Election day prayer and mediation at Grace Episcopal

ST. GEORGE If this year’s election cycle has you stressed, you are not alone. Listening to news broadcasts, reading newspapers and magazines and even watching the debates have many Americans anxious, worried and depressed. The particularly vicious, divisive mudslinging from the primaries has only escalated since the conventions and leading up to election day. Churches throughout the United States are planning to open to give people a safe and comforting environment away from the last minute hustle and bustle of this chaotic campaign.

Grace Episcopal Church will be open for prayer and meditation from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday said Father Stephen Brehe, priest-in-charge.

“However you work out your day pray and vote or vote and pray our prayers are especially in order this important day,” Brehe said. “The public is welcome to come to our chapel for quiet and reflection.”

The church is located at 1072 E. 900 South. For more information call 435-628-1181.

Before I finish, I want to say something about election day. Vote! It’s our privilege to live in a democracy, and an important part of our stewardship of our country is voting. But, as Christians, we have an even greater responsibility. Pray! We need to hold our elected and appointed leaders in our hearts before God. Here are some exceptionally beautiful prayers from our “Book of Common Prayer”:

• There are several prayers for the nation starting on page 820, but I especially like the one “For Sound Government,” pp. 821-822.
• Given the strident nature of this year’s campaigns, I recommend “In Time of Conflict” on p. 824.
• November 24 is Thanksgiving and there’s an excellent prayer “For the Nation” on pp. 838-839.

In fact, the book has dozens of prayer resources and I recommend getting familiar with them. Starting on page 814, you will see 71 prayers for the world, church, nation, and much more. Then, beginning on page 836 you’ll discover 11 prayers of thanksgiving.

Copies of the “Book of Common Prayer” will be available in the chapel. However feel free to bring a favorite reading with you as the chapel will be open to all.

Free News Delivery by Email

Would you like to have the day's news stories delivered right to your inbox every evening? Enter your email below to start!

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.