A Daily Prayer During this COVID-19 Crisis

April 28, 2021 A daily prayer during this COVID-19 crisis During these difficult days, Bishop Devadhar and members of the Extended Cabinet are sharing a daily prayer based on the Revised Common Lectionary for the week. You are welcome to use these in worship or in your own devotions. Today’s prayer I John 4.11, 12b-13, 18a Beloved, since God loved us so much, we also ought to love one another … if we love one another, God lives in us, and God’s love is perfected in us. By this we know that we abide in God and God in us, because God has given us the Spirit … There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear … Love and Abide For a whole year of our lives — more than a year — to love one another has been to wear a mask, keep our distance, stay home whenever possible, keep our singing and our eating to ourselves, clean our hands and much-handled surfaces, keep in touch without touch, get our temperatures checked, get tested, and now get vaccinated, keep planning to be outside pray work pray wait pray will ourselves to keep going pray some more. And so we pray some more: Abide in us, O God, as we seek to love one another perfectly in an imperfect world. Abide in us, O God, as we mourn the thousands who die every day. Abide in us, O God, as we face our fears, trusting that your love casts out fear. Abide in us, O God, as we assess the risks of being together again after all that has been lost. Abide in us, O God, as we strive to have patience with one another and ourselves. Abide in us, O God, as we tell the truth in love and hold each other accountable in grace. Abide in us, O God, as we realize that we do not yet and will not have all of the answers. Abide in us, O God, as we recognize that not everyone is or can or will be vaccinated. Abide in us, O God, as we recoil from the reality that perfect safety is elusive, and always has been. This is not your gift to us. Abide in us, O God, as we receive the gift you do offer freely — love — and go on to perfection only ever through it. Abide in us, O God of love. Abide in us. Amen. By Rev. Jill Colley Robinson, Green Mountain District Superintendent