At Kenilworth Union Church the Pastoral Prayer’s title is *Prayers of the People and is authored and delivered by the liturgist every Sunday at divine worship. The prayer contains thanksgivings, supplications, and intersessions that are current spiritual needs of the church, the community, the nation, and globally.
The prayers linked were written by me for worship at Kenilworth Union Church. Please note: *You may use these prayers for non-commercial purposes in any medium, provided you include a brief credit line with the author’s name (if applicable) and a link to the original post.
The Great Prayer August 7, 2022
The Reverend Christine V. Hides It is right and a good and joyful thing, always and everywhere to give thanks to you, O God of every place, who dwells in barren wilderness and along the roaring rivers. We give you thanks for the great family, our faith ancestors who you called to […]
Prayers of the People July 24, 2022
The Reverend Christine V. Hides Holy God, we give you thanks for this season of sunshine and recreation where we are renewed by the sights, sounds, and taste of summer. We awake to the light glimmering and the peaceful sound of waves lapping on the shores. We linger at picnic tables with feasts […]
Prayers of the People July 17, 2022
The Reverend Christine V. Hides Holy God we approach you with hearts tender with our community’s sorrow. Still reeling from unspeakable tragedy and the sharp awareness of human violence and suffering, we look to the heavens which still proclaim your glory. We stand in awe of the new images meeting human eyes for […]
Prayers of the People, June 12, 2022
The Reverend Christine V. Hides This language of this prayer draws on the first three sections of the last chapter in John O’Donohue’s book “To Bless the Space Between Us,” which we are using in our summer worship series. Holy God, deep kindness, compassionate goodness, you dwell within and among us […]
Prayers of the People June 5, 2022
The Reverend Christine V. Hides Holy and almighty God, we lift our eyes to you, our strength our source of joy. You our keeper have delivered us here this glorious morning, to rejoice in the company of friends and soon-to-be friends, our siblings in Christ. We are overjoyed that you brought us […]
Prayers for the People May 15, 2022
The Reverend Christine V. Hides Everlasting God of life and love, you are our beginning and our end. You are the deep well of love that satisfies our deepest need for belonging. In you we find companionship; your spirit lives and dwells among us. You desire every goodness for us, your children. As spring bursts forth, you are making everything new. We awaken to the songbirds’ tune, eager to greet our […]
Prayers of the People May 8, 2022
The Reverend Christine V. Hides God of Grandeur, how majestic is your name through the earth; your glory higher than heaven (Psalm 8). The greening world around us a “translation of life’s tenacity” into grace. The “perfect contrast” of sky and ridgerock a wordless testament to your peace. The “bisecting arcs and pitches” of migrating birds a dance of divine joy. You give us this moment and the next and the next, […]
Prayers of the People May 1, 2022
The Reverend Christine V. Hides Most holy God, maker of heaven and earth, Lord of all things visible and invisible, You regather us, your church for worship, outreach, and growth, inviting us into a collective movement of hope, a murmuration of justice, peace, and love. You invite us into the beauty of the world, to stand in awe of the budding flowers, as the promise of spring wafts on the warming air, […]
The Great Prayer March 27, 2022
The Reverend Christine V. Hides It is right, and a good and joyful thing, always and everywhere to give thanks to you, O God, our refuge and our strength. You created this world and all that is from the glory of your steadfast love. And so we give you thanks for your abundant goodness, the shelter of your presence, the gifts of life and love, the gifts of relationships and a faith community where […]
Prayers of the People March 13, 2022
The Reverend Christine V. Hides Inspired by Psalm 51, a beloved psalm to one whose family is in Kyiv. Merciful God of steadfast love, you desire purest wisdom and inner truth for us. You forgive our transgressions, bringing wholeness, peace, and reconciliation into every corner of our lives. You draw us together in community to seek your kingdom. You purify the desires of our hearts and create in each of us a […]
Prayers of the People January 9, 2022
The Reverend Christine V. Hides Holy God, you make us, form us, and call us by name, You see us as we are, beautifully created in your image, Imperfect, human reflections of your divine love. Our words and memories fall short As we try to name your blessings, Blessings which pour over us daily, Gifts of life, companionship, and love. In the coziness of the familiar, In the warmth that lingers after […]
Prayers of the People December 24, 2021
The Reverend Christine V. Hides Inspired by Isaiah 9:1–7 Gracious God, On this most sacred eve we are keenly aware of what it means to gather in this sanctuary together. Like Mary and Joseph we come both weary and joyful. Like the shepherds we experience both wonder and trepidation. Like the Magi our journey to this holy moment has been long. With gratitude for the ability to come as we are, we […]
Prayers of the People December 19, 2021
The Reverend Christine V. Hides Holy God, creator of the foundations of the earth and the oceans depths, maker of the dusk and dawn, and the ancient constellations overhead, This Advent season, you lead us nearer to the mystery of the manger, where your love for all is made known. And so with thankful hearts, we prepare to receive your love and grace through your son. With expectation, we deck the halls […]
Prayers of the People December 5, 2021
The Reverend Christine V. Hides Holy God, O Gladsome, Joyous Light, In a world that is both hard and holy, messy and miraculous, twice daily you reveal to us a measure of your magnificence when darkness and light embrace and the sky above us radiates with color. You lift our gaze to rejoice each dawn and in the starry, vesper light expand our imagination in wonder. By day we know the gifts of meaningful work […]
Prayers of the People October 31, 2021
The Reverend Christine V. Hides Holy God, Lord of heaven and earth, creator of all that is, maker of the stars, by whose hand the Aurora Borealis is painted across the midnight sky, We cannot help but feel the shortening of the days. We are tempted to ignore the alarm clamoring before dawn, then race the setting sun home from work and school, hoping to spend a few moments outdoors. In the […]
Prayers of the People October 17, 2021
Reverend Christine V. Hides God of wisdom, God of love, God of extraordinary miracles, With thanks for each blessing you have given us: the gift of life, the comfort of family and friends, the provision for our daily needs, we come to you in prayer. For your Church, Christ’s hands and feet in this world, your people who serve humbly and who lead boldly, Holy God, we pray that all might know […]
Prayers of the People October 10, 2021
The words and imagery were inspired by Robert Frost’s “October” The Reverend Christine V. Hides God of all seasons, we come to you in prayer this hushed October morning where turning leaves and sparkling light reveal a glimpse of your glory. We give you thanks for the land and those who have stewarded it through the ages, for the ripe fruits and golden grains and those who harvest them while racing against the shortening days. Beguile […]
Prayers of the People August 15, 2021
The Reverend Christine V. Hides Blessed are you, O God, whose strength and loving power encompass the universe, You breathed life into ancient primordial soup, and declared it good. You made covenant with your people, and led them toward fullness of life, Your goodness made known in what some might call small victories: water from rock, the enduring voices of prophets and teachers, an empty manger on a cold night, the healing […]
Prayers of the People August 8, 2021
The Reverend Christine V. Hides God of green pastures, Creator of abundant life, On this Sabbath day we are grateful for your gift of rest, a respite from our daily journeys, for sacred music to lift our hearts, and for poetry and scripture to nourish our souls. We remember silently the people and situations you have placed in our hearts and minds this morning. Hear both our concerns and our gratitude for […]
Prayers of the People July 11, 2021
The Reverend Christine V. Hides Holy God, Sower of Abundant Grace, The heavens declare your glory. The earth reveals your handiwork. Day after day and night after night, we worship you, O God. Your ways are true, your commandments enlightening, your love endures forever. On this summer day we come together, grateful […]
Prayers of the People June 20, 2021
The Reverend Christine V. Hides Holy God, Gracious Parent of us all,Your presence is with us all of our daysAnd your love surrounds us in every tender moment. We ask your blessing this day for all fathers, grantthem joy and togetherness, grace and wholeness. And in those parent-childrelationships where there is hurt and disappointment, we […]
Prayers of the People May 9, 2021
God, giver of life and author of compassion, we celebrate your gift of love that nurtures in ways that are tender and courageous, bold and kind, mysterious and enduring. Today we pause to recognize the ways Christ’s abiding love is embodied in this congregation: In those who knit care into every stitch of the prayer blankets, in the taste…
Prayers of the People April 25, 2021
Holy God, Breath of Heaven, Our Light and Salvation, We inhale and we exhale, every breath becoming a prayer of gratitude, for it is you who, with a word, breathed light and life into creation. And it is you, Holy God, who breathes sacred life into our very beings. We breathe in your grace […]
Prayers of the People March 28, 2021
The Reverend Christine V. Hides Holy, Gracious, and Everlasting God On Palm Sunday we are reminded that under the rule of an unjust and violent empire, your people suffered. In the midst of that suffering, your word became flesh in Jesus Christ, revealing divine love, true justice, and the gloriousness of your desire for all creation. We remember Jesus’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem, when his followers laid down their cloaks in humility and […]
Prayers of the People March 21, 2021
The Reverend Christine V. Hides Holy, Gracious, and Generous God, We come before you today with sometimes fragile yet undeniable hope in our hearts. Like the delicate, unfolding petals of the early spring crocus, an end to this pandemic seems, somehow, impossibly possible. Hope is made especially tangible in the mass vaccination sites where hundreds of workers and volunteers show us what can happen when people work together for the good of all, […]
Christine V Hides 