Thanks to my friend Krin Van Tatenhove for inviting me to write about hope for his blog.
Category Archives: Prayer
A prayer for the family, colleagues, and friends of the Rev. Dr. James Reese
The Rev. Dr. James Reese died on June 17 at age 98; he served over 70 years as a Minister of Word and Sacrament in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.); he lived his life in ministry.
For the Rev. Dr. James Foster Reese (presente!):
for his life and love
for his faith and kindness
for his courage and witness
for his persistent challenge to white supremacy
for his insistent commitment to justice
for his consistent service to Jesus,
revealed in so many ways but particularly
as he ‘refused to leave the table’ where decisions were made
even when he felt pushed to the margins and ignored,
thanks be to God.
For his wife, Neola,
his family,
his friends,
his colleagues in ministry,
his mentees,
and all who knew and loved him,
we ask your comfort, God.
Keep his memory present and alive
as an inspiration and example to us all.
We pray in the name of Jesus
who the Rev. Dr. Reese followed.
Amen.
A prayer for children – all our children
Parent God,
they are all our children.
Their stories lead the nightly news,
their stories never told,
they are all our children.
Their names on a list,
their names unknown,
they are all our children.
Their faces tweeted,
their faces unseen,
they are all our children.
In Uvalde,
they are all our children.
In Chicago,
they are all our children.
In Kandahar Province, (Afghanistan)
they are all our children.
In Atma town, Idlib, (Syria)
they are all our children.
In Kramatorsk, (Ukraine)
they are all our children.
In Drakpa, (Democratic Republic of Congo)
they are all our children.
In Tultepec, (Mexico)
they are all our children.
In Jenin, (Palestine)
they are all our children.,
In Hlaing Tharyar Township (Myanmar)
they are all our children.
In any place,
they are all our children.
In every place,
they are all our children.
Inspire us to repeat the words
until we understand the words,
believe the words,
until we live the words.
They are all our children.
In Jesus’ name we pray.
Amen.
Filed under Current Events, Gun Violence, Prayer
A prayer for the children
I sat to entertain myself, O God.
I smiled as the movie rolled,
and the story flowed.
Then the cannon balls began to fly
and the children began to cry
and cinematic illusion blurred with harsh reality.
I imagined shells falling on Mariupol,
drone attacks in Yemen,
bullets tearing flesh in Tigray
and always children cry.
“And how are the children?”
asks the Masai people.
God, you know.
In places the children are well.
In places the children are strong.
In places the children are safe.
But you also know, O God,
that in places,
too, too many places,
the children cry in terror,
cry in pain,
cry as loved ones suffer and die.
cry from hunger.
The children are not well.
in any conflict,
in every conflict,
the children suffer.
O God, in the name of Jesus,
who bade the children come to him,
I pray for the children of
Mariupol,
Yemen,
Tigray.
I pray for the children
caught up in every conflict and any conflict.
I pray for the children who cry.
Protect the children, O God.
Hear their cries.
Watch over them.
Guide the nations of the world
to end conflicts
and establish the justice
that leads to wholeness and peace
in which children may thrive.
Guide me to discern my part
to support such efforts.
I pray in Jesus’ name.
Amen.
Filed under Current Events, Human Rights, Prayer
A prayer for peace
Again, God, we pray for peace.
Dona nobis pacem.
Still, God, we pray for peace.
Dona nobis pacem.
For the people of Ukraine, we pray.
Dona nobis pacem.
For the people of Russia, we pray.
Dona nobis pacem.
For the people of Europe, we pray.
Dona nobis pacem.
For the people of the world, we pray.
Dona nobis pacem.
For peace rooted in justice, we pray.
Dona nobis pacem.
Again, God, we pray for peace.
Dona nobis pacem.
Still, God, we pray for peace.
Dona nobis pacem.
23 February 2022
Filed under Current Events, Prayer
It comes this night
It comes this night.
Faintly,
ever so faintly,
it comes.
Above the roar
of anger and hatred,
Above the howl
of prejudice and bigotry,
Above the maelstrom
of systems and structures,
Above the crash
of violence and war,
Above the groan
of doubt and despair,
Above the dis-ease
of heartache and heartbreak
Above the tumult
of turmoil and trouble
Above the clamor
of struggle and strife
Above it all,
despite it all
because of it all,
it comes.
Faintly,
ever so faintly,
it comes.
A baby’s cry,
proclaiming
life and
love and
justice and
peace and
hope,
this night
and all nights.
It comes.
Thank God, it comes.
A prayer, September 11, 2021
Gracious God,
twenty years on
we remember.
We remember
your precious children killed in
New York
Washington, DC,
Shanksville.
We remember
your precious children killed in
Afghanistan
Iraq
and around the world.
We remember
death
wounded bodies
wounded spirits
wounded souls.
We remember
acts of terror
acts of valor
acts of violence
acts of peace.
We remember
fear
anger
hate
prejudice.
We remember
kindness
courage
grace
generosity.
We remember
people coming together to
reach out
weep
sing
embrace
care.
We remember
songs ended
songs gone
songs created
songs begun
songs lived
songs shared.
Remembering,
may we take bold, faith-filled, hopeful steps
to unlearn the ways of war and
turn to ways that might make peace between people;
to overcome fear of one another
and recognize the dignity and value of every person;
to seek understanding of suffering
and nurture the empathy needed to work to alleviate it; and
to walk the paths of love
that leads to peace and justice.
Remembering Jesus,
in response to your Holy Spirit,
we pray. Amen.
with thanks to Shannan Vance-Ocampo, Chris Shelton, leaders of the United Church of Christ and Come from Away
Filed under Current Events, Family, Friends, New York, Prayer
Psalm 46 (Koenig revised version)
God is our refuge and strength,
Though the virus should mutate,
though events shake our hearts;
though would-be pundits rant and rage;
though the tumult make us tremble;
God is our refuge and strength.
Selah
God is our refuge and strength.
We don our masks.
We receive vaccines (if we are able).
We wash our hands (often).
We physically distance.
God is our refuge and strength.
Amen.
Filed under Current Events, Poem, Prayer
A prayer for India
God of every country,
we pray for India and its peoples.
Comfort bereaved families.
Work quick recoveries
foe those who battle COVID.
May those who have managed to stay out of harm’s way
continue to stay safe.
Grant the country’s leadership the wisdom
to focus its energies on fighting the virus
rather than on controlling the narrative
about its handling of the crisis.
Lord, in your mercy! Amen.
inspired by and adapted from Dr. Raj Nadella, professor of New Testament, Columbia Theological Seminary
Filed under Current Events, Friends, Prayer
Virtual prayer vigil
Joining, from afar, the ecumenical prayer vigil held on Sunday, March 21 in the parking lot of the Gold Massage Spa to honor the victims of the Atlanta shooting. This vigil was organized by Korean Central Presbyterian Church of Atlanta, St. Andrew Kim Catholic Church, Emmanuel Korean United Methodist Church, and Lutheran Church of Incarnation. Here are some prayers for the moment.
Christ have mercy.
We thank you for your beloved children whose
lives were taken too soon, too violently in Georgia.
Draw us together to work
against racism and racist violence against Asian Americans.
Christ have mercy.
Inspire us to see each person
in the wholeness you create;
inspire us to see each person
with your gaze of love;
inspire us to see and honor
your image in each person.
Christ have mercy.
Provide love and courage for those who fear
for their safety because of who they are.
Guide us to disrupt systems and practices
that lead to fear and to create a society
in which no one need be afraid.
Christ have mercy.
Grant rest and comfort and strength
to your children who are wearied
by resisting white supremacy.
Sear the consciences of
those who have accepted privilege without interrogation
those who responded with apathy,
those who have expected people who endure racism
to provide the answers and to do the work.
Move us to care for one another
by dismantling systems that wound and drain
your children, our family
and deny your justice and love to all.
Christ have mercy.
Lead us to learn our history –
the history of Asians in America and of Asian Americans –
the history of the violence too often
inflicted by white supremacy
on Asian nations and on Asians in this nation.
May our learning lead us to recognize wrongs done,
repent, and begin the journey to repair.
Christ have mercy.
Move us to demand that
elected representatives in our nation,
in each state and in every community
speak and work to end hate and violence
directed at the Asian American community.
Christ have mercy.
We have work to do.
So much work to do.
Search our hearts,
guide our feet,
hold our hands,
stand by us
as we do the needed work
to disrupt white supremacy
and dismantle the systemic racism
that impacts Asian Americans
and Black, Indigenous, and people of color.
Filed under Antiracism, Current Events, Prayer
Along the Graybeard Trail 