Prayer for A Lifetime

I used to post prayers regularly, but I got out of the habit. Mostly, because religion has fallen off my radar in the past year. Sad, but true.

I found this great prayer at The River and the Vine and thought it was worth sharing:

O God, when I have food,
help me to remember the hungry;

When I have work,
help me to remember the jobless;

When I have a home,
help me to remember those who have no home;

When I am without pain,
help me to remember those who suffer,

And remembering,
help me to destroy my complacency;
bestir my compassion,
and be concerned enough to help
those who cry out for what we take for granted.

Amen.

-Samuel F. Pugh

You can find another great Thanksgiving prayer, sermons and other religious writings, at The River and The Vine, a blog written by Rev. Cynthia O'Brien of the Smith Memorial Presbyterian Church, Fairview, Oregon, and the Presbytery of the Cascades.

Prayer after Miscarriage or Stillbirth

Today, my baby would have been due. By now, I'd be holding a brand new baby boy and everything would be wonderfully different.

But I had a miscarriage during the second trimester. The grief is no longer new, but today, I remember. And I urge you to realize that there are many, many women who hide the pain of miscarriage inside. You don't even know how many until you've had one.

While we held our babies in our hearts and womb, we never held them in our arms. The prayer of the week is for the families one person short because their baby died before or at birth.

Prayer After Miscarriage or Stillbirth
By Sandy Eisenberg Sasso

God, we are weary and grieved. We were anticipating the birth of a child, but the promise of life was ended too soon. Our arms yearned to cradle new life, our mouths to sing soft lullabies. Our hearts ache from the emptiness and the silence. We are saddened and we are angry. We weep and we mourn. Weep with us, God, Creator of Life, for the life that could not be.

Source of healing, help us to find healing among those who care for us and those for whom we care. Shelter us under wings of love and help us to stand up again for life even as we mourn our loss.

Weekly Family Prayer: The Prayer for Protection

I used to be a member of a Unity Christianity church, which many people confuse with Unitarians, even though they're very different. This prayer was written by Unity poet James Dillet Freeman and was supposedly left on the moon by one of the shuttles.

I prayed this prayer over my Little Bit every night when she was a Wee Bit and it remains one of my favorites.

The Prayer of Protection
The Light of God surrounds us.
The Love of God enfolds us.
The Power of God protects us.
The Presence of God watches over us.
Wherever we are, God is.
And all is well!

How to Pray as a Family

Prayer doesn't always come easily, especially in front of others. In fact, I'd rather give a speech before 100 than pray before 10, I find it that intimidating. What do you say to your creator that speaks for yourself and those present without sounding like you're trying to impress everyone?

That's one of the reasons we shy away from family prayers, and it's something I'd like to change. I do not come from a tradition that allows for formal, written prayers - but at this point, I figure it's a starting point for us. What does it matter who wrote the prayer if it conveys what's in our hearts?

If you're also struggling with the idea of family prayer, Beliefnet has a Family Prayer FAQ you might want to read. It covers when to start prayer, when to pray and what to do when your kids "act up" during prayer.

I should note that these tips seemed "bi-partisan" to me in that they could apply across religions.

Family | Prayer

Prayer for December 31

Each Sunday, my goal is to share a prayer that focuses on family. This week, I've found a list of resolutions for parents on Beliefnet.com. It could easily be a prayer - and, truthfully, it is my prayer to become a person who practices these resolutions. Here's a few lines from the list:

In 2007, I resolve not to teach my children to have a happy, productive life, but rather to help them choose a happy, productive day. ...

I resolve to relax, while remembering that relaxing does not mean resigning. ...

I resolve to make my approach to parenting reflect the notion that raising a child is more about drawing out what already exists in a youngster rather than about putting in to fill perceived deficiencies. ...

I resolve to make myself dispensable and assist my children in becoming increasingly in charge of themselves and their own lives. ...

I resolve to recognize that my children are in my life as much so I can learn from them as they are so they can learn from me. I will be open to the lessons my children offer me and honor them for helping me learn and grow.

Amen.

Parenting | Prayer | Family | Resolutions

Feast of the Holy Family Day

I'm not Catholic, but all my friends are. Except for one, who's Jewish. I'm not sure how I wound up with all Catholic friends, particularly when you consider that growing up I knew a grand total of one Catholic, plus my uncle and aunt who had only recently converted and so didn't seem to really count. But that's what happened.

Still, I'd never heard of the Feast of the Holy Family Day, which happens to be the Sunday between the New Year and Christmas. In other words: Today. What do you do on the Feast of the Holy Family Day? Here's what the Manila Bulletin says:

Today is a good time to remember our family and pray for our human and spiritual lives. The festivity also gives us time to reflect on the value and sanctity of the family unit. ...As parents, we must be thankful that we are blessed with children. ...The feast also reminds children to obey and respect their parents at all times. It is a good opportunity for us to forgive those who wronged us and ask the forgiveness of those we offended. We must avoid behavior which is contrary to God’s Divine plan for the family. We must also address conditions which have negative effects on the family, like poverty, lack of health care, hunger, and other political and social justice concerns.

There's a lot more to it, but these were the parts with more universal appeal. I like the idea of having a day after Christmas and before the New Year to focus on the family.

Family | Family Holidays | Religion

The Forgotten Families of the First Christmas

I've probably focused too much on negative aspects of Christmas for a blog about family. That's because I think there are plenty of expectations for families during the holidays. During the other 345 days of neglecting our families, I'll be more positive.

But it's also because this is a hard season for many families.

For me, it's hard because I should be just six weeks from giving birth to our second child. But during the second trimester, the baby died in utero. I thought I'd worked through most of the grief, that I'd accepted it. But much of my grief has resurfaced during this celebration of a baby's birthday.

I also have some close friends who lost their four month old to SIDs this year. I'm betting Christmas isn't that joyful for them, either.

I guess that's why this year, I find myself thinking of the unnamed families in the Nativity story:

Then Herod, when he saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, was in a furious rage, and he sent and killed all the male children in Bethlehem and in all that region who were two years old or under, according to the time which he had ascertained from the wise men. Then was fulfilled what was spoken by the prophet Jeremiah:
"A voice was heard in Ramah,
wailing and loud lamentation,
Rachel weeping for her children;
she refused to be consoled,
because they were no more."

-Matthew 2: 16-18

So when we rejoice with Mary and Joseph, let us also remember the children of Bethlehem, the children who didn't live.

Family | Christmas | Bible

Christmas prayers

It's Christmas Eve this Sunday. For Christians, this makes for a busy day - in addition to finishing your shopping, attending any family events and Christmas Eve service, you also have to fit in Sunday morning service. For reasons beyond my understanding, members of my immediate family will be attending three services tomorrow, two of which they'll participate. It kinda happened accidentially.

In honor of Christmas, this week's prayers are Christmas prayers.

Here's a simple prayer that could helpful to recite on Christmas Eve, when you may be busy with preparations for the big day:

As Jesus brought peace, turn us into peacemakers.
As Jesus brought hope, make us messengers of hope.
As Jesus brought love, rekindle love in us
So that the birth of the baby in Bethlehem
May bring a new beginning to our own lives.
Amen.

The second Christmas prayer was written by Robert Louis Stevenson, who is best known for writing Treasure Island, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and Kidnapped.

A Christmas Prayer by Robert Louis Stevenson

Loving Father, Help us remember the birth of Jesus,
that we may share in the song of the angels,
the gladness of the shepherds,
and worship of the wise men.

Close the door of hate and open the door of love all over the world. Let kindness come with every gift and good desires with every greeting. Deliver us from evil by the blessing which Christ brings, and teach us to be merry with clear hearts.

May the Christmas morning make us happy to be thy children, and Christmas evening bring us to our beds with grateful thoughts, forgiving and forgiven, for Jesus' sake. Amen.

And finally, here's a nice prayer for before the opening of Christmas present:

Lord Jesus, Wise men travelled for miles to bring you the first Christmas presents. So may we, too, remember with thankful hearts the love that comes with each present we open. We also thank you for the amazing love you have for each of us, and we thank you for the many gifts that you give us. Amen

For more Christmas prayers, vist:

The UK Prayer Guide

Collective Worship

Christmas | prayer | Family

The Family that Prays

I confess: We're a little awkward around prayer. Neither hubby nor I are quite sure how to do it gracefully and we always feel a bit weird praying at dinner or out loud.

And though we're Christian, we don't feel Christianity holds a monopoly on God.

Now that I've confessed that, obviously, prayer is important to many families and I believe praying together binds you to each other and a higher power. Therefore, part of this blog will be to find family prayers to share with you each week.

This week's prayer is from Bread on the Waters, a Catholic site. The full prayer is available on the Christmas and Advent Prayer page, but the end is a prayer unto itself:
O God,
bless our family
and all its members and friends;
bind us together by your love.
Give us kindness and patience
to support each other;
and wisdom in all we do.
Let the gift of your peace
come into our hearts
and remain with us.
May we rejoice in your blessings
for all our days.
Amen.

Family | Family Prayer | Advent | spirituality