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dreamprayact

~ Reflections of a preacher, poet, and contemplative activist

dreamprayact

Monthly Archives: October 2012

Renew Your Church, Lord

31 Wednesday Oct 2012

Posted by mark lloyd richardson in Prayers, Reflections, Worship Liturgy

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

Blessings, breath of life, Christ's body, church, compassion, faith, forgiveness, God's kingdom, grace, hope, joy, ministry, peace, Strength to love, truth that sets free

Dear Lord,
You are the Breath of life
Who from earth’s very beginning
Has enlivened all of creation
With your powerful presence.

You are the Song of freedom
Who throughout human history
Has stirred our hearts toward the truth
That alone is able to set us free.

You are the Strength to love
Even in the midst of life’s sorrows,
Knowing that beneath any suffering
We are embraced in everlasting arms.

You are the Font of forgiveness
Who grants mercy before justice, and
Calls us to become reconcilers
Amid the many conflicts of this world.

Daily our gratitude rises within us
because of your extravagant grace.

Daily we count our blessings,
believing that the life we receive from you
is life indeed and abundantly good.

Your Church, Lord, is a people,
not a steeple.

Your Church is a testing ground
for all who choose to follow you,
for all who put their trust in you
and live their lives in you.

Every day we hear your invitation –
to listen and heed your voice,
to open our hearts to compassion,
to be agents of peace in your world.

Every day our choices are opportunities –
to draw closer to you and your Kingdom,
a Kingdom of love and light!

Renew your church, Lord!

Renew our vision
for reaching new people
with the gospel of hope in Jesus Christ!

Renew our commitment
to being Christ’s body in the world –
Christ’s arms and feet,
Christ’s hands and ears –
always extending the generosity of grace
to the least, the last, and the lost!

Renew our belief
that every person we meet
is a child of God –
co-workers and caregivers,
mechanics and store clerks,
farm workers and corporate CEOs,
Republicans and Democrats,
Muslims, Buddhists, and Jews,
the neighbors we haven’t yet met,
the strangers we don’t yet know,
the enemies we can’t yet love.

Renew our spirits, Lord.

Renew our faith.

Renew our joy
in being servants of the King of kings
and Lord of lords!

By your Spirit
make us one with Christ,
one with each other,
and one in ministry to all the world,
until Christ comes in final victory
and we feast at his heavenly banquet.

May it be so, Lord.
May it be so!

Words and photo (c) 2012, Mark Lloyd Richardson

The Song of the Forest Trees

21 Sunday Oct 2012

Posted by mark lloyd richardson in Reflections

≈ 6 Comments

Tags

beauty, Creator, fall colors, fears, God's creation, joy, Psalms, trees, worries

“Then shall all the trees of the forest sing for joy before the Lord.” ~ Psalm 96:12 -13a

Creation sings God’s praise when our voices are silent!

If we are awake and paying attention, we will notice the glorious brushstrokes of our Creator all around us (and even within us).

Yet we often allow our worries to discolor what we see, our fears to dampen the moments of grace we might otherwise trust.

The beauty of God’s handiwork is always near at hand, calling us to open our ears and our hearts to the song of joy heard among the trees of the forest.

Words and photo (c) 2012 Mark Lloyd Richardson (Photo taken at Merck Forest, Vermont)

Your Blue Sky (or Always Offer Hope)

12 Friday Oct 2012

Posted by mark lloyd richardson in Prayers, Reflections

≈ 10 Comments

Tags

courage, depression, Francesca Battiselli, Healing prayer, hope, Mental health, Mental Illness Awareness Week, Rev. Susan Gregg-Schroeder, spirituality, wholeness

The first full week of October each year is Mental Illness Awareness Week. Tuesday was National Day of Prayer for Mental Illness Recovery and Understanding, a day we are asked to seek God’s guidance as we “recommit ourselves to replacing misinformation, blame, fear and prejudice with truth and love in order to offer hope to all who are touched by mental illness.”

Each of us is touched by mental illness at some time in our lives, either personally or through the struggle of someone we know. In my work as a pastor and counselor I have seen firsthand how mental illness affects individuals, families, and communities. I have witnessed emotional devastation and suffering and I have witnessed deep courage and resilience, often in the same people.

In my personal life I have known periods of severe depression, and moments when I felt all hope was lost and I was in such desperate pain that I considered ways to end my life. I am very grateful that the resources of faith, community, and treatment saw me through.

Mental illness is just that … an illness! It is diagnosable, it is treatable, and it is not a sign of weakness or failure.

A memorial in the local newspaper this past August from someone whose sister took her own life moved me deeply, so I share some excerpts here.

“This is my sister, Kim. I love this picture. This is how I want to remember her – carefree and unencumbered by life. I really miss her….

“Outwardly, she always seemed so tough, so in control and organized. But inwardly, she was fragile and emotionally destitute. It was 10 years ago that she took her own life.

“I wish she could have seen what was around the bend. I wish the love of her family had inspired her to get help. I wish she had shared the private hell she was going through so we could have been there for her.

“I wish I could have given her one more hug. I wish I could have told her I loved her one more time…. I wish I could have thanked her for the fun and joy she brought to my life. I wish….

“I am telling you all this because if you are depressed and can’t see a brighter tomorrow, please get help….

“Reach out! Reach out to your loved ones. Talk to a professional. Your depression is not something to be embarrassed about or ashamed of. It is a treatable disorder….

“My sister and I spent a week together every summer, and each summer we had a theme song. This summer I dedicate the song ‘Blue Sky,’ by Francesca Battiselli, to my sister and to you” [The Tribune, San Luis Obispo, CA, August 12, 2012].

Click here to play the song: Blue Sky

One of my colleagues, the Reverend Susan Gregg-Schroeder, has written a beautiful Pastoral Prayer for this week, a portion of which I share with you here:

“Loving Creator, we come … seeking your presence, comfort and guidance. We come as individuals living with mental illness, family members, friends, co-workers and mental health professionals.

“We come this day because we believe that you, Divine One, love each one of us just as we are. You walk with us on our individual journeys through life. You see the ignorance and injustice that divide and separate persons living with mental illness and you weep with us.

“Give us courage to face our challenges and open us today to the many ways you are already working in our midst. Help us to identify mental illness as the disease it is, that we might have courage and wisdom in the face of ignorance and stigma. Inspire us as we seek to overcome fear, acquire knowledge and advocate for compassionate and enlightened treatment and services….

“Sometimes, Divine Spirit, we feel discouraged and hopeless in the face of so many challenges. Help us to see ourselves as you see us – persons of value and worth, persons of creativity and potential.

“May we come to understand the interconnectedness of mind, body and spirit in bringing about health and wholeness. And may we go forward into our communities with a renewed sense of vision, hope and possibility for the future. Amen.”

Words (c) 2012 Mark Lloyd Richardson (except where attributed to others)

October 2012
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