O God our God,
Mercy be your name and
Love be your expression.
We want to put our best foot forward with you,
present our bravest face to you in prayer,
stand with courage on holy ground.
We want you to notice us,
to think well of us.
But if Mercy is your name and
if Love is your expression,
then at your altar we would exchange
our vanities for renewed humility:
here is our pride
to be replaced with your praise;
here is our claim to authority
in exchange for hopeless wonder;
here are our powers and privileges
to be unsettled by discomfort;
here is our patriotism in exchange
for interdependence;
here are our victories to be
replaced with dedicated service;
here too is our cynicism
in exchange for
an abundant spirit of grace.
Write Mercy on our hearts
and Love on our lives.
In your goodness, O God,
work out the healing of those who are sick
and spring forth a well of comfort
for those who mourn.
Do not be far
from those whose lives are at risk:
especially refugees and undocumented
travelers worldwide,
especially the imprisoned,
especially those whose churches
have been set ablaze,
especially the ones who are daily made
to feel unsafe due to racism.
Be just in your Mercy, O God,
and be swift with your Love.
O God our God,
Mercy be your name and
Love be your expression.
Amen and amen.