Above:  Map of Nepal, 1945

Image Source = Hammond’s New Era Atlas of the World, 1945

Scan by Kenneth Randolph Taylor

Prayer Source = Chalice Worship (1997), Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)

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Lord of compassion and power,

be with those who have survived this disaster;

minister to their needs of mind and spirit, body and circumstance;

help those who are hurt;

give peace to the dying;

comfort and support the bereaved;

and to all who are working to bring relief and restore order,

give strength and resilience to do their work well;

for the sake of Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Above:  Flag of the United States of America

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Prayers Source = Chalice Worship (1997), of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)

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Almighty God, giver of all good things:

We thank you for the natural majesty and beauty of this land.  They restore us, though we often destroy them.

Heal us.

We thank you for the great resources of this nation.  They make us rich though we often exploit them.

Forgive us.

We thank you for the men and women who have made this country strong.  They are models for us, though we often fall short of them.

Inspire us.

We thank you for the torch of liberty that has been lit in this land.  It has drawn people from every nation, though we have often hidden from its light.

Enlighten us.

We thank you for the faith we have inherited in all its rich variety.  It sustains our life, though we have been faithless again and again.

Renew us.

Help us, O Lord, to finish the good work here begun.  Strengthen our efforts to blot out ignorance and prejudice, and to abolish poverty and crime.  And hasten the day when all people, with many voices in one united chorus, will glorify your holy Name.

Amen.

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We pray for this nation in which you have set us,

for its men and women of government,

for the leaders of commerce and industry,

for those who through newspapers and television lead in thought.

Human cleverness alone cannot heal our nation’s sickness,

treaties and armaments cannot safeguard our real interests,

more luxuries and leisure cannot meet our deepest needs.

O may your Living Word speak afresh to our people.

Raise up men and women who can speak words of insight and integrity,

that new life may inspire us and set us right.

O Prince of Peace, despised and rejected by the wise ones of this world,

we pray for this world,

that the people who grope in the darkness may see a great light,

the light of your love for every human being.  Amen.

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You gather us together in faith, O God, as a loving mother and a gentle father.  Help us to remember that your dwelling place is built upon love and peace, and that to bring about your reign on earth we must follow the way of peace.  We pray for all governments and legislatures that they may be mindful of the rights of the peoples of this world to live in peace and dignity.  Grant this in the name of Jesus.  Amen.

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We have come to sing,

rejoicing in the good that walks this land by day.

We have come to be silent,

repenting of the evil that stalks it by night.

We have come to this place because here we are reminded

that you are both our creator and our conscience.

Here all our loyalties are put in their proper place,

ordered behind our allegiance to you.

Be with us in our celebration and our confession,

that our citizenship may become more responsible,

our nation more humble, and our world more dependable.  Amen.

Above:  Delegates to the Illinois Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church, Jacksonville, Illinois, September 19, 1910

Image Source = Library of Congress

(http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2007661783/)

Prayer Source = Chalice Worship (1997), of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)

The Methodist Episcopal Church existed from 1784 to 1939.  Today its legacy continues in The United Methodist Church (1968-).

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We give you thanks, our God,

for these days of name convention/conference:

for the mingling of minds and personality,

for the clash of provocative thought and expression,

for the great variety of skills, talents and gifts represented here.

Let your Holy Spirit flow into our lives,

that all these abilities may be used to fulfill your purposes

and extend the kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ.  Amen.

Above:  A Steeple

Image Source = Wikipedia

Prayer Source = Chalice Worship (1997), of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)

I found the prayer first in Chalice Worship, the acknowledgments section of which says of it, “source untraced.”  Subsequent flipping through the Presbyterian Book of Common Worship (1993) turned it up there also.  That discovery led me to The Worshipbook–Services and Hymns (1972), where I also found it.

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In Unison:

Holy God, giver of peace, author of truth:

we confess that we are divided and at odds with one another,

that a bad spirit has risen among us,

and set us against your Holy Spirit of peace and love.

Take from this congregation mistrust, party spirit, contention,

and all evil that now divides us.

Work in us a desire for reconciliation, so that,

putting aside personal grievances,

we may go about your business with a single mind,

devoted to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.  Amen.

Above:  Delegates to the 1858 General Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South

Image Source = Library of Congress

(http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2003666383/)

Prayer Source = Chalice Worship (1997), of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)

The Methodist Episcopal Church, South (1845-1939), a forebear of the The United Methodist Church (1968-) broke away from the Methodist Episcopal Church (1784-1939) over the question of slavery; the Southerners were for it.  In particular, the question was whether a bishop (namely James Osgood Andrew) could own slaves and continue in his office.

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Help each one of us, gracious God,

to live in such magnanimity and restraint

that the head of the church

may never have cause to say to us:

This is my body, broken by you.

Amen.

Above:  Statue of Reconciliation, Coventry Cathedral, Coventry, England, United Kingdom

Image Source = Rebecca Kennison

(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:UK_Coventry_Statue-of-Reconcilliation.jpg)

Prayer Source = Chalice Worship (1997), of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)

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O God the Father of all, you ask every one of us to spread

love where the poor are humiliated,

joy where the church is brought low,

and reconciliation where people are divided:

father against son

mother against daughter

husband against wife

believers against those who cannot believe

Christians against their unloved fellow Christians.

You open this way for us,

so that the wounded body of Jesus Christ, your church,

may be a leaven of communion for the poor of the earth

and in the whole human family.  Amen.

Above:  A Plain

Chalice Worship (1997), the book of worship of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) contains the following prayers for Earth Stewardship Sunday (the Sunday following Earth Day, April 22) on pages 164 and 165.

I recommend obtaining a copy of this volume legally and ethically then using it.

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“The earth is the Lord’s and all that is in it.”

So we sing, and so we acknowledge.

Yet we know, Lord, that while the earth is yours,

you have appointed us stewards of your property.

Keep us faithful to our trust;

and make us mindful of our responsibility

both to conserve the earth’s resources

and to distribute its benefits justly and unselfishly,

for the good of humankind, and for your great glory.

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Most provident God, you graciously give us all good gifts.  Teach us to care for our earth:  to till our soil responsibly, to keep our air pure, to free our waters from pollution, to harvest the warmth of our sun, and to respect the rights of all species.  May we willingly share the gifts of your goodness with one another.  We ask this of you, God of our universe.  Amen.

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O God, the only source of life and energy and wealth,

defend our planet earth.

Teach us to conserve and not to squander the riches of nature,

to use aright the heritage of former generations,

and to plan for the welfare of our children’s children.

Renew our wonder, awaken our concern,

and make us better stewards and more careful tenants

of the world you lend us as our home.

Hear us, O Lord, our Creator and Redeemer, in the name of Christ.

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Lord Jesus Christ,

through whom and for whom the whole universe was created,

we mourn with you the death of forests,

fruitful lands that have become deserts,

wild animals left without grass,

plants, insects, birds, and animals threatened with extinction,

lands ravaged by war, people left homeless.

As the earth cries out for liberation,

we confess our part in bringing it toward the brink of catastrophe.

Through ignorance, but often willingly,

we thought we could serve God and mammon,

unable to resist the tempation

to spend and acquire more and more possessions,

with little thought of the consequences for future generations.

Savior of the world, you call us to repentance:

to be transformed by your love, deny ourselves,

take up the cross and follow in your way.

Court Gavel

Image Source = Jonathunder

(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:CourtGavel.JPG)

Prayer Source = Chalice Worship (1997), of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)

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God of truth and justice, we ask you to help the men and women who administer and police our laws.

Grant them insight, courage, and compassion;

protect them from corruption and arrogance;

and grant that we, whom they seek to serve,

may give them the support and affection they need.

So may our people be strengthened more and more

in respect and concern for one another.  Amen.

English Evensong

Image Source = Wikipedia

From Chalice Hymnal (1995), of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ):

God of glory, around whose eternal throne

all the heavenly powers offer their ceaseless songs of praise:

Grant that we may overhear these songs,

and with our own lips interpret them to all

in whose presence we play or sing;

That your church may behold the beauty of God,

and see with mortal eyes the land that is afar off,

where all your promises are celebrated,

and where all your love in every sight and sound

is the theme of eternal rejoicing;

through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

The Reverend Erik Routley (1917-1982) was an English Congregationalist/United Reformed pastor and hymn writer.  (The Congregational Church in England and Wales merged with the Presbyterian Church of England in 1972 to create the United Reformed Church.  The URC has expanded to encompass other Reformed denominations in the British Isles since its formation.)

Below:  Logo of the United Reformed Church (source = official website, which is http://www.urc.org.uk/)

The Pieta, by Michelangelo

Image Source = Stanislav Traykov

(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Michelangelo%27s_Pieta_5450_cropncleaned_edit.jpg)

From Chalice Worship (1997), of the Christian Church ( Disciples of Christ):

May the love of the Lord Jesus draw us to himself;

may the power of the Lord Jesus strengthen us in his service;

may the joy of the Lord Jesus fill our souls;

and may the blessing of God Almighty,

the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost,

be with you and abide with you always.  Amen.