OL 2016: Photos from Offerings of Letters at St. Andrew Presbyterian Church,St. Paul Lutheran Church & St. Timothy's Lutheran Church

St. Andrew Presbyterian Church, St. Paul Lutheran Church and St. Timothy's Lutheran Church (all in Albuquerque) scheduled Offerings of Letters at the end of April and/or beginning of May.  Below are some photographs from each of those churches (courtesy of Fonda Kirchmeyer, Karla Ice and  Sara Love), along with Bread for the World's blessing prayer for letters and the litany/response that came from Offering of Letters booklet. (This is the sixth in a series about the congregations and schools in New Mexico that participated in the 2016 Offering of Letters. We have also featured Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary (and South Valley Preparatory and Holy Ghost Schools), Albuquerque Mennonite Church, All Saints Lutheran Church, Immaculate Conception Catholic Church, and Peace Lutheran Church in Las Cruces).

Rev. Cheryl Finch, St. Andrew Presbyterian Church

Prayer Over Letters
Holy God, you long to call all people into your protective and healing care, as a mother hen gathers her chicks. We, too, can show your love in using the gift of our voices to advocate for mothers and babies at risk.

St. Paul Lutheran Church

Give us a hunger for righteousness, that our prayers and actions may ring out for the repair of all that denies needed food, clean water, and health care to pregnant women, new mothers, and their children.

Bless the letters we compose to Congress, and open the hearts of our leaders. We give thanks for our right to speak out for justice, and a system that makes our voices heard. In Jesus name, we pray. Amen 

Letter writers, St. Timothy's Lutheran Church

Litany

Bread of Life, strengthen in us your vision of a world where no baby or
mother dies from hunger or poverty. 
Make us restless to proclaim this good news to the world.

God of Compassion, we have become complacent in our lives and miss the suffering of others.
We confess our skepticism, our tendency to look away, our hardness of heart. In your strong love, stir us to see, pray, and act.

Letter writers, St. Timothy's Lutheran Church

God of Mercy, we pray for our elected leaders, especially those in Congress with the power to change and restore life to pregnant women, new mothers, and infants living in poverty.
Move the hearts of our leaders to restore life to the vulnerable.

God our Healer, we pray for all who lack adequate access to healthcare, and especially for mothers and children who need life-protecting medicines.
Bring to your light our wounded system that denies healing to the least.

God our Creator, we thank you for the gift of water that sustains our planet and our bodies. None of your children should lack for this most basic gift.
Open fountains of compassion that clean water may flow to those most in need.

Giver of Life, be present with all preparing to give birth, and with new mothers and their children. May the raising of our voices bring love and healing justice to those who struggle with poverty, hunger, and disease.
Deepen our appreciation for the gift of our lives, and use us to bless the lives of others. In Jesus’ name, we pray Amen.

These prayers were written by Rev. Julie Wakelee- Lynch, rector of St. Alban’s Episcopal Church, Albany, Calif., a longtime Bread for the World Covenant Church. Wakelee-Lynch is also editor of Daily Prayer for All Seasons, a newly released supplement to The Book of Common Prayer.