Litany for 45

I was at an event recently in which someone asked the speaker, who happened to be Michael Wear, this question: What we should pray for 45?  I thought what a good question it was, and resolved to try to answer it.

For my friends who love Trump, this will perhaps be easy for you to pray, and a good reminder to do so. But for my friends for whom Mr. Trump presents a fair degree of stress and difficulty, I hear that, and I'll say this: you don’t have to like him to pray this prayer.

In fact, praying this prayer (or one like it) is in itself an act of hopeful resistance. It is for some of us a tangible living-out of Jesus command in the Sermon on the Mount "love your enemies; pray for those who persecute you." It is a step toward embodying Jesus' best and most subversive ideas. It is moving in the direction of flooding the world with forgiveness.

Extra bonus points for praying this alongside someone with whom you disagree.

It may feel like sandpaper on your skin or sound like nails on a chalkboard at first. Sometimes the Good News does that. But I think it's a path to peace.



God, as you have made yourself known to men and women, over countless generations all over the world
So, make yourself known to Donald Trump.
As you have inspired good works, loving actions, peacemaking, and depth of feeling and thought in the hearts of humans,
So inspire Mr. Trump.

We ask for your merciful guidance on the 45th President of the United States.
Be to him a light.
Set his feet on the path of peace,
And his mind on selfless love.
Give to him a wide perspective and listening ears,
That he may seek the good of all whom he governs.

Instill in him a strong desire to do justly,
A love for mercy,
Humility,
Discernment,
Curiosity,
Willingness to learn,
Strength of character,
And wisdom from heaven.

Surround him even now with wise women and men of depth, character, experience,
And above all, of unflinching honesty and integrity.
Strengthen him even now with energy and zeal for doing good, robust heart,
And willingness to endure sacrifice for others.
Let the leader of this nation abound in compassion and integrity,
And all the people of the nation prosper under just government.

Where he is weak
Make your power apparent.
Where he is needy,
Provide for him.
Where he is vulnerable,
Protect him.
In the depths of his soul,
May he be filled with your love.

Amen


 

Litany for Meditation

Meditation has become in the last couple of years the single most spiritually enriching practice I do. Many Christian traditions refer to it as Centering Prayer. It takes patience to learn, but pays for itself many-fold. I don't intend for this litany to be a stand-alone meditation. I mean for it be a preamble to silent meditation/prayer. You can obviously do what you will with it, but this is what I envision.

We are beings, existing in the Universe,
Beholding God.

We can see you in the design of Nature,
     The cosmos,
     The creatures,
     Each other,
     Ourselves.

Let us go to our inmost being
And be as we are:
     Deeply spiritual
     Deeply human
     Temporally minded
     Eternally conscious

Let us connect with the spark of you that is there
Waiting to be rediscovered
Waiting to be fanned into flame.

Set us aright
In our connection to you, loving Life-giver, Instigator of Goodness;
Plug us in to the circuitry of your Spirit.

Set us aright
As conscious souls in the midst of a conscious universe
Created by a Great Intelligence: You, the Force of Love.

Set us aright:
Among creation, among ecosystems, climates, and cultures,
As participants, care-givers, co-creators.

Set us aright:
As spiritual beings inside corporeal bodies, dust and breath.
Give to us health and connectedness, wholeness, and joy in existing.

Set us aright:
As a human family,
Making peace and learning to love another despite earthly differences.

Set us aright:
As members of the Body of Christ on Earth;
As a productive, cohesive unit, desiring love and wisdom for all.

Set us aright:
As reflectors of you;
As God-bearers, God-perceivers, and God-receivers.

Set us aright:
Here in our inmost beings,
Still and quiet before you --
Opening to your light.

Easter 3 (Year A): Litany for the Road to Emmaus

The Lectionary texts for the third week of Easter (Year A) include the account in Luke of Jesus walking with some disciples on the road to Emmaus. Shortly after Jesus' resurrection, they were walking along discussing all the things that had happened. Jesus joins them, but they don't recognize them, even though the "disappearance" of his body is what they're discussing. With a great deal of patience, Jesus walks along with them and expounds the whole story of how he got to be there, starting with Moses. But the disciples don't realize its him until dinnertime, after they've invited him in to eat, when he takes bread and breaks it and serves it to them - only then do they understand that it was him all along, explaining everything.

God, you are always being kind to us,
Always loving us toward yourself;
Just as Christ showed his wounds to doubting Thomas
With grace and kindness;
Just as Christ shared his story to the men walking the road to Emmaus
With patience and generosity.

It is this deep grace,
     This boundless giving,
     This patient character,
     This kind regard for all;
That inspires our hearts,
And by which we recognize you.

Relentlessly, you give of yourself
So that we might know and understand you.
Over and over again, you kindly explain the story
In words we can take in.
We know you instantly, the moment you break bread with us --
We can see you in your glorious reality.

Make our hearts ready for more:
     More understanding
     More responsibility
     More of your kingdom;
And graciously work with us where we are confused
So that we may see you in your full beauty.

Amen

Litany for Song

This litany was written by special request, specifically for an event put on by friends in Kentucky. It may be my favorite litany I've ever written.

God, it was your voice, the vibration of your words, that set the first molecules into formation and motion.
You sang the universe into being.
Your breath first nudged planets and atmospheres into existence, by the rasp and melody of your speaking.
You sang the world into being.
Like the cascade of waterfalls, the rumble of thunder, the whir of wind, and the soft breath of infants - so is the beauty and power of the voice of our God.
You sang creation to life.
You moved air through lungs of dust and called us Beautiful, named us Beloved, and shared with us your energy and your art.
You sang humanity to life.

When we say that we live and move and have our being in you, God, we mean that from wave to particle to atom to molecule to cell to organ to body - you are within and throughout.
Your voice makes us.
You are love, and Love set the earth spinning and the stars shining and our hearts beating.
Your voice makes us.
Love that sings and vibrates, dances and gyrates; Love that never stops being and becoming.
Your voice makes us.
Love that energizes and ennervates, uplifts and invigorates; Love that multiplies and amplifies.
Your voice makes us.

In Christ, Love put on a human face; took on vocal cord, consonant, resonance, and sustain.
Hallelujah!
In Christ, Love decided that dying was dancing and resurrecting was to be expected.
Hallelujah!
In Christ, Love said that loss is gain and death is life and power is weakness and dissonance is harmony, and then proved it.
Hallelujah!
In Christ, Love is re-making every broken thing; every off-key note and accidental, every counterpoint, coda, and hum is arranged to beauty.
Hallelujah!
In Christ, Love is singing again, and still singing: a song of redemption, invitation, and new creation.
Hallelujah!

Amen

Easter 2 (Year A): Litany for Fear

The Lectionary passage from the Gospels for the second Sunday in Eastertide is from John 20, in which Jesus appears to the disciples in the house where they are huddled up after the crucifixion, terrified for their lives, afraid the Jewish authorities will connect them with the rebel Jesus who was put to death over the weekend. The doors are locked, windows barred; I imagine everyone is tiptoeing trying to be quiet, trying not to need to use the outhouse.

Jesus, ignoring the locked doors, appears among them, right into the midst of their terror, offering them peace. He graciously lets them see his wounds. And then he breathes on them the gift of the Spirit. It's quite the entrance.


God, we are caught up in fears
Of things known and unknown
As the disciples huddled in a house, fearful after Christ’s death
So we tend to lock our doors.

We forget that when we lock our doors, nothing can enter
Neither the bad nor the good.
But Perfect Love doesn’t need a door -
Christ has appeared among us, even so!

Into our darkest, most fearful places
Jesus has walked right in!
Into our most doubtful moments
Jesus has spoken Peace. (1)
We saw in his wounds, the evidence of death and pain upon him,
Our worst fears realized in his flesh.

What we learned is that our worst fears are not the end:
Life has overcome death;
Joy has overcome pain;
Love has overcome fear. (2)
The one who went before us, straight into the heart of darkness --
The Risen Christ has overcome the world. (3)

Breathe upon us, Lord Christ:
The breath of hope and peace,
The breath of Perfect Love,
The breath of the Spirit of God. (4)

Amen

(1) John 20:21
(2) 1 John 4:18
(3) John 16:33
(4) John 20:22

Resurrection Sunday (Year A): Litany for the Story

Here are the Lectionary texts for Easter morning, Year A. I have tried to draw elements from each text, plus an additional reference from John 2. Hallelujah! He is Risen!

God, You have loved us with an everlasting love;
You have continually been faithful (Jeremiah 31:3)
You are our strength.
You are our salvation. ((Psalm 118:14)

This is the story of Jesus of Nazareth:
He was anointed with the Holy Spirit and with power.
He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed.
He was put to death on a cross and his body laid in a tomb. (Acts 19:38,39)

“Tear this temple down,” he said,
“In three days I will rebuild it!” (John 2:19)

And so it is:
On the third day,
As the disciples Mary and Mary Magdalene have seen:
Christ’s tomb is empty! (John 20:1)
An angel has rolled away the stone: (Matthew 28:2)
He is not there.
He is risen!
He is risen, indeed!

We celebrate the story of Jesus Christ:
Birth, work, death, resurrection.
And we have been raised with Christ,
Who is our life. (Col 3:1,4)

Amen



 

Good Friday: Litany for Scapegoats and Surprises

The texts for Good Friday (Year A) are expansive and rich. In the end, I had to veer away from them specifically to get a better overall picture. I could have written a whole litany on Peter resorting to violence (scolded by Jesus) and then denying Jesus. I could have written a whole litany with imagery from Psalm 22, which Jesus quotes in his last breath. I could have written a whole litany on "approaching the throne... with boldness" from Hebrews 10. It was just too much to pull together into a bite-sized congregational litany. Alas.

Hallelujah to the Lamb of God
Who was sacrificed;
Who was Scapegoat,
Who willingly went to death,
Who gave himself over to principalities and powers
So that they could be undone.

Everything we thought we knew about justice,
Everything we thought we knew about God
All our expectations of power and force
Our preconceived notions of victory
Were overturned in Christ
The old ideas are shadows.

Christ, who went to death
To prove life;
Who went to defeat
To prove victory;
Who went to darkness
To prove light.
Who went to pain
To prove joy.

We wait with you, Son of God, in mourning and quiet,
In the darkness of Good Friday,
Until the day dawns
And the Morning Star surprises our hearts. (1)

Amen

(1)2 Pet 1:19

Maundy Thursday (Year A): Litany for Dinner and Foot-washing

The Lectionary texts for Maundy Thursday include the account of the commands concerning Passover remembrance in Exodus, of Christ's celebration of Passover in 1 Corinthians, and the story of Jesus washing feet after dinner from John 13. Jesus brings the Passover story right back to himself, and then ties it up with a bow of down-and-dirty servanthood.

God, we receive the love of Christ.
We receive his great example,
We receive the power and work he demonstrated by your spirit;
And we receive the commands he has given.

This is Christ’s command:
That we love one another (John 13:34)
Just as Christ loved his disciples and others he met.
As Christ has done so must we do.

This is Christ’s example:
Washing the feet of his friends; (John 13:14-15)
Humbly doing the work of a servant
Becoming vulnerable, laying down his life.

This is Christ’s legacy
Which we receive as the gift of heaven:
Where once there was sacrifice,
Now there is mercy.  (Hosea 6:6)
Where once there was flesh and blood,
Now there are bread and wine. (1 Corinthians 11:23-26)

The mercy of God has been made known in the body of Christ.
The character of God has been made known in the work of Christ.
He has shown us a way forward,
And we will follow the path of peace.

Amen

Litany for the Children and Families of Syria

How Long, Lord, will you look on?
Rescue [them] from their ravages,
[Their] precious li[ves] from these lions...
Awake and rise to [their]defense!
Contend for [them], [our] God and Lord!
 - from Psalm 35

"Omran, Angels are Here" painting by Judith Mehr. (via)

God, we weep with you over the war in Syria.
Our brothers and sisters are in despair.
This war is without end:
The unending unthinkable.

We weep with the mothers
Who have lost their babies in deadly chemical attacks.
We weep with the fathers
Who cannot keep their families safe from harm.
We weep with the orphaned children
Whose parents have been separated from them.
We weep with these families
Who are our family.

Let your angels surround them in their distress.
Let your mercy come to them.
Let your peace be a miracle among them.
Let your life be a victory over death.

Rescue them, Lord God.
Move mountains to save them.

Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.

Amen

Lent 6 (Year A): Litany for Palm Sunday

On Palm Sunday we celebrate the Triumphal Entry of Jesus into Jerusalem. Riding in on a donkey's colt, Jesus was praised and sung to, offered a cushy path of cloaks and palm branches; then betrayed and condemned shortly after. Every time I read that part of the story I'm reminded of those folks: exalting Jesus one day, calling for his death the next. How moody and un-centered they are, and how like them I am. It's by the mercy of Christ, and by discipline and spiritual formation, that we remain centered in love. (If this Palm Sunday litany isn't to your liking, here's another. )

Here are the Lectionary passages for the Palm Sunday Liturgy.

O give thanks to the LORD, for he is good;
His steadfast love endures forever! (1)
This is the day that the LORD has made;
Let us rejoice and be glad in it! (2)

Jesus Christ, you were the stone we rejected,
Yet you have become our Cornerstone, (3)
The one we look to as the best example of God’s Love;
The one we exalt above all others.

We are spreading our cloaks out on the path
Laying palm branches at your feet
We offer every good thing we have:
Every talent
Every blessing
Every moment
Every word and thought.
Every thing of value that we claim
We lay at the feet of the King who comes
In humility, in peace, and in Divine Love.

Help us to remain in your steadfast love -
Rooted in gratitude and grounded in your presence;
To stay - no matter what the crowds around us do-
Steeped in compassion and centered in mercy.

Hosanna to the Son of David! (4)
Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the LORD (5)

Amen

1) Psalm 118:1
2) Psalm 118:24
3) Psalm 118:22
4) Matthew 21:9
5) Psalm 118:26

Litany for Greed

Someone asked me a few months back to write a litany about greed. My first inner response was something like "ugh i don't want to think about that." But I realized I really need this litany too. And I think we can't talk about greed without talking about why we are greedy. Which is often to cover up insecurity, a feeling of lack, of not having or being enough, or a sense of inner failure. We can't talk about greed without talking about the lies and illusions we create to avoid encountering deeper wounds in our hearts. Psalm 51 feels particularly right for this topic.

God, we confess our need for transformation
We are often greedy and self-absorbed.
We get caught up in our culture’s idea of success:
Seeking wealth, position, regard.
We forget that we are spiritual beings
In need of spiritual sustenance.

For idolizing money
Forgive us, Oh God.
For our preoccupation with worldly success,
Forgive us, Oh God.
For posing ourselves to impress other people,
Forgive us, Oh God.
For the lies we tell to make people like us,
Forgive us, Oh God.
For the illusions we create to avoid facing pain,
Forgive us, Oh God.
For seeking personal gain above Kingdom Good,
Forgive us, Oh God.

Help us to set our minds on things above
Things unseen. (1)
Help us to bravely uncover our insecurities and wounds,
And work toward truth in our innermost being. (2)
Help us to trust that we are enough, we have enough;
Your grace is sufficient. (3)
Help us to follow the way of Christ,
To seek first your Kingdom. (4)

(1) Colossians 3:2
(2) Psalm 51:6
(3) 2 Corinthians 12:9
(4) Matthew 6:33

 

Lent 5 (Year A): Litany for Dry Bones

This week's Lectionary readings contain the accounts of Ezekiel's vision of a valley of dry bones, and of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead. I've also included elements from Romans 8 and Psalm 130.

I wait for the Lord, my soul waits,
And in his word I hope;
My soul waits for the Lord more than those who watch for the morning,
More than those who watch for the morning. (1)

You free us from our graves (2)
And the traps our minds set for us. (3)
You free us from the constant hell of our own egos and deceptions,
And show us the path of peace.

You breath the breath of life into us (4)
And give life to our bodies through your Spirit. (5)
Come from the four winds, O breath,
And breathe upon us, that we may live. (4)

Where there was once a tame breeze
There is a wind.
Where there was once a valley of dry bones
There is a multitude of life.

Our bones were dried up;
Our hope was lost. (6)
But we hope in the LORD! For with the LORD there is steadfast love,
And great power to redeem. (7)

1) Psalm 130:5,6
2) Ezekiel 37:12
3) Romans 8:6,7
4) Ezekiel 37:9
5) Romans 8:11
6) Ezekiel 37:11
7) Psalm 130:7

Lent 4 (Year A): Litany for Blindness

This litany incorporates the New Testament readings from this week's Lectionary passages: when Jesus heals a man born blind in John 9, and a section of Ephesians 5. I am particularly captivated by the image of Jesus smearing mud on the man's face as part of the healing. I think there's all kinds of goodness in that image if we look for it.
 

God, we understand that sometimes, before our eyes can see, they must get muddy.
The mud is a crucial step: Jesus working on us.
We can’t know sight until we’ve tried to see through mud. (1)
We must realize our blindness, and admit it.

The blindness itself isn’t our sin.
It’s pretending we can see when we can’t that is harmful.
It’s judging the mud of others to be worse than our own that sets us back.
It’s being dishonest about our blindness that displeases You. (2)

To all the ways we’ve been blind to our own true selves,
Open our eyes, Oh God.
To all the ways we’ve been blind to the suffering of others,
Open our eyes, Oh God.
To all the ways we’ve been blind to and complicit in our society’s brokenness,
Open our eyes, Oh God.
To all the ways we’ve been blind to the sacredness of human beings,
Open our eyes, Oh God.
To all the ways we’ve been blind to your invitation and calling in our lives,
Open our eyes, Oh God.
To all the ways we’ve been blind to the way of your kingdom coming, now and not-yet,
Open our eyes, Oh God.

We want to live as children of light. (3)
We want to learn what pleases You.  (4)
We want light shined on the deepest recesses of our beings,
So that all that is hidden may become visible. (5)

Amen

1. John 9:11

2. John 9:41

3. Eph 5:8

4. Eph 5:10

5. Eph 5:13

Lent 3 (Year A): Litany for Living Water

Here are the Lectionary passages for the third Sunday of Lent, Year A.

O come, let us sing to the LORD;
Let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation. (1)

You have proven yourself faithful over and over again.
You give us water for our thirst.
We are the people of your pasture, the sheep of your hand (2)
You give us food for empty bellies.

In every difficulty, you reveal yourself to us and give us good things:
From suffering comes endurance,
From endurance comes character,
From character comes hope,
And hope does not disappoint us,
Because your love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit. (3)

Your love is living water for our hearts (4),
An unending source of life.
You give to us freely, as family.
You prove your love for us:
Even when we were still caught up in sin and distance from you,
Christ died for us, bringing us near. (5)

O come, let us worship and bow down,
Let us kneel before the LORD, our Maker. (6)

Amen

(1) Psalm 95:1
(2) Psalm 95:7
(3) Romans 5:3-5
(4) John 4:10
(5) Romans 5:8

(6) Psalm 95:6

Litany for Surgery

It’s only a tonsillectomy. In all likelihood, our little gal be bouncing around asking for ice cream within a few days. But…. THEY ARE TAKING MY BABY, PUMPING HER FULL OF CHEMICALS AND CUTTING HER WITH SHARP OBJECTS.

My monkey mind is having a heyday with this. Or it could if I let it. Because I know for certain when she gets out she will be feeling the worst pain she’s ever felt. And she will be feeling this pain because her Papa and I have willingly and consciously made the decision to allow her to feel this pain. We’ve made this decision for good reasons that we believe will benefit her and our family going forward, but that doesn’t change the fact of our child’s pain, the fact of what walking through the next 48 hours will be like. She will cry. I know that her pain will stress me out and make me cry too.

Fortunately I’ve been practicing the trick of stepping back from the monkey mind. Giving it a look from a distance. Perhaps chuckling at it a bit and nudging it lovingly. I’m only beginning to learn this skill, but wow is it helpful when I can remember it.

Peace, be still, Mama.

Hey, Mamas and Papas who have walked your babies down cold corridors, kissed them at O.R. doors, and relinquished them into the hands of mostly strangers. You who have done this many times because of accident, chronic illness, or ongoing medical issues. You who have spent countless hours in waiting rooms, drunk countless cups of awful coffee, and glanced up eagerly every time the door opened, a hundred times, in hopes that it’s over and the report is good. You. I see you now.

(This litany is not just for parents. I'm hopeful that this prayer can be helpful to most anyone going into a surgery or medical procedure.)
 

God, it’s into your hands that we send our Loved One*
She* was only ever there all along.
We breathe in the peace of your presence:
     Your presence with her as she sleeps
     Your presence with us as we wait.

Be present to those caring for her while we are apart.
Let the peace of your presence come to them as well.
Let your lovingkindness fill their hearts,
     Calm and focus their minds
     Steady their hands.

Let no evil befall them or our Loved One.
May each body system come to perfect harmony.
May each wound inflicted bring health and healing behind it:
     As by Christ’s wounds we are healed,
     So now, we ask for healing wounds.

Make us awake to our blessings,
Things we take for granted,
Things many people throughout the world don’t have:
     Sanitation, education, access, options, medicines and therapies.
     Hope, provision, support, community, nourishment.

May we care for her with compassion and patience while she recovers.
We know that in the midst of pain, you bring growth and goodness.
May we be strengthened and tireless as we offer help:
     Each word echoing the mercy of Christ
     Each action formed and informed by love.

Amen
 

*Substitute the name of the individual here
*Replace gender-specific pronouns as needed

Lent 2 (Year A): Litany for Grace and Rebirth

This litany incorporates the Lectionary readings for the Second Week of Lent (Year A). They're not easy ones. They contain concepts whose interpretation theologians have debated for centuries: "Faith vs Works" and the question of what it means to be "born again." These questions and ideas have sparked prolonged and intense debate among various sects of the faith. No wonder it's hard to write a prayer that everyone can pray surrounding these passages, one that is able to hold the tension and explore it.  Tricky business.

We lift our eyes up to the hills. Where does our help come from?
Our help comes from the Lord, maker of heaven and earth.
The Lord is our keeper;
The Lord will keep our lives. (1)

We trust in the Lord, who justifies the ungodly. (2)
We are the ungodly, the lowly;
But the Lord is gracious to us,
And our trust is counted as righteousness. (3)
By faith we are reborn in the Spirit (4):
     New vision
     New ways of thinking,
     New power to accomplish good work.

For the Son of God has shined his face on us
With glorious light (5);
And the Lord has given us the gift of favor.
His promise rests on grace.

To accept the gift of grace
Help us, Oh God.
To trust in you
Help us, Oh God.
To turn away from evil and toward the goodness of Christ
Help us, Oh God.
To produce fruit that comes from vibrant faith
Help us, Oh God.

Amen

(1) Psalm 121
(2) Romans 4:5
(3) Romans 4:3
(4) John 3:6
(5) Matthew 17:2

Litany for International Women’s Day

March 8 is International Women's Day.

Oh God, who has created all human beings with dignity and love:
We lift to you the women of the world
Our mothers, daughters, sisters, and friends
Worthy human beings, beloved by You.

Speak deeply into the souls of women and girls today
Tell them their worth, value, and strength.
So many women have been dis-empowered
Abused and enslaved
Pushed to the margins of societies worldwide,
Their voices never heard.

But you, Lord, have redeemed the lowly.
You have scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts (1)
You have lifted up the humble (2)
The Mighty One has done great things for us (3).
Even now, you are bringing justice for women,
Wave upon wave over the earth.
Even now women of wisdom are rising to leadership
In churches, organizations, governments, and arts.

Give courage to the women working
For equality and the good of their sisters and brothers.
Keep them from temptation and evil. (4)
And may the next generation rise up freer than the last.

Amen

(1) Luke 1:51
(2) Luke 1:52
(3) Luke 1:49
(4) Matthew 6:13

Lent 1 (Year A): Litany for Abundance

Be glad in the Lord, O Righteous
Shout for joy, all you upright in heart. (1)

The free gift of God is offered to you:
Abundance of grace and life (2)
Through the obedience of the person
Jesus Christ, our Lord.

As Christ fasted in the desert forty days and forty nights and faced temptation (3),
So we set aside a season of fasting and acknowledging temptation:
A discipline which reminds us of our need for God
And draws us closer to Christ

So many things pull at us:
     Power and wealth
     Vengeance and self-protection
     Comfort and ease
Things which draw us away from doing the work of Christ in the world
But steadfast love surrounds us (4)
We confess our transgressions to you
And you forgive us (5)
In the midst of self-denial
We find this abundance of love.

Be glad in the Lord, O Righteous
Shout for joy, all you upright in heart.

(1) Psalm 32:11
(2) Romans 5:17
(3) Matthew 4:2
(4) Psalm 32:10
(5) Psalm 32:5
 

Litany for Ash Wednesday (Year A)

Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of the season of Lent, in which people of faith set aside time to fast and reflect upon the state of ourselves. It's a time of humility, and of facing the truth that we are imperfect and fall short and need the grace of God to meet us, not shying away from what we must deal with before we can grow. Many of us smear ashes on our heads on this day, as a symbol of our humility and contrition. This litany references several of the day's Lectionary passages.

Oh God, our wrongdoing is ever before us
Our complicity in systems of injustice
Our tendency to validate falsehoods
Our sloth about love
Our willingness to be constantly entertained and never quiet
Our egos, violence, and idolatry.
   
These things only begin to describe our transgressions.
We are none of us immune to them. (1)
We have done harm
And left good undone.

We devote ourselves in this season
To cleaning up our messes;(2)
Both inward, of our deepest hearts;
And outward, of our societies and relationships.
Show us our own selves,
That we may become transformed
And by repentance and contrition
Re-make the world with you. (3)

We are deep in need of grace.
Have mercy on us, oh God. (4)

Amen

(1)Joel 2:12,13
(2) Psalm 51:10
(3) Isaiah 58:6-8
(4) Psalm 51:1


 

Litany for Journalists

God, we bring before you now those brothers and sisters
Who work to bring us news about the world we live in.
They are in a time when they must double down their efforts
To dig deep and bring truth to light.

Merciful God, protect them
Bring them help and respite,
Care for them
And for their families
Let no evil harm them,
And no foe alarm them.

When enemies line up to hurl insults
Give them blessedly deaf ears.
When world leaders malign their efforts,
Give them proof of their worth.
When exhaustion sets in,
Give them reliable friends and allies to help.
When they are tempted to bait clicks with sensationalism
Give them firm resolve and ethics.

Let truth and transparency be their guideposts.
Let freedom and civil liberty light their way.
Let insight and analysis spur them on.
Let strength and nobility characterize their work.
 

Amen