Word from Winkler — A prayer for autumn

O loving and gracious God, the promises You have declared are so apparent and wonderful: I will be with you until the end; I will love you always; I will keep covenant with you; I will be your God. Thanks be to Thee for promises both fulfilled and anticipated, hoped for and realized.

As the leaves turn, the days grow shorter, the winds rise and the earth yields its bounty, we, your grateful children, thank Thee for the untold blessings You have bestowed. Your mercy far surpasses our deserving.

Your mercy far surpasses our deserving.

Even in these terrible times of job loss, homelessness and political rancor, your Church seeks to minister faithfully. Even when division and diatribe abound, we can thank Thee for the vision and commitment of those who see beyond the difficulties to the possibilities, those who labor without recognition to bring justice to immigrants, relief to the poor, generosity to the dispossessed.

As we thank, Thee, we ask You to make us aware of our self-indulgence even amid work to be done. Come to us with renewal, forgiveness and attention to Thy demands on us. Let us not be merely grateful. Call us to walk in the ways of our Risen Lord, in whose name we pray.

II

As we approach that wonderful season we call “the holidays,” we pray for those for whom the time will not be so joyful:

Grant loving friends to those who live alone.

To those who are afraid, grant assurance.

Open the eyes of those blinded by hate, anger and resentment to recognize Thy presence in every form of life and love.

Unite us as a Church into one body that will seek to heal the wounded places of the world.

To those coming to the end of their road, we pray for You to give them understanding that life’s meaning is found in the breaking as well as the triumph, in the disappointments as well as the successes; in the sorrows as well as the joys.

You have put in our hearts, O God, the desire to help and heal those who are in trouble. Grant that we may never pass by those serious situations that seem beyond our individual control. Unite us as a Church into one body that will seek to heal the wounded places of the world and will confront those who exploit and oppress and manipulate.

As we take the threads of our lives and try to work them into some kind of pattern, we ask Thee, if it be Thy will, to take away some of the troubles of those for whom we pray. But if it be not Thy will, then give them and us the grace to know that all things really do work together for good.

To Thy care, O God, we commend those we love as well as those we dislike, asking thee to bless them according to their needs.

We pray in the name and through the Spirit of Thy Son.

III

Set us free from any cowardly avoidance of necessary duty.

O God of daylight and darkness, the Creator of the world we see as well as the inner world of our spirits, we ask for strength and grace enough to submit our wills to Thine:

Deliver us from rebellious shrinking from necessary suffering.

We ask for strength and grace enough to submit our wills to Thine.

Give us contentment with the gifts and circumstances Thou hast given.

Deliver us from jealousy of those whose lot in life is easier than ours.

Set us free from thinking lightly of the one talent we have been given because we really wanted to be a five- or ten-talent person.

Discipline our thinking, deliver us from the stirrings of self-will and overweening pride. And, O God, give us the willingness to learn and a new readiness to serve.

Strengthen our hold on life eternal that we may look among the ordinary things of life for the deeper, tender and unseen meanings.

Come again, O God, with your mercy, our only source of comfort, for we belong to You; through Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.