Let us pray*:
Almighty Father, you give us life
as you give life to all people.
You call us into community
that with men and women
of different races, colors, languages,
politics, sexual orientations, and beliefs,
different experiences and different traditions,
we may be united.
Help us to become what you have called us to be.
You are the giver of life.
Father, renew us.
*meditate, hold in good and active thought
Father of all, you give us
wealth in the earth and in the oceans,
forests and fertile plains,
air to breathe, water to drink,
and all that is needful of human life.
We pray for those who know little of your bounty,
for whom the earth is a cruel desert
and existence is a constant struggle
against overwhelming odds.
We acknowledge that their burdens should be our burdens;
we acknowledge that we share a common humanity.
You are the giver of life.
Father, renew us.
Father you have so made us that we need one another,
but because we do not know how to love everyone,
you tell us to start with the sister or brother at our side.
We pray for any from whom we are estranged. Bless them,
and bless us in our future relationships with them.
We pray for our families, our friends,
and all whom we meet day by day…
In their particular needs we ask you to bless them.
You are the giver of life.
Father, renew us.
Father, you are present in every part of human experience.
We hold before you
the infant lying in a mother’s arms,
the young lovers planning together their first home,
the sick and infirm battling with weakness and incapacity,
the dying, soon to experience your new creation.
You are the giver of life.
Father, renew us.
Eternal Father, we remember before you
those who have passed from this world, especially Theresa Schiavo and Karol Wojtyla, called Pope John Paul II, and those whose passings do not earn world headlines.
As we all received from you the gift of life,
so we pray that you will bring us to the life eternal, and grant us rest at the last.
You are the giver of life.
Father, renew us.
I pray for comfort and renewal of Spirit for all those troubled and afraid. For strength and clarity in times of both trouble and triumph.
I give thanks tonight for the love that surrounds me. May I give back as joyously as that which is given to me.
objected to the use of “Father” in reference to God. I’ll tell you all what I told them:
My standard take on the issue is two-fold: 1)I take Christ at his word that God is a “Father.” That’s how I come at it, and people are free to disagree with me. 2)To God “Father” is not to support patriarchy but to undermine the set image of fathers as stern, unloving parents. If God as Father seems like an unacceptable image, then we need to do some work on how we think about fathers–and how we expect them to behave.
Still, I understand that some people can’t go there. I’ll do my best to make future installments gender-neutral.
but am easy about whatever anybody wants to call him, her, or it. I can pray with anybody. Anywhere. To me, it is about love, not terminology.
The Christ in me greets the Christ in thee.
Thank you, Emma. It seems like a very sane approach.