This prayer from the Episcopal Church begins with a recognition that God's mercy is not limited to my personal concerns or even just human concerns. God's mercy is over all creation. If our view of God's mercy is smaller and solely human-centered, we are nowhere near grasping the height and depth and width of God's capacity for love.
We are reminded that God has created and designed this world with intention and care. The prayer reminds us that it is a good thing to recognize this and to honor God for this amazing, ongoing work of creation.
From this praise of the Creator God come good and necessary prayers: that God create a desire in us to care for this world and its creatures and that we acknowledge the love God has for other creatures besides ourselves. We pray to act with justice in our use of the shared resources of Earth for humans do not have exclusive rights to those resources any more than they have exclusive rights to God's love.
As you pray through this prayer, you may wish to include other creatures along with those that are listed in the prayer as it is. All of creation is worthy of praise to God, so let the prayer lead you into a time of praise for the specifics of creation. When we recognize that God loves and has made a place in the creation for ocelot and owl, cactus and kelp, it is not just our appreciation of the creatures which expands, but also our view of God's love, which goes far beyond our imagining.
Holy God, your mercy is over all your works, and in the
web of life each creature has its role and place.
We praise you for ocelot and owl, cactus and kelp, lichen
and whale; we honor you for whirlwind and lava, tide and topsoil,
cliff and marsh.
Give us hearts and minds eager to care for your planet,
humility to recognize all creatures as your beloved ones,
justice to share the resources of the earth with all its
inhabitants, and love not limited by our ignorance.
This we pray in the name of Jesus,
who unifies what is far off and what is near,
and in whom, by grace and the working of your Holy Spirit,
all things hold together. Amen.
From the Episcopal Church 78th General Convention Liturgical Materials
Is there a request in this prayer that especially strikes you as something you need? Is there a line in this prayer you need to sit with for a while?
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Louise