Tuesday Prayer: After the Storm

(Inspired by Frankenstorm and Ruth 1:1-18)

One: Naomi was a refugee from a natural disaster.  Famine was facing Judah and, in order to save their family, Naomi and her husband made the decision to move their family to Moab.  Not long after they arrived Ruth’s husband died and she was left to hold the family together.  Eventually her sons married two women from Moab; one named Orpah and the Ruth.  For ten years, they lived together as a family.  Tragedy struck again when both her sons died.  In that place and time, when the men of a household died, the women of the home had to turn to their families to help support them.  Orpah, at the encouragement of Naomi, reluctantly returned to her family but Ruth refused to leave Naomi’s side saying:

Many: Where you go, I will go.  Where you lodge, I will lodge.  Your people shall be my people and your God my God.

One:  In these days of disaster and tragedy, we are reminded of our connections to people all around the world. 

Many: May we move beyond concern to compassion; from pity to prayer; from silence to solidarity; from depression to determination.  May the lines between us become so frequently crossed that those lines disappear. 

One: May our commitment to being in right relationship with all God’s people be renewed today as we covenant to build relationships of mutuality with each other; committing to change our perspectives and recognizing that life and soul threatening problems for any, are life and soul threatening problems for all.

Many: Let us make a new commitment.  Let us name a new reality we will work to make real.

One: To all those effected by storm and flood may we say;

Many:  Your people shall be my people.

One:  To all those tortured by famine and disease may we say;

Many:  Your people shall be my people.

One:  To all those impacted by war and violence may we say;

Many:  Your people shall be my people.

One: To all those oppressed by racism, heterosexism, classism, sexism, ableism, ageism and all other forms of oppression may we say;

Many:  Your people shall be my people.

One: To all those imprisoned by addiction and self-destructive behavior may we say;

Many:  Your people shall be my people.

One:  When we find ourselves effected by storm and flood may we be open to those who say;

Many:  Your people shall be my people.

One: When we are the one’s tortured by famine and disease may we be recognize that others have more then they need and celebrate when they say:

Many:  Your people shall be my people.

One: When we are the one’s impacted by war and violence may we have the vision to recognize that some of those who have the call and gifts to be peacemakers may say:

Many:  Your people shall be my people.

One: When we are the ones oppressed by racism, heterosexism, classism, sexism, ableism, ageism and other forms of oppression may we hold out both healthy caution and robust hope to those who say;

Many:  Your people shall be my people.

One: When we are the ones imprisoned by addiction and self-destructive behavior may we hear the prison cell creak open when these words of love are spoken;

Many:  Your people shall be my people.

One: Dear God, we live on this planet together.  May we do what we can to make it safe for each other here.  May our hearts be warmed by the love we share and the earth cooled by our responsible use of resources.  This is the home we share.  May we speak these words to each other and recognize their deepest meaning as a description of our reality.

Many: Where you go, I will go.  Where you lodge, I will lodge.  Your people shall be my people and your God my God.

One:  May it be so.

All: Amen.

In Context...

There are moments when it feels like nothing is ever going to get better.  We get swept under by news about war, economic collapse or some other human atrocity that dulls our spirit and makes us want to pull back from humanity for a while.  Some days, every story seems like a sad story with a bad ending.  Being in the midst of election and voting season rarely helps lift a mood like this.  Apathy can sometimes seem like a better choice than having one’s heart broken again and again and again.  We’re not the first generation to have to deal with this problem.  We won’t be the last.

It’s easy to forget that we have some choices in all of this.  It’s easy to forget that we can choose to participate in cycles of peacemaking.  It’s easy to forget that we can choose to make things better for others and ourselves.  It’s easy to forget that we can choose to speak out, act up and get involved in life and the living of it in a way that can reverse what feels like tides of hopeless inevitability.  It’s easy to forget that we can choose love and we can choose truth and that these forces will save our souls and our lives. 

We can choose to change things.  We are not bound to traditional values, behavior and beliefs as though something being “traditional” somehow naturally makes it “good.”  Slavery is traditional in many places.  The subjugation of women is, too.  The fact these practices are traditional do not make them good.  We can, have, and must continue to chose differently.

When we do, I believe the Spirit moves between us and among us and then moves us along.  We are, after all, not simply passive victims of an unfolding destiny but participate in in the creation of history.  We participate in the creation of hope.  We participate in the creation of justice.  When we participate in these things, we find ourselves among a great cloud of witness.  We are together with those who sought to end slavery.  We are together with those who helped organize oppressed workers.  We are together with those who feed those without food and work to make sure that others never have to hungry, again.  We look all around us and in the midst of the multitude we see Jesus and Gandhi and Dorothy Day and Martin Luther King and John Brown and Mother Jones and Cesar Chavez and, and, and…  We join with a much larger movement that helps drive the positive moving of peoples and systems; occasional resistance to governments and companies; and the over turning of traditions and practices that have had their cruelty exposed.

If Washington State votes in favor of marriage equality this month by approving Referendum 74, I really do believe that cloud of witnesses will clap and cheer and that the Spirit will dance.  I am so thankful that we have the opportunity to participate in the creation of this moment; this celebration of history, hope and justice; this celebration of life; this celebration of love.

Growl: Tuesday Prayer for 10-9-12

Inspired by Mark 10:17-27

Dear God of the broken down and the broken hearted;

God of the greedy affluent addicted to their wealth;

God of the desperate impoverished with their inwardly turned anger;

We

are

stuck.

The “some things” that aren’t quite right somehow feel like “all things.”

There are no small fixes...

...and, in the meantime, bellies

Growl.

When we are honest, we laugh nervously and shake our heads.

This all seems so fragile.

We spend money like we’re dipping our toe in cold water until we just dive in;

A little more debt.

Chains made of gold are still chains.

Tell us what to do.

Tell us what to do.

Amen.