as we look around us ...

This is a prayer I wrote for this morning's service at Bunyan. The responses in bold I borrowed from Gathering to Worship.

From where we sit or kneel we look around us
and see the faces of friends and family, of neighbour and Christian
each face tells a story of life, just beginning or long lived
each face tells a story of laughter and sorrow
each face tells a story of love and hate, of joy and anger
each face tells a story of God and his grace

From where we sit or kneel we look around us and say
In the life of those we love and know
Your kingdom come, Lord
Your will be done

From where we sit or kneel we look around us
and see the streets and the houses
the flats and the shops
the schools and the offices
the parks and car parks
where we live and work, play and learn

We see a town of plenty
of money and abundance
families with dishwashers and TVs
with cars and mobile phones
with computers and holidays abroad

But we also see, if we look hard enough
a town in need
of homeless haven and living room of rehabilitation
of contact centre and ASBOs
of one night stands and young mums
of credit card debt and life-taking cancer

From where we sit or kneel we look around us and say
In the life of our town
Your kingdom come, Lord
Your will be done

From where we sit or kneel we look around us
and see the world
of presidents and peasants
of buildings and bombs
of deserts and forests
of greed and starvation
of banks and poverty
of fast food and no food
of death and living

We see the people
of Keembe, Zambia
of Kadoma, Zimbabwe
of Tabora, Tanzania
of Bagwere, Uganda
of Baghdad, Iraq
of Gaza, Palestine
of Dafur, Sudan

From where we sit or kneel we look around us and say
In the life of our world
Your kingdom come, Lord
Your will be done