Tuesday Prayer

Many Christian denominations celebrate the season of Advent, which began on Sunday, Dec. 1. It is a season of expectation and waiting: expecting God to come into our lives anew, and waiting for that new birth, new life of God in us.

For about ten years a group of Christians have also claimed the first few weeks of Advent as a time to pray to end Intimate Partner and Gender Based Violence in all its forms.

Here is a poem I wrote ten years ago for the first Sunday in Advent and the launching of the Sixteen Days of Prayer to end Gender Based Violence sponsored by Anglican Women’s Empowerment and The Episcopal Women’s Caucus:

Week of Advent 1

May we walk in the light of God
Who calls people of all nations
To turn their swords into plowshares
To turn their anger into gentleness
To waken to a new way of living

May we walk in the light of God
Who calls people of every house
To turn their anger into gentleness
To take closed fists and open them
Open hands of grace and peace
Awakening to a new way of loving

Guide our human love of sport
Especially football – statistically
associated with inebriated violence
in homes. sport turned to fists, and
fists turned to faces, women, broken –
May our choices keep all safe

Pray for those who suffer from
All forms of violence and abuse
Pray for the power of God to
Prevail at an unexpected hour
To rise, the arbitrator of grace
Awakening new life, new hope

May we walk in the light of God
And create a world where women
Are not beaten, girls not abused
Men who waken to the love of God
Immanuel, God with us
Immanuel, God love us

May we walk in the light of God.

Prayer poem and photo by The Rev. Terri C. Pilarski

The Rev. Terri C. Pilarski is an Episcopal priest serving a church in Dearborn, MI. She is a long time blogger (seekingauthenticvoice.blogspot.com) and member of the RevGalBlogPals since 2006.

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