Holy Crafter of All Narratives, As our stories are etched into our memories And become part of this universe’s great chronicles, Bless the ones who continue to write and speak the tales of their kins And the fiction birthed from their souls. For the stories that derived from holy sources And the great epic tales entertaining one generation to the next, We cherish the blessed memories and myths that continue to pave our planet. For the voices of storytellers, For their animated faces and expressions with hands, We share our joy. For the creative ways they tell a tale, And the way they keep sto ..read more

God of the Upside Downs, You’ve created the beauty of chaos, the accidental inside out clothing, the wrong turns, and the incorrect spellings. None of these upset you in the same ways they shake us. Instead, you continue to find light even in the bizarreness of life. In the moments when we are frustrated by the slowness of computers and drivers ahead of us, we ask for your patience. When we are stopped by each red light along the way and the ultra-slow train, we plead with you for peace. May we co-create joy in the most unlikely valleys and alleys. May we work together to turn backwards into ..read more

Holy Vessel of Memories- Our minds church with the memories of loved ones- Parents, Grandparents, Siblings, Friends, and more. In our holey hearts, There is an emptiness remaining after their deaths. Their last words frozen in our minds. Their last embrace a memory in our muscles. Maybe it’s been a week, or a year, Or a few decades ago. But their loss reverberates throughout our lives. We feel a presence missed at big events. And in the small moments, we feel a tear rolling down our cheeks. With a song on the radio or hymn in the sanctuary, We recall the sound of their voices belting out the ..read more

Divine Deliverer of Rest, As workdays stretch brains and bodies, and minds feel like mush at the end of a day, I give gratitude for a few days of rest. My focus is drawn away from fretting over the details of the day-to-day. Instead, my soul relaxes to the sounds of Netflix and video games. The taste of chocolate and cheese. Or maybe a good book. Or hobby-time. And throughout this week, I’m investing my time with loved ones- since I have pushed our time aside with them in pursuit of perfected production and have shamefully embraced a “live to work” mentality. As my brain restores to a restful ..read more

Divine Deliverer of All Greetings- As we scan the names of loved ones on our holiday card list, we ache with the absences reminded by this list. We’ve lost the aunts, uncles, cousins, old loves, and friends. As they abide with you on that side of heaven, our hearts hunger for their presence. Our breath is taken away by the sight of their names. The lights of this season is dimmed just a little more with each loss. God of All Connections, our ties with some love ones on the list have stretched and broken. They remain here on this earth, but our contact is minimal to none. Due to our falling-o ..read more

God among us and with us, Under the long night sky There are rooms filled with laughter- Friends reconnecting And family sharing meals. There is warmth. There is peace. These are blessings, like the Cold Moon Full and bright- Accompanying us far into the night. Under the long night sky There are lonely corners filled with tears. Neighbors feeling alone. Neighbors distraught. Spirits are chilly, waiting for the dawn of hope. Yet you are with them As they seek your peace, As they wait for your strength to soothe their shaking souls. Under the long night sky There are open fields filled with que ..read more

Holy Creator of the Night, You yearn for us to be awake, to be alert to the workings of the world around us. You desire for our attentiveness in a world drowsy to injustices And to be attentive to the needs of our neighbors… Yet being awake at 4am isn’t your dream for my night. My snores were stolen by the latte I drank at 4pm. This wicked wired state is simply impossible to ease. I imagine the birds will begin to chirp soon- That’s when the night begins to transform to day And my hopes for a beautiful night of sweet dreams are tossed into the abyss of sleeplessness. Whatever fairy dust or ca ..read more

Savory God, As we bask in the warmth of the radiating heat from our ovens And the cozy candles of vanilla and pumpkin-something, We give much gratitude for the deliciousness of the holiday. From the richness of our conversations- Some spicy, some smooth- To the sweetness of the pies and chocolate-something desserts, We celebrate the flavors of the day. For our loved ones near and far, And the ways we connect to one another across the rooms and miles, We are thankful to live in this time filled with many means of connection. And for the tables at which we sit, For the friends and family who wa ..read more

God of Our Falling Tears, As seasons end, and the winds begin to hurl in a different direction, Losses fill our once-innocent hearts. For some of our young neighbors, there is a new hole in their lives- A new source of wailing, A new cloud blocking the light of life. Death has grasped a hold of their future plans, And the loss of someone close has dampened the laughter-filled air. How will they learn to live without this person? Where have they gone? Why does nothing make sense? So many questions swirl around their growing minds. Anxiety grows, and trauma becomes an unwanted companion. And al ..read more

Healing Spirit, God of Wholeness, Our bodies break as the years past. Infections rage within our systems. Injuries slow our bodies as we work to rehabilitate. Our trips to urgent cares and hospital emergency rooms become more frequent. We dial the doctor’s numbers as often, and schedule new procedures that we hope that will build us in body, mind and soul. As we hurt beyond the everyday pains, we seek your presence to sustain us. We seek your strength as our walking slows and our health declines. We send strength to our neighbors looking for their third, fourth, or fifth winds. We grasp for y ..read more