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.

A Prayer of Gratitude for Sabbath

28 Thursday Dec 2023

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Divine Deliverer of Rest,

As workdays stretch brains and bodies,
and minds feel like mush at the end of a day,
I give gratitude for a few days of rest.

My focus is drawn away from fretting over the details of the day-to-day.
Instead, my soul relaxes to the sounds of Netflix and video games.
The taste of chocolate and cheese.
Or maybe a good book. Or hobby-time.

And throughout this week, I’m investing my time with loved ones-
since I have pushed our time aside with them in pursuit of perfected production
and have shamefully embraced a “live to work” mentality.

As my brain restores to a restful state-
like a battery recharging overnight-
and clarity returns to my mind,
creativity builds inside of my soul.

O Holy One-
Allow me to find the blessing of balance moving forward,
to embrace the strength to say no,
to prioritize Sabbath over overachieving,
to recharge my mind and body, and spirit,
and to realize time with loved ones is a gift from you.

Amen.

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

Prayer of Grief for the Losses on our Card List

21 Thursday Dec 2023

Posted by in Advent prayers, grief, Holidays, Life, Pop, Prayers

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Divine Deliverer of All Greetings-

As we scan the names of loved ones on our holiday card list, we ache with the absences reminded by this list. We’ve lost the aunts, uncles, cousins, old loves, and friends. As they abide with you on that side of heaven, our hearts hunger for their presence. Our breath is taken away by the sight of their names. The lights of this season is dimmed just a little more with each loss.

God of All Connections, our ties with some love ones on the list have stretched and broken. They remain here on this earth, but our contact is minimal to none. Due to our falling-out, there is pain that radiates throughout our spirits.

And some on our list have just drifted away as we’ve grown apart. While there are little hurt feelings, melancholy rises as nostalgia draws us away from the present moment to a time that will never be again.

Holy Comfort- Heal our hearts with each pinprick of sadness or wave of grief. May we remember the joyful times often. Ease the hard memories that linger.

For your children who are still alive, please bless their paths that divert from ours. May their health be sustained, and may their new year find bountiful blessings.

For the loved ones of saints who will no longer be on the list: deliver strength to them during this holiday season. May your comfort coat their hearts and peace fill their souls.

And for the saints we marked off the list this year or years before: May they live into the eternal lights of Epiphany and absorb the fullness of your presence and love.

Amen.

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

An Advent Pastoral Prayer

05 Tuesday Dec 2023

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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.

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

A Prayer for Insomnia

29 Wednesday Nov 2023

Posted by in grief, Health, Life, Pop, Prayers

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Holy Creator of the Night,

You yearn for us to be awake, to be alert to the workings of the world around us.
You desire for our attentiveness in a world drowsy to injustices
And to be attentive to the needs of our neighbors…

Yet being awake at 4am isn’t your dream for my night.

My snores were stolen by the latte I drank at 4pm.
This wicked wired state is simply impossible to ease.

I imagine the birds will begin to chirp soon-
That’s when the night begins to transform to day
And my hopes for a beautiful night of sweet dreams are tossed into the abyss of sleeplessness.

Whatever fairy dust or calming angels you can send to surround me,
To bring me sleep in my sad stirring night,
Will bring me joy in the daytime tomorrow-
Or at least the hope that I won’t need another latte at 4pm.

Amen.

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

A Prayer of Gratitude for Thanksgiving’s Deliciousness

22 Wednesday Nov 2023

Posted by in Current Events, Holidays, Life, National Day Prayers, Pop Culture, Prayers

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Savory God,

As we bask in the warmth of the radiating heat from our ovens
And the cozy candles of vanilla and pumpkin-something,
We give much gratitude for the deliciousness of the holiday.

From the richness of our conversations-
Some spicy, some smooth-
To the sweetness of the pies and chocolate-something desserts,
We celebrate the flavors of the day.

For our loved ones near and far,
And the ways we connect to one another across the rooms and miles,
We are thankful to live in this time filled with many means of connection.

And for the tables at which we sit,
For the friends and family who warm our hearts,
For the ways we gather together again after a year or two of distancing-
Whether from illness, or strife, or that pandemic-thing-
We are grateful for the people in our lives who support us
Through the peaks and valleys,
Through the burnt pies and undercooked turkeys,
Through the wanted and unwanted political and religious discussions.

May peace radiate throughout our homes,
Across our tables,
Throughout our communities and countries,
And across our war-torn world.

Amen.

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

A Prayer for Bereaved Children

16 Thursday Nov 2023

Posted by in grief, Life, National Day Prayers, Prayers

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God of Our Falling Tears,

As seasons end, and the winds begin to hurl in a different direction,
Losses fill our once-innocent hearts.

For some of our young neighbors, there is a new hole in their lives-
A new source of wailing,
A new cloud blocking the light of life.

Death has grasped a hold of their future plans,
And the loss of someone close has dampened the laughter-filled air.

How will they learn to live without this person?
Where have they gone?
Why does nothing make sense?
So many questions swirl around their growing minds.

Anxiety grows, and trauma becomes an unwanted companion.
And all of us hope that they can find their mirthful youth once again-
Or something like it.

God of the lonely, the orphans, the mourners, the children of angels-
Grant a comfort that goes beyond words,
A peace that fills their aching hearts,
A strength that pulls them forward when they want to retreat.

May they know they are never alone,
That we walk with them,
And that you are their companion each rainy evening,
Starry night and cloudy day.

And may the joy of life reunite with them a little ways down the road.

Amen.

The third Thursday of November is Children’s Grief Awareness Day. In 2023, this falls on Thursday, November 16. This year, not only do we pray for the young people nearby whose hearts are aching after loss, but the children in Palestine and Israel who have lost family members.

A Prayer in Our Healing

02 Thursday Nov 2023

Posted by in Life, Prayers

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Healing Spirit, God of Wholeness,

Our bodies break as the years past.
Infections rage within our systems.
Injuries slow our bodies as we work to rehabilitate.

Our trips to urgent cares and hospital emergency rooms become more frequent.
We dial the doctor’s numbers as often, and schedule new procedures that we hope that will build us in body, mind and soul.

As we hurt beyond the everyday pains, we seek your presence to sustain us.
We seek your strength as our walking slows and our health declines.
We send strength to our neighbors looking for their third, fourth, or fifth winds.

We grasp for your energy as our minds tire, and our energy wanes.
And we notice that you, indeed, are with us on this journey.

We ask that you bless our curiosity, our path to healing, our hopes that improving upon our health is possible.
Bless our broken bodies, our complicated healing, our dreams left unanswered thanks to the challenges of health.

We know you are the healer and dreamer in each time and generation.
May we still have the dreams within us and the energy to sustain the attainment of these dreams,
And may your visions awaken the parts of our soul that cannot see your enduring hope.

Amen.

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

A Prayer for the Day of Forgiveness

28 Thursday Sep 2023

Posted by in National Day Prayers, Pop, Prayers

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Holy Fountain of Grace-

Our realm has become arid because of rifts, conflicts, arrogance, and shame. As the blazing winds of blame scorch our world, our souls have become dehydrated.

Like flowers, our hearts are wilting. They have held on to the grudges of the past. Each day, upon waking, they grasp at anything for energy. Yet nothing will quench our thirst of animosity.

Through you, God, we find the relief that comes with mercy. With you we search into our spirits to find ways to forgive. We know that sometimes we must hold a distance between us and the one who you call us to forgive – for the safety of our spirits, and minds, and bodies. Even so, the process of forgiveness is to release something from our souls.

Free us, God, from the grudges of the past, from the ones who wounded us. May the releasing of our resentment create space in our hearts for hope. If we can join together with those whom have hurt us, may peace bind us together and understanding become our companion.

Amen.

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

A Prayer of Lament After (Accidentally) Killing My Plants

21 Thursday Sep 2023

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Beloved Creator of the Universe,

In the hustle of life,
After walking past the plants in my kitchen
And telling myself “I’ll come back to water them later,”
I didn’t follow through on my promise.

God, for some reason you gave us plants that can withstand the homes of procrastinators.
And these plants look just as alive as the day in which we received them.
(Thank you, God, for aloe plants and succulents!)

And then there are the others.

The small rose plant that no longer resembles a living being.
The drooping spider plant that seemed to bid adieu to its thriving green hue.

For the times I never followed through on my promise to care for the creation in my home
I send my apologies to you, God.

Forgive me for ignoring the plants that resulted in their demise.

Help me to find the grace I need-
To stop dwelling on crunchy leaves and wilted flowers
Due to my inattention.

Revive any plant that can be resurrected.
I’ll do my best to bring love to the budding miracle.

May I become the water-bearing, light-carrying, nurturing human that you called to care for these plants
And all of creation.

Amen.

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