Our Gracious God: We praise you for the beauty of the creation in which we live. We praise you for your goodness to us, your steadfast love and mercy and your unending grace. We come to you today in a time of fear and anxiety. We watch with sadness and growing concern the coronavirus pandemic affecting so much of our world. We pray for all of those who are ill around the world because of this virus and we ask for your healing power to be at work in their bodies and their lives. We pray for all of those who grieve the loss of loved ones who have died because of coronavirus and ask that you give comfort to their loved ones. We pray for all the first responders who are working on the front lines of this crisis: doctors, nurses, medical personnel, researchers and public health officials, and we pray for your wisdom, strength and guidance for those who seek to provide relief. We pray for the most vulnerable of our neighbors, locally and globally, who lack adequate health care, income, and support systems in this time of crisis. May we practice compassion and reach out to those most in need in our community to provide help as we are able. We pray that you will calm our fears and quiet our spirits. Remind us that you are with us in every moment; that your Holy Spirit never leaves us or forsakes us. Remind us of the truth that is our comfort in life and in death: “that we are not our own, but belong body and soul, both in life and in death, to our faithful Savior Jesus Christ.” (Heidelberg Catechism) Help us to love you and to love each other well in the midst of our fear and anxiety. May we continue to praise you for the goodness of your creation, the abundance of your love, and the peace we have that passes understanding through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.