08-14-20

ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS
August 14, 2020
A Word for the Prayer Vigil: Today, Cypress Creek Christian Church begins a 24-Hour Prayer Vigil specifically focusing on those who are returning to school (virtual, in-person, combination) – students, teachers, professors, custodians, support staff, counselors, cooks, bus drivers, etc. We also need to include parents and grandparents who are involved in decision-making and daily guidance. There is no One Answer in this moment, but there is one value we hold above all others: Every human being has inherent value – young and old, black, white and brown, financially well off and financially struggling, people of power and those who are powerless. In all of this, we seek a balance between what is good in the immediate future and what is good longterm. We must draw upon the wisdom of experts, and not our favorite pundit, obscure website or our weird Uncle Charlie who likes to pass along every conspiracy theory. And with the wisdom of medical experts, longtime educators and mental health professionals, we also turn to God and the guidance of the divine Spirit. Throughout this 24-Hour period, I plan to pray often. Each of those prayer times will begin with the following words:

O Spirit of Life and Love, O Provider of Wisdom and its many gifts, we pause amidst the heaviness of this moment. Many are feeling overwhelmed and torn between numerous potential responses of which none of them provide comfort or clarity. People are scared, yet the fear that often materializes has multiple causes and catalysts. It would be nice if we could bundle it all, neatly packaging it and leaving it in its entirety somewhere well beyond the grasp of our imaginations. Yet because most of us don’t have such capacity, we turn to you and the Holy Breath sent forth from you. In a moment of quiet, let us feel that flood of life pour over us and into us. May it confirm that none of us are alone in this time, and the love you have is not thwarted by a pandemic or even an economic downturn. May sleepless nights and stressful days make space for you, Merciful and Generous God. Provide us space to name all that burdens us in this time, even when our thoughts are not yet fully formed or cohesive. In that naming and space-making, decisions that emerge shall include you and the generations of wisdom woven into the fabric of faith. This is only the beginning of our prayer, but beginning has always been the best place to begin… Amen.

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