O living God, we come to this moment to share ourselves with you, to
give you our pain and our broken hearts. In your hands we place all of
ourselves, knowing that your hands are faithful and sure, strong and
gentle, and we know that your hands will never let us go.
Gentle One, we ask for your blessings for those whom we have loss to
HIV and AIDS, those who have gone on before us, and who are now in
your loving care. May you continue to hold them close to your heart,
that place that you have prepared for all of us, we who are your
wondrous and good creation.
Love Itself, we ask that you show yourself to those who even now are
living with HIV and AIDS, those who are continuing to live and struggle
with this virus. May you continue to show your love to all of us, we who
are your body in this world, your presence in this world, we who continue
to struggle with this disease.
Gracious One, we thank you for those who have cared for us, and cared
for our loved ones. May you bless them, for they have been an
instrument of your love and peace in this world. We especially ask your
blessings for those who are even now giving away your presence in their
acts of care for those living with HIV and AIDS.
Wondrous One, more than anything else, we come before You to thank
You, to thank You for those glimpses of Yourself that we have witnessed
through this crisis over the past 20 years. It is because of You that we
are gathered here; it is because of You that we can continue to be your
hands and feet in this world—without those precious glimpses of your
love, our courage and strength would surely fail us. You have been so
faithful over the years—we come here knowing that hope and grace and
goodness even now surround our broken and strong hearts.
So let it be, holy one, so let it be. Amen
