A Prayer for City Council: March 17, 2025

Mayor, City Council, thank you for the invitation to be here tonight.

On behalf of the people of the Episcopal Church of the Epiphany, thank you for your service to this community.

Let us pray.

Almighty God and Creator of all things, we gather here tonight and give you thanks for the opportunity to be together. We thank you, God, for the civil servants here tonight, elected to represent all of us and for their tireless work on our behalf.

And we thank you for the freedom we have to gather, the freedom to present differing opinions, and the responsibility we have to work together not just for maximum profit or for our own personal tastes and benefit, but for the good of all people: residents, tourists, immigrants, visitors, newcomers, children, retirees, transplants, and lifelong Michiganders alike.

Almighty God, we thank you for the beautiful sunshine today. We thank you for the winter that gives us time and space for reflection. We thank you for the witness of St. Patrick and this season of Lent. And we thank you for the coming spring, when you make all things new.

Tonight specifically, oh Lord, we pray that you help us to keep your commandment to love our neighbor at the forefront of our minds. We know that Jesus said the two most important commandments are to love you and to love our neighbor, and all of us try to do our best on these in our own ways. But Jesus also told us to love our enemies, and that is just so hard these days. We pray that tonight you help us to see the image of God in everyone, to see the goodness in every single one of us, and to see it most especially in those different from us and in those with whom we disagree.

Finally tonight, Lord, I also pray specifically for the oppressed, for those who suffer needlessly because of systems that we ourselves have created. Help us all to see the image of God in those we have hurt in the past and in those we continue to hurt today. Help us to learn to humbly repent, and to show them abundant love and mercy. Tonight, I pray for our LGBTQ neighbors and friends who may feel threatened, misunderstood, alone, hated, or judged, for we know that you alone are our judge. I pray for our Latino neighbors and friends who may feel afraid, unwelcome, despised, or concerned for their safety and the safety of their families. And I pray for all those who are made to feel “less than” because of heated political rhetoric and decisions made in rooms like these across our nation, those who are made to feel like they are unworthy of the love and protection of their community.

God, I thank you for this city, for these people, and for the beautiful creation and opportunity that surrounds us here on the shores of Lake Michigan. Guide us tonight toward making South Haven a better place for all people. Guide us toward love.

It is in your holy name that we pray these things.

Amen.