(3 years since WHO declared Covid-19 a pandemic.)

God of chaos,

    and God of creation -

God of all we pray to you tonight,

    aware in different ways

         of the chaos that swirls.

For God,

    since the beginning of creation,

         chaos has been here -

      stirring, churring, upending what feels certain.

And since the beginning,

    you have been here -

          hovering, creating, calling and calming.

So God ask that you let us find something like rest here tonight,

    that we might be still

           just long enough to see you in the midst of it all.

God still us, and stay with us,

     as we seek you here.

Lord in your mercy, hear our prayers.

God still us and stay with us,

     for the chaos that has been present in recent years

           God it feels…unique.

It was 3 years ago this weekend

      that the World Health Organization introduced us to the words -

           Covid-19 and pandemic.

These years have been too long, and too short.

We’ve learned hard things,

        and we haven’t learned enough.

And the storms that began to swirl then and there,

     they haven’t entirely ceased.

God it’s hard to see through the chaos here.

So remind us,

        that you continue to hover.

Remind us,

     that it wasn’t on still waters that you walked.

You descended the mountain,

         walked over the sea

                 in spite of the wind and rain that raged.

It was into that chaos that you sought out your friends,

     into that chaos that you spoke words of comfort.

So God seek us,

          and speak to us again that we need not be afraid.

Lord in your mercy, hear our prayers.

Seek us and speak to us God,

    and make us to remember the word you spoke to Peter

           while you walked on that sea -

     “Come.”

Into the wind and waves,

         into the chaos that roared,

      it was there that you beckoned - come.

Perhaps you knew he’d become afraid,

    for your hand was right there when he started to sink.

But still you called him,

     you caught him,

            you got into his boat, and caused the storm to be still.

So God help us to see you through the chaos of our lives.

Help us to not be so afraid,

    that we miss an opportunity to be caught by you.

Help our need for safety

      not be greater than our need for you.

Stir us, God,

     that we hear you, and seek you here.

Lord in your mercy, hear our prayers.

So God present in chaos,

       and God who is always creating and calling -

    gift us with calm where we need it,

            and startle us in the midst of storms where you need us.

Be close, as we continue this Lenten journey.

We pray this all together,

        lifting ourselves, our community, our chaos to you,

    praying…Our Father…