A Prayer for Mutual Flourishing

 A prayer for mutual flourishing.

 

Nobody said this would be easy, inhabiting this strange place between competing ideologies; this uncomfortable church where I have to share common ground and sacred space with people who are so very different to me. 

I sometimes struggle to be gracious and I need your help. 

Reconciling God,

Show me how to love my brothers and sisters in Christ even if I disagree with some of their theology.

Remind me that only you know all things and that none of us can be entirely sure of anything this side of Heaven.

 

Help me to engage with them with kindness, generous charity and with thoughtful humility. 

Remind me that while their theology doesn’t speak to me, that doesn’t mean no one else can be blessed by it, for you God are bigger than all our differences and you have the power to redeem it all.

Teach me acceptance and loving tolerance and let me love them without the caveat that they must somehow change to suit me and my preferences. 

Allow me to meet with them gracefully as fellow travellers on this walk of faith, finding fellowship where we can and offering encouragement to one another along the way. 

Show me how this kind of love can be the very essence of Christian discipleship; that loving without the need to justify or understand is exactly what you asked us to do. 

You never said it would be easy but it might very well be Holy. Might committed mutual flourishing grant us a glimpse of your grace? I don’t know. But I want to learn to try. 

Amen. 

By Jayne Manfredi