A Responsive Prayer For A Pandemic

“May we who are merely inconvenienced
Remember those whose lives are at stake.

May we who have no risk factors
Remember the most vulnerable.

May we who have the luxury of working from home
Remember those who must choose between
preserving their health or making rent.

May we who have the flexibility to care
for our children when their school closes
Remember those who have no options.

May we who have to cancel our trips
Remember those with nowhere safe to go.

May we who are losing our “margin money”
in the tumult of the economic market
Remember those with no margin to spare.

May we who settle into Quarantine in comfortable homes
Remember those who have no home.

As fear grips our country,
Let us choose Love.

During this time when we cannot physically
wrap our arms around each other,
Let us find ways to be the loving embrace of God to our neighbors.

Amen.

(author unknown)

A Prayer For Refugees and Victims of War

“Lord God,
No one is a stranger to you
And no one is ever far from your loving care.
In your kindness, watch over refugees and victims of war,
Those separated from their loved ones,
Young people who are lost,
And those who have left home or who have run away from home.
Bring them back safely to the place where they long to be,
And help us always to show your kindness
to strangers and to all in need.”

- Author Unknown

Pope John Paul II's Prayer for Peace

“Lord Jesus Christ, who are called the Prince of Peace,
who are yourself our peace and reconciliation,
who so often said, "Peace to you," grant us peace.

Make all men and women witnesses of truth, justice,
and brotherly love.
Banish from their hearts whatever might endanger peace.

Enlighten our rulers that they may
guarantee and defend the great gift of peace.
May all peoples on the earth
become as brothers and sisters.
May longed for peace blossom forth
and reign always over us all.”

- Pope John Paul II

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• Prayer found at Jesuit Resources

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Prayer For the Human Family

“O God, you made us in your own image and redeemed us through Jesus your Son: Look with compassion on the whole human family; take away the arrogance and hatred which infect our hearts; break down the walls that separate us; unite us in bonds of love; and work through our struggle and confusion to accomplish your purposes on earth; that, in your good time, all nations and races may serve you in harmony around your heavenly throne; through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.”

(Book of Common Prayer pg. 815)

Prayer for Justice and Peace (Author Unknown)

“Eternal Father, You created us in Your own image and likeness, but sin has warped the minds of men and throughout the world there is much injustice and much carelessness of the rights of other people and personal responsibility.

Lord when You are excluded from the hearts and consciences of men, the inevitable result is that people suffer and Lord, there is much injustice and corruption taking place in our world today, not only in the lives of individuals but also in the corridors of power and the council rooms of many nations.

We pray Lord that You will right all the wrongs that are taking place in our world and vindicate those that are being treated unjustly. Keep us Father from trying to take matters into our own hands for vengeance is your and You will repay - but Lord in your grace and mercy we pray that you would give justice and peace to all those that have been cruelly and unfairly treated by their fellow man and may injustice and carelessness that they have had to endure be the means to draw them into Your saving arms of grace - we ask this in the precious name of the Lord, Jesus.”

- Author Unknown

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• Found at Jesuit Resources

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Prayer for Victims and Perpetrators of Injustice

“For all those who have fallen victim to hatred and inhumanity, for those loved ones who are left behind to mourn, for the souls of those whose hearts are cold, Lord, hear our prayer.
For the children who are being born into this world of conflict and violence, for women and mothers who suffer needlessly, Lord, hear our prayer.
For all those who have been forced into unemployment, who long to return to work, for all those who struggle to support their families, Lord, hear our prayer.
For the soldiers who are misguided in thinking that their bullets will bring about peace, for those who feel called to conscientiously object to military orders, Lord, hear our prayer.

For the children who cry in their beds at night and wonder "what have I done?"
For the mothers and fathers who must try to explain the unexplainable, Lord, hear our prayer.
For all the children who have died before their time, for the soldiers who allow their uniform to strip them of their humanity, for the healers who are denied the opportunity to use their gifts, Lord, hear our prayer.
For the redemption of souls of both victim and perpetrator, for those who commit themselves to the forgiveness of sins, Lord, hear our prayer.”

- Author Unknown

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• Found at Jesuit Resources

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Prayer of Eternal Winter (In The Middle of Summer)

“The dark shadow of space leans over us...
We are mindful that the darkness of greed, exploitation, and hatred
also lengthens its shadow over our small planet Earth.
As our ancestors feared death and evil and all the dark powers of winter,
we fear that the darkness of war, discrimination, and selfishness
may doom us and our planet to an eternal winter.

May we find hope in the lights we have kindled on this sacred night,
hope in one another and in all who form the web-work of peace and justice
that spans the world.

In the heart of every person on this Earth
burns the spark of luminous goodness;
in no heart is there total darkness.
May we who have celebrated this winter solstice,
by our lives and service, by our prayers and love,
call forth from one another the light and the love
that is hidden in every heart.”

- Author Unknown

Prayer For Prisons and Correctional Institutions (1979 Book of Common Prayer)

“Almighty and most merciful God, we remember before you all poor and neglected persons whom it would be easy for us to forget:  the homeless and the destitute, the old and the sick, and all who have none to care for them. Help us to heal those who are broken in body or spirit, and to turn their sorrow into joy. Grant this, Father, for the love of your Son, who for our sake became poor, Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.”

• From the Book of Common Prayer (1979)

Prayer For the Poor and the Neglected (1979 Book of Common Prayer)

”Almighty and most merciful God, we remember before you all poor and neglected persons whom it would be easy for us to forget:  the homeless and the destitute, the old and the sick, and all who have none to care for them. Help us to heal those who are broken in body or spirit, and to turn their sorrow into joy. Grant this, Father, for the love of your Son, who for our sake became poor, Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.”

• From the Book of Common Prayer (1979)

Prayer For The Oppressed (1979 Book of Common Prayer)

“Look with pity, O heavenly Father, upon the people in this land who live with injustice, terror, disease, and death as their constant companions.  Have mercy upon us.  Help us to eliminate our cruelty to these our neighbors. Strengthen those who spend their lives establishing equal protection of the law and equal opportunities for all.  And grant that every one of us may enjoy a fair portion of the riches of this land; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.”

• From the Book of Common Prayer (1979)

MLK Untitled Prayer 03

“Most Gracious and all wise God; Before whose face the generations rise and fall; Thou in whom we live, and move, and have our being.6 We thank thee [for?] all of thy good and gracious gifts, for life and for health; for food and for raiment; for the beauties of nature and the love of human nature. We come before thee painfully aware of our inadaqucis and shortcomigs. We realize that we stand surrounded with the mountains of love and we deliberately dwell in the valley of hate. We stand amid the forces of truth and deliberately lie; We are forever offered the high road and yet we choose the lo to travel the low road. For these sins O God forgive. Break the spell of that which blinds our minds. Purify our hearts that we may see thee. O God in these turbulent day when fear and doubt are mounting high give us broad visions, penetrating eys, and power of endurance. Help us to work with rewed vigor for a warless world, for a better distribution of wealth, and for a brotherhood that transcends race or color. In the name and spirit of Jesus we pray. Amen.”

• Taken from a short collection in the King Papers simply called “Prayers” and available here.

MLK Untitled Prayer 02

“O God our eternal Father, we praise thee for gifts of mind with which thou hast endowed us. We are able to rise out of the half-realities of the sense world to a world of ideal beauty and eternal truth. Teach us, we pray Thee, how to use this great gift of reason and imagination so that it shall not be a curse but a blessing. Grant us visions that shall lift us [strikeout illegible] from worldiness and sin into the light of thine own holy presence. Through Jesus Christ we pray. Amen.”

• Taken from a short collection in the King Papers simply called “Prayers” and available here.

Because They Couldn't Breathe, We Cannot Be Silent (A Responsive Reading For George Floyd and Others)

This responsive reading was inspired by the following Tweet from Latasha Morrison:

Because I can breathe, I don’t want another person to die at the hands of police brutality because they can’t breathe. What will you do with the breath in your body?

Creating, Sustaining, and Saving God,
Hear us in these heavy times
because it feels like no one else does.

People of God take heart, for the Scriptures tell us:

“God hears the hearts of the afflicted;
He encourages them and listens to their cries,
He defends the fatherless and the oppressed,
so that people will no longer terrorize us”
(Psalm 10:17-18)

How long?
How long, O Lord?

People of God take heart, for the Scriptures tells us:

“everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved”
(Joel 2:32)

How long?
How long, O Lord?

I don’t know.

It feels too long.

I know.

It feels too heavy.

People of God take heart, for the Scriptures tells us:

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
(Matthew 11:28-30)

But it doesn’t feel that way.
The oppression feels too heavy.
Another video.
Another life taken by authority

By those who are supposed to protect

People of God take heart, God has word for you:

“Woe to those who make unjust laws, to those who issue oppressive decrees, to deprive the poor of their rights and withhold justice from the oppressed of my people, making widows their prey and robbing the fatherless.”
(Isaiah 10:1-2)

But it keeps happening:

Alton Sterling
Tamir Rice
Trayvon Martin
Philando Castile
Eric Garner
Bothem Sean
Breonna Taylor
Amaud Arbery
George Floyd

And so many more.

Live cut short

“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.
We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality,
tied in a single garment of destiny.
Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.”
(Martin Luther King Jr., Letter from the Birmingham Jail)

Creating, Sustaining, and Saving God,
Remind us of our mutuality

Their suffering is our suffering

George Floyd couldn’t breathe.

But we can.

Eric Garner couldn’t breathe.

But we can.

So what will we do with our breath?

Remind ourselves that it is a gift.

And gifts are not to be wasted.

We will use our breath to speak for the voiceless.
We will use our breath to cry with the afflicted.

Because they could not breathe,
we cannot be silent.

God, you promised to cast down the mighty
and we don’t know how much longer we can wait.

Because they could not breathe,
we cannot be silent.

God, give us the courage to lead with love,
to challenge unjust systems
and to name the national sin of racism.

Because they could not breathe,
we cannot be silent.

Because they could not breathe,
we will not be silent.

Prayer Of Commendation

I am nearly finished with my first unit of Clinical Pastoral Education, where I have had the opportunity to serve as a Hospital Chaplain Intern.

The other day, I was called to perform “Last Rites” for a patient. Upon arriving to the room, I discovered that the patient was already deceased. After informing the family that 01: The Roman Catholic tradition only performs rites for the living, and, quite relevant, 02: I am not Roman Catholic and couldn’t do it even if it were such a thing. They said neither were they; they just wanted someone to perform a prayer.

I looked for a non-Roman Catholic Prayer of Commendation and couldn’t quite find what I was looking for, so I wrote one. It’s a little long for what I’d like to use it for and I will probably make some edits, or rewrite it completely, but I thought I’d pass it along in its current form if anyone’s interested (feel free to use and edit as helps you).

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Saving and Sustaining Creator; 
hear us as we gather
in the quiet remembrance of death.
From dust we came
and to dust we shall return. 
As our dear one has departed this realm,
some day, so shall we.

Creator who saves, and sustains,
help us make the most our days. 
May we carry your blessing of Love to all we meet,
for our days our few and the needs are many
Show us that Your Love sustains.

We commend our dear sister/brother ____________ to the journey ahead,
To them we say:

may you return to the God who formed you, 
may the angels and the saints; 
all those who have gone ahead
guide you as you go forth from this life to the next. 

Dear sister/brother ____________
May the God who created, saves, and sustains,
bring you freedom from your suffering, 
and peace of spirit,
welcome you with open arms 
into the garden of paradise, 

and may you hear those words we all long to hear:
“Well done, my good and faithful servant,”
Find your rest in that heavenly home
where there is no more disease,
no more sickness,
no more sadness,
no more tears,
and no more suffering; 
remember us as you take your place in the eternal.”

Creating, Saving, and Sustaining God, 
guide this dear one and us to our eternal home,
Give us the courage to continue our lives in sacrifice for others,
following the path of peace,
guided by Love. 

We pray with humble confidence
knowing our shortcomings
and your abundant mercies. 

Hear our prayers, 
guide our hands, 
heal our hearts. 
Amen.

A Prayer For Justice From The United Church of Christ

“Grant us, Lord God, a vision of your world
as your love would have it:
a world where the weak are protected,
and none go hungry or poor;
a world where the riches of creation are shared,
and everyone can enjoy them;
a world where different races and cultures
live in harmony and mutual respect;
a world where peace is built with justice,
and justice is guided by love.
Give us the inspiration and courage to build it,
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.”

(taken from the United Church of Christ “Prayers” page)

Prayers of the People Concerning Immigrants and Refugees

Prayers of the People Concerning Immigrants and Refugees (Courtesy of the Anglican Immigrant Initiative).

The Deacon or other person appointed says these prayers with the people responding to each petition – “Hear our prayer.” 

 Let us pray for the Church and for the world.

 Almighty and ever-living God you command us to offer prayers and supplications and to give thanks for all people. We humbly ask you to receive our prayers and petitions on behalf of all immigrants and refugees throughout the world. 

 Reader:Lord in your mercy.

People:Hear our prayer. 

 Dear Lord, we pray that you will lead the nations of the world in the ways of righteousness and truth. So guide and direct our leaders, in this and every land, in the ways of wisdom and compassion, that they will properly balance the need to protect our citizens with the need to honor and respect the dignity of every human being. 

 Reader:Lord in your mercy.

People:Hear our prayer. 

 Give grace, O Heavenly Father, to all Bishops, Priests, and Deacons, and especially to your servant Archbishop Beach, so to guide and direct this Province in the ways of justice and peace modeling what it means to love you with our whole heart, soul, and mind, and to love our neighbors as ourselves.

Reader: Lord in your mercy.

People: Hear our prayer. 

 Almighty and merciful Lord, we are taught in your holy Word to treat the sojourner among us with kindness and respect, remembering how the People of Israel were sojourners in the land of Egypt. (Leviticus 19:33-34) Inspire us to reach out, in obedience to your Word, respecting and welcoming the sojourner in our midst. 

Reader: Lord in your mercy.

People: Hear our prayer. 

 Heavenly Father, we remember before you those families who have been separated at our boarders.  We pray for their protection and reunification. 

 Reader: Lord in your mercy.

People: Hear our prayer. 

 Additional prayers may be added. The Celebrant concludes with the following prayer

 Heavenly Father, grant these our prayers for the sake of Jesus Christ, our only Mediator and Advocate, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. 

• Visit the Anglican Initiative website.

A Litany For Weeping

A Litany For Weeping by Kaitlin Curtice. Sojo.net. 11.08.18

We think that there are no more tears left,
that we can’t,
as a people,
possibly mourn this deeply, this often.

So we breathe and remember:
Jesus wept.

We are numb,
staggering with disbelief,
scared and wondering if shalom
still exists.

So we breathe and remember:
Jesus wept.

We try to make sense of hate,
try to trace the line
of white supremacy.

We see that though we’ve come so far,
it’s not so far that we’ve come.

So we breathe and remember:
Jesus wept.

We name those who have died
from unjust institutions
and the carrying on of hate.

We raise our fists and
beat our chests.

So we breathe and remember:
Jesus wept.

We hope to be brave,
but we are tired.
We hope for freedom,
but there are so many in shackles.

So we breathe and remember:
Jesus wept.

We fight with weapons of
peace and humility.
We fight with the power
of listening.

We breathe and remember:
Jesus wept.

And when tomorrow comes,
and the day is new,
we cannot deny reality.

We live our own belovedness,
and the belovedness of others.

So today, in all our places, we breathe and remember:
Jesus wept.
And so we breathe and weep with him.

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A Litany For Weeping by Kaitlin Curtice. Sojo.net. 11.08.18