St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church

Creator God,
Help us to come today in a spirit of humility as we pray for healing and reconciliation between the Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples in Canada, and the world
Help us to listen,
And break open our hearts in love,
That we might receive and care for each other well
Remembering before you the children and the experiences of all who attended the Indian Residential Schools and the impact their absence had and continues to have on their families and communities:

We pray for the healing of the generations;
For children, for their parents and elders, for their families and communities.
We pray that they might thrive body, mind and soul;
That they might delight in their culture and identity, and be safe and secure in this world

We pray O God for the Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women, Girls and Two-Spirit, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Questioning, Intersex and Asexual people

We pray for those who are missing, and for those who love them.
For all who seek answers, and justice;
And for all who are still waiting and needing to feel safe.

We give you thanks for the many ways you reveal yourself, Creator God, in the lives of your beloved peoples.

We pray for Indigenous Elders and those who keep the teachings of their people;
And for all who work for the wholeness and health of their communities.

We pray for the members of the National Indigenous Ministries Council, the Indigenous Ministries of The Presbyterian Church in Canada, and their leaders

Winnipeg Inner City Missions

Place of Hope Indigenous Presbyterian Church in Winnipeg, Manitoba

Flora House in Winnipeg, Manitoba

Anamiewigummig Fellowship Centre in Kenora, Ontario

Mistawasis Memorial Presbyterian Church in Saskatchewan

Saskatoon Native Circle Ministry

Edmonton Urban Native Ministry

Nazko & Area Dakelh Outreach – Cariboo Region, British Columbia

Hummingbird Ministries, in Vancouver, British Columbia

Cedar Tree Ministries, on Vancouver Island, British Columbia

We pray for our country and for our church, our own communities, and the places we live
Help us to grow in new understandings of our past, not that we might be superior to those who have gone before us, but that we might be led in ways that value life and healing and wholeness. May we  be led by the experiences and insights of Indigenous people.

Keep us determined: to see the ways racism, sexism, homophobia, and transphobia have become embedded in everyday life and institutions, policies and practices that accord privilege to some and not to others
Keep us compelled: that we confront oppression and advocate for the right to culture, health, security and justice for all your children
Keep us in Hope

As we come through this time of pandemic, we pray for all God’s children and a vision that opens us up to new ways of living in this world together
In the name of Jesus, Who teaches us to love
Amen.

—Written by the Rev. Dr. Karen Dimock, minister at St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church in Ottawa, Ontario. Karen is a member of the Healing and Reconciliation Advisory Committee.