Dear God, We are Covid-weary.We are still being vigilant,abiding by guidelines,making careful decisions,queuing for tests,waiting for vaccine appointments,washing our handswearing our masks. Today we pray for thosewho must persevere.For the public health officialsmanaging and evaluation and synthesising all the information,for the scientists still researching,the medical staff still treating,the supply chain staff still managing,the supermarket workers,and… Read More
Thursday Prayer:
“And the leaves of the trees are for the healing of the nations” (Revelation 22:2) May we plant,and harvest,these leaves of healing. Amen. Jemma Allen is a priest in the Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia. Her ministry is as a counsellor and spiritual director. She is working on her PhD at… Read More
Thursday Prayer: All the feelings
Dear God,It is climate anxiety,it is compassion fatigue,it is rage about white supremacists,it is bewilderment about conspiracy-believers,it is apprehension about virus variants,it is agitation about the changes that are needed,it is a stomach in knots,it is fretful sleep,it is all the feelings. So many feelings. This prayer,my prayer,is all the so many feelings. In the… Read More
Thursday Prayer: a prayer against conversion therapy
Dear God, The politicians where I live were voting to begin the process of banning “conversion therapy” today. (It isn’t really therapy – it increases distress and diminishes and destroys, so kind of the opposite of therapy really) We have had to hear all kinds of nonsense, purportedly on your behalf, as if you are… Read More
Thursday Prayer: for those waiting
Dear God, We have words of tradition, asking you to watch other those who work, or watch or weep. This prayer is for those who are waiting, for those who are pacing, for those who are frozen still, for those who are having all the feelings, and for those who are numb. This is a… Read More
Thursday Prayer: blessed are reconnections
Blessed are the reconnections: the sharing of a conversation in the garden, the carefully-spaced worshippers all in a room together, the fully-vaccinated family members who can finally hug. Blessed are the reconnections: the “how are you doing?” text, the “thinking of you” note in the mail, the “I miss you” phone call. Blessed are the… Read More
Thursday Prayer: for those who are in pain
This is a prayer for those who are in pain today. This is a prayer that asks for a blessing on all who suffer today. May there be respite, may there be an easing, may there be comfort or consolation even as the nerves burn, the wounds throb, the joints ache. Even as the heart… Read More
Thursday Prayer: Maundy Thursday
Dear God, A year ago I write a Maundy Thursday prayer when we were just learning how to shelter in place, how to worship in place. I did not imagine that we would still be learning: about hybrid worship, about how to clean the church to Covid-standards between services, about public health and epidemiology. So… Read More
Thursday Prayer: Chocolate
Dear God,This prayer isn’t very poetic,and it isn’t very Lenten either.But I’d like to thank you for chocolate.Most particularly I’d like to thank you for the chocolate almondsI ate yesterday afternoon,after going to a funeral and before seeing a client,that sustained me physically,and kind of emotionally too. I’d like to thank you for chocolate in general,especially… Read More
Thursday Prayer: God is good at loving
Dear God, I want to write lofty prayers,aspirations of laying down and picking up(worry/trust; judgment/compassionoverfunctioning/boundaries.) I want to be fullof the spirit of the season. I want to be creativeand prayerfuland have meaningful things to say. I want to be good at it.At Lent.At liturgy.At loving. But this is the season of fasting.Of letting go… Read More