We will not be diminished in our faith by a culture of “thoughts and prayers.” We are a people praying for the courage and wisdom to act.
a blessing for when violence is done in the name of Jesus
Jesus we are furious.
we are trembling.
we are outraged,
that murderous acts of violence
are committed in Your Name.
Lord God, come and set things right,
starting right here, right now.
God have mercy.
Christ have mercy.
Spirit have mercy.
the voice of the Lord is powerful;
the voice of the Lord is full of majesty.
psalm 29:4 KJV
God have mercy.
Christ have mercy.
Spirit have mercy.
say unto God,
o how wonderful art thou in thy works,
through the greatness of thy power
shall thine enemies be found liars unto thee.
psalm 66:3 (1662 Coverdale)
blessed are we who say, God,
You saw it,
the banner of the holy name of Jesus
exploited and as good as trampled on,
even while it was being held high
over acts of blind fury and deadly violence--
the day that lawmaking stopped
and lawlessness and chaos broke through.
God, you saw the sparks that set all this in motion:
infamy disguised as righteous anger,
lies dressed as truth,
cowardice posing as courage,
cunning disguised as boldness,
sedition resting comfortably
like a parasite within a host
that remains unaware that its very essence
is being drained away.
God, blessed are we who saw it too.
we saw it. and we know this wasn’t You.
for we have lately been to the manger.
we have seen You, our newborn King,
who came in love
“not to conquer other kings by earthly warfare,
but by his own death to subdue them to himself…
not that living he might fight,
but that dying he might triumph.”
(Fulgentius)
but God blessed are we when we say,
You are our mighty king, our refuge, our protector.
show us how to restore order
when chaos seems stronger.
let Your light penetrate the darkness utterly,
that freedom might be restored,
freedom in civil society,
and freedom within each of us
that we might have power
and wisdom and strength
to live by Your Spirit.
blessed are we who say God,
sustain us as we stand in the gap
between our present suffering and our future hope
show us how to preserve the good,
protect the vulnerable, feed the hungry,
and empower the true leaders among us
who desire to serve the common good.
God have mercy.
Christ have mercy.
Spirit have mercy.
Your kingdom come,
Your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Then Simon Peter drew a sword
and slashed off the right ear of Malchus,
the high priest’s slave. But Jesus said to Peter,
“Put your sword back into its sheath.
Shall I not drink from the cup of suffering
the Father has given me?”
john 18:10-11
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o God these are darkening days,
with no hope in sight.
o God help us in our fear and desperation.
anchor us in hope!
God have mercy.
Christ have mercy.
Spirit have mercy.
“let not your heart be troubled;
you believe in God, believe also in Me.”
John 14:1
God have mercy.
Christ have mercy.
Spirit have mercy.
blessed are we with eyes open to see
the suffering from pandemic danger,
sickness and loneliness,
the injustice of racial oppression,
the unimpeded greed and misuse of power,
a blessing for the day we mourn our dead (All Saints’ Day)
o God, we have not been here before.
sorrows old and new envelop us
as we grieve in this new pandemic reality,
without hugs and funerals, shared jokes and fresh tears,
and graveside picnics to place flowers
for those long departed.
God, give us comfort that is bigger than all this,
and love that is stronger than all this.
God have mercy.
Christ have mercy.
Spirit have mercy.
God, I don’t know how to say this any other way:
this is just too much.
i am in a body that needs healing,
in a world that needs healing,
and i am overwhelmed.
o God, please start it now,
the promised beautiful healing of the nations,
with me in it. i can’t wait any longer.
God have mercy.
Christ have mercy.
Spirit have mercy.
blessed are we who pray like a child:
o God, please help me feel better soon.
take away the pain I suffer,
and let me see good days again.
Alright my loves. I have a friend having a Very Very Bad Day. Which all of us with precarious health or circumstances understand.
I have my own rules for Very Bad Days. Please feel free to share your own.
1. Listen to beautiful, soul-filling music. Only comfort listens and old favorites are nice. No "I Wish I Had a River" lyrics here. Sorry Joni Mitchell.
2. Early bedtime. My mind goes from Disney to Nietzsche after 7 PM. If you can't trust your mind, give it a break. It might feel different in the morning.