Deus Misereatur

  She was a young military intelligence officer who had recently become a Christian. I was about mid-way through my Air Force career and had been a believer for over a decade. We orbited in different constellations of friends and relations. Nevertheless, she invited my wife and I over to a dinner party she was having with her associates. The group was primarily made up of Democrats who were probably “centrists” and I was a Republican and committed conservative. But we played well together until the discussion came around to politics. The oldest guest and I began to have a vibrant discussion that loudly and energetically took over the dinner conversation, with our young host speechless and stunned. My dialogue partner was firm and thoughtful in his position, raised questions I had never thought of, and received rebuttals from me he had never considered. In the end, to the astonishment of our host and the other dinners, we shook hands and complimented each other, leaving the scene wi...

  As you declared through Isaiah, so we affirm: you are the LORD, and there is no other, besides you there is no God; you equip people, even those who do not know you, so that people may know, from the rising of the sun and from the west, that there is none besides you; you are the LORD, and there is no other. You form light and create darkness; you make well-being and create calamity; you are the LORD, who does all these things (Isaiah 45:5-7). And so, to you do we pray: O Lord, hear our prayer.     Just as you did for us back when we were once foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various lusts and pleasures (Titus 3.3), so now through your Son Jesus Christ, save those who trust in their own strength, those who walk in darkness, those who are hostile and alienated from others and from you (…). O Lord, hear our prayer.     As you have been our healer and helper in days past, please restore and raise up those dealing with – and not dealing very well wi...

  O God , before whom no god was formed, nor shall there be any after you; for you, you alone are the LORD, and beside you there is no savior (Isaiah 43:10-11): We implore you to show kindness and care to those who are facing critical times (…), those who are hospitalized and weakening (…), those who are recovering from sickness or surgery (…), those swallowed up in sorrow and sadness (…), for exhausted caregivers (…), for those walking through darkness, depression, or disorder (…). Grant them relief, replenishment, faith and hope so as not to rely on themselves but on you, O God, who raises the dead. For you are he who delivers us from such deadly perils and will deliver us. And so, on you we set our hope that you will deliver us again (2 Corinthians 1:9-10). O Father , from whom all fatherhood is named in heaven and on earth, you who are over all and through all and in all (Ephesians 4:6), we implore you to strengthen and aid our brothers and sisters world over, including this ...