As we mark a year of living with COVID-19 and having our world turned upside down, Illustrated Ministry is providing “Prayers For Marking a Year of COVID-19 Coloring Pages.” (PDF) It is their hope that these prayers might provide some language for marking this anniversary that changed everything. This resource has been provided free of charge and so feel free to share them with any who might find them meaningful.
It’s hard to believe it’s been over a year since COVID-19 changed the world as we knew it. As we brought our kids home from school and college and tried to figure out what Zoom worship looked like (it will only be for a few weeks, right?), we had no idea the amount of time we’d be staying home, the number of people who would die, and the toll the pandemic would take on our bodies: physically, emotionally, and spiritually.
Over the past few weeks, we’ve started seeing Facebook posts and memes about “Where were you this time last year?” when COVID-19 first started to change our lives drastically.
It’s been over a year since we’ve been together, seen our friends, shared hugs, and experienced the joy of community. And we know that churches, schools, and other community groups are trying to find ways to help people mark this passing of time.
We asked our team of writers to come up with some prayers to help communities mark this year of COVID-19, and we created a set of three coloring pages that go along with these prayers.
This is a free resource, so please feel free to share it widely.
Below you can find the text for each of the prayers included in the coloring pages.
Wonder Worker,
In this year when everything changed,
when we felt worried and weary
when we wailed and we wondered
you gave us a promise…
Nothing can separate us from your love.
And nothing will be wasted.
With you at work,
light, life, love, and liberation
always win.
Amen.
God, our merciful maker,
You love the world you made,
and you want us to be whole and healthy.
Yet the world you made is suffering.
The world you made is struggling.
People have died, and people are sick.
Visit us with your mercy and make us whole.
Amen.
God, our loving friend,
The seasons keep changing
but we remain separated from friends and neighbors.
It has been a long year.
We miss the comfort of warm hugs,
shared meals, and friendly visits.
But you sent us a comforter, the Holy Spirit.
Wrap us in this cozy comforter today.
Amen.