Tag Archives: progressive Christianity

A Prayer for ADHD Awareness Month

01 Saturday Nov 2025

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

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , , , , , , ,

Loving God, Ultimate Divine Manager of Time and Space,

It’s taken me until 11:05pm at the end of ADHD Awareness Month to write this prayer.
I’m sure you’re not surprised.

I’ve also put off writing more of my prayers as you see here on this blog.
Why? Because there are 100 tabs open in my brain,
And I’m wondering why I’m overthinking everything.

There’s so much to say in this prayer, Holy One.
So I’ll start here…

I’ve overanalyzed everything, my brain is tired.
I’ve delayed what is needed due to waves of the brain crashing.
I’ve been called many names, splashed in shame, and found myself spiraling.

But now it has a name. Or letters.
And I know this brain mirrors your holy design.

So may each of us – diagnosed by self or a provider
And each of us speculating that we have ADHD,
May all of us whether medicated or unmedicated,
Whether hyperactive externally or internally,
Know that you love us completely.

When the world criticizes or turns their backs,
We know whose child we are
And in whose image we are made.

May we experience joy as we meet fellow ADHDers on the journey
And share our stories with one another.
May this joy extend to naming our greatest strengths,
Our strongest supporters,
And our working therapies.

And because you are the designer of space and time,
May we grow in our relationship with each
And help our neurodiverse kin grow in awareness, grace, and love.

Amen.

(c) 2025 written by Michelle L. Torigian. Permission to use with attribution.

A Mean Girls Day Blessing

04 Saturday Oct 2025

Posted by in National Day Prayers, Pop, Pop Culture

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , , , , , , , ,

God of the Bright Colors, Hopeful Futures, and Messy School Days,

We know the Regina Georges live in our world,
Demanding full reign of whatever earthly empire we’re a part of.
We cringe at her (or his, or their) power filled with piercing words
And a dominance that we can’t name.

We fall to their needs.
We follow their ways because it’s easy,
And more importantly-
We stay in line so that we remain on their happy sides.

They won’t come after us.
They won’t embarrass us. Right?

But mean girls exist.
Telling us what words work or don’t.
Deciding what we should wear
And how to eat and style our hair.

Oh mean girls come in all shapes and ages.
So, Dear Holy One-
Who gives us wisdom like Ms. Norbury-
May we see your image in all the others in our schools,
And in our workplaces, our organizations, our neighborhoods and churches.
May we seek to understand their lives
And judge less as we cringe at criticism.

May we see the ways of Cady Heron,
The good and the ugly.
May we refuse to expose others weaknesses,
Stepping away from the ways of the crowds,
Embracing ourselves and shining our gifts.
Not sabotaging others – even the ones who have sabotaged us.

May we share our crown with our siblings out there
Because our souls are fabulous.
And maybe one of these days.
Mean Girls will be a piece of the past
And we can live in a harmonious siblinghood-
But still wear pink on Wednesdays.

Amen.

(c) 2025 Michelle L. Torigian. Permission to use with attribution.
Image from Netflix South Africa on Instagram
October 3 is considered Mean Girls Day.

A Blessing of the Cats

08 Thursday Aug 2024

Posted by in Life, Pop, Pop Culture, Prayers

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

, , , , , , , , ,

Holy Crafter of all Creatures Great and Small-

Our beloved meow-makers and purr-producers are some of our greatest gifts.
The cats in our lives paint our hearts with joy and our homes with fur.

We give thanks for the ways we feel peace as we pet their backs
And talk with them as if they are our children.

Whether it be hairballs left on the floor or scratches in the furniture,
We know their imperfections still delight our souls.

May their health be well,
May their temperaments be…whatever “normal” cat-like behavior is.
May they enjoy looking out for insects and rodents for us
(But not leave them as “gifts” on our doormats),
May they stay away from anything that could poison their well-being.
And may they find joy – even when they seem like they are ignoring us.

We bless the cat-parents, the foster-families, and the ones who care for our felines.
May their hearts appreciate their beloved pets,
As they rub their heads against our hands,
As they sit upon our laps,
And as they follow us around the house.

God of all Joy,
Bless these beautiful beings,
Their stripes of many colors
Their fur of various lengths,
And meows of many volumes.

Amen.

A Prayer for National Donut Day

07 Friday Jun 2024

Posted by in Holidays, Life, National Day Prayers, National Donut Day, Pop, Pop Culture, Prayers

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , , ,

God of the Circle Desserts and Square Breads,

In this Holy and Holely world, we walk the line of the sacred and profane, the healthy and unhealthy, the joyous and morose. We fill our lives with delicious desserts and bland vegetables.

You continue to call us to paths of celebration – even through the wilderness. And even when life discourages us, we mark the deliciousness of today: National Donut Day.

The delightful dough dropped into the fryer, converting bread-like fare into a deceptively delicious dessert. Tables have been transformed into joyous parties. Breakfast has received a pleasure like no other. Coffee has a friend as the bitter and sweet have danced together, creating a treat for many to enjoy.

Bless the donuts and makers of donuts. We know donut-making time is early, and the days are long. Bless the glaze and powdered sugar and all of the miraculous fillings.

And thank you for friends who bring us donuts and coffee to bring joy into our lives.

Amen.

(c) 2024 Rev. Michelle L. Torigian.

A Lament of a Misogynistic Speech

15 Wednesday May 2024

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

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

, , , , , , , , , , ,

God of talents reaching all of humanity,

We have reached beyond the barriers of a new millennium by a quarter of a century. We’ve seen the progress which all genders have made. We’ve celebrated the gifts which all genders experience. No matter your gender, you contribute to this world in all types of ways. There are no limits-

Until a commencement speech says otherwise. Back in the kitchen? God we don’t all have culinary skills. Women as homemakers? Maybe some women, or men, or non-binary friends because that is THEIR calling. And not everyone has the same gifts.

I’m no homemaker. You didn’t call me to such spaces. You asked me to preach, to teach, to care for the sick, to encourage my neighbor, to inspire.

And as many women look ahead to the future with bursting dreams, their graduation speaker tells them that home is where they need to be.

I couldn’t imagine being a women in 1950, dreadfully forced to stay home and cook. Urged to set aside ambition of using my calling and gifts. Yet, here we are with men wanted to ship us back to the mid-20th century.

Bless the women who are homemakers. Bless all genders who are called to care for the home and children. We give thanks for their calling as we know it’s their own.

But Holy Dreamer and Deliverer of Gifts, you didn’t limit us based on gender or anything else. So let’s toss aside his voice and move ahead knowing that you, God, is bigger than his image of you. You rip expectations apart as you fill this world with every possibility imaginable.

May you Spirit turn over these small-minded misogynists as they learn to open themselves to YOUR dreams.

Amen.

(c) 2024 Rev. Michelle L. Torigian

Artwork by ArtsyBee on Pixabay

A Blessing for the Words We Need

01 Wednesday May 2024

Posted by in Life, Pop, Prayers

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

God who paints the world with images, letters, and colors-

As the world spins on its axis,
As day and night rapidly waltz throughout our lives,
Our expressions design the relationships between us and friends,
Between us and loved ones,
Between us and strangers,
Between us and enemies.

We reach for the right words when penning a letter to a relative
Or making the call to end a relationship.
We crave the appropriate sentiments as we dare stand for ourselves
Or issue an apology.
We seek the right terms when our friends weep with grief
Or when we desire to write the perfect poem.

Letter and languages often escape us, God of Words.
Into the fog of our minds go phrases and terms.
We give much gratitude for the thesaurus,
For the plethora of synonyms to make our language elegant.
And when all of the concepts come together on a page
Or in a speech
Or in a conversation
Or in a prayer,
We sing your praises
God of commandments and covenants.

May words reach our minds quickly.
May sentiments be appropriate and soothing.
May peace and comfort flow from our hearts
Using the words you need us to say.

Amen.

(c) 2024 Rev. Michelle L. Torigian. Permission to use with attribution.

A Lament for Constant Anxiety

29 Monday Apr 2024

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

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , , , , ,

Divine Deliverer of All Beings,

As the vibrations under my skin reach unheard of levels,
And my heart shivers at the state of the outside world,
I curse my mind and all of its thoughts as it drags me down a shadow-filled road.

Oh mind, you think of everything,
Yes all the good, and all the ideas,
Blessings of creativity and newness of plans!
For this, Steadfast God, I am forever grateful!

Yet, as my brain connects A and B, left and right, red and green,
It births horrors and creates day-mares.
What will go wrong? Who is it that isn’t happy?
What could fail or fall tomorrow… or later today?
What streaks of messiness will it create next?

God, I know you have given me my brain.
It’s beautiful and gifted and gives me what I need.
But there are spinoffs and offshoots from the synapses-
Paving me sparkly roads of people pleasing,
Creating curvy roads of perfectionism.

And yet I still thank you for my brain,
The constant working – even the overfunctioning of its synapses.
For with the disastrous thoughts there are many good.
For with the messiness, there is love.
For with the anxiety, there is care.
This blessed brain is needed here.

Amen.

(c) 2024 Rev. Michelle L. Torigian. Permission to use with attribution.

Photo by KeilaSmile24 on Pixabay: https://pixabay.com/illustrations/ai-generated-think-mind-man-alone-8584099/

A Blessing of the Storytellers

21 Thursday Mar 2024

Posted by in National Day Prayers, Poetry, Pop, Pop Culture, Prayers, Vocation Prayers

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Holy Crafter of All Narratives,

As our stories are etched into our memories
And become part of this universe’s great chronicles,
Bless the ones who continue to write and speak the tales of their kins
And the fiction birthed from their souls.

For the stories that derived from holy sources
And the great epic tales entertaining one generation to the next,
We cherish the blessed memories and myths that continue to pave our planet.

For the voices of storytellers,
For their animated faces and expressions with hands,
We share our joy.
For the creative ways they tell a tale,
And the way they keep stories alive,
We celebrate their gifts.

For the creators of the written word,
From ones writing history from the marginalized
to the ones who write in ways with captivating language,
We give our thanks.

May the stories continue from age to age.
May the narratives of our ancestors never be forgotten.
May the stories that were silenced be amplified once again.
May courage empower the narrators and poets.
And may we know the power of passing our stories forward.

Amen.

March 20 is World Storytelling Day

(c) 2024 Rev. Michelle L. Torigian. Permission to use with attribution.

A National Backward Day Prayer

31 Wednesday Jan 2024

Posted by in Life, National Day Prayers, Pop, Pop Culture

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , , , , , ,

God of the Upside Downs,

You’ve created the beauty of chaos, the accidental inside out clothing, the wrong turns, and the incorrect spellings. None of these upset you in the same ways they shake us. Instead, you continue to find light even in the bizarreness of life.

In the moments when we are frustrated by the slowness of computers and drivers ahead of us, we ask for your patience. When we are stopped by each red light along the way and the ultra-slow train, we plead with you for peace.

May we co-create joy in the most unlikely valleys and alleys. May we work together to turn backwards into the most interesting of ways.

May we remember that you are in the passengers seat even when we put the gears in reverse and head in the wrong direction.

Amen.

A Prayer When Missing Our Loved Ones

17 Wednesday Jan 2024

Posted by in grief, Life

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , , , , ,

Holy Vessel of Memories-

Our minds church with the memories of loved ones-
Parents, Grandparents, Siblings, Friends, and more.
In our holey hearts,
There is an emptiness remaining after their deaths.
Their last words frozen in our minds.
Their last embrace a memory in our muscles.

Maybe it’s been a week, or a year,
Or a few decades ago.
But their loss reverberates throughout our lives.
We feel a presence missed at big events.
And in the small moments, we feel a tear rolling down our cheeks.
With a song on the radio or hymn in the sanctuary,
We recall the sound of their voices belting out the melody.

Loving God, Holy Salve of Loneliness,
Heal the aches in our souls from grief,
Give us the grace to move past the regrets,
Help us to keep the memories of love
And release the pains which echoed from our times together.
Give us the discernment needed to part with their items no longer needed,
And may we honor them through the light we continue to shine.

Amen.

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