Today’s blog shares the prayer offered by Reverend Tom Widlund during yesterday’s service at the Woodland (California) United Methodist Church. I found it extraordinarily moving. Many thanks to our friend Kara for sharing the prayer and for securing Reverend Widlund’s permission to pass it along here. My hope is that it will bless you and offer comfort and support on your own journey toward healing.
Today, we come to this candle in a different spirit.
Not as Democrats or Republicans, but as people seeking to
follow your way.
We confess that:
We are tired
We are weary
We are heartbroken
We are filled with fear
We are angry
We are confused
We are even hopeless
We bear this week in the depths of our souls
So, we light this
candle not just as a symbol today, but acknowledging the real presence and
power of Christ.
The Light that breaks into the darkness
The light that leads the way through and out of darkness
The light that brings back hope
The light that sets our feet on the right path
We light this candle
and pray for God’s presence to be
With the people of Minneapolis
With the family of Rene Good
With the family of Alex Pretti
With Liam Conejo Ramos and his family
With those who have been abused, locked away, disappeared,
and killed at the hands of our government
With the immigrant communities across the nation who are
being terrorized
With those who stand up and stand alongside these
communities
We light this candle
and pray for God’s presence to be
With us this morning
With our weariness
With our confusion
With our uncertainty
With our hopelessness
With our anger
With our downright mad-as-hell spirits
God, we also light
this candle for those in power, those who wear the masks, hold the tear gas,
and wield the power to take life, who demonize, who lie, and who harm
May they know your presence
May they know your love
May they feel the pain that is in your heart
May you turn them to compassion
May they see and hear
May the light break in on them
May they know that what we do to the least of these, we do
to YOU!
God be with us, be
with us all today
Break into the darkness and empower us to
DO JUSTICE
LOVE MERCY
WALK HUMBLY WITH YOU
AMEN!
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