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Here's a simple, memorable rhyming bedtime prayer for kids. If you ask me, loads better than the "if I should die before I wake" business that's been striking fear into the hearts of children for a few hundred years.
Jesus, thank you for this day.
Jesus, thank you for the way
You cared for us and kept us safe;
Gave us food and gave us play.
Jesus, thank you for your love;
And while we’re sleeping, dreaming of
Tomorrow’s fun and today’s fresh air,
Your love we breathe; Your peace we share.
I am hoping that this prayer can be a practical way that congregations of Jesus-followers can engage with the European migrant crisis. It is a responsive prayer intended for congregational and small group use. May we all have the mind of Christ toward refugees.
God, we lift up to you the plight of our sisters and brothers fleeing from their homes
Escaping war, extermination, persecution.
We pray in solidarity with those who must uproot themselves and their families in order to survive.
Be with them now, Oh God.
We remember that Jesus himself, along with his parents, were refugees escaping genocide.
Give us Christ's compassion for those endangered.
For refugees from [Syria, Somalia, Afghanistan, Iraq] we pray:
For provision for practical needs,
For safe passage through distressed regions,
For a home, a hope, and a future.
For aid organizations and workers in those regions, we pray:
For the love of Christ to flow through them,
For world awareness and support of their needs and work,
For effectiveness in helping distressed people.
We are reminded of mandates you’ve given us, to extend hospitality to strangers,
To love our neighbor as ourselves.
May we live in light of your commands, and in the light of Your love, even when it is inconvenient.
We love because You first loved us.
May we generously give, serve, and listen, sharing in the richness of the Kingdom of God,
Extending grace and mercy to all.
Amen
In this kid-friendly litany, kids are invited to say or shout “Help, Jesus!” as the simple refrain. The grown-up reader could use a hand signal to communicate to the kids that it’s time to say their part.
Jesus, we know that you love and care for us and hear us when we pray:
Help, Jesus!
In all things, at all times, we can pray:
Help, Jesus!
When we feel scared, we pray:
Help, Jesus!
When we feel sad, we pray:
Help, Jesus!
When we have misbehaved and gotten in trouble, we pray:
Help, Jesus!
When are sick or have hurt ourselves, we pray:
Help, Jesus!
When we have hurt others and need forgiveness, we pray:
Help, Jesus!
When others have hurt us and we need to forgive them, we pray:
Help, Jesus!
When we have a grumpy, bad attitude, we pray:
Help, Jesus!
When we are tempted to disobey our parents or teachers, we pray:
Help, Jesus!
When we have to do hard things, we pray:
Help, Jesus!
Our whole lives long, we want to remember you and pray:
Help Jesus!
Amen
We are still mourning Orlando. We are still mourning Christina Gremmie. We are still mourning San Bernardino, Colorado Springs, Fort Hood, the D.C. Navy Yard, Sandy Hook, and on and on. A litany of loss. A litany of political strife and conflict and impasse. I do not profess to know the right answer to our problems. I've read some ideas that seem reasonable to me, but I see, to a limited extent, both sides of the issue. I want to help us pray from both sides of the issue.
God,
We approach You now, in a time of mourning and lament.
How long, Oh Lord, must we wait for justice and peace?
How long must we wait for all things to be made new?
We acknowledge that guns are tools:
They have been used to defend good. They have been used to perpetrate evil.
We acknowledge that human lives lost are mounting up, tragically and abominably.
We acknowledge that the subject of gun control and gun rights is a touchy, divisive one.
We acknowledge our tendency to close our ears to the voices of those who disagree with us.
We acknowledge that policies as they stand are not working very well.
We acknowledge our distrust of government leaders to faithfully care for us.
We are afraid:
That we might not be able to protect ourselves.
That losing part of one right might set us on a path to losing them all.
That our children might grow up in a world less-civilized than our own.
That more children and innocents will lose their lives in the coming days.
That our hopes and dreams will be unobtainable in an unsafe society.
That the many will suffer for the sins of a few.
That freedom is a bygone idea.
We pray for our leaders:
May they come together in unity, seeking a way forward.
May unity be, not a pipe-dream, but a reality.
May they find a way to both protect the rights of those who would defend goodness, and deter evil-doers.
May they be guided by You toward policy that respects the rights of all, and protects innocents.
May each side set aside its own agenda in favor of the good of all.
May the good and righteous overcome the greedy and pernicious.
We pray for peace, and set our fear out in the light of Your love.
We long for the day
When we will beat our swords into ploughshares.
When tools for destruction will be used for creation, beauty, and sustenance.
When the lion will lie down with the lamb, and a little child will lead them.
May the day of Christ Jesus come quickly.
Amen
This litany was originally published on GodSpace. Many thanks to the contributors there, and for allowing me to share the occasional litany in their space.
Litany for Vacation
God, Author of fun,
We acknowledge and offer thanks for our privilege:
To be able to lay aside our daily work,
Retreat from our homes (or into them),
Absorb the beauty of Creation,
Engage in relaxation.
We acknowledge that this is not a luxury available to all people in all cultures.
We acknowledge that privilege is a tricky thing.
We acknowledge that first-world culture is not always geared toward rest and balance.
We acknowledge that all creatures need times of play and fun.
If we are able to travel, we ask for protection along the way.
If we are with our families or extended families, we ask for relational harmony.
If we have been overworked, we ask for respite and renewal.
If we have been starved for beauty, we ask for a generous serving.
If we have been starved of fun, we ask for laughing recreation.
May we dunk ourselves in rivers, lakes, and oceans,
Breathe clean air,
Look deeply into campfires,
Be comforted by dear presences,
Eat good food,
Imbibe water and wine,
Play and be childlike,
Sleep plentifully and peacefully.
And may we emerge from our vacations feeling vibrant and alive.
Amen
I love to vote. The year I turned 18 was an election year, and I drove 2.5 hours from college to my hometown just so I could vote in the presidential election for my first time. I appreciate the right to vote. I think voting is, not a perfect system, but a strong one. As a woman, voting is an especially cherished right. When I think about women like Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Alice Paul, and others who organized, were imprisoned, and in some cases died fighting for women’s suffrage - you can bet I’m damn well gonna vote.
We vote all kinds of ways: on ballots, with dollars, by participation. Some we are conscious of, some are tacit. This is human economy. This is a system of government generations of people, people we know and love, have defended to the death, mostly with honor and courage and good intentions. I’m grateful that I live in a relatively safe society (tragic events of this weekend notwithstanding, we are generally safer than, say, Syria), a relatively free one, a relatively functional one, a relatively just one; thanks to the blood, sweat, and tears of those women and men who came before me and stand around me. I think we collectively are grateful.
We’re grateful, but everyone seems worried lately. 49 people were gunned down this last weekend, which is worrisome to say the least. We are worried or angry or both. One group is worried that Trump is going to be elected president. Another group is worried that Hillary Clinton will be elected. The other group is worried by the idea of either candidate arriving in the White House as one of the most powerful politicians on the planet, potentially causing the whole voting-economy-government system to crumble. We're convinced that someone is going to send us all to hell in a handbasket.
I’m tempted to worry too. I’m tempted to stew on my bafflement. I’m tempted to judge and condemn people with whom I disagree. I’m tempted to stop trusting in Jesus and start trusting in a politician or political party or system of government to save me from my fate of brokenness, war, poverty, sickness, consumerism, greed, hatred, and power-hunger. I’m tempted to bury my head, withhold my vote, stop reading news and interacting with people, and indulge in false consolation. I’m tempted to get stuck in anger.
But here’s the thing: I don’t think there’s any voting in the Kingdom of God. I think the best system we’ve come up with for governing human beings doesn’t even come close to the goodness of God. I think our best attempts at a fair and functional economy cannot compare with the gold standard of the currency of God, which is Gracious Love. I think we cannot even conceive of the Justice of God, and our best imitation of it is only a shadow, subject to corruption. I think the best political leaders the world has ever seen will bow before Jesus along with the rest of us when he comes.
So.
I wonder if there’s another way for me aside from worry and anger. I wonder if there is a way to walk on top of murky waters. I wonder if there’s anything I can do that might be helpful. I wonder if there’s an alternative to despair.
If you are worried and wondering too, I invite you to pray with me.
Maker of All Things, we invite You now
into our feelings of discomfort, confusion, anger, fear, and worry
over How Things are Going to Be.
We are reminded:
That Jesus did not resist the political regime of his time,
but instead preached the Kingdom of God.
That Jesus did not condemn or punish,
but instead healed, fed, traveled, talked, and ate meals with people.
That Jesus did not worry,
but instead prayed when he was troubled.
We acknowledge that human leaders are flawed.
We acknowledge that human systems fall short.
We acknowledge that hardship is always present this side of eternity.
We acknowledge that Jesus will save the world.
Not a politician. Jesus.
Not a judge. Jesus.
Not a celebrity or even a pastor. Jesus.
We acknowledge that Jesus has already begun that work;
In us, with us, through us, Jesus is saving the world.
We acknowledge that the Kingdom of God is expanding, unstoppable.
We ask for Your Gracious Love.
We ask for wisdom and compassion.
We ask for strength and courage to do our best work for Your kingdom, work that will last.
We ask for goodness and mercy to follow us all the days of our lives.
We ask for our faith to grow.
We set aside worry; instead we take up grace and peace, which You offer abundantly.
We put our hope in Jesus Christ, and in His kingdom.
We give thanks that our future is safe in Your hands.
Amen
I had planned to post a litany today about Trump and Hillary (and about Jesus), which I feel pretty excited about sharing. But I just can’t do it; it will have to wait. I can’t turn off all the feelings I feel about the Orlando shooting. I can’t stop thinking about it. I can’t stop thinking about how a specific community of people was targeted and systematically put to death in cold blood by a maniac. I have had to monitor my intake of news about it, lest it overwhelm me completely. I feel guilty saying that sentence because some people don’t have a choice about whether or not this thing will overwhelm them, because it has definitely, without a doubt, overwhelmed them with sorrow, grief, loss, lament, pain, despair, hopelessness.
And then I read some folks criticizing church folks for waiting until now, until something completely tragic and unthinkable has happened, to extend any kindness toward the LGBT community. Which is kind-of valid, church. Although it’s also kind-of valid that a lot of us have been loving and welcoming LGBT folks all along we just haven’t made any headlines about it. So that feels kind-of dismissive, but then again maybe we should have been a little louder about our love. But then again we’ve all just been doing our damndest to live well in the context we are in, to see as far as our horizon will let us, and try to be some kind of bridge people between the ideologies that keep us in tension all the stinking time. Which is exhausting but I shouldn’t be complaining because I’m not the one getting persecuted and gunned down and I probably don’t even know the meaning of exhausted in comparison.
Do you see the complexity here? Do you see how many feelings it might be possible for anyone on any side of this to feel? Do you see the rabbit holes it is possible for a person’s mind to go down, how many guilts it is possible to internalize, how many sorrows it is possible to become engulfed by, how frustrated it is possible to get? Or is that just me?
Let me dial this down for us:
God loves human beings; that’s God’s thing. If we are not about the business of loving human beings, then we are not doing God’s thing; we are doing something else, and woe to us.
To the LGBTQ community, in which I have friends and family and beloved folks:
I’m sorry I didn’t live my love louder before now.
I’m sorry the society we live in left the door wide open for this to happen, and for all the ways I’m complicit in that society.
I’m sorry the church-section I’m a part of has done such a shitty job of loving you, and for all the ways I’ve been complicit in that.
I’m sorry for every time I’ve ever missed an opportunity to love you, to listen to you, or to walk beside you in companionable silence.
I’m sorry we haven’t gotten far enough along in our relationship to trust one another with deep things.
I believe that Jesus is for you.
I believe that the Kingdom of God, inaugurated by Jesus, is for you.
I believe that when Jesus says, “Come to me all you who are weary and heavy-laden and I will give you rest,” He means you, too.
I believe that God made you, God loves you, and God is pouring out love upon love indiscriminately on you all your life.
I want to do better at getting in line with God’s agenda on that.
I want to do better at trading stories with you and hearing your heart.
Forgive me.
God:
We, the church, Your body on earth, turn to You in humility and contrition, confessing our failure at loving our LBGTQ brothers and sisters well.
We’ve insulated ourselves.
We’ve turned a blind eye to injustice.
We’ve perpetuated misunderstanding.
We’ve capitulated to fear.
We’ve withheld help and concern.
We’ve cheapened the grace of Jesus.
We’ve forgotten that, of faith, hope, and love; love is greatest.
We know that where we are inadequate, You are more than enough.
We know that there is always redemption when Jesus is around.
We know that Jesus is always where the pain is.
Our hearts mourn for the pain we have caused.
We are sorry.
Help us to be better at following the Way of Love.
Amen
Yesterday I had the poignant honor of reading two of my litanies, one for an interfaith vigil honoring and mourning those 50 LGBTQ+ persons killed in the attack in Orlando, and another at a subsequent vigil hosted by Austin Pride. A couple of Muslim leaders spoke, calling for an end to violence, extolling the mercy and compassion of God. Several members of the LGBTQ+ community spoke, exhorting the community to combat hate with love. The mayor of Austin and a few other local politicians spoke. A Rabbi gave a lovely blessing and sang peace over us. A handful of Christians spoke (I actually prefer the term Follower of Jesus, but, ahem), myself included along with Ben, one of the pastors of my church.
I hardly know how I got there, except I know somebody who knows somebody, and so forth, and Ben brought me along, and somehow following Jesus tends to take us to unexpected places (the glorious run-on sentence of faith-life). I am nobody these people know, so why should they listen to me? I have no title, nor am I technically a vocational “faith leader.” And yet, there I was, hands full of prayers I’ve written, being handed a microphone. Prayers about grief, terrorism, justice and equality, suffering. The best I could offer to a wounded community.
I thanked God that I had written these prayers, that they were ready and available and potentially helpful in a time of deep tragedy, at the same time that I felt sad that I’d ever had to write such prayers; sad that we must have language for such grief.
In between the two vigils, a group of hundreds of us marched down the streets of Austin with a police escort, from one vigil to another, demonstrating our solidarity with those who have been lost, and with the vibrant community who lost them. I had never been to an event like this. I had never even considered events like this to be of much use; obviously, I got schooled. I’d never really understood the point of marching. I’d never understood that marching is more about the hearts of the people who march than it is about observers or political statements or news-making.
Marching, Marching, down Congress
I thought of that horde of folks, marching around the Galilean countryside, traipsing after Jesus; they had gotten so focused on following that they neglected to bring food. They needed Jesus to feed them in more ways than one. I thought of Jesus’ compassion on them, on their hunger, when he could have said too bad so sad you dummies walked out into the wilderness uninvited with no food. What must those folks have felt as they marched? What was happening in their hearts? I can tell you I still don’t fully understand marching but I have a new appreciation for it. There is something to be said for walking with people.
I am not a part of the LGBTQ+ community, not even peripherally. But I have a new level of love for those folks and what they’ve endured, what they are still enduring. I want to stand in solidarity with them in their grief and loss and fear and in the great temptation to give hate for hate. I have been given a new heart, yet again. As I spoke to folks and looked in their eyes I felt anew the love of God for each person, going out, going out, going out; just like it always does.
A bigot is a person who is intolerant of people who have a different way of thinking. I have never considered myself a bigot (who does?). In fact I have tried hard to NOT be a bigot. I know a few bigots and they aren’t pleasant people (and yet the Love of God is going out, going out, going out to them). But I think there are ways bigotry slips in unacknowledged. I think there are ways I have been bigoted without even realizing it. There are patterns of thought my mind has followed that were maybe taught to me, or maybe assumed, and that maybe ignorance has perpetuated.
So I offer this prayer, along with an invitation for you to come alongside me in praying it.
Compassionate God,
Have mercy on us sinners.
We confess our blindness.
We confess our small-mindedness.
We confess our tendency to think that what we think about the hearts of others is always true.
We confess our judgment and suspicion of things and people unfamiliar to or different from us.
We confess our inability to perfectly follow the Way of Love.
Of bigotry, we repent.
Of condemnation, we repent.
Of lack of compassion, we repent.
Of ignorance, we repent.
Of unwillingness to walk with people You love, we repent.
Keep on giving us new hearts.
Keep on shaping our minds and our perspectives.
Keep on training us in the Way of Love.
Keep on refreshing our understanding of Jesus.
Keep on expanding our minds, even as Your Kingdom is expanding.
Don’t give up on us, even when we are stubborn and self-righteous.
Amen
The story of “Emily Doe’s” rape by an over-privileged white male athlete who was convicted but given a light jail sentence is deeply troubling. Her valiant fight and speaking out against rape culture is, however, inspiring and necessary. Thanks to Emily Doe, light is being shed on ways that this country is tolerant of rape, lenient toward money and privilege, prejudiced against women victims, and still has far to go in regards to equality. It’s a good thing our faith is not in the political or judicial systems because those are miserably failing. Jesus’ good kingdom is our only hope. We pray and hope and work for better.
If you're using this litany in a congregational or group setting, I recommend omitting the "We acknowledge" section. For the purpose of personal prayer, I feel that section contains worthwhile reminders about Jesus and his ideas about power.
God, our hearts are hurting for our sisters and brothers who have been victims
of rape, sexual abuse, violence.
Help us to help and care for them, and stand in solidarity with them.
For those who are victims of sexual violence we pray
Lord, have mercy.
For those whose bodies and minds have been violated
Christ, have mercy.
For those who have been overpowered physically or emotionally
Be their refuge.
For those who have felt helpless
Be their stronghold and help in trouble.
For those who have borne up under sexual abuse
Be their comfort and healer.
For those who have felt too damaged in body or mind to go on
Be their hope.
For those whom the legal system has failed,
Fight for them, Oh God.
We acknowledge that violence is not the way of Jesus.
We acknowledge that Jesus never forces his way on us, but wins us.
We acknowledge that Christ awaits our consent to enter our hearts and lives.
We acknowledge that Christ loved and respected people from all walks of life, all genders.
We acknowledge that Christ did not wield physical power over people, but healed and forgave.
We acknowledge that justice belongs to You, and we can trust You for it.
We acknowledge that Christ came to save the world;
the victim and the perpetrator,
the rich and the underprivileged,
the foolish and the wise.
God, hear our prayer:
We ask for justice,
understanding that we may not see it this side of eternity.
We ask for peace,
which the Spirit of God is always offering here and now.
We ask for mercy,
for violence to cease.
We ask for rest,
that those traumatized may sleep each night in the peace of Your presence.
We ask for redemption,
for the perpetrators to repent and make amends.
We ask for healing,
for deep wounds to be mended.
We ask for forgiveness,
that victims may be free from seeking revenge,
and perpetrators may be made new by the forgiveness of Christ.
May Your kingdom come on earth.
May Your love abound to all, redeeming all.
Amen
This litany originally appeared on Godspace. It is a responsive prayer; congregational responses are in bold type.
God, we thank You for turning the earth toward the Sun .
We thank You for summer.
As the days and the light are long,
So is the Love of God:
Endless,
Fruitful,
Full of possibility,
Bursting with energy.
As growing things are awake and progressing,
So may we become awake
To Your light and to Your love:
Making progress,
Seizing opportunities to grow,
Readying for harvest
As our plot on the planet faces the sun, our star,
So do we turn ourselves toward the Son
Following the Way of Christ,
Following the Way of Love,
Growing to maturity,
Spreading seeds of Good News to all.
Amen
I first read the book _Deep Economy_ by Bill McKibben, sometime around 2008. It and its title have stuck with me, and spurred me on to reading several other books about Creation care and financial stewardship. For my husband and I, stewardship is a deep idea, one we value highly. We have existed in scarcity and in relative abundance. We have made wise decisions and foolish ones. We have been complicit and imperfect and fearful and hesitant and faithful and brave.
I think that in dealing with money we would do well to remember the Parable of the Talents in Matthew 25, as well as the Parables of the Treasure and the Pearl in Matthew 6. Not to mention the fact that, as Dave Ramsey is fond of pointing out, in the four gospels Jesus talked about money almost as much as he talked about the Kingdom of God. Whether we currently see the world from a position of scarcity or from abundance, money and stewardship seem worth praying about. Thus I give you this rather ponderous but well-meaning litany.
God,
You created humanity, and humanity exists in an economy based on money.
We acknowledge that money profoundly affects our lives.
We acknowledge that dealing with money requires our attention and effort.
We acknowledge that the love of money is a root of evil.
We acknowledge our temptation toward greed.
We acknowledge that money and hard work are linked.
We acknowledge that money and privilege are linked.
We acknowledge that poverty is an ongoing problem, and that Your heart is for the poor.
We confess our love of money.
We confess our equating money with power and status.
We confess our squandering of resources.
We confess our hesitance to risk, to invest, and to have faith.
We confess our obsession with possessions.
We confess our worry when needs arise.
We confess our jealousy of the riches of others.
Give us our daily bread.
Give us enough, but not too much.
Give us treasure that moth and rust do not destroy.
Give us riches of life, relationships, and joy.
Give us wisdom to handle money in ways that reflect Your character.
Help us to steward well that which You choose to give us authority over.
Help us to have healthy attitudes towards money, to neither disregard nor idolize it.
Help us to use our money for Your kingdom work.
Help us to care for the needy, the orphan, and the lonely.
Help us to be generous, as You have been generous towards us.
Help us to be disciplined and work hard, and be rewarded accordingly.
Help us to save for times of need, and for pleasure.
Help us to trust in Your care and provision.
May we, Your children, exist in a deeper economy;
not an economy based on money or power, but on grace.
May we live, not from scarcity, but from the abundance of Your kingdom.
Amen
Recently, in the songwriting group I lead and host in my home, we had a long discussion about identity; about how so many of us are in various ways asleep to who we are, asleep to who God is, and how our identity is so central to the gospel of Jesus. But for many of us, it feels elusive - who am I again?
When I became a mother I had an identity crisis that lasted a year or more. I didn't DO any of the stuff I used to DO, and I had a hard time finding myself in the midst of all the new and unfamiliar stuff I did DO. Where had I gone? Who was this tired person with an entirely new set of priorities and schedule? Figuring it out was long work, in part because I am trained to believe that what I DO is who I AM. Disabusing myself of this idea is an uphill battle.
Identity is a huge idea, and this prayer only begins to scrape the crust of it. But for those of us who struggle, either because of our temperament or a season of life that has forced the issue, I'm hoping this prayer might be a good start.
Creator God, You formed us.
We are fearfully and wonderfully made.
In You we live and move
And have our being.
We acknowledge that many voices try to tell us who we are,
Who we are not.
Many voices tell us our value is based upon
Appearance
Achievement
Social status
Gender
Ethnicity
Posessions
Talent
Many would have us believe that our Doing is more important than our Being.
We renounce these voices.
We are Your Children, the work of your hands,
Unique and beloved by You.
May we become more awake to Your love,
Which has no limits.
Your love,
Which defines us.
Your love,
Which begins us and completes us.
May we walk in the sureness of our identity,
In the confidence of Your love.
May all we do come from the core of who we are:
Loved, and made of love.
Amen
The church where I attend and lead worship is comprised of about 40% Spanish speakers. Because of this, and because we want to cultivate a diverse and welcoming community, we try to include Spanish elements in our services, usually in songs. This is my first bilingual litany. I have begun simply: with gratitude, the topic on which I have written more litanies than any other. I believe we suffer when we neglect gratitude, and that gratitude leads to good things in our lives and in our hearts. I also suspect that there is something transcendant, something heart-unlocking, in speaking words of praise and gratitude to God in languages not native to us. May we all cultivate hearts that value diversity and the universality of God's kingdom.
For those non-Spanish speakers, pronunciation and translation:
Santo Dios: SAN-toe dee-ose (Holy God)
Te damos gracias: Tay DA-mose GRA-see-us (We give you thanks)
Nuestra Salvación: noo-AY-strah sal-vah-see-OHN (Our salvation)
Nuestra Esperanza: noo-AY-strah ess-pear-AHN-zah (Our hope)
Holy God,
Santo Dios.
We enter into Your presence with thanksgiving and praise.
Te damos gracias.
We look to You for our provision, for our daily bread.
Te damos gracias.
We look to You for love, acceptance, and identity.
Te damos gracias.
We look to You for wisdom, correction, and insight.
Te damos gracias.
We thank You for your unending care and patience with us.
Te damos gracias.
We thank You for your power in our weakness.
Te damos gracias.
We thank You for your grace and mercy toward us.
Te damos gracias.
We thank you for sending the Son, the Messiah: Jesus.
Nuestra Salvación.
We thank you for the gift of Your spirit.
Nuestra Esperanza.
You are the Source of Life, all goodness is in You.
Te damos gracias, Señor.
Amen
In the liturgical calendar, Trinity Sunday is celebrated the first Sunday after Pentecost, to acknowledge the Holy Trinity of God: Father, Son, Holy Spirit. We have plentiful references by Jesus himself to God-Creator (Yahweh) as "Father," therefore many traditions refer to God as such. I like to make room for the idea that God-Creator is not of a specified gender, and that we are given pictures of God that by today's standards might be culturally considered masculine as well as those that might be culturally considered feminine. To that end, I have included options in parenthesis for referring to God-Creator in more gender-neutral terms. Each congregation may choose the option that resonates most strongly for its people.
God, we acknowledge You as over all and in all.
Sovereign. Ruler. Creator.
You are vast and unknowable, yet we have been given a clear portrayal of You:
Your Son, Jesus Christ.
Christ is seated with you in heaven, and has left us a Helper:
The Holy Spirit.
Your character, Your nature, Your creativity; all reflected in the various aspects of Yourself:
Father (Parent, Creator, Yahweh), Son, Holy Spirit.
Your glory reflected in all creation; indeed even in human beings,
Whom You made in Your image.
We acknowledge the mystery of the Trinity.
Hallelujah.
We acknowledge You as a whole whose parts each reflect Your self differently, yet perfectly.
Hallelujah.
We acknowledge the loving community You exist in.
Hallelujah.
We are grateful for the many ways You have shown Yourself to us.
Hallelujah.
Dwell among us now, and cause us to live in unity and love just as You do:
Father (Parent, Creator, Yahweh), Son, Holy Spirit.
Amen
Because I am a thirty-something mom whose main daily job is to take care of two small people, I end up talking to a lot of other thirty-something moms in a similar grind. The refrain I hear over and over again is: "I need rest. I need balance." We are all trying to figure out how to balance our responsibilities to our families, our household responsibilities, our relationship needs and responsibilities, our community responsibilities, our career responsibilities, and still find time for some self-actualization, soul care, and body care in the midst of it. It's tricky. I realize it's not just moms who are preoccupied with this problem either, nor is it just parents. I predict that this won't be the last prayer I write about rest and balance, but here it is, the first.
God, we hear your invitation to us:
“Come to me, you who are weary and heavy burdened. I will give you rest.”
We acknowledge our souls’ need for rest and quiet nourishment.
We lay down our burdens.
We acknowledge our souls’ need of connection with You.
We turn our intentions toward You now.
We confess our tendency to overlook rest as a necessary part of soul and self care.
We confess our pride in thinking that our work is so important that we may not set it down.
We confess our readiness to believe that what we do determines our worth.
We confess our obsession with productivity, results, measurable progress.
We confess our neglect of the good soil of our souls.
We confess our tendency to forget that it is in You that we live and move and have our being
and that Your love is better than life.
We ask now for body, mind, spirit, whole-person nourishment.
For rest and resurrection,
For new life,
For healing and consolation of our souls.
We ask for help managing our time and activities so that our
In-fillings
Keep up with our
out-pourings.
Where we have overspent ourselves
Refresh us.
Where we have misplaced our priorities
Re-arrange us.
Where we have said yes when we should have said no
Remind us.
We thank You for meaningful work; for blessings and burdens.
We thank You for rest.
May we become present to our great need for
Daily bread: the presence of Christ in our lives.
Amen
to give you
a poem
my dad wrote
(which I edited the tiniest bit).
Dying is Changing
by Jonathan Pratt
From judgement of events
From judgement of intents
From Goods, Bads, Trues, Falses, Wrongs or Rights.
From regretted or resented
pains felt,
pains dealt.
From Wants, Needs, and hopeful, fearful Mights.
From me.
From we.
To peaceful awareness, unending Living.
Am I dying yet?
Am I dead yet?
The questions are the answer:
Yes, but no, not yet.
Pentecost is the day in the liturgical calendar when the church celebrates the gift of the Holy Spirit, and the birth of the church as we know it, recorded in Acts 2. The Day of Pentecost concludes the Easter Season, and is celebrated ten days after Ascension Thursday. This year Pentecost is celebrated Sunday, May 15.
God, today we give thanks for the good gift of Your Holy Spirit, our helper.
Come Holy Spirit.
The Spirit of God present among us.
Come Holy Spirit.
As on the day of Pentecost, when Your spirit rested on Your followers as tongues of fire,
Rest on us now, Oh God
As they were filled with the spirit and began to speak and prophesy,
Fill us now, Oh God.
Just as Jesus promised, just as the Father has promised,
The Spirit of the Lord is upon us,
Empowering us to proclaim good news to the poor
Release for prisoners
To exchange beauty for ashes
Joy for mourning
A spirit of praise instead of despair.
Come Holy Spirit.
We are your church, your body on earth, who trust in the Resurrected Christ,
And in the Holy Spirit of God, here with us now.
Amen
God, we remember the Lord Jesus on the night he was betrayed. He took bread, broke it and said:
This is my body, broken for you.
And in the same way he took the cup, saying:
This is my blood, shed for you.
We proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes again.
He was pierced for our transgressions...
He was bruised for our iniquities...
By his stripes we are healed.
We proclaim that we do not live on bread alone, but by the Word made flesh:
Jesus, the Bread of Life.
The daily presence of Jesus in our lives is our sustenance.
Jesus, the Living Water.
We take this bread and cup in communion with our brothers and sisters...
In remembrance of Christ.
Christ, the Word of God, spoken to us; Christ, alive and present with us...
Christ, our daily bread.
Amen
Though I'm not currently practicing, by education and training I am a Nutritionist (M.S.). I've long been interested in the connection of body and mind, and invested a lot of time learning and thinking about how to keep human bodies healthy. I think that how we care for our bodies has bearing on how we care for our spirits. By most standards, the general health of the average American praying person is declining, although there are various schools of thought as to how best to halt the decline. I think it's an important topic for our time that is often disregarded in dualistic (i.e., body/matter = bad, spirit/mind = good; therefore taking care of body/earth isn't considered worthwhile) theological perspectives. I think our bodies are worth praying into, and worth caring for. Jesus did, after all, go around healing them routinely.
God, we set ourselves once again under Your care.
You imagined us. You formed us. You gave us to ourselves.
We remember that our bodies are temples, where You will dwell if we let You.
We remember that we are not only spiritual beings, but also physical.
We remember that the state of our bodies often reflects the state of our inner persons.
We confess that we have at times misused our gift.
We confess that we have at times overindulged and polluted.
We confess that we have at times lazed about and given way to atrophy and inertia.
We confess that we have at times given over control and responsibility to other entities outside of our connection with You.
We confess that we have at times submitted to standards with which You have nothing to do.
We confess that we have at times been overly critical, and enslaved ourselves to appearances.
We confess that we have at times overlooked or undervalued the intersection of body and soul.
If we have allowed our temples to fall into disrepair, inspire us toward betterment.
If sickness we cannot control has overwhelmed or discouraged us, we ask for healing.
If addiction has motivated our actions, we surrender control to You, asking for help.
If we have been shamed, we look to you for identity and confidence.
If busyness has been our excuse, help us to re-prioritize.
We give thanks to You for our bodies.
We give thanks to You for Creation.
We give thanks to You for nourishment and for pleasure.
We give thanks to You for the goodness that comes with exertion.
We give thanks to You for rest and stillness.
We ask for good health in body, mind, soul, and spirit.
Help us to conduct our lives with balance, moderation, and thoughtfulness.
Help us to enjoy good food, that most intimate of connections with Creation.
Help us to enjoy sun, air, soil, and creature.
Help us to become comfortable in our skins and robust in our spirits.
Help us to steward our bodies well, and to regard them as the good art they are.
Amen
Ascension Day, or Holy Thursday, is the day in the liturgical calendar in which the church celebrates the ascension of Christ into heaven forty days after his resurrection. The gospels and the book of Acts give various versions of Jesus' words to the disciples just prior to his ascension. Acts records him saying "...When the Holy Spirit comes on you... you will be my witnesses... to the ends of the earth" (Acts 1:8). The Great Commission is recorded in Matthew, in which Jesus instructs his followers to "...go and make disciples of all nations" (Matt 28:19). This litany references the Great Commission as well as instructions given in the Sermon on the Mount.
Jesus, You came into the world to restore us to our rightful place as children of God.
You are the light of the world.
We do not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.
You are the light of the world.
All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to you.
You are the light of the world.
After your resurrection you ascended into heaven, leaving us instruction to go and make disciples...
Make us a light to the world.
To share the Good News with all creation…
Make us a light to the world.
To show compassion for the poor and needy…
Make us a light to the world.
To be the salt of the earth, and the light of the world.
Make us a light to the world.
We celebrate your resurrection, your ascension, and your place at the right hand of God.
We live in the light of Christ.
We await your return, and rely upon the Holy Spirit, our helper.
We live in the light of Christ.
We are your church, your body on earth, a city on a hill that cannot be hidden.
We live in the light of Christ.
Amen