Loving God,

Your generosity is unfailing and extravagant.

Thank you!

We worry and fret that we won’t have enough, but you care for us.

Provider, Source, Giver – these are some of your very names.

You give us our daily bread and so much more.

You grant us your comfort, your compassion and strength, your abiding Spirit.

We are deeply grateful for all your gifts!

We are also deeply disturbed at Putin’s war on Ukraine.

We often pray that you will give us peace, and often feel disappointed

when that peace does not simply descend on us from on high.

But your peace has already descended on us from on high in the person of Jesus.

Among other things, you sent him to show us the way to peace.

What more could you do than sending us part of yourself to show us the way?

We pray that this hideous war would spark the consciences

of Christians everywhere.

Let us as Christians be deeply embarrassed and hugely distressed

that in the two thousand years since Jesus

the world is just as violent as it was in his day –

in spite of the fact that Christianity is the biggest religion on the planet,

and offers itself to humanity as the way to peace.

We pray that Christians of all persuasions – Roman Catholic, Russian Orthodox,

Mainline Protestant, Anglican, and Evangelical – would recommit themselves

to Jesus’ way of peace.

Once again humanity has fallen into another tragic war

in spite of the fact that you teach exactly the opposite.

So once again we come before you, Loving God, as not-very-good disciples

who can do no more than pray for our brothers and sisters in the Ukraine.

But in spite of our broken selves, we do pray:

            For those injured and dying;

            For food and warmth and medical supplies to those who need them;

            For the weight of world opinion to fall heavily on the Kremlin;

            For you to hold accountable the single person and his gigantic ego

            whose decision to invade is causing so much suffering and death;

            For a surprising resolution to this conflict which does not see

            Putin get his way.

Forgive us, Loving God, for not having been better disciples.

Inspire us, Loving God, to do better.

Amen.