12 October 2025 Prayer for the Chaplain + Pastor + Deacon

Help me keep my eye on the ball, God. And help me remember what the ball even is: It’s you. It’s you. It’s always you. Your love, your mercy, your grace. But when things in the world don’t seem to align with your dream for it, well, to say that I can get discouraged is an understatement. Suddenly I can only see red and my filter is not through you but through my record keeping abilities of who is right and who is wrong and boy that task is never ending and decidedly keeps my eye off the ball and on my own bellybutton and righteous indignation. Sigh. There is life in my bones, I swear God. There is love in my heart, I am certain only because of you. And I know you would not have me shake off the world before I step out into it. After all, it is the world you so love. And yet, you do not ask me to carry it. Because that is not sustainable. It’s not a good idea.  It’s not my job because I’m not Jesus, thank you for that. So right here, right now God. It’s you and me. And I can drop all the worries of the world at your feet. The ones in my own life, the ones just beyond my nose, and those all around the world. There they are. You know them. You are intimately aware of them. Stir up my heart with your love that passes my understanding. You have called me to do a thing through this way of life, and at the center of that thing is to be grounded in you. You are my grounding and you send me to the highest heights. You are the mystery. You are my every day. You are my everything. Your love leaves me on my knees in awe and wonder and fear. It is all too much. It is all gift.

I pray for my family, that we may depend on your love first and foremost. That it will guide us through the day and all the days ahead of us. I pray for my colleagues across the ELCA and all faith leaders. Help us to not lose sight of you or to set our sights on one another. There’s enough trouble already. Be with my friends and colleagues who are grieving, who need your healing, who feel lonely or hopeless, especially today we pray for Scott Richards and Ben Hilding.

So when it is time, help me to lead my people in this life of worship of you. Help me be the leader of this love fest by first filling me with your love. And let the first and last words from me always be thank you, thank you, thank you. Amen.