Eternal God, whose Spirit moved upon the face of the waters and brought this beautiful world into being with your voice of creation, we lay open our lives before you so that the wind of the Spirit may blow into the chaos of our lives and land today.

We give you thanks for this gorgeous country, filled with majestic mountains and mighty rivers, delightful parks and rolling plains, busy city streets and private lanes, furrowed farms and awesome technology, and for peoples from all over this habitable globe who breathe freely and deeply the ideals of freedom and democracy.  In our best selves, we hold malice toward no one, we value and appreciate the heritage of our past and the wisdom of our forebearers  who sought to establish a more perfect union in this land, and on our best days we strive to live at peace among ourselves and with everyone else in this global village.  We have erected churches and schools, mosques and temples, shrines and synagogues to help us live as sisters and brothers and friends in all our communities as we guard freedom of religion for all of us created equal by your loving hand.  This land of liberty we love, yet not more than you, our faithful God.  And your holy Word is our authoritative guide for how we live.

We confess and embrace the truth that we are not a perfect people, quite rambunctious and prideful actually, with fallen feet of clay.  We know not at times and miss opportunities to embrace what is the highest good for ourselves.  So often we settle for choices that weaken us, choices that betray and compromise our best dreams and intentions.  So it is in deep humility that we come to you seeking your guidance in this moment of our 2016 Presidential Elections.  We confess that with eyes wide open we have allowed ourselves to choose darkness over the light we refuse to allow to penetrate our all-too-busy lives, that we have settled for the mindless over mindfulness, that we have lowered the bar while pursuing mediocrity and expediency, that so often we have tried to clean up our mess by making others seem messier, and that in delving into political games we have even given pause to some of our international partners.

Almighty God, remind us that among us there are those who still will not compromise strength and quality of character at any cost, who daily strive to go beyond the boundary line of self-interest, who dare to envision a better world for our children and our fragile planet, and who still dare to live in honor of the sacrifice of those who have given life and limb to preserve this land.  But above all, remind  us of the Christ whose life  demonstrated that though he was rich he became poor for our sake that through his poverty we might be made spiritually rich.  For this amazing grace, we give you abundant thanks.

So, blessed God, as we use the gift and privilege of the ballot, may we do so with integrity and thankfulness.  Whatever the outcome will be, may we know we do not ultimately have the control levers in our tiny, finite fingers.  It is with abounding hope we pray as Jesus taught us: “Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”  And we know, dear God, that your wisdom and the power of your Spirit far outstretch our limited imagination and that the love you have for us is greater than our many sins.

It is in the strong and powerful name of Christ we make this fervent prayer.
Amen.

The prayer above was written by Rev. Dr. Leo S. Thorne, retired ABCUSA Office of the General Secretary Staff member.