I woke up to findThat nothing had been put away last nightThe remnants and leftover candyFrom the children’s gingerbread houseLeftover fondant and wrappersLittered the tableMusic books with sticky note markingsPiled on the pianoPhotocopies for singersStacked in a cornerGlasses of waterStrewn across the counter. I feel no dread or regretAbout the cleanupWe sang aboutThings once believedWith…
A blessing for reminding you that you are enough
As chaos and demands swirl around youInsisting that you need toDo moreBe moreHave moreAs you battle these demons/exes/jobs/bossesKnow that you are seen by othersWho see youConnectingSurvivingLearningGrowingMaking it work in a difficult situation.I sayWe all sayYou are enough.Louder, so your inner demons can hear it too,You are enough.I bless you to be able to feel the…
Prayers of Anger and Doubt
Dear God,I was really upset when the checklist grew longer and longer and I started to realize that I would not be able to do all of the things that you were requiring me to do. It just felt cruel. I was a bit smug when I started trying harder and harder to keep the…
A blessing for those who are remembering the things we did for high-demands religions
Blessed are those of us with deepChurch-related regrets.Not the regrets of loving and servingBut of loving and serving without boundariesOf feeling compelled to giveMore than we wantedOr even hadBlessed are those of us who regretGiving of our whole selvesOur identitiesOur willing embrace of shame,The way that heaven was usedAs a weapon against us. Bless us…
Awkward Prayer
Dear God,Those years when I was desperately lonelyDesperately zealousIn a hope that I could righteous my wayInto better mental health.I needed your loveWhere I only felt disapproval.God, at that timeYou were not there for meIn the way that I needed.Amen.
Prayer of Not Knowing
Dear God,I am frustratedWith the big questionsOf purpose and meaning.I have spent my lifeBuilding credit with youIn the way my community taughtBut I never receivedThat reward of loving belongingI have neverExperienced your safety and comfortEnveloping me with a powerThat drives out fear.InsteadThe silence in its place calls to meAn eerie haunting.When my searching for you…
Prayer for Advent
Dear God of PossibilitiesWe are grateful for your presenceIn this season of waitingWhere we anticipate the birth ofJesus at ChristmasAnd whoever Jesus is to us in this momentHelp us to experience the humility of mysteryIn that sacred story.In this season of waitingWe gatherIn this virtual spaceAnd bring with us our own stories of pain, hope,…
Ripples with Grief
I am tangled intoA vast network of connection.I do not know all of the loved onesOf my loved onesBut I see it when people are lostTo the pandemicTo poor mental healthTo other illnesses and circumstances.When the loved ones of my loved onesPass onThe web that connects usRipples with griefAlways reverberatingWith the pangs of loss,A reliable…
Prayer of Hope
Dear God of the Universe,In this moment of lament, we hope for a more just and peaceful world.We hope that our actions will be in line with our values.We hope that our leaders will make decisions based on the needs of the most vulnerable and not the most powerful, that those who are last will…
A blessing for wisdom on the path of learning
God of mystery,God of curiosity,God of experience,God of reflection, In a world of misinformationSide-taking,Loyalty tests, andInjustice,Keep reminding usThat the path of learningIs paved with questions followed up byThe humility of seeking.Keep reminding usThat our questions and answersAlways have an impact on people and environments. May we gather up wisdomAs we walk this pathAlways holding the…
The Contemplative Heretic 