From the Pastor’s Desk – January 2017

A Prayer for the New Year

Loving God,      
You have spared us to see the beginning of another year.
We thank you for bringing us through the storms of last year.
We thank you for the hope you offer us, as we face the days ahead.
We trust in your love and mercy to carry us through.
Whether or not we are able to stand among your children this time next year is totally in your hands.
Your love and mercy will always sustain our lives.
Today we give you thanks and praise, as we remember the past and face the future.
Give us new eyes to see  – and new hearts to listen and obey. 

In the name of Jesus, we pray.  Amen.

The Rev. Dr. LaGretta Bjorn
Pastor of the United Methodist Church of Spring Valley, NY

A Prayer for the World

Let the rain come and wash away the ancient grudges,
            the bitter hatreds held and nurtured over generations.
Let the rain wash away the memory of the hurt, the neglect,
            then let the sun come out and fill the sky with rainbows.
Let the warmth of the sun heal us wherever we are broken.
Let it burn away the fog, so we can see each other clearly…
            so that we can see beyond labels, beyond accents, gender or skin color.
Let the warmth and brightness of the sun melt our selfishness
            so that we can share the joys and feel the sorrows of our neighbors.
And let the light of the sun be so strong that we will see all people as our neighbors.
Let the earth, nourished by rain, bring forth flowers to surround us with beauty.
And let the mountains teach our hearts to reach upward to heaven.  Amen.

Rabbi Harold Kushner—2003