Prayer and meditation on Election Day

If this year’s election cycle has you stressed, you are not alone. Listening to news broadcasts, reading newspapers and magazines and even watching the debates have many Americans anxious, worried and depressed. The particularly vicious mudslinging from the primaries has only escalated since the conventions and leading up to Election Day Tuesday November 8. Grace Episcopal Church will be open for prayer and meditation from 8 a.m. till 5 p.m. on Election Day (Nov. 8), said The Very Reverend Stephen Brehe, priest-in-charge. "However you work out your day -- "pray and vote" or "vote and pray" -- our prayers are especially in order this important day. The public is welcome to come to our chapel for quiet and reflection." The church is located at 1072 East 900 South. For more information call 628-1181. Before I finish, I want to say something about Election Day. Vote! It’s our privilege to live in a democracy, and an important part of our stewardship of our country is voting. But, as Christians, we have an even greater responsibility. Pray! We need to hold our elected and appointed leaders in our hearts before God. Here are some exceptionally beautiful prayers from our Book of Common Prayer (BCP): • There are several prayers for the nation starting on page 820, but I especially like the one “For Sound Government,” pp. 821-822. • Given the strident nature of this year’s campaigns, I recommend “In Time of Conflict” on p. 824. • November 24 is Thanksgiving and there’s an excellent prayer “For the Nation” on pp. 838-839. In fact, the BCP has dozens of prayer resources and I commend getting familiar with them. Starting on page 814, you will see 71 prayers for the world, church, nation, and much more. Then, beginning on page 836 you’ll discover 11 prayers of thanksgiving. Copies of the BCP will be available in the chapel. However feel free to bring a favorite reading with you as the chapel will be open to all.