And Now I Can See

Eternal Shepherd of our souls, thank you for being our Good Shepherd who protects and provides, leads and loves and instructs and transform us in spite of our weaknesses, sins and inadequacies. We bring you our hopes and needs seeking your strength to give us courage to face the challenges of the day.

Remove the blinders from our eyes so that we can see that all humanity is our brother and sister. Help us to appreciate our diversity not as a sign of superiority or inferiority but as sign of the uniqueness of Your creation.

Deliver us from the shackles that bind us to fear and prejudice. Empower us to help those caught in the vise of discrimination. Enable us to help the hungry, clothe the naked and bring liberation to those held captive by economic disparity beyond their control.

Overcome our stagnant strategies to bring about a new era of equality. In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Prayer of Thanksgiving

Gracious God, you create us and love us; you make us to live together in a community. We thank you for Martin Luther King, Jr. and all your children who have been filled with your vision for our lives and who have worked to make bring your vision into reality. Fill us with your vision. Guide us to live by your vision, working to build the beloved community where everyone is welcomed, all are valued, power is shared, privilege is no more, and all your children know wholeness and well-being. Through Jesus Christ we pray. Amen.


PRAYER OF COMMEMORATION

Almighty God, by the hand of Moses your servant you led your people out of slavery, and made them free at last: Grant that your Church, following the example of your prophet Martin Luther King, may resist oppression in the name of your love, and may secure for all your children the blessed liberty of the Gospel of Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

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