Prayer: Grace in Grief

     

God of Compassion,
we center ourselves in silence before you,
   laying our sorrow at your feet.

Walk alongside us in the days to come
   as our companion in grief
as we travel this hard road
   on this unwanted journey.

Help us forgive 
      and be forgiven 
   of all that is left undone,
   of all that cannot now be done,
with grace for our loved ones
   and grace for ourselves.
Let us fasten on what can be done
   with tenderness and gratitude.

Strengthen us to release the imperfections of love
   and the fragility of relationships
      with gentle hands.

Lift the boat of our hearts
   by the sea of our memories of laughter and joy,
      and carry away any bitterness with the tide of compassion.

O Mothering God,
Let us grieve as Jesus grieved 
   and weep as Jesus wept.
Help us cradle our memories,
   as Mary cradled the body of her child.

In assurance and trust, let the gift of your Spirit
   lead us to hold fast to our faith
      in the communion of saints,
      the forgiveness of sins,
      the resurrection of the body
      and the life everlasting
through Jesus Christ our Savior and Redeemer.
Amen.

----------------Leslie Barnes Scoopmire

Today is the first anniversary of the death of my younger brother Bill.

Numbers and Nothingness: Speaking to the Soul, March 4, 2021

We have been watching the rising numbers of vaccinations and the falling numbers of COVID infections in our county with just a small glimmer of hopefulness. We are coming upon nearly the one-year anniversary of when we were suddenly shut down completely from having in-person worship—our last, sparsely attended Eucharist last year was March 15. As that anniversary approaches, I must confess to a feeling of weariness.

Last year, after that crazy Lent and Holy Week, it seemed as though Lent never ended. Some of my churchy friends and I joked that the entirety of 2020 was “the Lentiest Lent we ever Lented.” Little did we know that a year later so little would have changed, and yet so much had. We knew people who got sick, and some of them have yet to fully recover. We knew some who succumbed. Those beloveds were not numbers, either.

The images of candles lit on the steps of the White House and along the reflecting pool of the National Mall testify to the toll and try to help us truly “see” how staggering the losses have been and continue to be. And then on Feb 22, the US posted the grim milestone of 500,000 COVID deaths—20% of the world’s total in a country with supposedly the greatest medical system and only 4% of the world’s population. Unfortunately, we now have learned that in a battle between medicine and the hubris and denial of community spirit in some of us, medicine in some cases hasn’t stood a chance.

The numbers are looking better, but I hate that phrase. They are NOT numbers. They are people—people who have gotten sick with this terrible illness, and had to be hospitalized. They are also people who have managed to avail themselves of the vaccine—which is quite an accomplishment in my state, where the vaccine distribution has been far from precise. In each case, I pray every day for the people that the numbers represent. And finally, this week, I am able to travel to my home state and get the first round of vaccine into my 92-year-old mother’s arm. There’s a real person behind that number for me—a precious person who has had a hard year since her stroke in May.

I am always trying to remind myself of the counter-cultural way Christians are called to look at the world: honoring the divine within creation and within each other in a culture that loves to denigrate, to mock, to dehumanize. As the sixth chapter of the book of the prophet Micah urged us, we are called to “walk humbly with our God” in a culture that hands power to people who never confess any flaws at all, much less the need to confess.

And this Lent has been driving that home to me too. Many of us share my weariness. After this long Lenten season, it can seem overwhelming to adopt the right spirit of penitence and confession. Perhaps, though, we can confess the hubris that has driven us to this point and undoubtedly prolonged the most severe waves of this pandemic.

It is important to be honest about the ways that this pandemic has allowed us to turn inward, to ignore relationships when we cocooned in our homes. Some of us certainly have lost sight of our obligations to others around us, whether friend or stranger. Encouraged by cruelty emanating from the top of society’s pinnacle (the one time it seems “trickle-down” anything has actually worked), some have turned on others with a ferocity that is heart-breaking. We remember those early days when people hoarded toilet paper, hand sanitizer, and milk to the point that grocery stores in our area had to introduce hours for the elder members of our community so that they would not be left with nothing in the mad scramble.

Some of us let friendships wither in our attempt to cope by taking up new hobbies. When confronted with the choice of Netflix-bingeing or picking up the phone or iPad for a call or a FaceTime chat, we chose the anesthetizing soothe of a new TV series. Or it may be something else: we have become short-tempered with our loved ones because we have been unable to have any time to ourselves.

We have been under strain, of course. And there have also been moments of beauty and compassion, of course. But the need for confession and penitence is not about self-abasement, but about opening ourselves to God and to each other after our actions may have harmed relationships—relationships that have become even more precious as we have been forced into isolation. We have to get right the proportion of care we give to others in relation to ourselves.

In his poem, “Having Confessed,” the Irish poet Patrick Kavanagh (1904-1967) speaks of the humility the penitent feels. Yet it is also at that moment that we can go the most awry. He includes this beautiful observation:

“ …We must not anticipate
Or awaken for a moment. God cannot catch us
Unless we stay in the unconscious room
Of our hearts. We must be nothing,
Nothing that God may make us something.”

As Kavanagh points out, confession is a beautiful, necessary thing in the spiritual life—a need, rather than an indulgence. But we have to take care when we confess that we do not confess just in order to be “shriven” or “forgiven” by God. We confess and empty ourselves of our self-involvement for those few precious moments so that God can enter in. We must be brave enough to become “nothing, that God may make us something.”

There have been times when many of us have treated others as less-than in our own anxiety and fear of scarcity. Perhaps we bewail these manifold sins. Perhaps we have been so busy that we haven’t stopped to reflect, which is a precious gift of confession and penitence without slipping into solipsism. But we err if we either shun confession, or allow it to make us wallow in misery—in both cases, we continue to close ourself off from God and from others, whether through pride or through shame. It is thus that we have gotten it backwards, and confession helps us to reverse the poles of our existence so that our compass points again to Christ, our true North. As Kavanagh noted, “God must be allowed to surprise us.”

May we not treat those around us as either numbers, or as nothing. May we remember that we ourselves are neither mere number nor nothing to God, who lovingly calls us to return to love and community, again and again. May we thus press forward in treasuring the gifts Lent offers in mindfully calling us back to right-relationship with each other and with creation.

This was first published at Episcopal Cafe's Speaking to the Soul, March 4, 2021.

Prayer 2793: The Turning of the Year (in Memory of Ruth Bader Ginsberg)

We praise You, O Wisdom of the Ages,
and ask your guidance
as we seek to walk in holiness and engagement
with the world around us.

Maker of Peace,
help us to rededicate ourselves
to being a people of integrity and hope,
seeking the flourishing of all,
purifying ourselves of envy and resentment.
Teach us to treasure
the gifts great and small with which you bless us,
to see your love for us woven into the fabric of creation
from the smallest turning leaf to the majesty of the mountains,
from a child's laugh to a grandparent's embrace,
from music in the wind to conversations with a friend.

Fashioner of Light,
help us to be worthy
of the true heroes in our midst
who show us what true generosity is,
guided by love in action for the sake of others.

Bless us and keep us
as we seek to join in the work of healing and reclamation,
O Life-Giver of All.
Grant the sweets of your loving-kindness and peace
to all for whom we pray.

Amen.

Prayer, day 2785: On the anniversary of the September 11 attacks

Loving One, we put our trust in You, 

for You are our shield and our rest,
ever-present in times of joy and sorrow. 

We place before You
our remembrances of those who have left us:
may your peace and joy shine upon them.
Comfort those who mourn
and strengthen those who falter,
that they may know your healing presence. 

We thank You for those
who are your hands, face, and feet in the world today:
make us more like them.
We thank You for the example of the brave,
who are daily willing to lay their lives on the line
for their brothers and sisters.
We thank you for the example of those
who embody compassion and healing
even in the face of chaos. 

Guide us into ways of justice, benevolence, and truth,
that we may treat others as we wish to be treated.
Place the seal of your blessing, O God,
upon those we now remember to You by name.

Amen.

Prayer, day 2784: as we remember those killed and injured by the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks

Loving God, 

You show us through the glorious Trinity 

the way of mutual love that leads to action: 

hear our prayers, we pray. 

That we may place no bonds upon each other 

but the bonds of love, equality, and peace, 

we pray You, O God. 

That we may be knit together 

in a common cause 

to nourish all who hunger in body, mind, or soul, 

we pray You, O God.

That we may use our might 

for mercy and justice, 

rather than vengeance and violence, 

we pray You, O God.

That we may be faithful and compassionate stewards 

of your wondrous creation, 

we pray You, O God.

That we remember those who have been lost

through violence and terror, 

and honor their lives by sowing peace and concord, 

we pray You, O God.

Ground of our Being, 

Creator, Redeemer, Comforter, 

hear the prayers of your people, 

and extend your peace over all who turn to You,

for You are gracious, O Lover of Souls.

Amen.

Prayer 2676: For Memorial Day

Most Merciful God,
we worship You and give You thanks,
delighting in the blooming proof of Your love
in fields alight with wildflower
and in loving hearts that share our burdens.

Your gracious hand sustains us and shelters us;
Your sheltering wing draws us near and shields us.
Your love forever will we sing and share.

Grant us wisdom and empathy
to make each other's wellbeing our duty,
to use our freedom for the defense of others
as did those gallant dead who offered their all
in defeating tyranny, racism, and hatred.

May we be worthy to honor their memory
by purifying our hearts,
taking up the cause they leave to us to finish.

In their memory, O God,
strengthen us in truth,
and make us noble, self-sacrificing, and brave,
a people who stand for peace
founded upon compassion and hope.

Holy One, fill us with a Spirit of Integrity and Faith;
bless us with wisdom and discernment
to do what is right for the most vulnerable.
Send your angels
to comfort those who remember and mourn,
and grant your blessing to those we now name.

Amen.

Prayer 2468: For the Feast of All Souls

Life Giver of All, 
we lift our hearts to You, 
remembering those we love 
who dwell in your light,
and giving thanks for your eternal love.

Master of the Worlds,
gather within your embrace all who mourn,
and lift up those who celebrate the life and love
of those we see no more
except in our hearts and memories.
Strengthen us in faith, O Savior,
that we ourselves may run the race set before us,
seeking to love and serve You until,
through a glass darkly,
we may see a glimmer of your heavenly banquet
spread out as a feast for all.

O Lord Our Peace,
we rest within your bountiful mercy today,
and ask your blessing upon us,
that we may grow in faith like a mustard seed,
and walk humbly beside our God always.
By your grace,
hear the whispered prayers of your children,
and grant your blessing to those for whom we pray.

Amen.

Prayer, day 2416: On the Anniversary of the 9/11 attacks

Loving One, we put our trust in You, 
for You are our shield and our rest, 
ever-present in times of joy and sorrow. 
We place before You 
our remembrances of those who have left us: 
may your peace and joy shine upon them. 
Comfort those who mourn 
and strengthen those who falter, 
that they may know your healing presence. 
We thank You for those 
who are your hands, face, and feet in the world today: 
make us more like them. 
We thank You for the example of the brave, 
who are daily willing to lay their lives on the line 
for their brothers and sisters. 
We thank you for the example of those 
who embody compassion and healing 
even in the face of chaos. 
Guide us into ways of justice, benevolence, and truth, 
that we may treat others as we wish to be treated. 
Place the seal of your blessing, O God, 
upon those we now remember to You by name.

Amen.

Prayer, day 2311: for Memorial Day

For Memorial Day 

Most Precious Jesus,

we rise to give you praise,

and lay our thanksgivings at your feet.

Breathe upon us, Breath of God:

renew our hearts and spirits

that we may love as little children love,

in joy and wonder. 

Help us honor those

who have fought overseas or at home

for the freedoms we now enjoy,

and who longed for peace. 
Help us remember our call

to defend the oppressed,

the impoverished,

the marginalized,

and the weak. 
Strengthen us, O Almighty God,

to stand against those

at home or abroad

who espouse violence, hatred, inequality, or tyranny. 

Lord, you know the inmost secrets of our hearts:

comfort all who mourn.

O Gracious Spirit,

illumine our hearts with your truth and glory,

and lift up those we now name.

Amen.

Prayer 2297: For a Funeral for a Friend

Holy One,
we bow before you in gratitude,
aware of the hand of grace uphold us in our lives.
You, O God, are abounding in mercy:
You know our sorrows and our joys,
and are with us always.
We give you thanks and praise always
for all your blessings, O Lord of Life.
You are ever-present North Star,
and your guiding love is ever before us,
leading us on in discipleship and communion.
Be our shade and comfort, O Blessed Savior,
as we laugh and as we weep,
as we celebrate and as we mourn,
we humbly pray.
Spirit of the Living God,
breathe upon us your peace,
and comfort and shield all those
whom we remember before our God
as we pray.

Amen.

Prayer 2286: A Prayer of Trust in Memory of Wayne Moseman

Lord of Light, Lord of Love,
to You I lift my hopes,
and with the eyes of my heart
I wonder at the glory of your creation.

My spirit feels the imprint
of your guiding, strengthening hand, O Holy One;
your love is a comfortable weight upon my shoulders,
and your wisdom is a lamp that allows my steps to be sure.

You are my strength and my respite, Blessed Savior,
as you call me to faithfulness, integrity, and compassion,
that your truth may be revealed in all the world.

I know that my Redeemer lives,
and that You envelop me in loving-kindness
even when I rest in the gates of sleep.

God of Mercy,
you know the cares and concerns of our hearts:
pour out your mercy and benediction
over all who ache, or weep,
over all who are tossed about by anxiety or discord,
especially for those whom we lift before You
as we pray.

Amen.

Prayer, day 2196: A Prayer for Remembrance

Holy One, we come to you in silence
seeking rest and comfort:
let us rest here awhile and take strength.
In the midst of mourning,
may we remember laughter.

In the midst of pain,
may we remember beauty.
In all that tries us,
may we remember your sheltering arms
and cool, sweet mercy.

Give respite to the weary, Lord,
and peace to the troubled,
and light to those who search for a path through this day.

Amen. 

Prayer 2147: On the Sixth Anniversary of the Gun Massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary

Most Merciful God,
we thank You for your care of us as we have rested:
gather us within your hand and guide us, we pray.

For our hardness of heart against You
and each other,
we humbly ask your forgiveness and mercy.
Let us sing a new song,
a song of peace,
whose melody is rooted in the music
our Savior taught us
in all his ways.
Let us shine forth with the glory of our God,
proclaiming grace through our lives,
O Incarnation of Love Divine.
Let us put healing hands and hearts
toward the divisions that hurt us,
and vow to live and work for the cause of love.

Fill us with the power and beauty of the Holy Spirit,
O Creator God,
and shelter and bless those for whom we pray.

Amen.

Prayer 2106- All Souls' Day

Merciful Creator,
by your hand all things come into being:
You, our Helper and our Protector,
are making the heavens and the Earth,
restoring and renewing our souls by your love.

Your tender compassion is as broad
as the canopy of stars set like jewels in filigree overhead
 even when the curtain of blue veils them,
nonetheless they remain,
singing your praise,
reminding us of your constant love for us, O God.

Holy One, we remember before You
all those gone from us,
secure in your embrace,
resting within the sheltering protection of the Almighty.
They see now clearly
what we see but dimly,
that eternal life begins now
 in living in communion with you and each other,
in celebrating the unity of all things within you, O God.

Lord, you clothe the wildflowers in splendor;
the humblest blossom contributes to the life of the world:
may we be steadfast in our service to You,
putting aside our anxieties
to breathe in your mercy and grace,
for You are our constant Companion and Protector,
our Shepherd and our Shield.

In trust, we lay our cares and concerns before You,
O Shekinah, Glorious Light,
and ask that your comfort envelop the hearts
of those for whom we pray.

Amen.


Photo: a flower pushes through a grave in the churchyard of the Cathedral of Michael and All Angels in Christchurch, Barbados.

Prayer, day 2054: On the anniversary of the September 11 attacks

Most Merciful God,
You show us through the glorious Trinity
the way of mutual love that leads to action:
hear our prayers, we pray.

That we remember those
we have lost through violence and terror,
and honor their lives by sowing peace and concord,
we pray You, O God.

That we may ever be steadfast, noble, and true,
willing to lay down our lives for others,
even those we have not met,
we pray You, O God.

That we may honor those who died this day,
and those who loved them,
by being embodiments of charity and generosity,
we pray You, O God.

That we may place no bonds upon each other
but the bonds of love, equality, and peace,
we pray You, O God.

That we may be knit together in a common cause
to nourish all who hunger
in body, mind, or soul,
we pray You, O God.

That we may use our might for mercy and justice,
rather than vengeance and violence,
we pray You, O God.

That we may be faithful and compassionate stewards
of your wondrous creation,
we pray You, O God.

Ground of our Being,
Creator, Comforter,
hear the prayers of your people,
and extend your peace over those we now name.

Amen.

Image: the newly completed Tower of Voices at the Flight 93 Memorial in Shanksville, PA. Photo from the National Park Service.

Prayer, day 2044: for times of sorrow or trial

In peace, we pray to You, Lord Christ,
our hearts and faces upturned and open to your glory.
Holy One, You are our shepherd;
we therefore rejoice,
and offer you our thankful hearts,
centering our lives in You.

You gather us into your arms, Blessed Jesus,
and carry us in safety and love.
We rest within your mighty embrace, O Redeemer;
You cover us in the mantle of your grace and truth.
Each breath we take is precious in your sight, O God;
you know our lying down and our rising up.
We know that we are yours forever;
nothing can separate us
from the love and mercy of God our Savior.

Lord of Life, Prince of Peace,
You strengthen the trembling;
You comfort those who mourn;
You bear within You those who have fallen.
We can endure and overcome all things through Christ;
in You we root our trust and our hope.

Holy One, we place before you
the names and cares of all who call upon You this day,
and ask that You grant them peace and solace
by the power of the Holy Spirit as we pray.

Amen.
1110, adapted

Prayer 1948: For Memorial Day

Almighty God, Our Shield and Our Guide,
we rise to give you praise,
and lay our thanksgivings and prayers at your feet.
Breathe upon us, Breath of God:
renew our hearts and spirits
that we may turn aside from evil and willfull ignorance,
from unkindness, casual cruelties, and malice,
and remember You created us in light, O Creator,
and call us to love, honor, wisdom, and service.

As children of God, whose peace surpasses all understanding,
may we fight tyranny and oppression wherever it takes root,
both at home and abroad,
even in our own hearts.

May the memories of those
who have fought overseas or at home
against violence, genocide, enslavement, and terror
be treasured and honored by us,
that we too may fight for the common good,
for the brotherhood of all humanity,
honoring the human dignity of all persons.

May we memorialize their sacrifice and honor their service
by building a society rooted in true peace and plenty,
in equality, generosity and hope,
a fitting monument of justice that will endure
long after statues have crumbled,
parades have ended,
and flags have faded.

By their sacrifice, may we be consecrated and dedicated
to remember our call to defend the vulnerable,
the impoverished, the marginalized, and the weak,
which is your commandment, O God, from time immemorial.

May we remember that freedom can never be built
on pain, suffering, or oppression
in any form:
may we, too, be willing to give up our comfort
for the sake of those who need our help.

Strengthen us, O Mighty Defender, O Prince of Peace,
to stand against those at home or abroad
who espouse violence, hatred, inequality, or tyranny.

Lord, you know the inmost secrets of our hearts:
comfort those who mourn, and those who remember.
O Gracioue Spirit,
illumine our hearts with your truth, glory, and beauty,
and lift up those we now name.

Amen.

Prayer, day 1909: On the anniversary of the Oklahoma City Bombing

Holy One, we worship You in heart, mind, and body,
and praise your glorious wisdom
as we study your words in the rising light,
as dawn illuminates your handiwork,
reminding us of your love and care, O God of All.

Awaken us, who dream of peace,
to see your glory spread across the sky,
to sing out your Name to all people.
Teach us to walk in love with each other,
and root out the callousness and contempt we embrace,
that we may turn from the way of death and destruction
to embrace the way of light and life.

You know our suffering and our sorrows, Lord Christ:
in the midst of sorrow You are there,
and your hand of healing comforts us.
Give ear, we humbly pray, O Beloved Savior,
to the whispered prayers and remembrances of your people,
and soothe the hearts of those who worry or weep.
Give your peace to those who miss lost loved ones,
especially at the hands of terror and violence.

Lead us to a deeper fellowship
with You and one another, Blessed Redeemer,
and bring our hearts to rest in You.
Lord Jesus, open our eyes to see You
as You stand before us:
in the face of friend and beggar, seeker and saint.

Merciful One, pour out the balm of blessing and recovery
on those we now name.

Amen.
818, adapted



Photo: Panoramic view of The Survivor Tree on the grounds of the Oklahoma City Memorial.

Prayer 1873: For courage and perseverance

Most Merciful God,
we thank you for bringing us together this day:
anoint us with the power of your Spirit,
and fill us with your light,
that we may do the work you have given us to do
and walk in wisdom and grace.

Lord, strengthen us to persevere in faith and love,
led by your gospel to be resolute and unyielding
in resisting the forces of evil, terror, and carnage.
Almighty One, make us bold to reclaim our power
to shape our communities
by the precepts of peace, justice, lovingkindness, and virtue.
Led by your Word, O Creator,
let us work together for the common good,
creating the Beloved Community you have called us to be,
where all enjoy the blessings of ease, contentment, and security.

Blessed Savior, draw within your merciful embrace
all who weep and grieve this day,
and grant your healing to those
whose bodies, minds, or spirits have been wounded by violence.
Holy One, stretch forth your hand that we may take it,
and draw within your protection all those for whom we pray.

Amen.

Image: 7,000 pairs of shoes were placed as a memorial on Capitol Hill on March 13, 2018, in remembrance of the more than 7,000 children who have been killed by guns since the massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown, Connecticut on December 14, 2012. Photo by Paul Morigi for AP Images and Avaaz, the organization that installed the memorial. Today, March 14, 2018, marks one month since 17 were killed and scores wounded at the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, FL.