These past two weeks have been wonderful though incredibly busy. My supervisor was on a much-needed vacation which I encouraged him to go on so I was in charge at the church. While it did not add too much more responsibility to my plate my Immigration Task Force work increased these past two weeks which is a really good thing! I am organizing congregations around an Immigrant Welcoming Congregations journey which has its kick-off retreat this Saturday so now I’m in somewhat survival mode though taking today off to rest before the sprint!
I have always enjoyed writing prayers for worship services and found this practice to be particularly renewing these past two weeks. My pastor at the church I worked in in Arlington Virginia encouraged me to write them more, advice that has stayed with me though gone pretty much undone. Since I’ve been busy and unable to devote too much time to my blog I will share the corporate prayer I wrote for Echo Park this week:
God of hope, this week marked the two-year anniversary of the earthquake in Haiti. We ask that you not forget your children there, and do not let us forget our brothers and sisters in Haiti. May we not forget their struggle to survive, their struggle to rebuild and return to a life of normalcy. Many are still living in tents, in deplorable conditions. Keep our Haitian brothers and sisters ever on our hearts and minds. May we not be satisfied until our Haitian brothers and sisters are satisfied. Keep your children ever on our mind wherever there is suffering in your world. Use us to be agents of your hope.
God of mercy, you know the struggles that we encounter in our everyday lives, struggles to survive, struggles to be content with our situations, yet work for change, struggles to fulfill your call in our lives. Give us hearts that yearn for a better life for ourselves and those around us, a life full of mercy. Open our ears to your call in our lives. Open our eyes to the path you desire us to lead. Give us the strength and courage to live out your call in our lives. Where we are called to hold people accountable grant us your courage. Where we are called to show love and mercy give us your loving arms and non-judgmental heart. Where we are called to do tasks that stretch us and challenge us give us your assurance that you are present with us, every step of the way. Where we are called to join a long struggle for justice grant us your patience, remind us that you call us to difficult things yet you are moving even when we are unable to feel it.
God of justice, as we as a country celebrate the life and legacy of Martin Luther King Jr may we be reminded that the work is not yet finished. Open our eyes to the injustice around us. Show us the places in our own lives where we need to change. Show us the places in our communities and world where discrimination creates barriers and makes us feel more comfortable exploiting our brothers and sisters. May we not rest until all of your children are equal in our own eyes. Grant us your strength to confront the systems we as humans have created to allow us to believe some are better than others. Remind us that you created each of us in your image and you call us to live as true brothers and sisters, neighbors who love each other as much as we love ourselves and you.
God of comfort, you know the prayers on our hearts, the people in our lives who are continually on our minds. You know our loved ones who we grieve for. You know our loved ones who are sick and in need of your care. You know the names of the people in our lives who we wish to reconcile with. Be ever-present with these people and the others who we care so deeply about. Grant us your peace to know that you are ever working in our lives and in the lives of those we love and care for.
In your name we pray, Amen
Thank you Stephanie,
Grace and Peace
Bruce