Pastoral Prayer for November 17, 2024

Our pastoral prayer this morning is by Walter Brueggemann.

Please allow his words to become your own.

When the world spins crazy,

spins wild and out of control,

spins toward rage and hate and violence,

spins beyond our wisdom and nearly beyond our faith,

When the world spins to chaos

as it does now among us. . .

We are glad for strong and resilient roots

that provide ballast in the storm.

So we thank you for our rootage in communities of faith,

for many fathers and mothers who have believed and trusted

as firm witnesses to us,

for their many stories of wonder, awe, and healing.

We are glad today in this gathering

for the rootage of the text,

for its daring testimony,

for its deep commands.

Because we know that as we probe deep into this biblical text,

clear to its bottom,

we will find you hiding there,

we will find you disclosing yourself there.

And when we meet you hiddenly,

we find the spin not so unnerving,

because from you the world again has a chance

for life and sense and wholeness. ​​ Amen.