Simple, Beautiful Prayer

Gracious God,
who made the covenant promise with our ancestors,
we gather here today a rebellious people.
We want to act out your intentions for us,
but we keep getting mixed up
by all the glitter of the world around us.
You tell us to honor creation,
and we use other people and animals and plant life
only to meet our wants.
You offer daily bread to every living creature,
and we steal that bread from our brothers and sisters
in the name of our greed.
You promise us new life,
and we shrink back from it in fear.
Heal us, God, lest we destroy ourselves.
We need your presence among us. Amen.

-U.N. Environmental Sabbath


Source: Life Prayers: 365 Prayers, Blessings, and Affirmations to Celebrate the Human Journey edited by Elizabeth Roberts and Elias Amidon, p78.