Lord God, we ask that you may look upon our world with all its waste and war and sorrow, and all its joy as well, and make your believing people more effective in serving it; in bringing light and sharing with all people the joy we find in Christ.

We thank you for the richness and diversity of the Christian family and for all the treasures and resources that have been made available to the church. We thank you for the vision in the church of your mighty purposes and for our place and part in the ongoing work today.

Lord God, as we bring to you our concerns for wisdom in government, integrity of political representatives, diligence in the banking industry, stewardship of the earth’s resources and sharing of our wealth with developing nations, we pray that you will bring your will to bear in these matters and that you will show us what our role in this might be.

Amen.