A Prayer

by Rev. William E. Hughes II
April 12, 2005

It is with quiet mouths and open hearts that we pause before you this night, O God, to offer thanks and praise to you for all that you have given your Church, and to us the leaders of this congregation. We pause from the busy-ness of our lives, and the turmoil of our spirits to have you speak to us. We are your children gifted by you and set apart by our brothers and sisters to give guidance and direction to this, your Church, entrusted to us. We struggle as your church and we struggle with your Church.

We struggle with brothers and sisters who call themselves Christian, yet who use your divinely inspired Word to promote loveless, godless agendas of hate and violence. We struggle with brothers and sisters who call themselves Christians who use their words and their actions to destroy harmony and good will only to cause pain and suffering. We struggle with the actions of brothers and sisters, "so-called" evangelists who preach hate rather than love, and O God, we struggle with our own call to be makers of peace and bringers of hope in this world. We live in a world that has enough hate, enough division, and enough estrangement.

We live in a world that has more than enough people who spew hate, who preach damnation, and who speak words of destruction. We live in a world that has evil manifest and hate personified. In our lives we see love nullified, peace trivialized, and unity scrutinized.

Challenge us O God, as we live and serve you, that in all that we do, that we struggle against those who bring fear, intimidation, and pain. Challenge us to give strength through your grace to share your message of hope and peace. Challenge us with and give us truly "Christ-like" hearts to accept all people, no matter who they are or what they do. Challenge your church, O God, to be an instrument of unity and not a device of division.

Help us to see our world as a plantation of people, a garden of personalities, a forest of lifestyles. Help us, gracious God, to cultivate your love, sow your acceptance, and harvest your peace, so that all people, ALL PEOPLE, may find in you, love without limit, joy without measure, peace without boundary, and life without end. We pray this and all things through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Yours in Christ,
Pastor Bill Hughes II

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The Rev. William E. Hughes II, Pastor
St Luke Evangelical Lutheran Church
305 Center Ave, Pittsburgh PA 15229

prbillhughes@hotmail.com

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