Prayer 1274- answering God's call to return

Holy One, we kneel before You, worshipping You, 
and giving You thanks and praise. 
We thank You, O God, 
for your abundant compassion and mercy, 
abiding with us in joy as well as trial. 

Repeatedly, You call us to return 
to the path of peace, compassion, healing, and justice 
you exemplified in Christ our Savior. 
Lord, may we hear, 
and answer You in faithfulness. 
May we be brought back to our faith and to our hearts, 
grounded in your Love which never fails. 

As You have Loved us without fail, O God, 
let us love You and each other with all our hearts. 
Let us drive out all our wrong desires 
and acknowledge our failures 
to love as You would have us love- without fail. 

Let us be hands and hearts of healing, 
working for the repair of the world You made 
and we have abused. 
Remembering our own sins and failures, 
let us have mercy on others, 
as You O God have repeatedly had mercy on us. 
Have mercy, Lord, on all who call upon You, 
and bless and keep those for whom we pray.

Amen.