Lord of Creation, Lord of Compassion, Lord of Peace, we lift up to you today the joys and burdens of our hearts. (silence)

Our hearts are heavy once again, Lord, after another senseless bombing—the second deadly explosion in Bali in three years. Comfort the families and friends of those who have lost their lives and have been injured. Bring peace to our troubled and confused world, Lord.

We also remember in our prayers today, Lord, the people whose lives have recently been devastated by typhoons in Asia and hurricanes in North America. We pray for your strength and comfort to be with them as they begin to rebuild their lives and their communities. Out of these disasters, may your people come together and find the human spark that unites all of us with each other and with you.

We continue to pray for the people of Iraq whose lives have been consumed by war, violence and suffering for far too many decades. We pray that fear, hate and hostility will soon give way to the joy and comfort of peace, that daily death tolls will cease to exist, that violence will no longer inhabit this land.

As people of faith, we remember in the ecumenical prayer cycle today our sisters and brothers in Central Asia. We especially pray for the people of Afghanistan, who, like the people of Iraq, have lived with violence daily for so long. We pray for your wisdom to guide them as they reconstruct their nation. May the differences of ethnicity and sect be celebrated instead of be barriers to peace. May women experience the same respect as men. May those who covet political and economic power find instead the joy of your spiritual power.