online on Sunday, Sept. 13, 2020

Joys and Sorrows Introduction

We come together today with full hearts.  This is the time to share the sorrows, concerns and worries we feel as well as the occasions and reasons for joy and gratitude on our minds.  Using the chat function, you may begin writing your sorrows, joys, and prayers now.  Find your chat icon at the bottom of the screen.  We’ll do this for a couple of minutes.  To be able to read what others are writing, if you tap or click on the chat icon, it will open up so you can see the whole scroll.  As we do this, Irina will provide music for us.

Pastoral Prayer

Thank you to those who have told us what is on your hearts, and thank you to everyone who is here to receive and acknowledge our sorrows and concerns, our joys and reasons for gratitude.

Please join me in a spirit of peace, as I offer these words of prayer.  Spirit of Life, these days are filled with so much stress that can feel overwhelming.

In this pandemic, we feel ongoing grief and worry; in this political moment, we behold anger, mistrust and fear across the land an in our own hearts; in this time of desperate need for the protection of black lives, we awaken our moral sense. Amid the wildfires now engulfing the West, we grieve the devastation and loss.  The overcast and orange skies tell of disasters near and far, and the poisoned air brings another degree of danger and confinement to the living of these days.

What can be said in the face of so much? Words fail us. They fail to remove our sadness or to undo the suffering of so many people, places, and creatures –the suffering of all of us who share the dwelling of this web of life.

There is little we can say.  But let us, at least, bear witness.

We bear witness to lives taken and people missing, to property destroyed, and habitat lost by the wildfires.  We ask for care, compassion, and healing. We bear witness to the courage and service of the firefighters, relief workers, caregivers, parents, teachers, health professionals, and so many others.  We pray for their health and safety.  We bear witness to the essential services of workers in agriculture, food service, transportation and public service. We pray for their well being. We bear witness, and we give thanks for persistence, bravery, and commitment.

O God of the broken heart, have mercy on us all.  Have mercy on all that we care about.

O Spirit of the loving heart, hold us tenderly.   Hold us together in the hand of strength and peace.     O Source of the air and the earth, breathe in us a renewing breath.  Let us pause right now to take a deep, new breath.

As we breathe, let us remember that we are alive, that we are here, we are together.

We are not alone in our worry and care, not alone in showing our gratitude for this new day and for every good gift.  As we take in every breath, let us pause, and then let out the breath with mindfulness. And as we breathe, let us remember to bear witness to the deepest values that make us human.  Let us bear witness to the spirit of life which calls us forward in courage and love.             Amen.

[Silent reflection follows.]  [Hymn:  Spirit of Life/Fuente de Amor]