Gracious God, we take this time of prayer to lift up the sacred relationship between the Indigenous Peoples of Canada and the Crown. As the new Carolean Era begins, we pray that you will open all hearts to renew these ties with sincerity and purpose. We offer our thanks and praise that His Majesty King Charles III met with Indigenous leaders prior to the coronation to hear their concerns and to begin the conversation anew. We pray that this on-going dialogue will be open, informed, and lead to meaningful reconciliation.
God of truth and sorrow, we confess that we are not always as engaged as we could be with Indigenous issues. We pray that saying the land acknowledgement each Sunday will move us beyond words to action. Help us to affirm Indigenous people as equal brothers and sisters in Christ with inherent rights who are due respect, freedom and peace. Help us to listen to their stories of marginalization and inter-generational abuse with compassion and love, and move us to join with them in creating safe spaces for the healing Spirit to walk in. Help us to make every effort to investigate the mystery of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls and to become advocates in this search for justice. Help us to take seriously the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and to understand how it is being applied to Canadian law.
God of hope and possibilities, we thank you for instilling in His Majesty King Charles III a genuine interest in Indigenous practices and a sincere willingness to listen and learn. May his long-term commitment to the Indigenous People of Canada be an inspiration to others. We pray that this relationship continues to grow and to yield impactful change. From monarch to commoners, we are all called to serve one another and it is through this sacred act that the Kingdom of God will be lived out here on earth.
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer. Amen.
Valerie Bennett and Stacey Neale
