A Prayer for Putting on a Face Mask

Creator God, as I prepare to go into the world, help me to see the sacramental nature of wearing of this cloth.  Let it be a tangible and visible way of living love for my neighbors, as I love myself.

Christ Jesus, since my lips will be covered, uncover my heart, that people would see my smile in the crinkles around my eyes.  Since my voice may be muffled, help me to speak clearly, not only with my words, but with my actions.

Holy Spirit, as the elastic touches my ears, remind me to listen carefully and careingly to all those I meet.  May this simple piece of cloth be shield and banner, and may each breath that it holds, be filled with Your love.  In You name and in that love, I pray.   Amen.

-Rev. Richard Bott, Moderator, Presbyterian Church of Canada

Wounded Yet Sovereign

(to the tune: Morning Has Broken)

Thomas was absent when the disciples
Joyously welcomed their risen Lord.
Christ stood among them, wounded yet sovereign;
Holy compassion unlocked the doors.

“God’s peace be with you! Our God has sent me.
Here is the Spirit; take in my breath.
Sins are forgiven; now forgive others.
God’s love is stronger even than death.”

We’ve all been wounded; we’ve all been fearful.
Haven’t we doubted when we’ve not seen?
Yet God is faithful, gracious and patient.
By holy love we all are redeemed.

Audio file with the tune: http://www.gbod3.org/sorter/audio/2166.mp3

—Shared by Brad Munroe in DeCristo Presbytery (Arizona). Lyrics from DeCristo pastor, Rev. Rachel Srubas. If any of your churches want to use it, her contact information is: rachelsrubas@gmail.com.

Prayer

As we open our hearts to the peace and joy of your presence, we bring to this moment a desire to be helpful to those less fortunate:

Because so much of the world is poor and starving, may we go with bread;
Because the world is filled with fear, may we give courage;
Because the world is in despair, may we give hope;
Because the world is living lies, may we go with truth;
Because the world is sick with sorrow, may we bring joy;
Because the world is weary of wars, may we bring peace;
Because the world will die without it, may we bring love,
As Jesus did, Amen.

—From Rev. Duncan Ferguson, used to close a gathering of Honorably Retired ministers 4/21/2020, originally used in a graduation setting at a university. (Partly borrowed of course, as we are always learners from the wisdom of others.)

Prayer

For the layers of comfort and convenience that surrounded our lives and that we never considered a blessing but always just took for granted, forgive us.

For we who must grieve in isolation and not in community, comfort us.

For we who care for the sick, protect us.

For the ability to turn off the fear-mongering and unhelpful commentary and worst-case scenario click bait, strengthen us.

For the times when we are all out of creative ideas for how to get through this with cooped up kids, inspire us. 

For we who are now cutting our own bangs at home, guide us.

For the grace to allow ourselves and others to just be less productive, shower us.

For the generosity needed from those of us who have more resources, empower us.

From our own selfish inclinations, deliver us.

For just being your children, none of whom have done a global pandemic before, love us.

For the days ahead, accompany us.

God unbound by time, help us to know that you are already present in the future we are fearing.

AMEN. 

-Nadia Bolz-Weber

For Courage

When the light around you lessens
And your thoughts darken until
Your body feels fear turn
Cold as stone inside,

When you find yourself bereft
Of any belief in yourself
And all you unknowingly 
Leaned on has fallen,

When one voice commands
Your whole heart,
And it is raven dark,

Steady yourself and see
That it is your own thinking
That darkens the world,

Search and you will find
A diamond-thought of light.

Know that you are not alone,
And that darkness has purpose;
Gradually it will school your eyes
To find the one gift your light requires
Hidden within this night corner.

Invoke the learning 
Of every suffering
You have suffered.

Close your eyes
Gather all the kindling
About your heart
To create one spark.
That is all you need
To nourish the flame
That will cleanse the dark 
Of its weight of festered heart.

A new confidence will come alive
To urge you toward higher ground
Where your imagination
Will learn to engage difficulty
As its most rewarding threshold! 

—from John O'Donohue, Irish poet and priest. 
—shared by Jeff Smith, Friday Harbor.

Prayer for Today

Oh Lord, may I walk in the way of life today,
faithful to what you have entrusted to me for this day,
no more and no less.
Let me not become anxious over the things that I cannot control
but instead receive your grace to face these things trustingly.
In Jesus’ name. Amen.

—From Janice Smith, Pastoral Associate for Commissioned Ministries

Love’s Pandemic Strategy

You caught us well in Bethlehem,
But did not catch what ails us.

You caught our baby-self, our childhood-self.
You caught our saying “mother”, “brother”, “friend”.
This became yours, and makes you ours for good.
You caught us well, in flesh, in rest,
In work: our seeking, questing;

Our laughing, weeping; and our many loves
To which we may say “yes”, or “no”, or “wait”.
To our surprise you caught our grown-up life,
Without contracting our diseased
Autonomy-obsession.

Our toxic freedom shuns tough claims of love
And trust. Disharmony endangers all
Our needed bonds; with you, with others. Self,
Itself, our being, forms a trap:
A stranger we must wrestle.

All human beings carry this disease,
And bear its wounds within our hearts and minds.
Those scars on our behavior span the world.
Our planet radiates the shade
And smell of viral darkness.

You caught us without catching this disease.
Our healthy vitals worked so well with you:
So charmed, we failed to grasp your alien scheme
To carry in you what we are.
You would contract our plague like

A lover poisoned by their true love’s kiss,
Or quarry by an expert marksman shot,
Right through the heart, with no love lost. You would
Lure us, so we would infect you.
But love, your love, arranged this:

Met this, with outstretched arms, upon a cross.
“X” marks the spot upon your map of love
(Love’s trysting place with death), where we played false
But you played true, and won us whole!
Our curse, your cross, connected.
Here we are, nailed together.
But it was you, all along,
Who caught us. Can we catch you?

—Written by Rev. Dennis Evans, HR in NWCP and posted here: https://dennistheeremite.blogspot.com/2020/05/loves-pandemic-strategy.html

Prayer for the Day

God of all Grace,
we don’t doubt that you are with us in the midst of this crisis,
but we worry about ---
      what tomorrow will bring
         who will suffer
            how we will manage
               when this will be over,
and we wonder if we’re going around a bend that leads
to rapids or still water. 
In your mercy, Dear Lord,
swaddle us with your abiding presence
and keep us from flailing. 
Rock us in your holy arms and calm us
so we may breathe
and believe that you are always here
though we cannot gather in your name.     Amen

—from Rev. Dana Hughes, Transitional Presbyter, Denver Presbytery

Pandemic

What if you thought of it
as the Jews consider the Sabbath—
the most sacred of times?
Cease from travel.
Cease from buying and selling.
Give up, just for now,
on trying to make the world
different than it is.
Sing. Pray. Touch only those
to whom you commit your life.
Center down.
 
And when your body has become still,
reach out with your heart.
Know that we are connected
in ways that are terrifying and beautiful.
(You could hardly deny it now.)
Know that our lives
are in one another’s hands.
(Surely, that has come clear.)
Do not reach out your hands.
Reach out your heart.
Reach out your words.
Reach out all the tendrils
of compassion that move, invisibly,
where we cannot touch.
 
Promise this world your love–
for better or for worse,
in sickness and in health,
so long as we all shall live.
 
–by Lynn Ungar 3/11/20
http://www.lynnungar.com/poems/pandemic/ 

Patient Trust

Above all, trust in the slow work of God.
We are quite naturally impatient in everything
    to reach the end without delay.
We should like to skip the intermediate stages.
We are impatient of being on the way to something
    unknown, something new.
And yet it is the law of all progress
    that it is made by passing through
    some stages of instability –
    and that it may take a very long time.

And so I think it is with you.
    your ideas mature gradually –let them grow,
    let them shape themselves, without undue haste.
Don’t try to force them on,
    as though you could be today what time
    (that is to say, grace and circumstances
    acting on your own good will)
    will make of you tomorrow.

Only God could say what this new spirit
    gradually forming within you will be.
Give Our Lord the benefit of believing
    that his hand is leading you,
and accept the anxiety of feeling yourself
    in suspense and incomplete. 

—by Pierre Teilhard de Chardin SJ
—shared by Amy Delaney, Edmonds