, PCAs, hospital receptionists, EMTs, police officers, National Guard.  The chaplains, counselors, pastors, rabbis, imams.  Funeral directors, morticians, crematory staff.  Those in nursing homes, psychiatric wards, prisons.  Homeless youth, foster care kids, refugees, new immigrants.  Those delaying medical care or surgeries.  Those isolated and alone.  Leaders of our cities, our commonwealth, our nation.  Reporters and newscasters.  Out-of-work actors, artists, musicians, storytellers.  Children and their teachers, parents and grandparents whom they only see on FaceTime.  Small business owners and their furloughed employees.  Those who are sick with COVID-19.  Those who are grieving the death of loved ones who died alone and afraid.

May we be changed.  Slow us down even more today.  Give us the courage to look and see the suffering in this world, let us gaze upon sorrow with deep love, even as we contemplate your cross.  Turn us toward the beauty of your creation.  Let us see flowers, smell fresh earth, hear bird song, feel wind on our cheeks.  Deepen our prayers.  Strengthen our faith.  Connect our hearts to one another.  Reveal the web of worldwide community connected as one people, your people.  Resurrect us from pandemic as surely as you raised your Son up from the grave.  Change us, transform us, heal us that we may be your people.  A covenanted world-wide people of love, mercy and grace; of service, help and compassion, of incarnational love overflowing with the joy of your tender powerful presence.  We humbly and honestly pray this, in the precious name of our Savior Jesus Christ.  Amen.