“For unto us a child is born… and the government shall be upon his shoulders.” (Isaiah 9:6) God, it’s hard to be a citizen. At each stage of creation, you looked and said, “it is good”. You established The Promised Land as a place to live out your covenant, that you will be our God […]
Prepare the Way: An Advent Prayer for a World of Earthquakes, Fires, Floods and Drought (December 6, 2018)
A voice cries out: “In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low; the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a plain. Then the glory of the Lord […]
Holy Child, Bless Us All: A Christmas Prayer for Every Nation on Earth (December 28, 2017)
Holy child God from God, Light from Light Wisdom from before all worlds began Pain bearer Soul healer Life giver Challenger and Comforter Love beyond Love, beyond Love: Bless us all. As is our custom, in this Christmas-tide, we pause from praying about international events, to pray for everyone, in every nation in this world: […]
Let It Be With Us: Prayers for the Least and the Mighty, from Benin to Catalonia (December 21, 2017)
“Let it be with me according to your word.” –Mary, on learning that she was to bear the son of God (Luke 1:38) Let it be with us, according to Your word. Let the hungry be filled with good things. Let the lowly be lifted up. Let the mighty be cast down. Let your promise of mercy […]
Look With Your Eyes: Advent Prayers for Hungry Children in DR Congo and Refugees in Limbo (December 14, 2017)
Holy One, “There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him.” (John 1) “My soul magnifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has looked with favor on the lowliness of […]
Comfort, O Comfort My People: An Advent Prayer After the Travel Ban and Delhi’s Toxic Air (December 7, 2017)
Comfort, O comfort my people, says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and cry to her that she has served her term, that her penalty is paid, that she has received from the Lord’s hand double for all her sins. (Isaiah 40:1-2, NRSV) God of comfort, we live in a world that increasingly reveals its disconnection from […]
The Real Work of Christmas: A Prayer at the End of 2016 for Syria’s Ceasefire (December 29, 2016)
Abba God, following the examples of the shepherds, wise men, Simeon and Anna and millions before us, we worship and adore you, giving thanks and praise. As the turbulence that was 2016 draws to a close, we pause on the cusp of what was, what is and what is to be… There is so much […]
Steal Into Our Hearts, O Holy Child: A Christmas Prayer for Every Nation on Earth (December 28, 2016)
Steal into our hearts, O Holy Child. Steal into the aching places, the lonely places, the lost places; Steal into the joy-filled places, the delight-filled places. Steal into our hearts, and fill them with tenderness and love. Steal into our nations, O Holy Child. Steal into the power-hungry and the powerless; Steal into the peace-makers and the […]
Because the Media Is Silent: Advent Prayers for Aleppo, Yemen, and Earthquake Zones (December 28, 2016)
We have come to worship you, Shepherd of Israel. Out of the busy-ness we create for ourselves at this season, we come to remember why. We give thanks for the bravery of Mary, for the courage of Joseph, and we ask that these qualities support us in the face of overwhelming commercialization and the rewriting of […]
Lord, In Your Tenderness: Advent Prayers After a California Fire and Indonesia’s Earthquake (December 28, 2016)
“Father in heaven, The day draws near when the glory of your Son Will make radiant the night of the waiting world. May the lure of greed not impede us from the joy Which moves the heart of those who seek Him. May the darkness not blind us To the vision of wisdom Which fills […]