Father
though you are in heaven
you are near us, with us,
attentive to our cries for mercy
our cries
shouting joyful thanksgiving for all you bless us with
family, who surround us with love
friends who support and care for us
our siblings in Christ, united to one another by the Spirit
we recall how, when they are ill, in pain, we join in their suffering
calling to you
“Lord, the one you love is sick.”
like Mary and Martha
we call in faith and trust
to our friend and sibling
Christ Jesus
knowing he understands and shares our pain and concern
knowing he weeps with us, when we mourn
knowing he is the resurrection and the life
Resurrected One
your body was raised from death to life
removing the power of death over us once and for all
you bear the scars of the cross
and bore the scars our your humanity
at the grave of Lazarus
we grieve today, Lord Jesus
for family and friends who linger in the shadow of death
for the loss of what has come before in this place
for our failure to be people of your spirit, trusting on you as the resurrection and the life
and, Jesus,
we know you weep when we weep
we know you answer all our prayers
but, we also wonder why not always as we’d want
especially where we watch as we lose something or someone dear to us
thanksgiving we bring we can articulate this
that you listen to us
in our cries for mercy and lament
Relieve us
God, Father, Son, Spirit
in your great mercy
relieve us
fill us with the spirit of Christ
that as we die with him, we live with him
and relieve your world
where there is distress, bring calm
where there is suffering, bring ease
where there is conflict, bring peace
all this we pray
through the one who brings peace, beyond all human understanding
Christ Jesus
Amen