An Advent Pastoral Prayer

05 Tuesday Dec 2023

Posted by mictori in Advent prayers, Church Life, Liturgy

Tags

Advent, grief, pastoral prayer, Prayer, Prayers, progressive Christianity

God among us and with us,

Under the long night sky
There are rooms filled with laughter-
Friends reconnecting
And family sharing meals.
There is warmth.
There is peace.
These are blessings, like the Cold Moon
Full and bright-
Accompanying us far into the night.

Under the long night sky
There are lonely corners filled with tears.
Neighbors feeling alone.
Neighbors distraught.
Spirits are chilly, waiting for the dawn of hope.
Yet you are with them
As they seek your peace,
As they wait for your strength to soothe their shaking souls.

Under the long night sky
There are open fields filled with questions
Wondering and waiting
For the Christ child to bring hope.
Doubt and discouragement dance around minds.
But you, the Divine One,
Sit with us in the fields under the long night sky
Waiting for dawn,
Waiting for comfort to coat our spirits
Waiting for peace to crack the hardened-hearts of war
And for love to break open possibilities of unity again.

Under the long night sky
Hope paves the roads.
Peace plants the gardens.
Joy lightens our burdens.
And love births the advent of your Divine bliss here on earth.

Amen.

An Invocation for Ordination

23 Sunday Jul 2023

Posted by mictori in Church Life, Liturgy

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Entry into worship, invocation, opening prayer, ordination, Prayer, Prayers, prayers for ordination, progressive Christianity, Psalm 139

Entry Into Worship
Gathering together, we celebrate the blossoming of talents.
Like the body and all of its individual parts,
We each bring to the church a sparkle of light
A heart filled with dreams
And the joy of living into God’s vision.

As we celebrate the new path of our friend,
We pray for peace among the rocky roads,
Umbrellas on rainy days,
Deep breaths in anxious moments,
Love in lonely shadows
And inspiration when the wells have run dry.

Invocation
Holy God, Divine Gardener of our Spirits,
You dwell with us in the fields of our faith.
You call us onto path strange and familiar,
Comfortable and troublesome.
You sit with us among the bitter herbs
And taste the sweetness of the fruit of the vine.
You never veer away from us-
Even when we are in knee deep in dirt
You celebrate the fertile soil below.
Our covenant is to be celebrated
As we leap for joy
Knowing each of us is fearfully and wonderfully made
Because you know us well.

May we delight in your steadfast love-
A love that knows no end,
A love that stretches from horizon to horizon,
A love that knows the shadows before sunset,
And the night beyond dusk.

Fill this ordinand, this sibling in Christ
With the visions of your Realm,
The strength to bring your dreams to fruition
And joy at the harvest.

Amen.

A Liturgy for “Christmas in July”

17 Monday Jul 2023

Posted by mictori in Church Life, Holidays

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Birth of Jesus, Christmas, Christmas in August, Christmas in July, Christmas in June, Christmas in the Summer, Liturgy, Prayer, Prayers, progressive Christianity, Summer

Call to Worship
One: God who dwells in the mystery of life
Many: Fill us with wonder as we traipse around your world.
One: Christ who offers kindness and mercy
Many: Fill us with understanding as we meet our stranger, enemy, and friend.
One: Spirit who delivers dreams to us
Many: Draw us into your visions of love for our neighbors.

Invocation
God of Illumination,
Under the sparkles of the Christmas lights and long starry night skies, we find joy in the bustle of the Christmas season. As the Christmas lights are taken down, the beauty of Christmas is just beginning. Birth is happening in the springtime buds, the summer sunsets, the autumn hues, and the winter snowfall. May we see the joy of birth surrounding us throughout our year. May this joy move us to bear kindness, creating your Realm here on earth. Amen.

Prayer of Reflection
Holy Bearer of Delight-
Most days, we shuffle along, filled with focus on the ordinary. Instead of seeing your Divine Light in each space, we overlook the beauty of your presence. Open our souls to notice the amazement of your steadfast presence. May we see the holy beauty of each flower’s petal, each cloudy sunset, each rumble of thunder, and each weed in our lawns. Amen.

Assurance of God’s Grace
Our God who gives us rebirth, resurrections, and renewals lavishes us with grace. May God’s mercy allow us to see how newness can transform our lives.

Reflection on Giving
The Gift of Christmas is greater than what can be found in any wrapped box. Christmas has presented us with the Christ in our midst. As Jesus the Christ was the one who taught us how to love one another, we pass this Divine Love to our neighbors through our talents, treasures, and time. Whether Christmas or Easter, Pentecost or any ordinary day, we share our gifts with the church and community.

Blessing of the Gifts
Enchanting God, Divine Joy,
We take these days in the warmth of summertime to remember the birth of the Christ. We take time away from the consumerist holiday to celebrate the holy aspects of Christmas. May this day remind us of the mirth of Jesus’ birth and the love of Jesus which still ripples in our world. May we spend these next few months until Christmas with the joy of rebirth in our hearts, sharing that excitement with our neighbors around us. Amen.

Benediction
Filled with the joy of this ordinary day,
May we go forward celebrating the magnificent and ordinary,
The fantastic and everyday,
The mediocre and amazing,
The astounding and common.
God is in the shiny days and cloudy evenings,
The starry nights and the foggy mornings.
Let us find Divine Sparkle no matter the time or space
As God is already there!

*****

A Prayer for Our Siblings Feeling Dehumanized During Synod

04 Tuesday Jul 2023

Posted by mictori in Church Life, Current Events, Pop, Social Justice

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dehumanization, dehumanized, discrimination, hate, hate speech, Prayer, Prayers, progressive Christianity

Holy Branches of Care-

Even as we meet in this forest of support, a tempest approaches beyond your limbs:

Squalls of arrogance, hate, and ignorance.

As some sign sweet songs of love and justice,

A cacophony raises its noises of dissonance, denying humanity and the song of our neighbors.

And how much we want to run from this forest, God!

Yet you have called us here for a time such as this.

May your unfailing breeze carry us forward.

May the gentle winds of the Holy Spirit protect us from the storms streaming from unkind minds.

May your divine leaves block the harmful rays of hate and the misuse of your Holy Name.

Amen.

This was written as a group of prayers for the remote UCC General Synod in 2021.

Blessing of the Building

24 Sunday Apr 2022

Posted by mictori in Church Life, Prayers, Religion

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Blessing, Blessing of the Building, Building, Church, Prayer, Prayers, Sanctuary

Holy God, Divine Architect of All-

This beautiful space today reminds us that we co-create with you. Each brick reminds us of our strength through you. Each window reminds us of your light that shines through us.

God of Love and Light: Bless the space today. Bless each brick, each panel of wood, each nail which has assembled this building. Bless all of the hands and hearts which have built and restored this place as we give much gratitude for their gifts. Bless all who have given their treasures in making this day possible.

Each time two or more are gathered in this space, may they see your presence surrounding them. In gatherings of joy, fill their hearts with happiness, and may this room be filled with laughter. As groups congregate for solemn occasions, surround them with your peace, and may their souls experience your comfort.

We give thanks for the saints whose gifts continue to echo in this sanctuary. May their memories continue to bless current and future generations who congregate in this place.

May this space be one which builds community, believing that your love will strengthen our ties and create your realm on this earth.

Amen.

*****

This was written for the Celebration of the Restoration of Heritage Hall at St. Paul United Church of Christ, April 2022.

A Less Fatalistic Ash Wednesday

02 Wednesday Mar 2022

Posted by mictori in Church Life, Lent Prayers

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anxiety, Ash Wednesday, COVID-19, Endometriosis, Fear of death, Lent, Pandemic, progressive Christianity, Ukraine, war

Today happened to be another Ash Wednesday in which I was home-bound on medical leave.

Once again, like in the past, I was dealing with endometriosis. The pain was increasing even though I was menopausal, and the hysterectomy proved that there was a lot of rogue endometrial tissue in my pelvic region. I’m on medical leave and not able to lead worship as I take time to heal.

Which brings me to this year’s Ash Wednesday. After two weeks of lying in bed, doom-scrolling news about the invasion of Ukraine and heightened nuclear alert in our world, the worst thing right now is to remind someone who is deathly afraid of death that she will die. (Obviously, there are many dying in Ukraine from this senseless war- and something for us to discuss another day.) I worried about what could go wrong prior to the surgery (as always), and I dealt with two years of pandemic concerns. The last thing I want to hear through sacred liturgy is that I’m going to die.

I know this with every fiber of my being. My anxiety reminds me each day that death could be imminent.

So for this year, I work to establish a different relationship with the ashes.

First of all, everything is fleeting. And this should include my worries. My concerns should be no more than the weight of the ashes which could easily be blown away by the wind. Easier said than done, but it’s worth the effort.

Secondly, as I begin Kate Bowler’s Good Enough devotional book, I’m reminded of my imperfections. The ashes remind me of an imperfect self and the need to embrace a self that works to try her best rather than attain the impossible.

I refuse to rid myself of Ash Wednesday. But the day was not always ours to dwell on death but focus on what continues to be the greatest priorities while we are alive: loving one another as Christ loved us; doing justice, loving kindness, and walking humbly with God.

And today my focus won’t be nuclear war, health issues, or pandemics, but my growing relationship with God.

It’s Time to Reframe Love’s Look

17 Sunday May 2020

Posted by mictori in Church Life, Current Events, Pop, Quarantine Liturgy and Prayers

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Tags

Coronavirus, COVID-19, expression, Love, Social Distancing

I’ve been thinking about what love has meant to me in the first 47 years of my life. Signs of affection and respect meant hugs and handshakes, respectively. It meant being close to people – placing an arm around someone or a pat on the back when they’ve needed extra encouragement.

As a pastor and because of appropriate boundaries, there are firmer boundaries when it comes to expressing care to those in our congregation. Holding the hand of someone who is struggling, placing a hand on the shoulder, giving a congregant a handshake, and, if they initiated, maybe a slight hug would have been in the boundaries. But none of these are in the bounds of appropriate contact anymore.

Now, love and care must be expressed differently. Love no longer includes sharing hugs and handshakes with the ones we care about. We can’t share these acts of affection at church or with family. Even someone like me who keeps firm boundaries with many can’t hold the hand of someone struggling with intense grief.

And that is mind-blowing to our twenty-first century brains.

How can we rewire our brains to affirm that staying away means love? How can we reframe the whole concept of physical touching and close proximity as a negative approach to loving our friends and neighbors? Of course, the very closest people to us we will probably always give hugs. But this won’t be common as we welcome our professional contacts and friends.

Each time I watch Pride and Prejudice (the 1995 version with Colin Firth, of course), I’m intrigued by the way they would greet one another. There wouldn’t be many handshakes and definitely no hugging. But they would bow and curtsy when greeting another person. It seemed formal, yet in today’s world, this would be in the scope of what could be allowed.

So whether we decide to bow or curtsy, place our hands over our hearts or give a peace sign, we need to work on embracing our fondness and respect for people from afar. We are called to accept this opposite-concept in the next year or two as we begin to emerge from our quarantine cocoons and wait for a vaccine or new treatments to COVID-19. Close physical distance no longer means love. We are turning everything we know about welcoming and hospitality on it heads. Yet maybe by loving from afar, we will save lives. We will attempt to keep the ones we love well. We will discover what are the most important ways to express love and concern. And by doing so, we remain healthy too.

Mental Health Litany of Wholeness

29 Saturday Feb 2020

Posted by mictori in Church Life, Health, Liturgy, Pop

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Tags

Addiction, anxiety, depression, Health, John 14, Litany, Liturgy, Mental health, Mental Health Issues, mental health worship, Panic disorder, PTSD, wellness

Scripture John 14:26-27

One: “The Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything, and remind you of all that I have said to you. 27Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid.”

Entry into Healing

One: When the world is topsy turvy around me, and I can’t see reality clearly. When the medications haven’t clicked in, and I find myself in a manic state, or when depression is weighing me down. Is this a panic attack coming on?!?

(Sets a medicine bottle on altar/table)

All: Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid.

One: This substance helps me avoid the discomfort of life. And now, it’s tough to set it down. I need it to function. I need it so I don’t feel everything. It brings relief… and it’s a weight.

(Sets a weight on altar/table)

All: Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid.

One: Trauma from war has clouded my brain. All of a sudden mental pictures flash in my mind. Will these visions ever leave?

(Sets a photo from veterans’ memorial on altar/table)

All: Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid.

One: My dad can’t remember what he had for lunch earlier today. And he no longer knows my name.

(Takes off name tag from neck and sets it on altar/table)

All: Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid.

One: When you lose a spouse, you lose a part of yourself. I haven’t been able to sleep as well. I’m not like I was before their death.

(Sets a box of tissues on altar/table)

All: Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid.

One: So many in my pews are hurting – grief and depression, anxiety and trauma, addictions, caregiving. Where do I go next?

(Sets a stole on altar/table)

All: Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid.

Scripture Isaiah 41:10

One: “Do not fear, for I am with you, do not be afraid, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my victorious right hand.”

The candle is lit.

Prayer of Healing

Gracious God, Divine Travel Companion,

On this journey filled with worry and grief, our souls feel unsettled. Our hearts rattle with the notion that something about our bodies and minds will fail. Will illness and death surround us? Will the ones we love desert us?

Such anxiety sometimes needs additional help, God. We thank you for counselors, therapists, psychologists, and others who offer a listening ear and constructive feedback. With their help, we may begin to understand ourselves in new ways.

Bless the medications that we take each day which keeps our minds and our bodies in balance. Bless the doctors who prescribe and consult and the pharmacists who care for our safety.

Bless the clergy who offer prayers when life crumbles and who will rush to bedsides when illness has overtaken us. We give gratitude for their words of comfort when grief rolls in like storm clouds.

Through our trauma and our mourning, our anxiety and depression, when substances take the place of healthy living, and as our bodies begin to fail us, comfort us on this journey. May your peace strengthen us. May your warmth give us hope for the future. Through your gifts and your presence, we see a future with hope.

Amen.

A Prayer for the Church in Divisive Times

25 Tuesday Jun 2019

Posted by mictori in Church Life, Current Events, Pop, Prayers

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Tags

General Synod, LGBTQ, Resolution 8, Stewardship of Space, UCC, UCC General Synod, UMC, United Church of Christ, United Methodist

4CDADE37-1856-404E-8FBF-AF8C6D39A723

Spirit of God who hovered over the chaos of the forming planet-

You created humanity to co-create with you. Yet we still haven’t absorbed that co-creating means absorbing and embracing the messiness that comes with renewal and change.

You ask us to carry your precious ekklesia. We hold it too tightly. We are reckless and drop your gift as we see it shatter in millions of pieces.

Forgive us if we have damaged the Church that Christ has gifted us.

As we approach yet another controversial issue, we worry: will this either shatter the hearts of those who have been excluded or shatter the covenant which holds a multi-faceted Church into further broken pieces?

Whichever way your Spirit is blowing, ensure that transformation of hearts happens alongside of this vote. May those who can only see a scripture of exclusion see how God’s love extends beyond pages of text. May those whose hearts are broken in pieces because they feel hated know the love found in you, Holy Comforter.

May our definition of covenant continue to grow. And may our hearts continue to transform and repent when needed.

However this resolves, do not allow us to be noisy gongs or clanging cymbals. May we be bells which resonate love in each toll. Allow our claps be held until the time in which we can all see one another through the eyes of God.

Amen.

A Liturgy and Blessing for Church Vocations Sunday

22 Friday Feb 2019

Posted by mictori in Church Life, Epiphany Liturgy/Prayers, Liturgy, Pop

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Tags

blessing of church staff, Church, church vocations, church vocations Sunday, Liturgy, progressive Christianity, United Church of Christ

CALL TO WORSHIP

One: God calls us here – no matter who we are.

Many: Knowing we are messy and magnificent, God calls us here.

One: God summons us to boldly serve our world.

Many: God cultivates our gifts to nurture creation.

One: God sanctifies our voices as we uphold justice.

Many: God warms our souls as we foster kindness.

One: May strength be the foundation of our growing souls.

Many: May courage be the base of our strengthening hearts.

One: For such a time is this, we are here.

Many: For such a time as this we worship and serve our Creator.

INVOCATION

Divine Nourisher of Gifts, you paint a photo of the ideal world. In our messiness and our magnificence, you call us to co-create your realm. May we see ourselves as you see us. May we respond to your call in our lives with a joyous “Amen!” May we encourage our neighbors in their pursuits to embrace their most authentic lives. Amen.

CALL TO RECONCILIATION

One: Have we nurtured the call of our neighbors? Have we encouraged their gifts? Have there been times when we’ve crushed dreams rather than lifted spirits?

PRAYER OF RECONCILIATION

One: Gracious Nurturer, Holy Spirit, in the highlights of our lives, we’ve seen your presence. In the shadow-filled valleys, we’ve neglected your call. Self-fulfilling prophecy has melted our hopes. Negative remarks have washed away others’ dreams.

Many: May collaboration become our road and encouragement our compass. Let us work together to nudge our neighbors to live into your call. Let us shed negativity from our own voices and the voices of others to create room for fulfilled visions. Amen.

ASSURANCE OF GRACE

One: Loving God, our Gracious Nurturer, will continue to hope with us throughout our entire lives – – and beyond! God will infuse joy in our journeys and mercy in our discernment. Let us tap into God’s grace, and let us extend this grace to others.

All: Amen! Thanks be to God!

CALL TO OFFERING

One: Spirit of God, Gracious Nurturer, throughout our lives, you have tended to our talents. You have celebrated the times they have flourished and showered your mercy when we needed to attend to our gifts. In this time and space, let us reflect on the ways we have cultivated our talents together, God. In this space and time, let us give as we can with the hope that our contributions will expand our world.

DEDICATION PRAYER

Gracious Nurturer, for the gifts in our hands, we give our gratitude. For the gifts in our hearts, we sing with joy. For the gifts in our souls, we share with our world. Loving God, may our co-nurturing strengthen our communities and encourage our neighbors to share their talents with the world. Amen.

BENEDICTION

Let us exit this space with hope.

Let us move into the world with joy.

May the God who shares visions,

the Christ who dreams,

and the Spirit who sustains our souls

nurture our sense of call today and always. Amen!

All: Amen!

Optional LITANY OF BLESSINGS FOR PEOPLE IN CHURCH VOCATIONS

One: Spirit of God who stirs our souls and inspires us to build a just and peace-filled world:

With gratitude we celebrate our siblings in faith who dedicate their time, talents, and treasures in the church. With appreciation and joy, we pray for them this day and bless the work of their hands and hearts.

One: For those who are sensing a nudge by God’s Spirit to enter ministry: may they attend to the seeds in their souls to see what God may be cultivating.