Monthly Archives: January 2024

A National Backward Day Prayer

31 Wednesday Jan 2024

Posted by in Life, National Day Prayers, Pop, Pop Culture

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God of the Upside Downs,

You’ve created the beauty of chaos, the accidental inside out clothing, the wrong turns, and the incorrect spellings. None of these upset you in the same ways they shake us. Instead, you continue to find light even in the bizarreness of life.

In the moments when we are frustrated by the slowness of computers and drivers ahead of us, we ask for your patience. When we are stopped by each red light along the way and the ultra-slow train, we plead with you for peace.

May we co-create joy in the most unlikely valleys and alleys. May we work together to turn backwards into the most interesting of ways.

May we remember that you are in the passengers seat even when we put the gears in reverse and head in the wrong direction.

Amen.

A Prayer When Missing Our Loved Ones

17 Wednesday Jan 2024

Posted by in grief, Life

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Holy Vessel of Memories-

Our minds church with the memories of loved ones-
Parents, Grandparents, Siblings, Friends, and more.
In our holey hearts,
There is an emptiness remaining after their deaths.
Their last words frozen in our minds.
Their last embrace a memory in our muscles.

Maybe it’s been a week, or a year,
Or a few decades ago.
But their loss reverberates throughout our lives.
We feel a presence missed at big events.
And in the small moments, we feel a tear rolling down our cheeks.
With a song on the radio or hymn in the sanctuary,
We recall the sound of their voices belting out the melody.

Loving God, Holy Salve of Loneliness,
Heal the aches in our souls from grief,
Give us the grace to move past the regrets,
Help us to keep the memories of love
And release the pains which echoed from our times together.
Give us the discernment needed to part with their items no longer needed,
And may we honor them through the light we continue to shine.

Amen.

(c) 2023 Rev. Michelle L. Torigian. Permission to use with attribution.

A Prayer of Grace for Failed Goals

04 Thursday Jan 2024

Posted by in Epiphany Liturgy/Prayers, Holidays, Hygge, Life

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Divine Journal of Visions and Dreams,

Before I close the last year’s calendar,
I scan each page for the moments of joy-
For the blessings and the tasks done well,
For the moments which will shine in my memories for eternity.
Holy God, I share much gratitude for those moments of bliss etched into my soul.

And then…

For the many ways my plans never came to fruition,
For the goals that stagnated and the dreams that fell asleep,
For the visions that danced only in my mind and never in front of me,
And for the ways I let my anxiety overwhelm the path ahead,
I lament.
I ask for forgiveness in the ways I could have stretched myself just a little more-
And then I ask for forgiveness as I didn’t embrace grace for myself.
I may believe I only gave 25%,
But the 25% was really 100% of what I was able to contribute.
I gave my whole self when my body could give no more.
I used my mind the best I could.
And now, as the calendar closes, it’s time to clothe myself in mercy
And see myself as your child, a beloved piece of the puzzle.

For all the failures and incomplete dreams, I give gratitude as well.

In this new year,
May I continue to work to be my most optimal self,
To care for my neighbor as you have asked,
To grow in the ways you are calling,
And to forgive myself for falling short of perfection.

Amen.

(c) 2023 Rev. Michelle L. Torigian. Permission to use with attribution.