God of the garden and God the tomb,
God of our faith and God our doubt,
We come to you today longing for your peace.
Easter was just a few weeks ago, but the world already seems to be spinning faster. Already the trumpets sound
and the echoes of “Christ is risen”
begin to fade from our ears.
So once again we bring ourselves back to this space,
hoping that, like on Easter,
we might catch a glimpse of you.

Gracious God, we bring ourselves back into this space,
because like the disciples we know what it is to be afraid.
Like the disciples, we know what it is to carry doubt.
Just this week, violence has continued in Haiti, Israel, Gaza and in the Ukraine.
Just this week, we have seen updates about rising ocean temperatures and environmental distress.
Just this week, many of us have had conversations with friends and family about health scares, financial stress, and strained relationships.
Just this week, we have longed to see your hands.

Fortunately, even in the midst of the chaos of our world,
we trust that you are standing among us. So in addition to giving you our doubts and our fears, we also voice our hallelujahs.

This week, we give you thanks for the women’s ministry here at FAPC, and for the forty-four women who gathered around the city yesterday to share their stories while they shared meals.

We give you thanks for the volunteers who prepared and walked meals to hungry homebound friends through Meals on Heels, being the hands and feet of Christ in this city.

We give you thanks for the conversations that took place over online office hours this week, strengthening the bonds between this congregation and our extended family remote members.

And we could go on—giving thanks for deacon meetings and choir rehearsals, for our young adult small groups and the prayer chairs—all countless moments when we could say with certainty, certainly Christ stands among us now.

So as we look towards the days ahead, with both gratitude and tenderness, remind us that we are not alone.
Remind us that you stand among us.
Remind us of the peace you offer.
Remind us of the scars on your hand,
and the invitation we have to follow you.

And until that promised day,
Where swords will be beaten into plowshares
And the peace you offer takes up permanent residence here,
We will continue to hope.
We will continue to gather.
We will continue to pray,
Uniting our voices in the words your son taught us to pray, saying…

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.