Pentecost/Mother's Sunday's prayer

Gracious God, who did send down your Holy Spirit to birth your church, rain down your Holy Spirit afresh today, Heal the broken hearted, the divisions in our churches, the stuck ones, the proud ones, the desperate ones, the lonely ones, those who have given up and quit trying. Forgive us for where we have closed ourselves to your Holy Spirit, where we have impeded the Holy Spirit, or where we have stood in the way. Come Holy Spirit inspire the hearts of us your faithful, kindle in us your love that we may love you, others, and ourselves. Come Holy Spirit, renew your people, pour into us the power of your creativity; that your light will shine in the dark places of this world.

Holy one, we also today lift up moms everywhere; we who are moms presently, our moms, moms to be, moms who are now gone on from us, moms whose children have died before them, moms all around the world. We pray for those whose moms weren't able to really parent them, who were abusive, or had mental illnesses, or drug or alcohol abuses, other problems that affected their mothering. We pray for those who are childless not by choice; those who may be trying different medical treatments, or going through the adoption processes, or other means, or those who can't afford it at all. We pray for those who are not mothers by choice; whether by timing, situation, or just by choice, we don't want to leave them out as you don't. Lord we pray for moms whose children have made them happy and those whose children have disappointed them. We pray for those moms in countries that have less than we do trying to make sure their kids have the basics. We pray for those moms in countries who have to figure out how to protect their kids from war, the rebels, the terrorists, and the means of war left behind. And we pray for those moms, who have been through the recent natural disasters trying to remake life, provide shelter, and who may also grieve the death of their children.

We pray all this and more through the power of your Holy Spirit who birthed the church, and through the name of Jesus, Amen.

Also posted at revgalblogpals and preaching to the choir.