Heaviness--with prayers

 

Heaviness

Some background: In our recent nondenominational worship service on board our cruise ship, we heard Luke’s Gospel story of the temptations of Jesus in the wilderness.  I had the privilege of leading prayers, the Lord’s Prayer, and then the benediction.  Always wanting to be contextual, I included Ukraine and the past months of trudging much of the journey of the slave trade in the SE USA, Polynesia, and now the West Indies.  I’m sharing our heaviness with you, trusting that God is always listening.


 

Lead-in for praying in our worship service: In prayer, we look deeply at our lives, we examine the world we inhabit, we admit our failures, we seek forgiveness, and we rejoice in the unending grace of God who gives us hope for another day.  Today, each Lenten prayer petition will end with “Lord, please listen.”  Then you will join me in singing our prayer response each time. (teach “Lord, Listen to Your Children Praying”)

Let us pray. (Background music begins)

Lord of all eagerness, we are astounded at the cheekiness of the devil to attempt those temptations.  We wish that it was as easy to deny those temptations ourselves: the temptation to abuse our gifts or used them in wasteful pursuits, the temptation to be powerful beyond your boundaries, and the temptation to see your grace as cheap rather than costly.  Saving Jesus, lead us not into temptation.  Lord, please listen.  (sing.) 


Lord of all hopefulness, where would we be without hope, dear Lord?  Without hope, how could we withstand the history of slavery whose blood is soaked into the wooden beams of ships and the wooden planks of the harbors? Without hope, how could we begin to repent of the cruelty, the bigotry, the lynchings, the segregation, the self-serving ability to skew the law to benefit some rather than all?  Without hope, how could we support those who have been hurt by words, by deeds, by looking away instead of stepping in?  Our hope comes from you, dear Lord, because you are already working in our world to turn us toward each other, to offer our hand in hospitality, to make a place at the table for all.  Fill us with your hope.  Lord, please listen.   (sing.)

                 


Lord of all kindliness, our world is hurting. Battles rage in Ukraine; bombs destroy necessary facilities and fracture lives; refugees flee with tears and little else.  In these luxurious islands, we see daily reminders of a shameful history of slavery, torture, and greed.  Our hearts are hurting.  Pain and anger and intolerance threaten our communities, our homes, and even our existence on this floating home.  Show us how to live together without needing to control or to dominate.  Lord, please listen. 

(sing.)

 

Lord of all grace, your fingerprints are everywhere.  Thank you.  Keep on touching our lives.  Keep on blessing decisions that impact our safety and the safety of others.  Continue to bless the gifts and leadership of our officers: Captain Brah-jik, our general manager Claudio, cruise director Ray, executive chef Mario, executive concierge Julio, their teams, and our multinational crew.  Keep their families safe and provide them a warm welcome home when schedules allow.  Lord, please listen.

(sing.)

 

Lord of all gentleness, we see your joy in the fish who jump from these waters and reflect the glory of your sunlight.  We witness your gentleness in the native birds who fly in tandem.  We marvel at your creation of the husky iguanas, the fragile flamingoes, and the colorful caper-ings in your coral reefs.  God of the universe, teach us how to preserve these fragile environments and to be better caretakers of your creation. Lord,

please listen.   (sing.)

(Background music ends)

Final petition with Amen.

 

Lord’s Prayer

 

FRANCISCAN BENEDICTION

May God bless you with Discomfort …

at easy answers, half-truths, and superficial relationships, so that you may live deep within your heart.

May God bless you with Anger …

at Injustice, oppression, and exploitation of people, so that you may work for justice, freedom, and peace.

May God bless you with Tears …

to shed for those who suffer from pain, rejection, starvation, and war,

so that you may reach out your hand to comfort them and to turn their pain into joy.

And may God bless you with enough Foolishness …

to believe that you can make a difference in this world, so that you can do what others claim cannot be done. Amen.

Comments

  1. JudyMarch 19, 2022 at 7:30 AM

    Wow.....thank you for putting words to feelings, Jen.

    Amen and amen.

    ReplyDelete
  2. MomMarch 21, 2022 at 1:50 AM

    Oh Jen. Beautiful. It’s been a long time since I’d heard that benediction. Thank you.

    ReplyDelete

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