Living with a Pandemic Congregational Prayer

Gracious God:
We are the church united as we pray from different locations,
connected through something more marvellous than technology–
your Spirit filling us with hope and vision.
We come first of all with thanksgiving.
Thank you for the many kindnesses we have experienced
in this time of social distancing: old friends reconnecting,
some households learning about togetherness,
others learning new quieter rhythms.
Thank you for the joy of food and the beauty of music.
Thank you for this spring-time season
which is lifting us with its promise of new life.
Even as there is much to be thankful for,
we come together with lament;
this virus has caused so much loss of life around the world.
So many suffer, so many families grieve,
and we don’t know when it will end.
We lament the financial burdens of this pandemic,
and that it has fallen heavily on the poorest,
with inequalities standing out more sharply than usual.
We know that racism is one of the roots of injustice,
and that the death of George Floyd is just an example
of the everyday violence people of colour face.
There are those among us who suffer because of racism,
and there are those among us who haven’t thought about racism
because it is the privileged air we breathe.
As we work on solving health problems,
help us build a society that addresses injustice.
We continue to pray for a vaccine for this virus.
Give insight to researchers, and co-operation among nations,
so that all can benefit from scientific breakthroughs.
Give wisdom to our politicians making difficult decisions
about how and when to modify social distancing.
Help them find that fine balance between opening our economy
and safeguarding public health.
Keep us healthy and help us care for each other.
As we all make choices about who to see,
and how many we should see at a time,
help us refrain from judging each other,
just as we do not want to be judged by others.
Jesus, walk with us this week.
We trust in you, because you have been with us,
showing us the faithful path in good times and bad,
and you will be with us, come what may. Amen.