Light a candle as each line is spoken:

This candle is for the 150 loving, caring members of Sausalito Presbyterian Church.

This candle is for the people in our church who suffer from illness or disability.

This candle is for our church’s healing group, which prays faithfully for and with people near to us and far from us who suffer from ill health.

This candle is for all the Americans who have no health insurance – 45 million now and growing in number.

This candle is for the generosity of our church members and millions of others who give food to programs like our church’s Wednesday Community Lunch for the homeless.  The value of food donated in America every year is estimated at about a billion dollars.

This candle is for the low-income people who depend on the federal food stamp program, which costs about $24 billion a year.

This candle is for the people whose access to food is slated to be reduced by the proposed cut in the food stamp program – a billion dollars over the next ten years.

This candle is for our economic freedom to create businesses and generate wealth through our individual initiative and hard work.

This candle is for our political freedom to speak out and vote and influence government.

This candle is for our responsibility as individuals to contribute to the common good with our paid and volunteer work, and with our taxes and our donations.

This candle is a prayer for wisdom and strength so that each of us, by our best lights, can connect these candles and work for the common good for all of God’s children.  Amen!