Jan. 20, 2022
A daily prayer from the New England Conference
Members of the New England Conference 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
Gathering All the people came together as one … Ezra opened the book. All the people could see him because he was standing above them; and as he opened it, the people all stood up. Ezra praised the Lord, the great God; and all the people lifted their hands and responded, “Amen! Amen!” Then they bowed down and worshiped the Lord with their faces to the ground. — Nehemiah 8.1, 5-6 [Jesus] went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. He stood up to read, and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him … . Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him. — Luke 4.16-17a, 20 Great God, Sabbath God, We love to gather — to see one another face to face and share in your peace; to hear read aloud the words from scripture that we so desperately need; to stand, sit, kneel, lift our hands, and pray near and with and for one another; to fix our gaze expectantly upon Jesus; to breathe the same air and feel your Spirit upon us; to join our voices with those around us in a rousing “Amen!” Forgive us for all the years and ways we have taken the privilege of gathering in person for granted. When some or all of us cannot gather in person, remind us, Great God, Sabbath God, that you have weathered every storm with your people, that you have witnessed every threat made at your people, that you have walked through every illness endured by your people, that you have worked around every obstacle placed by the world and your people, and you have waited and watched with us for the day when we can gather again. That day has always come. That day will come again. Until then, give us patience born of our love for gathering and our faith in you. Amen and Amen.
By Rev. Jill Colley Robinson, Green Mountain District Superintendent
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