Bishop Hughes asks every parish in our diocese to add prayers for Ukraine, for Russia, and for peace to worship this Sunday and Ash Wednesday. As usual the prayers are your choice. Below are the prayers Presiding Bishop Curry, Archbishops Welby & Cottrell, and Bishop Edington of the Convocation of Episcopal Churches in Europe have posted in the last few days.
Further, Bishop Hughes encourages you and your congregation to support the global day of prayer and fasting for peace on Ash Wednesday.
Prayers for Ukraine and peace
We pray for peace, but maybe we don’t have the words. We pray for a just peace, but maybe we don’t have the words. We pray that the lives of innocents and the lives of any human child of God will be spared. We pray that our leaders will find a diplomatic way, a nonviolent way of solution. But we don’t know how to pray as we are. So, the Spirit must intercede for us at this time.
– The Most Rev. Michael Curry, Presiding Bishop of The Episcopal Church
God of timelessness,
From chaos and disorder
you brought forth the beauty of creation;
From the chaos of war and violence
Bring forth the beauty of peace.
God of compassion
You saw the humanity of the outcast and the stranger;
Help us to see the evils of our hatreds and suspicions
and to turn them into the embrace of your Beloved Community.
God of peace,
Through your love on the cross
You overcame the power of violence and death;
Turn us away from the love of power
That we may transform a warring world
through the power of your love. Amen.
– The Rt. Rev Mark Edington, Bishop of the Convocation of Episcopal Churches in Europe
God of peace and justice,
we pray for the people of Ukraine today.
We pray for peace and the laying down of weapons.
We pray for all those who fear for tomorrow,
that your Spirit of comfort would draw near to them.
We pray for those with power over war or peace,
for wisdom, discernment and compassion
to guide their decisions.
Above all, we pray for all your precious children, at risk and in fear,
that you would hold and protect them.
We pray in the name of Jesus, the Prince of Peace.
Amen.
– Archbishop Justin Welby of Canterbury and Archbishop Stephen Cottrell of York, Church of England
