Lord God, immanent in His creation, Great in His ways, I bring before You the ways of the Church established in Your Son’s name in Antioch to be the body of Christ, and to confess that the Church has been a perpetrator of all manner of sin – the Church has continued to split; has been a source of abuse; with both leaders and congregants bringing Your Church to disrepute. I confess that the Church, in its different forms and branches, has been itself a disincentive of growth of the Church, and reason of abandonment of Christianity by many. The love of money, self aggrandizement, idolatry of our leaders, and adultery by lay and clergy has brought shame to the Church. The promotion and harbouring of criminals, the race for title and power within, the shameless debauchery and shallow altars, have all combined to bring darkness to the Church. Almighty God, in Whom all fullness dwells, Father of all compassion, the Most Merciful One, forgive this creation of Yours, and redeem it, so it can return to being a place to worship, to being a house of prayer, to being the avenue to spiritual development, to being a healing home, to being a place of hope, to being a source of joy, to being a true means of grace, and to reintegrate itself with its spiritual condition as one Church of all believers. Father, God of Pity, God of Grace, descend as a pillar of cloud at the door to the Church so its people will again be Your people, and make Your presence be with the Church. Lord God, I pray that You have mercy on Your Church, on account of the Precious Blood shed at Calvary, in order for the Church to come back to its senses, unite as one, and so it may aid humanity to evolve toward the perfection of its own nature as You designed it. Lord Jesus, as the sacred nail held Your feet together on the Cross, let all Christians come under the umbrella of the Church Universal, held together by You the One Saviour, One Lord, and one faith. Lord Jesus, You are the Head of the Church, so I pray You intercede that it may become the living reality of Christianity, fulfilling its apostolic ministry as the gathering of the elect. Lord Jesus, the Most Wise, with the Holy Spirit, Most Living, bring life back to the Church, so it may truly have a living relationship with God, our Father. Lord and Master, Jesus Christ, be the Shepherd of for all Your children who are wandering like sheep without a shepherd in a sinful Church; have mercy on the Church, and save and reform it. Let the Church remember and turn to You O God, through Christ our Saviour; so all families of the nations shall eat of the Body, drink of the Blood, of Christ, so all may be well in mind body soul spirit and estate. Lord Jesus, intercede for the Church that our Father may grant that the Church returns to being a beacon of community and unity, where individuals gather to share in worship, fellowship, and service – symbolizing the interconnectedness of humanity under God’s divine grace. God Almighty, Whom all things obey, Who releases the powers of His Throne on mankind, grant that once again the Church may be the body of Christ: with each believer, functioning as a part of this body; enjoying Your providence, good and love; with all in worshiping unity that is not based on external uniformity, but on a shared life in Christ, where diverse gifts and roles coalesce to fulfill Your purposes through You, O Christ, our Head. Amen.
Mar
