Light of the World: Prayer for Black History Month
Bright Shining Christ,
There is much for Black and Brown bodies to dread, here, in the Americas.
The trauma of the transatlantic slave trade
lives in our bodies.
The legacy of enslavement
lives in our systems.
But the thin gospel of oppression
could die in our worship.
if we choose to shine bravely, reflecting your glory,
if we choose to reject the lies of racism and White supremacy,
if we choose to dance…
make music …
share pain …
spread joy …
wake up and be magic.
We can choose to fight for a better society, and
we can remember that
we are of the earth and of the stardust,
we are precious, loved, and called to shine bright,
like the stars we are made of and the son that we follow.
Help us to make good choices.
Help us to shine brightly.
Amen.
—Alydia Smith, United Church of Canada
A Prayer for the People of Iran
Lord Jesus Christ,
we hold before you the people of Iran.
May the tears shed in your earthly life
be balm for all who weep,
and may the prayers of your pilgrimage
give strength to all who suffer;
for your mercy’s sake.
Amen.
- Bishop of Chelmsford, +Guli Francis-Dehqani, 2022.
A Prayer for Ukraine
Lord God,
We ask you to hold the people of Ukraine deep in your heart.
Protect them, we pray;
from violence,
from political gamesmanship,
from being used and abused.
Give, we pray,
the nations of the world the courage
and the wisdom
to stand up for justice
and the courage too,
to dare to care―generously.
Lord, in your mercy,
take from us all
the tendencies in us
that seek to lord it over others:
take from us those traits
that see us pursuing our own needs and wants
before those of others.
Teach us how to live in love
and dignity
and respect―following your example.
In your name and for your sake,
Amen
―Issued by Lord Wallace, Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, and the Very Rev. Dr. Susan Brown, convener of the Faith Impact Forum, Church of Scotland
