Written by Claire Embil (English-Creative Writing and Religious Studies, Photography, 2021) for her home congregation St. Luke’s Lutheran Church, Park Ridge, IL. 

Just as Jesus stretched his hand over the storming sea and said “Peace. Be Still,” we ask for God’s calming spirit to still the waters of anxiety that stir inside each of us during these frightening and uncertain times.

God, we thank you for the waters of baptism that bring us closer to your grace, hope, and unending love. Thank you for water that grows and nourishes your people and planet. We pray for the people and places that do not have clean water or their source of water is threatened. We thank you for water to play in: pools, lakes, and sprinklers. For water that helps us to see beauty and creation: fountains, waterfalls, and watercolor paints. God we thank you for all the water of the world, especially the waters that washed us clean and gave us new life in you. Amen.