Come, Lord Jesus—
Come, when the loudness and rudeness of this holiday season masks the anxiety, sadness, loneliness, and depression of so many.
Come, as our politics grow ever more divisive and callous.
Come, bringing mercy and relief for migrants and their families.
Come, with your healing and acceptance for so many trapped on the margins of our society.
Come, when our worship seems insufficient.
Come, for the sick and dying.
Come, for all victims of harassment and abuse.
Come, swinging a wrecking ball for a Church needing to be rebuilt.
Come, with humility and renewal for clergy who have lost their way.
Come, when I need humility and renewal.
Come, with laughter for those who take this life too seriously.
Come, with a flick to the ear for those who don’t take this life seriously enough.
Come, as Word and Sacrament for your children seeking Truth and Life.
Come, for those who think Word and Sacrament can only be dispensed in a church.
Come, when we try finding true fulfillment in anything but you.
Come, finding the lost through the lost.
Come, to remind us just how lost we are.
Come, peering over your glasses at me when I refuse to think of myself as lost.
Come, for those who struggle in this life, through no fault of their own.
Come, with wisdom for those whose own choices have led to their difficult circumstances.
Come, inspiring all of us to see our natural world a gift to be treasured and preserved.
Come, for broken families.
Come, for families who have lost children.
Come, for husbands and wives struggling in the marriages.
Come, for the children of those couples, watching their parents struggle.
Come, in my marriage. (we are fine, by the way)
Come, to those who have lost their jobs, fairly or unfairly.
Come, for those fleeing their homes and homelands due to violence.
Come, protect the unborn.
Come, reveal yourself to and walk with expectant mothers, particularly those in crisis.
Come, inspire and fortify fathers who did not expect to be fathers.
Come, use as instruments those whose art is a gift from you.
Come, open us all to see you through the arts.
Come, bring an end to gun violence.
Come, lift up victims of gun violence—or any violence, for that matter.
Come, lead us to an end to violence.
Come, help us treasure the next breath we take—and the next one—and the next one—
Come, help us appreciate and get along with those who profess a faith different from our own.
Come, quell our anger.
Come, give us peace—your peace.
Come, answer the prayers of those I forget to pray for—my heart was in the right place—right?
Come, help me stop making excuses for forgetting to pray for people I’ve promised to pray for.
Come, replace my envy and bitterness with gratitude and love.
Come, for those who didn’t see themselves or their cause on this list.
Come, for all.
Come, for me.
Come, Lord Jesus.
Come, now.
Come.
Please.
Amen.
-Shannon