Christmas Eve: Litany for Exaltation

This litany contains phrases from several of the classic passages of scripture relating to the birth of Christ, which are represented in this week's lectionary readings.

Sing to the Lord a new song!
Sing to the Lord, all the earth! (1)
For great is the Lord
And greatly to be praised (2)

We who walked in darkness
Have seen a great light. (3)
Glory to God in the highest heaven!
And on earth, peace! (4)

For unto us is born this day in the city of David
A savior,
Who is the Messiah,
The Lord. (5)
Authority rests on his shoulders, and he is called:
    Wonderful Counselor
    Mighty God
    Prince of peace.
His authority will grow continually,
And in his kingdom will be endless peace. (6)

We exalt him with our voices.
We exalt him with our hands.
We exalt him in word and thought.
We exalt him in actions that make for peace.

Let the heavens be glad!
Let the earth rejoice! (7)
For the grace of God has appeared,
Bringing salvation to all. (8)

Amen

  1. Psalm 96:1

  2. Psalm 96:4

  3. Isaiah 9:2

  4. Luke 2:14

  5. Luke 2:11

  6. Isaiah 9:6-7

  7. Psalm 96:11

  8. Titus 2:11

Litany for Inner Stillness

God, we know that when we wait upon you
Our strength is renewed. (1)
We know that your presence can grow in us
When we become still. (2)
You are exalted in our hearts
When we contemplate your goodness.

That we often avoid quiet reflection
We confess to you, Oh God.
That we often mistake stillness for sloth,
We confess to you, Oh God.
That we often become hoodwinked by our culture of excess,
We confess to you, Oh God.
That intentional stillness often requires great effort from us,
We confess to you, Oh God.

When we are running around, attending to our to-do lists,
It’s you we seek. (3)
When we are looking for pleasure and consolation,
It’s you we seek.
When we are in need of affirmation and success,
It’s you we seek.
When we are avoiding our pain, or nursing our wounds,
It’s you we seek.

We cease our striving and sink now into the stillness of this moment
For we have composed and quieted our souls. (4)
We immerse ourselves into your loving, always-available presence,
For we have composed and quieted our souls.
We make it our ambition to be deeply familiar with you
For we have composed and quieted our souls.
We meditate upon the beauty of God,
For we have composed and quieted our souls.

Renew us now
As we wait quietly, in stillness, for you.

Amen

 

(1) Isaiah 40:31
(2) Psalm 46:10
(3) Psalm 63:1
(4) Psalm 131:2

 

Litany for Aleppo

God, we send the full force of our hearts
The whole weight of our intentions
In our petition
For peace in Aleppo.

Massive loss of life,
Immense destruction,
Atrocities committed by nation-states
Against civilians, including children.

Executions of innocents.
Bombings of aid caravans, hospitals, shelters.
Political impasse.
All for the sake of power, wealth, and empire.

May the perpetrators of these crimes be brought to justice -
Let them choke upon their power
And be brought low by their shame.
May they lament ever having thought of bombarding children.

Make some miracles happen in Aleppo, oh God.
Make peace real.
Hold those in power accountable.
Give authority to those who bring mercy.

Open the gates, that the king of glory may ride in
Mighty to save:
You, whose law is love
And whose gospel is peace.*

May the good news of peace
Finally reach those injured, traumatized, impoverished;
Those people whom you love and care for.
May peace walk in, arms laden with good things:
     Respite
     Healing
     Restoration
     Sustenance
     Safety.

Amen

Pray, share, and give to aid organizations on the ground in Syria.
mercyusa.org
preemptivelove.com

 

*lyric from “O Holy Night”

Advent Week 4: Litany for Expectation

This week's Advent litany for December 18, 2016 is brought to you via the Lectionary texts for Advent Week 4, Year A. Plus a splash of Luke 1 and second Corinthians 4 for lagniappe.

God, we see the signs of your coming:
Signs of the goodness to come,
Signs that disturb, surprise, and awaken us:
    An angel’s voice
    A prophet in the wilderness
    A virgin with child
Signs we might otherwise quietly dismiss as ridiculous (1);
Signs of Immanuel, God-with-us (2)

Restore us, O God; let your face shine,
That we may be saved. (3)

Help us to see the signs that point us to You (4).
Restore us, O God.
That we may clearly hear your voice;
Restore us, O God.
That we may clearly perceive your intention;
Restore us, O God.
That we may live in expectation of your coming;
Restore us, O God.
That we may put away any fear of an uncertain future;
Restore us, O God.
That we may walk the path of peace in the light of love (5);
Restore us, O God.

Restore us, O God; let your face shine,
That we may be saved.
We expect a bounty of unpredictable grace,
A full weight of glory (6).

Amen

 

  1. Matt 1:19

  2. Isaiah 7:14

  3. Psalm 80:3

  4. Isaiah 7:11

  5. Luke 1:79

  6. 2 Corinthians 4:17


 

Litany for An Anxious Moment

God, we invite you into this moment
In which our feelings are overwhelming us.
Our breath is shallow,
Our muscles tensed.

We can’t foresee what will happen,
But we know that there are many possibilities,
Both good and bad.
If we’re honest, we tend to dwell on the bad.

Help us to exist in this moment without judgement
Of ourselves
Or of the unknown future.
Help us to observe quietly
And allow our feelings to pass over us
Without taking hold.

With deep inhales
And full exhales
We give the feelings a push.

We take this opportunity to discipline ourselves to remember:
     Your great goodness,
     Your great love,
     Your great strength,
     The peace we find in your presence;
To remember that nothing can separate us from You.

Our feelings are worth considering, but not definitive.
Our perspective is but a small fragment of the whole.
Our reality is but a shadow of Your kingdom.
Our experience is meant to grow us.
Our beings resonate with Your divinity.
Our lives are encompassed in Your life.

Re-orient us now
     Away from imagined distance
     Toward present union with Christ.
Re-orient us now
     Away from fear
     Toward Love.

We are yours, feelings and all.
Amen

 

Advent Week 3: Litany for Annunciation

Annunciation is an old Christian-y word. It basically just means “announcement” but refers specifically to a particular divine announcement as recounted in Luke 1, when the angel Gabriel announces to the virgin Mary that she would bear the Christ child. After hearing this news Mary gives her beautiful Magnificat, which is one of our Lectionary texts for this Sunday and begins with the line,“My soul magnifies the Lord.”

This week’s Advent litany contains pieces and ideas from several of the Lectionary passages for week 3 (year A) of Advent, hence all the notations. Not included in this week's texts is the angel's strong admonition to Mary: "Do not be afraid!" Yet it echoes in this week's themes. Feel free to omit the notations when projecting or printing this litany. The texts can be found here.

If you or your church are using this Advent series this year, please drop me a line to let me know how its going.


My soul magnifies the Lord.
My spirit rejoices in God my Savior.
For God has looked with favor on the lowly,
The Mighty One has done great things for me. (1)

Until the coming of the Lord,
Be patient, beloved.(2)
His coming has been announced to us.
Be patient, beloved.
He brings justice for the oppressed; (3)
Be patient, beloved.
And gives food to the hungry.
Be patient, beloved.
Blind eyes will be opened, and deaf ears unstopped (4,5).
Be patient, beloved.
He gives good news to the poor (5)
Be patient, beloved.
He scatters the proud and powerful (6)
Be patient, beloved.

To those who are fearful:
Be strong; do not fear! (7)
Strengthen your hearts (8)
Be strong; do not fear!
Strengthen weak hands and feeble knees (9)
Be strong; do not fear!

The Lord will reign forever.
Praise the Lord! (10)

Amen
 


(1) From Luke 1: 46-49
(2) James 5:7
(3) Psalm 146:7
(4) Isaiah 35:5,
(5) Matthew 11:5
(6) Luke 1:51,52
(7) Isaiah 35:4
(8) James 5:8
(9) Isaiah 35:3
(10) Psalm 146:10

 

Advent Week 2: Litany for Anticipation

With Advent comes a new church year, the beginning of the church calendar.The Lectionary passages for week 2 of Advent, Year A are here. I have used ideas from several of the passages for this Advent litany.

In the season of Advent we remember that waiting is not always comfortable, that anticipation requires us to sit on the edge of our seats, vigilant and ready. Advent is an opportunity to enter into the not-yet, to feel the feelings of longing, waiting for God to act. And we begin to see that waiting quietly has value if we are to hear the “voice calling in the wilderness: prepare the way of the Lord!”

 

God of steadfastness and encouragement: grant that we may live in harmony with one another,
In accordance with Christ Jesus.
Grant that we may be filled with all joy and peace in believing,
So that we may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. (1)

To the voice crying out in the wilderness (2)
Give us ears to hear.
To the prophets telling of your coming

Give us ears to hear.
To the whisper of our Loving Creator
Give us ears to hear.
To the silence of anticipation
Give us ears to hear.

May you find in our hearts
Straight paths.
May you find in our minds
A prepared way.
May you find in our spirits and our communities
Fruit worthy of repentance. (3)

May we live in the spirit of Christ:
The spirit of wisdom and understanding,
The spirit of counsel and might,
The spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord; (4)
Whose presence is near to us,
And whose kingdom is Peace. (5)
 

 

  1. Romans 15

  2. Matthew 3:3

  3. Matthew 3:8

  4. Isaiah 11:2

  5. Isaiah 11;6-9

 

 

A Litany for Thanksgiving

I wrote this litany last year, before I had this site. I've written more litanies on the topic of gratitude than any other topic, and I hope it stays that way. I hope I can always hang on to a grateful heart.

Recently I tweeted this to my 54 twitter followers:
"If I die and the words "Jesus," "equality," and "prayer" don't appear in my epitaph, you'll all know I didn't fulfill my calling."

Now I think I would amend that to include the word "gratitude."

 


To the God of heaven and earth, creator of people and creatures, author of seasons and of time:
We give thanks.
In this season of reflection, we look back over our lives and over the year past, and we acknowledge the ways that you have shaped us.
We give thanks.
We acknowledge the ways that things have not been perfect, and we have fallen short.
We give thanks.
We reflect on the difficulties we have encountered, and the sorrows we’ve borne.
We give thanks.
We remember the times you have seemed near to us, and the times we have been so engrossed in our own lives that we couldn’t sense your presence.
We give thanks.
We confess those times we have failed to help, and missed opportunities to love.
We give thanks.

In joy and in sorrow, in triumph and in failure,
We give thanks.
In prosperity and in loss, in ease and in difficulty,
We give thanks.

We rest in the knowledge that your purposes are accomplished both with and despite us, and we understand that every part of our journey is an opportunity for us to grow.
We give thanks.
We rest in the peace of your kindness and soak up your overflowing love, which is always directed toward us, regardless of whether we are willing to receive it.
We give thanks.

May we go forward, walking in that same kindness, passing peace to all we meet, and loving generously and intentionally.
We give thanks.
And may gratitude be reaped and sown in our hearts
We give thanks.

Amen

 

 

Advent Week 1: Litany for Preparation

The Lectionary text from the Gospels for the first week of Advent, Year A, is Matthew 24:36-44.
Traditionally, the candle of Hope is lit on week 1 of Advent. I wrote another advent series year before last; week 1 of that series can be found here. This year I will continue following along with the Lectionary texts for Year A. I've concentrated on the Matthew passage here, but woven in threads from the other Lectionary readings from Sunday.

God, we are a people in darkness.
We prepare our hearts.
For the coming of Messiah,
We prepare our hearts.
For the coming of light,
We prepare our hearts.
For the peaceful kingdom,
We prepare our hearts.

We exchange our weapons for gardening tools (1).
We look to your coming.
We exchange stone hearts for those of flesh (2).
We look to your coming.
We exchange fear for love.
We look to your coming.
We exchange guilt for forgiveness.
We look to your coming.

Let us go down now, to where the living water flows
And cleanse ourselves.
Let us set aside distractions and idols
For salvation is near (3).
Let us be alert and ready,
For the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour (4).

The King is coming.
We prepare our hearts.

Amen
 

 

(1)”...they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.” Isaiah 2:4

(2) “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.” Ezekiel 36:26

(3) “...it is now the moment for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we became believers.” Romans 13:11

(4) “Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour.” Matthew 24:44

Litany for Release

We have come through a tumultuous time here in the U.S. - one tumultuous time that has launched us straight into another. I have personally felt that I need to clear some inner space if I am going to interact with gratitude and the season of Advent. So, on this, the weekend before Thanksgiving I invite you to find a quiet space to pray this prayer with me.

I recommend praying this litany aloud, while doing a lot of breathing. In fact, I recommend a big ol’ breath in between each line. Some nice music would be good too.


God,
We humans have a tendency to hold onto things. Help me to loosen up and let go.

I release my fear to you, God.
I release my pain to you, God.
I release my uncertainty to you, God.
I release my shame to you, God.
I release my busyness and hurry to you, God.
I release my worry to you, God.
I release my defensiveness to you, God.

I release to you any feeling that I need to fake something, or put on a show.
I release to you any sense that I am unworthy, or unloved by you.
I release to you any interactions I’ve had with people that have hurt or shocked me.
I release to you any grudges or unforgiveness I’m holding.
I release to you any urge for vengeance or need to prove a point.

I release myself from inappropriate expectations put on me by other people.
I release myself from insisting on perfection.
I release myself from micromanaging situations, or taking too much responsibility.
I release myself from saying Yes when I should be saying No.
I release myself from saying No when I should be saying Yes.

I accept the peace you offer me in your presence.
I accept the rest you offer me in bearing my burdens.
I accept the freedom you offer me
  To not judge
  To not consume
  To not categorize or label
  To not fill silence with noise.
I accept the spaciousness that comes from giving up things that don’t serve me or others.

Amen.
 

Litany for Defense

For those who are unfamiliar, the Lectionary is a schedule of scripture readings that covers a three year period. Each week there is a reading from the Hebrew scripture, the Epistles, the Psalms and one of the Gospels. The readings for each week will cover the major arcs of scripture over the three years.

For the past few months I have been following along each week with the Lectionary readings from the Gospel of Luke, providing a litany that is a companion to the text. The prayers I provide are intended as both petition and as a tool for spiritual formation. This week’s text is Luke 23:33-43, in which Jesus famously says "Father, forgive them for they know not what they are doing." I follow the Revised Common Lectionary. I'm continually inspired by the Lectionary as it pertains to current events.
 

 

We are tempted over and over
To try to save ourselves,
Rather than put ourselves in your care.
Father, forgive us. We know not what we do.

We are tempted over and over
To use violence to further our cause,
Rather than consider mercy a victory.
Father forgive us. We know not what we do.

We are tempted over and over
To choose a savior other than Christ;
A soldier instead of a shepherd;
A political or religious leader instead of a lamb.

Keep us from temptation,
And rescue us from evil.
As Christ chose not to save himself from death by violent means,
But instead succumbed
Willingly and without defense.
So may we willingly go down into death
That we may arise as new creatures,
Awakened and alive to Christ’s kingdom.

Amen


 

Litany for Lament

God, our hearts are weary,
Broken, and sad.
Grief follows us;
Pain is our companion on the road.

We are divided: parents against children,
Brother against brother
Sister against sister,
Half-nation against half-nation.

The sins of our past have revisited us.
They were just beneath the surface,
Covered in a coat of whitewash.
We are newly aware of our complicity.

We mourn our blindness.
We regret our apathy.
We weep at the state of our world.
We wish we had done things differently.
We grieve the wrongs done by us and by others
And reap a harvest of shame.

We open our hearts before you;
We are vulnerable and at your mercy.
Let your will be done to us.
Refine us in your fire.

We purpose ourselves now to walk steadfastly and humbly
Through the chafing grief
And the ache of suffering,
Out to where the mercy falls. (1)


Notes:
Lament has a long tradition among faith cultures, Christianity included. Lament is simply being present to suffering and present to the expression of grief. Happy-go-lucky Evangelicalism has largely forgotten it, and has instead taught its followers to shame those who engage in it. I think we would do well to remember our roots, to go to the book of Lamentations, the book of Job, the Psalms, even to the lamentations of Christ himself (2).

Lament is an important part of the transformation of pain. Richard Rohr says, “If you do not transform your pain, you will surely transmit it to those around you and even to the next generation” (3). I think we have an opportunity here: to lower our defenses and allow ourselves to bear witness to our pain and that of others, and to stop disbelieving others when they tell us they are hurting because we are either a) disconnected from suffering (i.e. “stuffing it”) or b) consumed by it because we’ve never authentically grieved.

In terms of current events: Lament is not a partisan effort. On both sides of the political aisle we have a lot to lament. This isn’t new, but it does seem clearer now in the wake of the most divisive election of my lifetime. Maybe if we hadn’t forgotten how to lament, to really sit with grief and pain for a hot minute, just long enough to let it pierce our armor, instead of only ever reacting to them; we would not be finding ourselves in the situation we are in.

What I’m saying is this: authentic lament might be a checkpoint on the road to reconciliation. It might be one of the keys to transforming our collective pain into something redemptive and beautiful.

  1. “Where the Mercy Falls” is the title of a song by David Ruis and Bob Hartry.

  2. See Matthew 26

  3. Rohr, Richard. _The Naked Now_



 

Litany for Kindness

God, make us attuned to your compassion,
To the kindness of your heart.

Transform our hearts and minds so that in kindness
We weep with those who weep.
In kindness
We rejoice with those who rejoice.

So that in kindness
We listen to the stories of others.
In kindness
We regard them as more important than our own.
In kindness
We allow ourselves to see hidden broken hearts.
In kindness,
We perceive a greater story.

In kindness
We care for the orphan and the lonely.
In kindness
We care for the sick and the prisoner.
In kindness
We care for those whose lives are just beginning and those whose lives are at an end.
In kindness
We care for those in crisis and in need of refuge.
In kindness
We care for those disregarded, disempowered, and marginalized.

In kindness
We consider how to maintain our hope.
In kindness
We consider how to serve our communities.
In kindness
We consider money and power as tools for good, not end-goals.
In kindness
We consider all humans to be made in your image.

The precious kindness of Christ,
Which firmly corrected and firmly forgave;
The precious kindness of Christ,
Which prevailed over death, violence, and empire;
Guide our hearts and mouths
And keep us in perfect peace.

Amen.


 

Litany for Endurance

The Lectionary text from the Gospels for November 13, 2016 is Luke 21:5-19. The Lectionary is for me a rich source of inspiration on this Election Day Eve.


God, Help us to remain calm in troubled waters,
When things to fear are real or imagined.

When we are tested (1),
Help us to endure.
When we are criticized,
Help us to endure.
When we are misunderstood,
Help us to endure.
When we miss the mark,
Help us to endure.
When things are loud around us,
Help us to endure.
When peace seems impossible,
Help us to endure.
When common ground feels like compromise,
Help us to endure.
When we are thwarted,
Help us to endure.
When discouragement seems like the only reasonable response.
Help us to endure.
When we are tempted to prepare our defense (1),
Help us to endure.
When those we love feel like enemies,
Help us to endure.
When our enemies are hard to love,
Help us to endure.

We know that we gain our souls
By quiet, uncomplaining endurance.
We know that endurance
Expands our souls.

In all things,
May we have the mind of Christ.

Amen


(1) James 1:2-3  “testing… produces perseverance.”

(2) Luke 21:14 “Make up your minds not to prepare your defense in advance.”


 

Litany for Standing Rock

God, we lift up to you our sisters and brothers at Standing Rock.
Show your goodness to them.
We give thanks to you for them,
For their strong witness against injustice.
We give thanks to you for them,
For their willingness to endure suffering peacefully.

Bless them, Oh God,
And let peace prevail.
Bless them, Oh God,
And let justice be done.
Bless them, Oh God,
And uphold their cause.

We recognize that this nation has succeeded
On the backs of oppressed peoples.
We recognize that again and again,
We have idolized profit.
We recognize that our collective greed
Oppresses those in the margins.
We recognize that our affluence
Comes at the expense of the poor, and of creation.

Forgive us, Oh God,
And have mercy upon us.

Open the hearts of our nation
To change
To mercy
To sustainability
To justice for all
To a greater good.

Heal those who have been wounded in this struggle,
Both physically and emotionally;
And bring peace and to a land that has known strife,
Whose ground is stained with blood and sorrow.

Amen

Litany for the Living

The Lectionary text from the Gospels for November 6, 2016 is Luke 20:27-38* This responsive litany is intended to accompany that passage.
 

God of the Living,
Grant that we may live in your presence always,
And be to you alive always:
Children of the resurrection.

Giver of Life,
We extol you.
Great is the Lord,
And greatly to be praised.

May we live out our time on earth alertly,
Awake to your love.
And may the fruits of our labors be
Treasures that moth and rust do not destroy.

May we be considered worthy of a place in the age to come.
When peace reigns,
When justice is fulfilled
When death is no more.

The Lord is gracious, full of mercy,
Slow to anger and abounding in love.
The God of the living
Has brought us to life.

Amen

 

*If I were paraphrasing this passage, here is how it would go:
Some creeps try to trick Jesus by asking him a ridiculous question about marriage in the afterlife. Jesus hears and graciously answers the question they didn’t ask aloud, which is about resurrection and eternal life in God; implies that they should consider whether they themselves are currently alive or dead.
I don’t know if I have that right. Jesus is pretty mysterious sometimes.



 

Litany for All Saints Day

All Saints Day, in which the global church honors those saints who have passed on, both known and unknown, both famous and obscure; is celebrated by Methodist, Lutheran, Anglican, and Roman Catholic traditions on November 1. Here is a litany for that day.

God, we remember those Saints who have gone before us;
We lament their passing,
And honor their legacy.
We give thanks for all we have learned from them.

Those who followed the Way of Christ faithfully,
We follow their example.
Those who made mistakes along the way,
We learn from their experience.
Those who made progress for peace,
We continue their work.
Those who lived simply and quietly,
We are enlightened by them.
Those who gained honor and distinction without pride,
We are humbled by them.
Those who were martyred for their faith,
We commend them to your care.

They have finished their work on earth,
And it lives on,
Reverberating into our lives now
As the work of Christ lives on.

May the peace of Christ continue to inspire us
To good works, humility, simplicity and peacemaking,
As those foremothers and forefathers were inspired by him
To live in grace and love.
 

Amen

Litany for Transformation

The Lectionary text from the Gospels for October 30, 2016 is from Luke 19:1-10. This prayer is based upon, and an adjunct to a reading of that passage.

God, transformer of persons,
We look to you.

May we have the enthusiasm of Zacchaeus
We want to see you.
May we be willing to go out of our way, to climb obstacles to behold you.
We want to see you.
May we be confident in our stature, our status as Your Beloved.
We want to see you.
May we count the Kingdom as our highest treasure.
We want to see you.
May we be willing to give away all, possessions and power, to receive the riches of grace.
We want to see you.

May we have the openness of Christ, who was a guest of sinners.
We want to be like you.
May we have the mind of Christ, who sought out the lost.
We want to be like you.
May we have the priorities of Christ, who disregarded those who grumbled at his ways.
We want to be like you.
May we have the compassion of Christ, who loved all the poor and powerless.
We want to be like you.
May we have the grace of Christ, who forgave even those who abused their power.
We want to be like you.

We, who with unveiled faces, contemplate the Lord’s glory
Are being transformed into his image (1).
As we gaze upon Christ,
We are transformed.

Amen.

(1) 2 Cor 3:18
 

Litany for Presence

I mentioned a couple of litanies ago that I think Contemplative faith has a lot to offer us in terms of ways to order ourselves so that we remain hopeful. Since about 2012, I have been delving progressively more deeply into contemplative faith, and discovering that the mystics have found an entirely other way to be faithful, one not often found in conventional church teaching today. We who are stuck in our ruts of dualistic thinking, of us and them, of right and left, of either/or, just don’t have the framework for contemplation; and to me this seems more evident than ever.

Richard Rohr says that “Contemplatives refuse to create false dichotomies, dividing the field for the sake of the quick comfort of their ego. They do not rush to polarity thinking to take away their mental anxiety… Contemplation refuses to be reductionistic. Contemplation is an exercise in keeping your heart and mind spaces open long enough for the mind to see other hidden material” (1).

I just think if there were ever a time that our culture could use a healthy dose of non-dualistic, contemplative thinking, it’s this election cycle. I see myself and so many of us expending so much energy on judgement and control that we have no silence left. We are busy categorizing, so we have lost the thread of the narrative, the bigger picture of the Presence of God here and now, within and among us, redeeming and working through everything.

If you’d like to dip a toe into contemplation, here is a prayer to get you started.


God:
(ALL:) You are here.
We quiet ourselves now, that we may know more deeply
You are here.
We don’t have to ask for your presence.
You are here.
We don’t have to earn your presence.
You are here.

Help us to find the quiet spaces within ourselves.
You are here.
Help us to see more widely and farther.
You are here.
Help us to become more aligned with your nature.
You are here.

With compassion
You are here.
With benevolence
You are here.
With peace
You are here.
With love
You are here.

We breathe in.
You are here.
We breathe out.
You are here.

Amen


(1) Rohr, Richard. _The Naked Now_ pg 34

 

Litany for Humility

The Lectionary passage from the Gospels for October 23, 2016 is Luke 18:9-14. And, well, I encourage you to read it because I'd say here’s a passage we can use about now.

In fact, just the other day I read an article written by a pastor which declared that anyone who stood against his preferred presidential candidate to be under no uncertain terms a “pharisee.” I confess I was a bit offended and judged that pastor to be judgemental and pharisaical himself. After all, I’m only trying to navigate these murky waters as best I can, just like we all are. And they are VERY MURKY, stick-your-hand-in-and-it-disappears murky. And besides, I think you are wrong, nameless pastor. Dead wrong. Actually I’m certain that you are. And I am right, and I see through these murky waters more clearly than you do because I am further along on the path of enlightenment than you are, obviously.

And my certainty and righteousness leave me no room for humility. My defensive stance leaves no energy left in my heart for self-reflection. My internal list of all the good qualities I possess, which I immediately begin to recite whenever someone questions my motives, drowns out the small voice that invites me to spiritual formation, to consider how I might be part of the problem, what I might do to be part of the solution.

Does this narrative sound familiar?

I think we can subvert it. I think we can, in a sort of grassroots, guerilla way, which in my experience how mercy usually operates, BE THE CHANGE. We can reject mudslinging and turn our cheeks. We can lower our defensive fists and invite contemplation. We can loudly and decisively reject oppression, and then live prophetically and humbly into what comes after it is gone. We can listen to the chorus of angry voices around us, find where the pain is, and set about healing it. We can do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly.

At least I hope we can.

 

God, we turn toward you now.
Be merciful to us, sinners.

We feel we must defend ourselves.
We take refuge in you.
We feel we must silence others.
We choose to be still instead.
We feel we must rebut every argument.
We look to you for what is right.
We feel we must make ourselves appear powerful.
We remember that your power is made perfect in weakness. (1)

Help us to not point fingers or launch accusations.
Help us to quietly and peaceably stand up for what is good.
Help us to take care of our own hearts before criticizing others.
Help us to do justly, love mercy, and walk humbly.

We recognize that we are sinners
In need of mercy.
We recognize that we all see in part,
In need of divine perspective.
We recognize that we are all fighting a great battle,
In need of kindness. (2)

May we imitate the humility of Christ,
Who accepted punishment,
Who endured humiliation and slander
And used them for good.

We turn toward you now.
Be merciful to us, sinners.

Amen
 

  1. 2 Corinthians 12:9

  2. Quote attributed to Ian McLaren