Tag Archives: Prayers

A Prayer for Bartenders and Baristas

11 Monday Mar 2019

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

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Creator of Coffee Beans and the Fruit of the Vine-

With gratitude, we bless the bartenders and baristas in our midst. Their sweet libations – whether with or without alcohol – bring neighbors together for conversations and celebrations.

Whether mixing cocktails, shaking martinis, blending frappés, or creating a heart of foam on the top of a latte, their attention to detail is focused on serving their patrons. Their time and talents bring joy to their guests sitting at bars and tables and as conversations flow between friends and work is done silently in corners.

Their pastoral care from behind the bar gives our neighbors a chance to be heard and seen. The confessional by the beer on tap allows our friends to feel less alone. For our baristas and bartenders who listen, we give our thanks.

Holy Mixologist, may we celebrate their service in the hospitality industry. Give them the courage to care for their guests, holding boundaries and discerning when to stop the drinks from flowing as guests reach their fill of spirits.

We honor their calling as we remember your son, the Great Sommelier, who served the best wine in celebration of love and joy.

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 Beauticians and Barbers

10 Sunday Mar 2019

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

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Divine Stylist of Creation,

For the cuts and colors by our stylists and barbers, we give our gratitude. Their clips and foils, manicures and braids bring a sense of warmth to the lives of their clients.

Bless the work of their hands as they give the care others seek. Bless their own hands as they trim and color, wax and shave. May their hands hold up in this repetitive work. Protect their fingers, wrists, arms, and backs as they clip and stand for hours to care for their neighbors.

For the times they listen to our life stories and work hard to give us the result we desire, we celebrate. May these caregivers find the energy they need to continue in their careers joyfully.

Amen.

*****

This is part of a series of Lenten daily prayers for various careers.

 

A Prayer for Bankers

09 Saturday Mar 2019

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

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Divine Source of All Resources-

In seasons of financial stability and uncertainty, we pray for our bankers. As they sit behind desks and bullet-proof glass, allow them to feel safe in their places of work.

May they see the ways in which their practices encourage growth in the world. May they embrace justice and righteousness as they assess and calculate. May they feel the nudge from you to make decisions that serve the entire community. May grace light the way in their decision-making and their service-giving.

While we know their decisions must be financially responsible, we pray that they can discover ways in which they can work with our neighbors who are struggling. By co-managing with our bankers, God, encourage them to create systems where people of all means – including those who have financial challenges – can find their own well-being.

With joy, we give thanks for the ways they invest in our communities. No matter the market, allow them to see their purpose and place in our cities.

Amen.

*****

This is part of a series of Lenten daily prayers for various careers.

A Prayer for Bakers

08 Friday Mar 2019

Posted by in Lent Prayers, Pop, Vocation Prayers

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Divine Culinarian who brought forth the Bread of Life and Cup of Salvation,

With gratitude, we celebrate the bakers in our midst. Through the work of their hands, they create edible masterpieces that neighbor can share with neighbor.

Their offerings bring peace to the ones looking for comfort food. Their offerings bring joy to the young people celebrating birthdays and the couples joining their lives together in marriage.

The bread they bake sits on communion tables as your children are reminded to “take and eat.” The pastries created by them will bring people together in our fellowship halls when worship ends.

Bless their hands in the rolling of dough and the ovens as breads rise and bake. Bless the hearts who laugh together in the kitchen as they decorate cookies or finish pies.

Through the work of their hands, we partake in fellowship and see the presence of the Christ in our midst.

Amen.

*****

This is part of a series of Lenten daily prayers for various careers.

A Prayer for Artists

07 Thursday Mar 2019

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

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Holy Chaos, Holy Creator,

Through the hands of your artists, the world shines. Through the minds of your artists, the world holds no confines. Through the hearts of your artists, the world continues to grow.

In works of art, your universe explores your visions and solidifies your dreams. By answering this calling, our earthly creators co-design a just-filled world with you.

Kindle imaginations and spark energy in the souls of our artists. Allow the world to see your presence through the work of their hands.

Amen.

*****

This is part of a series of Lenten daily prayers for various careers

A Prayer for Air Traffic Controllers

06 Wednesday Mar 2019

Posted by in Lent Prayers, Pop, Prayers

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Spirit who abides in the air and on the ground,

We pray for our neighbors who shepherd the skies. As they evaluate screens and data, may they become aware of the necessity of their vocations. Allow them to grasp how their time and talents ensure the safety of many.

We pray that their hours in front of computers are filled with meaningful moments. May clarity guide their minds. May peace guilds their hearts. May stress fall from their souls.

For their time in towers, we send our thanks. Allow their spirits to become refreshed and renewed. And nudge us to send them a prayer each time we enter the skies.

Amen.

*****

This is part of a series of Lenten daily prayers for various careers.

Advent Prayers – A Prayer on Premature Nights

13 Thursday Dec 2018

Posted by in Advent prayers, Current Events, Holidays, Life, Pop

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God who thrives in the shadows-
The frigid winds drive us back into our winter abodes
Nearly isolating us from our neighbors
And capturing our uplifted spirits until Spring.

As night arrives earlier than yesterday’s appearance,
We ask that this season refuses to keep us from spiritual seclusion
As we fight against our natural tendency to hibernate.

May this season of long nights
Be ones filled with warm memories,
Inviting conversations,
Cozy dwellings,
And rooms of mirth.

When the shadows grow long
And hope escapes,
May our spirits find breath to endure until tomorrow.

Amen.

A Retail Worker’s Prayer

23 Friday Nov 2018

Posted by in Current Events, Life, Pop

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Ever-Present One, as the day seems long, and our energy is dwindling, give us the strength to see the hope and joy in this very moment.

Give us patience during these many hours. Help us to reach out in love. Open our eyes to new possibilities in our jobs. Present to us opportunities to spend time with friends and family, And provide us with restful sleep tonight.

Amen.

Eden in the Wilderness (A Prayer for Our Tree of Life Siblings)

29 Monday Oct 2018

Posted by in Current Events, grief, Pop, Prayers, Social Justice

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“For the Lord will comfort Zion;
he will comfort all her waste places,
and will make her wilderness like Eden,
her desert like the garden of the Lord;
joy and gladness will be found in her,
thanksgiving and the voice of song.” – Isaiah 51:3

Your prophets told the people that Eden would be here.  Your prophets foretold comfort and joy, gardens and gladness.

And upon arrival, only wastelands stand.

So where is this flowering land?  Where is the spiritual destination foretold?  Where is the sanctuary where soul and body are safe and nourished?  They thought they had arrived…

And yet – only the raw wilderness remains.

Rather than a wilderness flourishing like Eden, this garden remains rocky.  Its sandy soil erodes with each bigoted downpour.

The diaspora people in their new orchards struggle for the fruits to blossom while deep, infiltrating weeds of privilege sprout and strangle.  The flowerbeds cannot abide in beauty while wayward shrubs obstruct the sun’s streams of healing and nurture.

We keep praying for comfort.  Comfort the people.  Comfort our neighbors.  But the warm winds are blocked by the biting breeze of bigotry.

We ask again for their comfort.  And, this time, we must ask for our complacency to end.  We must work for our inertia to end.

Divine Cultivator, even when the winds are harsh and the weeds unruly, let us be willing to abide together in orchards.  Let us be willing to sow together in new gardens, and may we be willing to uproot the crabgrass which overtakes healthy soil.

May Eden abide in the diaspora, and may we be willing to cultivate Eden with all your gardeners.

Amen.

 

© 2018   Rev. Michelle L. Torigian.  Permission is given to reproduce for worship or educational purposes.

A Prayer for Christine Blasey Ford (And All Telling Their Painful Stories)

27 Thursday Sep 2018

Posted by in Current Events, Pop, Prayers, Social Justice

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God, you waited with us in our shadows,
You currently abides with us on thresholds
And you will walk with us in the sun-

Today, a voice will exclaim her truth.
And you will be with her.

There have been many women and men throughout the ages who have sat in chairs-
Watching as they’ve expressed themselves
And detailed a piece of their past.

Yet trauma awaits them in the chambers,
Lurking behind tables,
Entering the room through vicious questions and piercing stares.

May peace rest upon the heart of Christine
And may her soul be soothed.

May others who need to tell their stories – whether related to this particular case
Or other cases-
Find your strength that already abides in their hearts.

And for the questioners…
May wisdom fill their dreams as they sleep.
And as they wake,
May your clarity guide them when speaking
And may openness stir them into listening.

For the ones who commit such abuses,
Who have left scars upon the spirits of many,
May your voice enter their minds.
May the winds of change nudge them to repent
Not only for the survivors, but for the spiritual survival of our world.

We are slowing moving towards justice.
May Christine find healing
May we say her name, Anita’s Name,
The names of women throughout times and spaces –
From Tamar to Vashti and many more.
In lifting their resilience and courage
We will find ours too.

Amen.