Tag Archives: progressive Christianity

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

27 Thursday Sep 2018

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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.

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A Prayer for the Ones Not Believed

21 Friday Sep 2018

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DF9B4F19-B887-4D73-84EB-1A6D4B6CE86FGod of the vocal cords and facial expressions and gestures…

Sometimes there are times when we remain quiet in our trauma. Sometimes we wonder if our words matter and our bravery will transcend injustice.

But most of the time we remember the experience when our words evaporated quickly after attempting to express ourselves.

Do we say anything if we know it will fall on closed ears? And the tougher question with which to wrestle is this: what if they turn it around and the blame falls on us?

We become the Eves and the Gomers and the Jezebels when we assert our value. And we think to ourselves “why bother???”

So when we are questioned years later as to why we remained silent, hopefully they will understand. Hopefully.

(You understand this God, right?)

A slow triumph- the stories are emerging. They linger longer and fill our world with much-needed discomfort.

And through you, Holy Narrative, we find our voices. Your strength and courage deliver us from trauma to peace and from injustice to righteousness.

I believe the stories. You believe them too, God.

Let’s do this.

Amen.

A Labor Day Communion Liturgy

30 Thursday Aug 2018

Posted by in Church Life, Liturgy, Pop, Prayers

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One: Creator of the harvest- We lift our voices in praise!
Many: Creator of the table – In you we find our peace.
One: In gratitude we gather to share this meal.
Many: With thanksgiving, we gather to share our love for neighbor.

One: As the sun sets earlier, the days become cooler, and the crops near harvest, we celebrate the plenitude of fruits available to us.  We acknowledge the ways that we can use our gifts to care for our siblings in need.  We extend this table through the work of our hands and the missions of this church.

As we celebrate this sacrament, may we remember the laborers in the fields:
The harvesters of the wheat and grapes.
The transporters of the their yields.
Those who transform wheat into bread and grapes into juice.

Bless their hands and feet as they labor at farms and gardens, in trucks and warehouses.  We give thanks for the ones who prepare the table here today.  May their gifts of preparation and hospitality inspire us to extend hospitality to the strangers among us.

After laboring on the streets of Jerusalem-
Doing justice, loving kindness, and walking humbly with God-
Jesus clutched bread in his hands.  He blessed the food, gave thanks, and heartfully expressed to his friends that this was the bread of life.  “As you eat this bread, remember me.”

After supper, Jesus grasped the cup filled with the gifts of the vine.  In his blessing, he reminded them “whenever you drink of this cup, remember me.”

Spirit of wisdom and of wonder, wind around these elements today.  May they stir us from stagnation into actively loving God, our neighbors, and ourselves.  May our participation at this table transform us into the people God is calling us to be.

With gratitude, we gather at this table.  As we take a piece of bread, let us experience the love of God as seen in Jesus the Christ.  As we immerse the bread into the cup, let us remember the grace that pours from God.

A Prayer for a Friend’s Ordination

09 Saturday Jun 2018

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Spirit whose power hovered over the early swirling seas and whose power called the cliffs to creation:

You will encircle my sister in her ordination today. You will give her the words you gave Mary Magdelene to share the good news on the crisp resurrection morning. You will give her the strength and courage you gave Vashti and Esther and Rahab. You will give her the pastoral  nature to sit with the dying and sick and grieving as you did with Ruth.

For such a time as this you call her, Holy Fire.

We thank you for her call, her passion, her openness to you. We thank you that her season of waiting for this plant to bloom has arrived. We thank you for this threshold she walks across today.  We thank you for your grace which continuously covers her heart.

May this prayer be my hand resting on her shoulder as your winds encircle her on this very special day. She walks with the sisters of all times and places who preached and cared for your children.

For all of this we celebrate.

Amen.

 

A Prayer for Exhaustion

07 Thursday Jun 2018

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Deliver me from exhaustion, Holy One- as my steps become labored and my eyes fall to gravity.

Deliver me from exhaustion, Holy One- as Standing too long had become for me a form of torture. Lead me to places of rest- whether couches or beds or a nice plush patches of grass.

Deliver me from exhaustion, Holy One- as my words make little sense, and my brain feels like mush, and I trip over my own feet.

Deliver me from exhaustion, Holy One- when work appears too great and the temptation to work longer lurks beneath my to-do list.

Deliver me from exhaustion, Holy One- when sleep seems like a privilege and when given the opportunity, I am just too tired to drift to sleep.

Deliver me from exhaustion, Holy One- as Sabbath was created for us, and without it, we are arid beings.

Amen.

Liturgy for a Final Sunday

05 Tuesday Jun 2018

Posted by in Liturgy, Pop, Prayers

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For my last Sunday at St. Paul UCC, Old Blue Rock, Cincinnati, I wrote this service which includes a communion liturgy. Please feel free to use with attribution!

CALL TO WORSHIP
One: ​As the trees release their spring flowers and welcome ​summer’s deep green leaves,
Many: ​God’s spirit accompanies us.
One: ​As each season passes their baton forward and years ​speed by in a flash,
Many: ​God’s Spirit strengthens us.
One: ​As we welcome new faces and bid farewell to others,
Many: ​God’s Spirit fills us with peace.

OPENING PRAYER (unison)
All:​God of questions and answers, of mystery and clarity, we grasp onto your presence today. In this time and space, we celebrate the crossing of thresholds. Here and now We express our gratitude that you abide with us in our laughter and tears. Saturate our souls with strength. Open our spirits to understand that all will be well in our seasons of change. Amen.

PRAYER OF RECONCILIATION
One:​Holy one, we enter this space today knowing that the winds of ​change are entering this sanctuary. The doors have opened to the ​Spirit’s surprises. But before we look towards a new chapter, we ​must conclude our current one.

All: ​God and Neighbor, we come to you today knowing that we ​must move towards a new future. In this space, we ​acknowledge that our hopes and dreams occasionally fell short, ​and we let one another down. Before we close our doors, may ​we extend grace to one another. May we know that we will ​always be part of the vine and branches, and that our love for ​one another extends throughout eternity. Amen.

Silent Prayer

ASSURANCE OF GRACE
One: ​God understands our human hearts. God extends grace ​continuously, and God delights when we pass that grace ​and mercy along to one another. Let us celebrate that ​even in our most human moments, we hold the image of ​God within us. May peace abide.
All: ​Amen!

INVITATION TO OFFERING
One: ​In both seasons of stability and change, God gives us the tools we ​need to serve this congregation, the Church, and the community. ​In recognition of our talents, time, and treasures, we give back to ​God in a spirit of gratitude. Let us celebrate all that has been and ​all that will be in this congregation by sharing our gifts.

UNISON PRAYER OF DEDICATION
Here and now, God, we express our joy for the gifts you’ve delivered to us and for the talents you’ve bestowed upon us. May each gift that we’ve been given as individuals and as a congregation be used to shine the light of Christ into the world. Amen.

SERVICE OF COMMUNION
One: Ecclesiastes tells us that there is a season for everything.
Seasons for planting and reaping
Seasons for mourning and dancing
Seasons for losing and seeking.

Today, at this table, we embrace the intersection of two seasons:
The season of welcoming and the season of bidding farewell.

We welcome new faces to the table of Christ knowing that all are
welcome to this time and space as Jesus the Christ crafted a table set
for all.

This table also represents a time of farewell- of the departure of faces
from this space. Yet as we reach for the bread and cup, even with
droplets of sadness in our hearts, we understand that the table forever
unites us for eternity.

May the Spirit of God surround these elements as the Spirit surrounds
us in our seasons of change. May the Spirit guide us in our ministries
and service. May the Spirit bless us as we mourn and dance, lose and
seek, plant and reap.

On the night before Jesus’ departure, Jesus gathered his friends one last
time for a meal like no other. As he took the bread he blessed and broke
it.
“Remember me” he said and passed the loaf to his friends.

On the night before Jesus’ departure, as the friends gathered one last
time for this meal which extends beyond time and space, Jesus took a
cup filled with the fruit of the vine.
“Remember me” he said and passed the cup to his friends.

A first meal. A last meal. A meal like no other.
This gift from the Christ connects us for eternity.
And through our time together today we are forever part of this Table.

UNISON PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING
God, your love crafted the table at which we feasted today. Your love
connects us whether we are nearby or miles apart. Through your
love, we grow closer to you and our neighbor. May the bread and cup refresh our souls and renew our relationships, and may we know that we are part of this table for eternity. Amen.

BENEDICTION
One: ​​As we depart today, may we know that through Jesus the ​Christ we are eternally siblings in faith. May we go ​forward in love, may the memories of joy abide with us ​forever, and may we celebrate our shared time on life’s ​journey: Forever connected. Forever loved. Forever part ​of the Body of Christ.
All: ​Amen.

A Prayer for Graduates

16 Wednesday May 2018

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accomplishment-ceremony-college-267885God of sunrises, new years and next chapters,
In this season of closing doors and cleaning out lockers and saying goodbye
May we remember that commencement means beginning.

May these brilliant souls remember their place on the Great Vine-
That you call them to spaces where they can strengthen the world
And love their neighbors as themselves.
May they embrace opportunities to inhale knowledge
And may they feast on wisdom.

May they know their place here at the Table of Christ
Remains open for them to dine with us again.

May grace abound in these next chapters-
Whether in classrooms or workplaces or on pilgrimages to find their callings.
When failing or falling occurs on their road,
May they know the joy of rising again.

No matter where they journey or how far they travel.
May they see your light leading their journey,
Your comfort to give them peace when traveling gets tough,
And love to sustain them in the frigid winters and blazing summers.

Amen.

 

“National Day of Prayer” Prayer

03 Thursday May 2018

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

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Spirit of God who dwells among us and attempts to connect us with one another…

On this National Day of Prayer, In theory, this theory is a beautiful opportunity to pray for our country and leaders. Yet Christians and politicians have the potential to consummate and birth something unholy, we come to you this day searching for true religious freedom…

The kind our forefathers and foremothers desired at the beginning of this country. We look to you, God, to lead us into a space of plurality- where everyone has the space to pray and understand you in the ways they need. We ask you for protection for those who do not believe like the loudest Powers-That-Be. We know minority faiths of all sorts are persecuted all over the world and even held in contempt by many in our country. We send our love to our agnostic and atheist friends who are often shoved aside and alientated when church and state become too close.

We pray for those who have been hurt when church and state team up to exclude and when hypocrisy abides.

So as our leaders keep saying Jesus over and over without actually following the man, may you give us the strength to walk in the steps of the Christ. May we learn to value one another and healing as Jesus did. May we love our neighbors who are least like us. May we care for the poor, the orphan, alien and widow as we are called. May our faith be one that shines through works of love.

May gatherings on this day include all of the faithful- not just us Christians. May you remind the Powers-That-Be that there is more than one perspective or Christian perspective in the world.

May our state expand to include all healthy and loving theological perspective, and may we set aside state imagery in our houses of worship so that we can focus on loving God and neighbor.

Amen.

A Service for the Vine and the Branches – Easter 5B

28 Saturday Apr 2018

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IMG_7971CALL TO WORSHIP
One: I am one.
Many: But all of us are connected.
One: Each of us offers unique gifts.
Many: Our gifts pooled together build the Body of Christ.
One: I am only a branch.
Many: But your branch is part of Christ’s vine.
One: Let us celebrate uniqueness and relationships.
Many: We are one, but together we create God’s kin-dom.

OPENING PRAYER (unison)
God of the individual parts and God of the whole, we celebrate our distinctive beliefs and efforts. At the same time, we celebrate the great covenant we have with all of your children. Open our eyes to see the ways our gifts create a better world. Amen.

CALL TO RECONCILIATION
One: Who is absent from our church? Who is absent from our communion tables? Who are the people we have excluded from our church family? Let us turn to God and each other with open arms and hearts.

PRAYER FOR RECONCILIATION (unison)
God of everyone, you are present in the lives of all your children. There is not one person who you do not love. You also ask us to love everyone, yet we feel that we must qualify who comes into our lives and our worship space. There are still people in our minds that we believe shouldn’t be a part of our congregation. Help us to see that they are also created in your image. Shape our hearts to welcome the unexpected visitor, stranger and enemy. Through you, we see that all people are your children. Amen.

ASSURANCE OF GRACE
One: God is God of all. No exceptions! Let us be an example of what Christ’s unconditional love looks like in our world. Amen!
All: Amen!

SCRIPTURE
John 15:1-11 & 1 Corinthians 12:12-27

INVITATION TO OFFERING
One: Through our combined efforts, we create a stronger church and community. In our gratitude, we share our treasure with the Body of Christ and beyond.

PRAYER OF DEDICATION
Eternal Source of Light and Love, we give thanks for the gifts you bestow upon us. We are grateful that you call us to use these gifts to build a just-filled world. May your spirit embolden us to use these gifts to bring more love into our communities. Amen.

BENEDICTION
One: Through the stirrings of the Holy Spirit, we go on separate paths,
But the winds of the Spirit bring us back together.
We are individuals, unique, but we are one in Christ.
May the love of God unite us today and throughout this week.
All: Amen!

A Lament and Words of Hope for Syria

14 Saturday Apr 2018

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Samer Daboul, photographer, Syria

Syria- my heart breaks for your health. Your own leaders feel your value is minimal. Powers-that-be across the planet forget that you are children of God.

Like the Syrophoenician woman and her child, they deserve crumbs too. They deserve more than crumbs.

Jesus came to see this. May the Powers-that-be see the people as fully human- as needing more than crumbs. May they see that these children of God crave more than just remnants of goodness found scattered between the shells of bombs and under clouds of poison. May their own leaders see that their lungs need to feel the clean air of the Spirit and not the toxic gasses of hate.

God will call us over and over again to turn our swords into plowshares, our bombs into cornerstones, our guns into farms. God is calling us now to forget the muscle memories of violence and myths of war as a natural means of achieving peace.

May we cease the creation of warheads and build houses of tranquility and prosperity for refugees seeking God’s love and peace.

May we as people of earth, as persons all created in the image of God and as companions on the journeys around the sun gather together to pray, to send energy, to share love with our siblings in Syria.