Holy, Holy, Holy God, God of power and might, God who gathers your people
and holds them to her bosom as a hen gathers her chicks; that God: Hear our prayers.
Hear the prayers of the protesters in Portland:
As they push back against camouflaged non-police, non-military,
non-identified brutes-in-a-uniform swinging batons at Navy veterans
who simply stand at attention.
Hear the prayers of the mothers locking arms on Portland’s front lines.
They chant: "Leave our kids alone!" And every word is prayer.
Hear our prayers for the officers who actually want to do right and are caught in between;
give them courage to face down evil impulses, to subvert unjust pathologies as they join their comrades who shaped the Task Force Recommendations on 21st Century Policing
and sound the trumpet for a new day in America.
And hear our prayers God for the 4 million plus...
Elders, Mothers, Fathers and Grandfathers, Children and Grandchildren, Homeless and Homed, Rich and Poor people, the 4 million images of God for whom it has hurt to breathe:
Come close, Lord. Save them, Lord. Save us, Lord.
Remove the ones whose folly blocks justice and life, and liberty, and happiness.
And, Holy, Holy, Holy God, be with the movement makers now:
Sit with them, heal their broken hearts,
make them community to each other, beloved community;
and give them eyes to see next steps and next paths and next bends,
and the Next America! Help them see it, so all can see it!
Come close now, Brown Jesus: We need you, O we need you; Every hour we need you.
Oh, bless us now, Brown Jesus; We come to you. Amen.
Credit: Lisa Sharon Harper
May you welcome this day with a reverence of spirit.
May you begin this day with a grounded sense of your own being.
Do not begin without knowing that you are beloved, Beloved. Stop…and take a breath…
As you venture forth, take notice of the sun’s gaze as it meets you for the first time.
Feel the wind, the air upon your skin. Taste the atmosphere of the day and allow your presence to join the senses of the natural and invisible world before the rally cry.
May you know that you are held by the Cloud of Witnesses who have come before you.
This firmament of mighty truth tellers and rabble rousers and poets and storytellers and peacemakers and dreamers whose epitaphs of truths and courage you now speak - they remain with you. Even now. Feel their blessing whispered upon your heart. Feel their spirits surround you in protective light. Feel the current of their legacy carrying you forward.
May your purpose not be thwarted.
May you be met by unexpected companions.
May strange graces join you along the journey. And, may help always find you.
May this day be marked not simply by radical movement,
but may it infuse you with radical hope.
May the Source of life uphold you, protect you, and guide you.
Credit: Naisa Wong
Source of Life, Creator, God: Bless these your people; Bless the hands, the feet, the hearts, and the spirits that gather for such a time as this. May they know their belovedness before you. May we feel your presence palpably. May your provisional grace and your mercy meet us at every turn. May your protective hand be upon us. May you create passageways and estuaries where justice and truth prevail. Sharpen our senses toward the unexpected and give us strength to endure. Help us to be fortified by the mighty cloud of witnesses who have gone before us. May your power be evident and available, today. May the glory of freedom come. May it be so. Amen.
Credit: Naisa Wong