Here
is an outline for a prayer of intercession, based on Transfiguration Sunday
themes. It comes from World in Prayer.
Prayer
of Intercession
for
Transfiguration Sunday
(based on Matthew 17:1-8, Mark 9:2-9,
Luke 9:28-36, 2 Peter 1:16-18)
It
is a strange time of year, O God.
We
linger between the seasons of Epiphany and Lent.
We
are between the joy of your appearing
and
the horror of your undoing
at
the hands of those who would not or could not
embrace
your way of life.
Perhaps
we – like Peter, James, and John –
wait
for your appearing in dazzling light and unmistakable clarity:
We
are in need of a glimpse of Jesus
who
is the way through the mix and mess of this life.
Our
planet is fragile and so is the life that claims it as home.
We
wonder how long we can simply take what we want
with
little regard for what it costs your creation.
We
wonder if the planet is crying out for relief
in
the floods that are really tears;
the
earthquakes that try and shake our consciousness;
the
gales that blow sighs, too deep for words.
Renew
and restore a vision of care for your creation.
Remind
us to take what we need and no more.
Encourage
us in a counter-cultural faithfulness
that
is not about consumerism.
Spur
us with new insight and deeper understanding
that
we may live mindfully each day,
conscious
of the impact of we do and fail to do.
We
pray for the people of the world whose names we will never know,
whose
faces flash across the TV screen in anonymity born of numbers;
those
who bear the weight of earth's pain:
(insert
specific prayer requests as appropriate)
We
are in need of a glimpse of Jesus who is the truth –
the
truth that love is stronger than hate;
peace
is possible;
and
life can emerge even in the midst of devastation.
We
pray for that truth to be known:
(insert
specific prayer requests as appropriate)
We
are in need of a glimpse of Jesus who is the life;
inviting
us to follow in his footsteps
as
he trod the way of love and justice,
inviting
us to follow him in prayer
as
he lived out his faith
and
made You known.
We
give thanks for the good news that unfolds in the world
as
people dream your dreams, follow your nudging,
and
seek you in the faces they meet each day.
Perhaps,
O God, it is the only Transfiguration we really need.
For
all those who are quiet witness to your love and way of life,
we
give thanks, O God.
(insert
specific prayer requests as appropriate)
Draw
us to the rhythm of Lent as it unfolds in our midst;
a
sacred invitation to explore the corners of our soul.
Open
us to your light that we might see ourselves clearly,
with
all our fears and faults and faith,
with
all our desires and dreams and duties.
Help
us to see our journey as a place of your appearing –
that
like Peter, James, and John
we
may come down from the mountain
and
set one foot in front of the other
in
your name and for your sake. Amen.
~
from World in Prayer, a ministry of the Episcopal Church of
St. John the Baptist, Lodi, California, USA. http://www.worldinprayer.org/
