A Prayer of Presence

On Sunday, we spent time talking about our final community value: Presence. We closed with this prayer from St Francis of Assisi. I hope our presence, both locally and globally, can be marked by Francis’ words in this prayer:

Lord, make us instruments of your peace.
    Where there is hatred, let us sow love;
    where there is injury, pardon;
    where there is discord, unity;
    where there is doubt, faith;
    where there is despair, hope;
    where there is darkness, light;
    where there is sadness, joy.
Grant that we may not so much seek
    to be consoled as to console;
    to be understood as to understand;
    to be loved as to love;
For it is in giving that we receive;
    it is in pardoning that we are pardoned; and
    it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.