Loving God, In a world where people so many cannot escape the violence, help those of us who are not under constant threat be radically committed to non-violence. May we never glorify our friends, our family or our elected officials threatening others with harm. May we never remain silent when others use language of hate when speaking of or to any of Your beloved children. Help us to measure our ...
Read More
God of Peace, On Veteran’s Day, we pray for all who have served our country on land or sea or air, at home or in far away lands. We pray for the safety of future veterans in active combat zones, and for those in places where violence could rear its ugly head at any time. We pray for those who made it home alive, but for whom life has never been the ...
Read More
There is a quote often attributed to the Talmud, but more accurately described as a loose translation of a portion of the Pirke Avot that is commentary on Micah 6:8. Do not be daunted by the enormity of the world’s grief. Do justly, now. Love mercy, now. Walk humbly now. You are not obligated to complete the work, but neither are you free to abandon it. While I agree with the premise and ...
Read More
It's not that we don't care, God. Of course we care about people in Morrocco What kind of monsters would we be to not be horrified that the death toll from the earthquake is almost up to 3000 people. 3000! On this day when we commemorate the largest loss of life on American soil, our siblings in Morocco--a country far smaller than ours--is about to eclipse that record. Of course we ...
Read More
Note: I've been writing a version of this prayer for several years now. Here is the 2023 version. Maker of all things, We pray for those who are overworked and overwrought. For those who are overwhelmed and just plain over it. For those who feel like there are not enough hours in the day and for those who fill their hours with that which does not feel like enough. For those who have lost ...
Read More
(as Idalia makes landfall) Creating God, It’s hard when Your good creation is trying to kill us. It’s hard to reconcile a loving creator with a creation that can, at times, be devastatingly beautiful and then be just plain devastating. We know we are complicit We know we haven’t cared for Your Earth the way You told us to But, to be fair, these natural born killers existed way before any coal engines or smoke stacks ...
Read MoreThere are far too many Pinterest and Instagram stories out there from people who get up at five in the morning, fix themselves a cup of coffee or a very specific kind of tea and then spend an hour with their Bible and notebook in prayer and study. So, that is fantastic...if it works for you. But most of us are NOT going to be able to pull that off in ...
Read More
God of love and God of all, We enter into this election with more anxiety than hope about the future of our country. We are battling for the soul of America, but we have very different ideas of how that soul should look, feel and behave. We fear for the safety and peace of our nation, as many have already threatened violence if the results are not the ones they want. We ...
Read More
We believe in children whose excitement and energy and creativity inspire us all to be more childlike in our lives and in our faith. We believe in teachers and in their call to nurture and educate amidst increasingly difficult circumstances. We believe in the grown-ups who wake up the kids, fix the lunches, volunteer at the schools and help with the homework. We believe in friends and co-workers and neighbors who step in ...
Read More
We see you and we celebrate you We see the good you do We see the love you share We see the people you serve We hear the names people call you Names that we do not recognize or publicize, lest we legitimize For those names don’t define you We know you by one name: Beloved Child of God Created in God’s own image We don’t pretend to know your pain But when you hurt, we hurt, too We may not ...
Read More
The church where my friend, Rev. Dr. Robert Lowry, serves has created a litany to be used in homes and churches and any place people may gather in the wake of yet another school shooting that has taken away so many lives. They have come up with words that so many of us are at a loss for and have graciously shared them. A Litany Against Gun Violence Composed Following the Robb ...
Read More
Fitting prayer into a busy life can be hard. And it's not just finding time for prayer--it's having peaceful, quiet time to pray. Good news! You don't need quiet and solitude to pray. Okay, there are ways we can be more in tune with how God is speaking to us and more open with our own authentic prayers, but prayer time can be anytime. In fact, the noise and ...
Read More
Jesus, Gentle Healer, our pain is piled on top of pain We've just about done all we can do. We've worn our masks. We got our vaccines. We've kept our distance. We've missed out on so much. We thought we were done. But it keeps coming back. Another cancelled trip. Another missed event. Another season of missed revenue. Another distance learning day. Another friend who is no longer with us. The pile of grief and pain and ...
Read More
We believe in children whose excitement and energy and creativity inspire us all to be more childlike in our lives and in our faith. We believe in teachers and in their call to nurture and educate our children in-person and online. We believe in parents who wake up the kids, fix the lunches, adjust the masks, volunteer at the schools and help with the homework. We believe in friends and co-workers ...
Read More
Note: this prayer is not meant to exclude the unvaccinated. It is to give voice and vocabulary to the frustrations and struggles I am hearing from those who are vaccinated (and am experiencing myself). I believe our prayers are most effective when we can be honest with God and ourselves about what we are thinking and how we are feeling--especially when we wish weren't feeling and thinking those things. God, ...
Read More
May we mindful of the myriad of emotions Mother’s Day stirs up for people we love. Today we pray for moms. We pray for the moms who bake cupcakes, wait in car lines, pack lunches, juggle sports schedules and preside over petty playground squabbles. We pray for the moms who struggle to feed their children, worry for their safety and hope for a better tomorrow. We pray for moms who never intended to ...
Read More
I tried to write a prayer for today--not so much for our leaders, but for our country as a whole. But I found myself writing different words (plagiarizing?) from the prayer of St. Francis of Assisi. So I thought I'd just share the original. It really conveys everything I hope for our country in the days, weeks and years to come. I hope St. Francis will permit me the ...
Read More
God of love and God of all, We enter into this election with an anxiety unmatched by any election day that has come before. Instead of a nation coming together to elect a common leader, we are a nation coming apart at the seams. We are battling for the soul of America, but we have very different ideas of how that soul should look, feel and behave. We fear for the safety and peace ...
Read More
Today is the last day to register for Pulling it Together in a World that's Falling Apart. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9SgDiTmd_Aw Why the deadline? With the election getting closer, virus rates rising and the holidays on the horizon, life is just going to get crazier. Now is the time the pull it together. 5 Simple Shifts 3 Prayer Hacks 2 Good Things You'll be amazed by what a big difference small changes can make in how you feel and ...
Read More
I'm tired y'all. And, as I've said before, if a privileged white woman with no kids at home is tired, the rest of you must be past going. Creator of all things, We are weary and worried. We are overworked and overwrought. We have been grieving loss for so long we’ve forgotten what it feels like not to be in mourning. Some days there just aren’t enough hours Other days, it seems like we don’t ...
Read More
Refuge and ever-present help in times of trouble The earth is being swallowed by the sea and consumed by fire We are being swept away by rising waters. We are walking through fire and getting burned Breath of life, we cannot breathe. Where are You? We are weary and worn out Wrap us in Your wings Take us in Your shelter Lift us high upon the rock We've seen what You can do, God Do it again! ...
Read More
Creator of all things, We pray for those who are overworked and overwrought. For those who feel like there are not enough hours in the day and for those who fill their hours with that which does not feel like enough. For those who have lost work, those who fear going to work and those who are desperately seeking work. For those who work in spaces and places where their own health and ...
Read More
At a time when (for many) work, school and home life all take place in one space, it can be hard to separate one from another. Everything morphs together, and it can feel like school or work never really ends. The feeling of "home" has been taken away. There's no magic wand to wave to fix the stress and strain we're all under right now, but an establishment of simple rituals ...
Read More
I've been using the same Mother's Day prayer for years now. I've adjusted it this year to reflect our realities. May we mindful of the myriad of emotions Mother's Day stirs up for people we love--especially this year. Today we pray for moms. We pray for the moms who bake cupcakes, wait in car lines, pack lunches, juggle sports schedules and preside over petty playground squabbles. We pray for moms who are ...
Read More
Rituals don't always have to be super serious. They can be fun...even playful. And a little play is good for all of us, especially now. Since most of us are at home and sitting down at the table together more than ever, why not add a prayer ritual to dinner? Or maybe just adjust one that you already have. Here's one that can be more meaningful than ...
Read More
About 10 days ago, we talked about Psalms of Communal Lament in our weekly Zoom Bible study. Lament (crying out to God) is expressed throughout our scriptures. It is a form of prayer that is cathartic and reassuring at the same time. I encourage you to write your own Psalm of Communal Lament, but for now, here is mine: Almighty God, Creator of all, things are getting really ...
Read More
Tonight at the inaugural Wine Wednesday Bible Zoom Bible study, we talked about the Psalms of Communal Lament. A note on lament: I am a big fan of lament. My ordination sermon was on the topic. The thing I like most about lament is that if you're crying out to God--in anger, grief, frustration--it means that even in the depths of despair, you still believe that God is listening. That ...
Read More
It’s a long list today, God. Of people to lift up to you. I know you already know, That people are hurting And I know that I can’t possibly name them all here For my world and my awareness are so very small But … So that You know that I know that the world needs You So that You know that I know that You listen when we call So that others might know that they are being ...
Read More
Gracious and loving God, On Veteran’s Day, we pray for all who have served our country on land or sea or air, at home or in far away lands. We honor those who never made it home. We pray God’s peace and mercy for those who still long for the presence of lost loved ones around the holiday table this year. We pray for those who made it home alive, but for ...
Read More
Dear God, We are tired of the headlines We are tired of the news We are tired of the angry voices We are tired of unarmed black lives lost to guns held by white hands We are tired of arguments over who counts as a person deserving of rights We are tired of men telling women what to do with their bodies. We are tired of trying to win losing battles We are tired of hating and ...
Read More
October is just what we need, God. Just when we think we can't take the heat, cooler weather (or at least the promise of it) arrives. October ushers in change with beautiful and vibrant colors to show us that transition is something to be welcomed rather than dreaded. October offers a master class in the language of letting go, as the trees shed their leaves in preparation for what is ...
Read More
We really blew it, didn't we? You gave us this good and green earth, and we have squandered it. You asked us to care for it, and we abused it. It's not that we aren't awestruck. We've stared into the vastness of the ocean with our toes in the sand. We've marveled at the proverbial majesty of the mountains. We've been nourished by the gifts of the ground. We've feasted on its bounty. ...
Read More
There are seasons in life when the pain just seems to pile on. Those times when we don't dare say, "at least it can't get any worse," because we know that it can and probably will. These seasons are difficult enough when they are our own, but perhaps even more difficult when they are happening to people we love, and we feel helpless in our efforts to alleviate ...
Read More
Creator of all things, We pray for those who are overworked and overwrought For those who feel like there are not enough hours in the day and for those who fill their hours with that which does not feel like enough For those who are facing layoffs and those who are looking for help to bear the load For those who find it easier to be at work than to be at home For those ...
Read More
Since the Psalms were actually the songs of their day, I've been playing with modern songs and considering how they might be adapted as prayers. I'm not sure how I would categorize this one, but I like to think of it as a hopeful Psalm of Lament. Ever present God, Being in Your presence Takes me back to a better timeWhen I saw everything as goodBut now You're the only thing ...
Read More
Gracious God, This United States is so very divided. We desperately need uniters. Send us leaders who recognize the plight of the white, rural family farmer and of the brown, urban small business owner...and seek to help both. Raise up leaders who value the work of the bus driver as much as that of the board member. Give us leaders who will be truly pro-life, making sure all of our children have healthcare, ...
Read More
The world says Do more Be more Get more Make more But God says Do justice Be loving Get along Make a joyful noise For this is the way of God Abundant God, forgive us when we can’t get to enough. Have mercy on us when we are never satisfied, always wanting that elusive “more” that we can never quite find. Be gentle with us when we fail to love people because they have what we think we want. Save us from ...
Read More
Legend has it that it was this Irish Monk who really discovered America, and that it was his journals on his travels that inspired Christopher Columbus to go out and seek the "new world." Whether or not that's true, Brendan did a great deal of journeying and evangelizing and is the patron saint of mariners and travelers--so you might keep the prayer below in your hip pocket as you head out for ...
Read More
As much as the card aisle and clever commercials want us to believe that Mother's Day is a warm and fuzzy day of love and gratitude, for many, it is a day to endure and suffer through. Mother's Day shines the spotlight on painful situations and difficult relations. May we mindful of the myriad of emotions Mother's Day stirs up for people we love. Today we pray for moms. We pray for the ...
Read More
May those who have waited until the last minute be swift and safe on their way to the post box (or be fleet of finger on their keyboards). May those who turned in their forms weeks ago resist the urge to be smug. May those who feel taxed by the work that comes their way during this season find some relief. May those who receive a refund spend it wisely. May those counting on ...
Read More
When you're getting ready to move, you find all sorts of treasures--photos, forgotten clothing, misplaced jewelry. I've been finding prayers--tucked into books, scrawled in notebooks, drafted into liturgies. I found this one that I once used for a children's message, but (like all good children's messages), I think it's a good prayer for any age. I'm pretty sure I didn't write it, so if anyone knows who did, I'd love to ...
Read More
I have a book of liturgical prayers written by Beverly Sawyer, who served as an associate pastor at Pulaski Heights Methodist Church in Little Rock in the late 1970s and early 80s. I really appreciate her prayers, for while she used beautiful language, she could be brutally honest about our own feelings, shortcomings and missteps. I found a prayer she wrote during the Cuban refugee crisis, when about 125,000 Cubans ...
Read More
Today is National Single Parents Day. For someone who was pretty much a hot mess raising one child, with a spouse and grandparents and some awesome and helpful friends in town, single parents are pretty much heroes to me. So I offer up this prayer for single parents today. Gracious God, we lift up single parents to you. Those who do the pick up and the drop off. Those who read ...
Read More
Gracious God, You must get so weary with all our thoughts and prayers. You must wonder why there's been another shooting and still no one is going to do a damn thing to stop the next one. You tell us over and over again to "be not afraid"...and yet we persist in our fear. You must be grieved that we put much more time and energy trying to keep people out than we put ...
Read More
Often, we think we are just too busy to pray, and when we do pause to think about prayer, we don't know what to say. Don't fret. Start your week off right with these prayers in your metaphorical back pocket and pull them out when you need them. (They can be used independently, together or in connection with other prayers of your choosing.) Prince of peace, please help me cling to ...
Read MoreThe unsung hero of the summer conference season--the adult sponsor. This is for you. This is for: The ones who give up vacation, income and time with family to bring youth into Christian community The ones who spend nights on rickety cots and under inflated air mattresses The ones who drive the vans filled with stinky teenage boys and giggly teenage girls The ones who who can't believe they have to do one more trust ...
Read MoreIt has occurred to me that, because I'm a "trained professional," that people may have some pre-conceived notions about how I'm praying when I tell them I'm praying for them or their loved ones. Spoiler alert: I am not an eloquent pray-er. Here are just some of the prayers I've prayed today. Feel free to be completely appalled or to adapt any and all for your personal use. Dear God, I know that ____________ is a ...
Read More