Tag Archives: Prayer

A Prayer for World Arthritis Day

12 Tuesday Oct 2021

Posted by in Health, National Day Prayers, Pop, Prayers

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God of All Connections and Connectors,

Our joints stiffen and swell. Radiating pain shoots across our necks, backs, knees, and hands. What aches will tomorrow bring? we ask ourselves. How do we walk one step at a time or fulfill our callings with the limited use of our bodies?

As we mark World Arthritis Day, may the gifts of treatments better our lives. May inflammation decrease and movement increase. May we figure out how to live fully even when various types of arthritis threaten our futures. May your Spirit guide us in the shadows and lead us into the sunlight again.

Amen.

A World Water Day Prayer

22 Monday Mar 2021

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Divine Pool of Droplets,

As we gaze into your lakes and rivers, we honor the waters you designed on this earth.

Your seashores remind us of your design of this planet and all the gifts to allow us to flourish.

Bless the tides and oceans. Bless the rains that dance upon the dirt. Fill our jars with clean water.

May your stream continue to flow, gifting clean water to all neighbors. May this water be easily attained by people in all cities and countries. Keep all of your children hydrated and refreshed.

Amen.

A Lament in Times of Covid Anger

19 Thursday Nov 2020

Posted by in COVID Prayers, Health, Pop

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God who abides with us in times of lament…

Oh how could we be here! How can our neighbors care so little about us, focusing on freedom instead of compassion?

Despair and resentment grow within my heart. At some point I’ll reflect on forgiveness, but right now I rage.

It was more important for some to hold big parties which created more cases instead of imagining how their actions would ripple into the world.

It was more important for some people to make a point of not wearing masks for the sake of their “freedom” instead of embracing the beauty of connection and sacrifice for the greater good.

It was more important for people to defy recommendations based on ideology instead of seeking science and reason.

And so our medical professionals worry each day if they are next. Because some wanted to out to dinner, our schools must close. Because of ego, gatherings commence when they should be placed on hold.

Dear God, I’m angry. I’m furious because our loved ones can’t gather with us for holidays. Some are sick. Others are dying. I’m angry at our fierce independence because it creates barriers to achieve a healthy society.

I’m angry because they don’t care about my health.

So with my neighbors, we scream in anger at where we are today, knowing that some turn their backs on justice and mercy, on interconnectedness and love.

I’m not ready to forgive. I’m not ready to forget.

Amen.

A Prayer for Veterans Day

11 Wednesday Nov 2020

Posted by in Holidays, National Day Prayers, Prayers

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Sustaining God-

As we stop to ponder the past, we recall the ones who placed their lives on pause to risk, to strengthen and nurture the spirit of our country.

With gratitude today, we remember our veterans. For many, the wars aren’t over. For many, trauma is relived day after day. For many the pain in their bodies and their missing limbs remind them of the horrors of war.

Can we thank them enough? Can we create a world in which war is rare? Can we ensure their post-war care is strong and fruitful?

For their risks, for their sacrifices, we honor them. For the veterans who are now our saints, we celebrate their memories with love.

May peace abide in their hearts. May comfort claim their souls. May we see that our lives are connected to their efforts, and their care is essential to the Body of Christ being whole.

Amen.

A Prayer for Grandparents on Grandparents’ Day

12 Saturday Sep 2020

Posted by in National Day Prayers, Prayers

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God of our Living Saints,

May we celebrate the grandparents among us and the ones who have passed on.
With gratitude, we acknowledge the love they shared with us-
From the dinners cooked to the trips taken.

We bless the grandparents who are taking on extra duties-
Sitting with children learning lessons and sharing their homes with children whose parents aren’t around.

We pray for their energy as they work hard imparting wisdom, and we ask for your healing love to sustain them as they continue to grow older.

We thank you also for the bonus grandparents among us: the step-grandparents, the great-aunts and uncles, and the ones who have filled the roles of grandparents for us. May they know what impact they have made on our lives.

God of the autumn harvest, bless the fruits of these relationships, that they may multiply and we keep these memories with us forever.

Amen.

A Prayer for Students Starting School, COVID-19 Style

20 Thursday Aug 2020

Posted by in COVID Prayers, Life, Pop, Prayers, Quarantine Liturgy and Prayers

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Creator God, source of all knowledge and wisdom-
In this unique era of our lives,
When laptops on kitchen tables
And masks in public spaces
Have become our norm,
We ask for blessing of our students.

Some of these young scholars will be learning in classrooms.
We pray for health in body, mind, and soul.
Bless their masks as they wear them from first bell to last.
Bless the air in the classrooms.  Bless their unusual recesses and lunchtimes.
May wellness be their companion.

Some of our learners are absorbing knowledge from new spaces-
Laptops instead of smartboards
Dining room tables instead of desks.
May their focus be great.
May connections grow between students and teachers
And students with one another.
We pray for health in mind, soul, and body.
Bless the energy in their homes, and the loved ones assisting them.

Bless the students navigating education
As they split their time between home and school-
Parents, grandparents and friends.
We pray for health in soul, mind, and body
We pray for the health of all their connections.
May their unique schooling inspire all of us to think outside of boxes.

Bless the parents wondering how to balance all of this.
The family members who are classmates and teachers in our current world.

Bless the teachers, staff, and administrators leading in this new realm of education.

Bless our communities as we work to stay well and reduce the spread of COVID-19.

May 2020 be the year in which we grow with you, God of wisdom.

Amen.

 

A Prayer for Sad Days of the Pandemic

12 Wednesday Aug 2020

Posted by in COVID Prayers, Pop

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God of laughs and tears-
In this dreadful episode of our lives,
When the days are long and nearly the same
And our adventures are limited,
The grief is pouring from our heavy hearts.

For some, the work is getting harder.
Our taxed minds are exhausted from making decisions.
We feel isolated, neglected, dismissed-
Sad.
Where is the energy we had at the beginning?
We were going to save the world with our work!
But two weeks became a month which became a season.
And nearly six months later,
What now?

On top of all of this,
Children are learning remotely,
Parents must learn to be two places at once.
We are dreading the spread of COVID,
And our loved ones are very sick and dying.

When will life return to normal?
Will life return to normal?
Will we sleep normally again?

O God, show your presence in these cloudy days
When the waters of visioning are murky
And we don’t know how to style tomorrow.

O God, show us your presence as our hearts sink
And as the winds of the unknown swirl around us.

Fill our souls with hope,
And may we see the land of possibilities again.

Amen.

A Prayer for Purple Heart Day

07 Friday Aug 2020

Posted by in National Day Prayers, Pop, Prayers

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God of strength and resilience,
on this Purple Heart Day,
we celebrate the valor of our service member siblings.

We remember the ones who risked their lives-
those who returned to us- some healed, others healing,
and those who sacrificed their lives- now abiding with God on that side of heaven.

God of broken bodies and shattered souls,
we pray for our siblings injured in a time of war or during a time of service.
May their stories be lifted and spirits elevated.
May the light of the Divine be a balm to the injuries marked on their souls and hearts.
May the winds of the Spirit build their resilience.
May we, as your children, Holy One, advocate for their healing.

Allow us to see our place in the well-being of all our neighbors and, especially today, the ones who are the wounded brave.

Amen.

***
Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons

Living as the Vine and Branches in the Era of COVID-19: A Worship Liturgy

13 Wednesday May 2020

Posted by in Current Events, Liturgy, Pop, Quarantine Liturgy and Prayers

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This week, I’m going off lectionary to continue to preach on the challenges of COVID-19.  I suppose I feel called to preach on the John 15 text that we see in Easter year B.  As part of the sermon, I will be using the 1 Corinthians 12 “Body of Christ” text as well.

Entry into Worship
Like a vine wrapped around a fence,
the Divine thrives in our world.
Like each flourishing branch of the vine,
we, too, blossom in our connection to God and neighbor.
Even though we may be worshiping in individual spaces,
Through the Spirit, we are forever united.
When the complete vine suffers, we all suffer together.
When humankind struggles, we all struggle together.
May we see our well-being as a piece of the whole
and as connected to God and neighbor.

Invocation
God of Connections, in this world of isolation, bring us closer together in ways we’ve never previously experienced.  In this world of heartache, call us to use words and deeds to bring comfort to our neighbors.  Grant us the lens to see our siblings across this world as a part of our realm.  May we balance our desire for fierce autonomy with a growing sense of the covenant we have with you and neighbor.   Amen.

Prayer of Reconciliation
Loving God, Divine Connector,
Right now, we have few opportunities to look into the eyes of our neighbors-
from friend to stranger
and from those who bring us comfort to those who bring us uneasiness.
Because of this physical distance, we are forgetting the great connection between all of us.
We make decisions based only on our needs.
We dismiss concerns, ailments, and the despair of our neighbors.
We forget their health is connected to our health,
and their prosperity is tied with ours.
In this season of wilderness, may we see that loving our neighbor as ourselves is a piece of your Great Commandment,
and may we begin to see how the well-being of all are linked.  Amen.

Assurance of Grace
The God of Humankind, our Great Connector, continues to open our spirits to the needs of our neighbors.  God continually pours grace upon our souls, calling us to new beginnings and hope-filled futures.  Amen!

Reflection on Giving
The Divine Connector, Christ, the Great Vine, calls us to see how our actions impact the lives of others.  God our Connector directs us to how our treasures, talents, and time are best used in this season.  Even in this time of quarantine and wilderness, we are being asked to give as we can to our neighbors, our community, and our congregation.  By our contributions, we promote healing between neighbors and gratitude for what God has given each of us.

In this spirit of thanksgiving, we pray together,

Holy Binder, you yearn for your children to join together for the well-being of all.  You desire that each of us shares our gifts for the unity of your kin-dom.  With gratitude, we celebrate the treasures, talents, and time we contribute to our church and community.  May our work and our gifts nourish each branch on the Great Vine.  Amen.

Benediction
May God, the Great Connector, open our souls to the ones across our cities.
May Christ, the Great Vine, open our hearts to the ones across our states.
May the Holy Spirit, the Great Soul, open our minds to the ones across our country and world.
We are many branches on the one Great Vine.
Love and care for the people connected to this Vine as if each of our well-beings depend on it.
Amen.

A Prayer When I Feel Like I’m Getting Sick

25 Saturday Jan 2020

Posted by in Health, Pop, Prayers

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God of the Handkerchiefs, Spirit of the Humidifers,
As my throat increases in scratchiness,
And the chills and aches invade my space,
May your strength fill my cells with health.

Hear my lament: “Nooooooooooooo!  Achoo!”
*Cough Cough*
“UGH!”

If this is, indeed, an illness,
May this be brief, and my I gain my strength back soon.
Give me the patience to rest.
May my schedule be light this week
And my tasks few
So that I can nurse myself back to health.

If this happens to be a false alarm,
May I pay attention to my body
And avoid the plague like the plague.

Amen.