Thank you for the caregivers in our lives.
For those who make us feel noticed, seen, and loved.
For the spouse who made our breakfast.
For the friend who follows up with a text.
For the neighbor who brings in a package.
For the barista who remembers our name.
For the stranger who extends an act of care.

Jesus, 
You are the Light of the World, the King of the Universe, the only Son of God.
And, the way You chose to show us how to love each other
Was through the sacred ordinary 
Of the basin and towel.

Neighbor, I pray for you.

May God shield you, protect you, and defend you
From the cold, the hard earth, the icy winds,
And from the plots of anyone bent on your harm.  
May your mind, body, soul, and spirit be guarded from all evil.
May you find shelter under His pinions
And refuge under His wings.

Father in Heaven,
We come before You today with gratitude
For the life of Your servant, Julia Greeley.

We thank You for the protection of her body—
Even through the pain
Of enslavement, scarring, sickness, and struggle,
She endured and carried out the call You assigned her.

Father in Heaven,
Thank you for our city.
We love our city.
You love our city.

You are the one who raises up leaders.
All authority comes from You. (Romans 13:1)
Today, we pray for our mayor.

Lord of the garden and the city,
You placed humanity over the work of Your hands
To tend the earth and cultivate life,
To bring order, fruitfulness, and care.

The call to cultivate now echoes in our neighborhoods,
In offices, shops, kitchens, fields, and factories.

Father, Son, and Spirit,
You are a God of mercy and justice, 
Full of grace and truth.

We pray today for our first responders,  
Women and men who answer the call for help.
When sirens ring, they are the ones who come, 
Stepping into uncertainty, chaos, and danger.
Their daily work is too often the most tragic day of someone else’s life.

We pray to you Our Lord, Jesus Christ,
but we do not pray in abstraction.
For you are the God who demands specificity.
You are Jesus of Nazareth.
the Word made flesh,
born of Mary,
the eternal Son of God,
raised in the home of Joseph the carpenter.

Father in Heaven,

We pray for our neighbors
Whose work is manual labor.
We pray for their body.
Give them the endurance, health, and strength
This hard work requires.

May we forgive our neighbors who trespass against us:
For un-shoveled sidewalks and un-mowed lawns;
For late-night backyard parties and loud music

Father in Heaven, 
May the churches in our neighborhood Be neighborhood churches. 
May we be present to both the people and the place Recognizing where we gather is holy ground. 

May He provide a stillness to your soul,
While you work to lead people to places of physical, mental, and emotional rest.

May we walk through this season
And walk through our neighborhoods With Your eyes
With Your heart
And with Your love