You were dead to us,
and yet you are the God of life!
Open our eyes to the wonder of life,
that we might see the risen Lord:
a bright light shining
not only in our everyday lives,
but also in the nighttime of our fear,
and in the darkness of our death.
May the light of the resurrection
shine on our open questions,
our unsolved problems,
our tangled relationships.
Give us patience, serenity, and unwavering hope.
May the light of the resurrection shine, O God,
on those who trouble us:
Help us to love others as you have loved us—
without preconditions or reservations.
May the light of the resurrection
shine on all who suffer:
the overburdened with their obligations,
the disappointed with their tears,
the sick with their pain,
the poor with their hunger,
the outsiders with their fears,
the worried with their silence.
Show us ways to lessen their suffering.
May the light of the resurrection
shine in schools and colleges,
in the halls of government,
in hospitals, and businesses, and prisons.
Let it shine in the needs—
both known and secret—
of families.
Be with all of us that we, too,
may rise up
in the face of all that stands in the way of life,
and that we may stand for all that is good in the world.
We praise you, living God,
for you create light out of darkness.
You have stripped death of its power over us,
and brought life and unending joy to light!
Hear our prayers, for we bring them to you
in the Name of Jesus Christ, our risen Lord! Amen.
Adapted from Reformierte Liturgie: Gebete und Ordnungen für die unter dem Wort versammelte Gemeinde (Wuppertal, 1999)
