Crossroads Congregational Prayer

We come to prayer this morning
at the crossroads of summer and winter.
Summer still shines, asters blooming with yellow and orange vividness,
warm days calling us to walk outside and enjoy the sun,
fresh fruit and vegetables still fill our tables and delight our tastebuds.
And yet, the nights grow cold, we see our breath in the morning,
yellow and red creep into the leaves of the trees,
the days get shorter, the earth tilts
and there’s no stopping the coming of winter.
Thank you for the blessings and beauty of our world!
We come together as your people,
we gather here in one place, with one heart for worship,
and yet in each of our lives we stand at different crossroads.
The _________ family has stood at the brink between life and death,
as they mourn the loss of ___________.
We pray for them and all who grieve today,
we need your comfort and your peace.
Other people stand at the crossroads of big decisions,
“Should we go this way or that way?” they wonder.
Guide us as we make important decisions about how we spend our money,
which job to take, where to live.
We pray for __________  and __________
who stood at a crossroads in life at their wedding ceremony.
Bless their marriage, and all those who are newly married,
help them forge bonds of love that last a lifetime.
Other older people are at crossroads in relationships;
should we stay together, or separate,
should we seek reconciliation, or walk away;
God of grace, be the one who guides us in all our decision-making.
You know the decisions that our congregation is making,
show us the way, when we are faced with many ways to go.
As we read the news, we are constantly reminded
that the world stands at a crossroads
with so many refugees from so many war-torn countries.
Lives are in the balance:
open the heart of the world community, open our hearts,
to be generous for these people, to meet their needs.
We pray all this in the name of Jesus,
who walks with us down every road we take, Amen.