Tag Archives: Prayer

A Blessing of the Mason Jars

30 Saturday Nov 2019

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November 30 is National Mason Jar Day

God of creativity-

As we take a hold of the Mason Jars we have
we share our gratitude with you for the gifts they contain…

from the homemade jars of jam
and the pickles and pickles veggies,
to hot chocolate mixes
and candies.

Thank you for your delicious world and the hands which handed us these gifts.

We give you thanks for the creative possibilities each jar provides…

From being a container for soap
to displaying candles and flowers
and live plants which thrive in these jars.

God, the opportunities are endless!
(And Pinterest inspires us more…)

So bless our pint-sized vessels and quart-sized containers filled with possibilities.

May they help us grow closer to you and our neighbors. May they nudge us to use our gifts to create a beautiful, tasty world.

Amen.

A Prayer for World Kindness Day

13 Wednesday Nov 2019

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Divine Tenderness-

As our world withers from the chills of words
And our souls are flooded from the tides of hate,
We embrace the tiny seeds of kindness still abiding around us.

For the ones who reach across aisles and tear down barriers
Our hearts celebrate.
For the ones who stand up to animosity
And refuse to let hatred win,
We send our songs of thanksgiving.

May we step out of our way to be kind to our neighbor today.
May we eschew cynicism after all of the prejudice we’ve seen.
May we embrace the light within ourselves and all of your creation.

May your holy glow push through the cracks in barriers
To reach each of your children here on earth.

Amen.

A Prayer at First Frost

03 Sunday Nov 2019

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God whose love spans the seasons-

Late Autumn’s first frost has spoken,
Giving the world its sparkling gray hairs
And its plants wrinkles and jowls-
A reminder that Summer’s youthful glow
Has fallen away.

Frost’s beautiful glisten distracts us from the cold reality
Of the realm around us.

Divine Warmth, as the temperatures continue to dive,
Bless the ones whose homes lack heat,
The ones whose have no shelter,
The ones who can’t afford heated cars and lined coats.

Only through our work with you can your children feel your warmth.
Challenge us to give and serve
So that winter’s first frost
And the chill of the long nights
Will not have the last word.

Amen.

A Prayer as We Remember Our Saints

01 Friday Nov 2019

Posted by in grief, Pop, Prayers

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God of Expanding Love,

Our week pauses as we remember the ones who walked with us here on earth. Our day stops as we cherish the memories of the people whose energy are forever embedded within our souls…

For the saints who let us call them grandparents. For our time together in the kitchen and wandering around garage sales, as we learned stitches from them and listened to their stories. May their talents challenge us to be our best selves.

For the saints who led us in classrooms. For their steadfast encouragement which still walks with us today. May their educating spirit uplift our souls until our last days.

For the saints who hit the clubs with us in our twenties and spent countless hours with us as we cried over broken hearts.  For the ones who sat on the phone with us as we shared our joys. May our friendship abide in eternity.

For the saints in the pews near us. For their faith which carried us when we couldn’t see the road ahead. May their songs continue to be remembered on Sunday mornings, in meeting spaces, and fellowship gatherings.

For the saints which called us their children. For their Divine-like love that comforted us when our fevers spiked or skinned knees. May we forever celebrate the peaceful moments of their love.

For our beloveds that no longer walk this earth with us. For the moments of laughter now embedded in our souls. May each tear shed and each tale told be a testament to our love shared.

If only we could hear your voice alive again…

If only we could engage in simple disagreements…

If only we could tell you how sorry we were for that one thing we did wrong in 1995…

Our hearts feel torn by the assault of grief. Our minds feel foggy from mourning’s arrival.

And yet here we are – weeks, months, years, decades removed from the last time we shared space with them. Here we are surviving. Here we are- carrying their love into tomorrow.

God of the broken-hearted, as we walk together into the future, allow us your peace which goes beyond understanding, a peace that will enrich our strength as we continue on our journeys. May the tools left behind by our saints empower us to build your kin-dom here on earth.

Amen.

A Prayer Before Daybreak

05 Thursday Sep 2019

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God of Mystery-

As the night peels away from the far reaches of the sky
And the dew visits the tips of grass’ blades,
May your calmness wrap around our souls
Like a blanket.

May the sounds of morning’s friends
Welcome us back from dreamland.

Rescue us from the grasps of anxiety
And the claims of hopelessness.

Sing to us the songs of mercy,
And grant us the grace to embrace this fresh start that we see with each sunrise.

Amen.

A Prayer Upon Receiving a Diagnosis

24 Saturday Aug 2019

Posted by in Health, Pop, Prayers

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Molecular God who abides in my veins,
As the words spill from the doctor’s mouth
Of a new diagnosis,
Of a new reality,
Of a new normal,
Hold steady my shaking soul.

There are words now for the pain I’ve been feeling,
And I’m happy that it’s finally not “all in my head.”
Yet now it’s real.
Now I really must face this.
Now I must see that this body of mine is finite
And admit I will not live forever.

May good days be good, and may they be plentiful.
May bad days be few and far between.
May medicines work.
May side effects be rare.
And may the aches not distract me from your presence.

Amen.

Eternal Resilience: A Prayer Remembering the Armenian Genocide of 1915

24 Wednesday Apr 2019

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This was originally posted on my blog in 2015.

Soothing Spirit,
Whose gentle winds hovered over the Euphrates,
Surround our souls with support in these days of remembrance.

Strengthen our resolve to never let anyone forget
The atrocities of April 24 and beyond –
The genocide of the Armenian People.

They wanted to kill all of the aunts and uncles and grandparents
And place the very last one in a museum to show their sordid victory.

But they did not win.
Hate was not victorious.

We remember the spirits of our ancestors,
Of our sisters and brothers in Christ,
Marching through the mayhem
Of death, confusion, loss.
We remember their steps on the march to Deir-Zor-
Their empty stomachs and heavy hearts.
Their lives chipped away
As they lost their mom, or baby, or brother,
and endured violations of body, mind and soul.

In gratitude, we remember those who defied their people,
The Turkish and Kurdish souls who rebelled against the powers-that-be
Saving the lives of our kin.
We are grateful for those who stand against the powers today
And refuse to call these events anything but a genocide.

Heal our hearts as the deniers’ speeches become
Louder and louder.
Their words will melt into the pool of justice one day.

We give voice to the trauma that lingered in survivors’ hearts
From the days they left their homes in the ‘Old Country’
To the moment when they saw the face of God.

Help all who carry the stories of the past into the future
So that we will not forget,
And we will not stand by,
As more of God’s children are massacred.

We pray for the survivors of all genocides that burned our earth
And stole our siblings-
Armenia, the Holocaust, Rwanda, Cambodia, Bosnia, Darfur, and then some…
And then some more…
Knowing that God will give them resurrection from the ashes of yesterday,
rising into the winds of tomorrow.

Read my grandfather’s story of survival during the Armenian Genocide here. 

National Take a Chance Day Prayer

23 Tuesday Apr 2019

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Chaotic, Creative God-

The winds of change hover over your creation, nudging us towards a new heaven here on earth.

As the dry winds from the south pick up, causing us to remain inside our comfort zones, your Spirit is throwing open doors and windows, begging us to move back into the world.

In a vulnerable state, we slowly emerge into ferocious terrain- an atmosphere which wants to remain at rest and at unrest.

But here you are, God, asking us to take chances, asking us to speak boldly, love courageously, and care fiercely.

Today, we ask for prayers of strength to advocate for our neighbors on the margins. We pray for bravery as we allow mercy to emerge from our traumatized, closed-up souls.

We are willing to heed your call and take chances that build a more-caring world and share love which unites us and magnifies your image in one another.

Amen.

A Prayer for Firefighters

24 Sunday Mar 2019

Posted by in Lent Prayers, Pop, Prayers, Vocation Prayers

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Spirit of Healing Winds-

Fires take hold of mountainsides and homes.  Dry weather and electrical mishaps cause tragic infernos.

As the flames heighten and grasp our lands, our firefighters rush to the incidents.  Their courage drives them to risk their well-being for the health and lives of others.

For their strength and determination, we share our gratitude.

We pray for first responders who are facing trauma years after an incident.  We remember that many of our firefighters who worked to rescue survivors and recover victims of September 11, 2001 have fallen ill and struggling to hold onto their lives.  May their peace and health prosper, and may they see a future with hope.

We pray for the many chaplains walking alongside of our firefighters.  May they bring your comfort to our first responders with wounds from the skin to the soul.

May your winds be kind to the raging flames.  May your water soothe the fires that rage.  May your land heal in the seasons that follow a wildfire’s frenzy.

And may those who stand against each fire feel the strength of your presence in their confrontation with nature’s elements.

Amen.

*****

This is part of a series of Lenten daily prayers for various careers. The list was determined by St. Paul UCC, Belleville, IL.

A Prayer for Farmers

23 Saturday Mar 2019

Posted by in Lent Prayers, Pop, Prayers, Vocation Prayers

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Holy Sower, Holy Harvester-

For the ones who till the ground, we celebrate.

For their early hours and long days, for their weathered hands which plow and pluck, for their strategic minds which plans out lands- – we laud their exceptional efforts.

Bless their hours as they intensely labor in the fields. Bless their land as the seeds burst forth from the soil. Bless the roots as they embed within the dirt. Bless the clouds which bring forth rain, and bless the sun which dances upon the leaves of trees our farmers have planted.

May our farmers, landscapers, and all who work in gardens find time to rest. May their sabbaths be filled with moments of sleep and joy.

We thank you for their endeavors in co-creating with you: the fruits and grains, the vegetables and beans, and the trees which shade our grounds.

Amen.