God our waiting Father; each of us comes to you as prodigals; eager to return home and hopeful we will be welcomed; sorry for squandering our treasures on passing pleasures and still unsure that we are deserving of a second chance--to embark on this journey home, to the land flowing with milk and honey, where water is living, and you are waiting, is our prayer. To embark on this journey home to a place of rest where love demands only our life and you are waiting, is our prayer. To embark on this journey home to the cross of Christ where suffering overcomes evil and you are waiting, is our prayer. Receive us, O God; just as we are. Imperfect but honest about our sin, unsure but clear that we can’t do it alone, excited but not certain about where to start. Receive us, O God; just as you want us to be, and make us whole. We journey home together, aware of the other prodigals on the road. For children in schools that are failing, satisfy their longing for learning and call people to their aid. For babies that don’t have parents to sing to them, fill that empty space with new songs of love from others. For mothers and fathers juggling demands of work and family, give them grace to breathe easy and wisdom to do what is right. For hard workers without meaningful work, hold them steady until you surprise them with a new way. For Haitians and Chileans that know the randomness of natural disaster, rebuild their homes and their faith in your promises to never leave them. For artists and craftsmen called to make the ordinary sublime, inspire them through your creation. For seekers, cynics, and skeptics silently wondering about the meaning of life, answer their honest questions and grant us grace to live those answers out loud. For prodigals on the last leg of life’s journey, remind them that you know the pain of imminent death and hold the keys to eternal life. Amen.