Tag Archives: privilege

Prayer Prompts Based on Luke 18, the Widow and the Unjust Judge

Posted on by
Reply

summer in the scriptures luke (14)
Prayer Prompts based on Luke 18:1-8
The Parable of the Widow and the Unjust Judge

Use one or more of the following prompts as you pray. Just finish the sentence again and again or use it as a springboard for your prayers. Share your prayer in the comments. What prayer prompt would you write? Share that as well.

How am I like the Unjust Judge?

Mighty One, I confess abusing my power and privilege by …

Mighty One, I confess my lack of reverence for …

Mighty One, I confess my lack of love for …

Mighty One, I confess my resistance to hear and help …

Mighty One, I confess judging …

 

How am I like the Widow?

Mighty One, quickly grant ________ justice

Mighty One, hear my cry for ________. Do not delay.

Mighty One, help _______ to not lose heart

Mighty One, help _________ to trust you to answer

Mighty One, grant ___________ a persevering faith

_______________

For the next few months, I’m reading a chapter from the Gospels each day. This is part of the Summer in the Scriptures reading plan sponsored by the Florida Conference of the United Methodist Church. Click Here for the reading plan.

You’re most welcome to read along and to join the Facebook discussion group, Summer in the Scriptures. You don’t need to be a Methodist or attend a Methodist church. All are welcome and all means all.

As part of the Facebook group, I’ve been supplying prayers based on the day’s reading. Feel free to post your prayers and observations based on the readings here or there as well.

May the grace of the Gospels, the challenge, and the call, inspire us to great faith and great good works in Jesus’ name. – Lisa <

Prayer Prompts based on Luke 18 © 2020 Lisa Ann Moss Degrenia
You are welcome to use this work in a worship setting with proper attribution.
Please leave a comment for information and permission to publish this work in any form.

Prayer on the Murder of Ahmaud Arbery

Posted on by
4
pillar candle near clear glass window

Photo by Rene Asmussen on Pexels.com

We light this candle for Ahmaud Arbery
For his family
For those who know him and love him
For those who murdered him

We light this candle
For all who feel unsafe in their own homes
in their own neighborhoods
in their own skin

We light this candle
For all who are followed because they’re labeled suspicious
For all who are targeted, profiled, and hunted

We light this candle
For all who mourn too many precious lives lost to discrimination and murder
For all who cry out for justice

We light this candle
For all who see themselves as more valuable, more entitled
than other people
For all who see themselves as more human, more worthy
because of their skin driven advantages

We light this candle
For all who are unaware or apathetic

God breathe and birth in us the fullness of your Shalom
Save us
Save all of us
Save us now

Save us and send us
Use our voices
Our connections
Our privilege to end our entrenched national sin of supremacy and racism

No one is Supreme but You

Grant us holy anger and humility
Grant us holy wisdom and determination to speak and act now
And to keep speaking and acting
until your truth, justice, and wholeness are known by all

Until your kingdom come, your will be done
On Earth as it is in heaven

We ask this in the name of the Father,
For this is our Father’s will
We ask this in the name of Jesus,
Son, Savior, Shalom
We ask this in the name of the Spirit,
Who leads us into this new life
Amen

***********
Prayer: on the murder of Ahmaud Arbery © 2020 Lisa Ann Moss Degrenia
You are welcome to use this work in a worship setting with proper attribution.
by Lisa Degrenia (www.revlisad.com)
Please contact Lisa for information and permission to publish this work in any form.

Take Up The Cross, a prayer based on Matthew 16.24-28

Posted on by
1

take-up-your-cross-0022Based on Matthew 16:24-28

Merciful Jesus, give me the courage to deny privilege
To lay down favor and safety
in order to take up the cross of opportunity and justice

Merciful Jesus, give me the courage to deny consumerism
To lay down convenience and gratification
in order to take up the cross of sustainability and generosity

Merciful Jesus, give me the courage to deny prejudice
To lay down apathy and segregation
in order to take up the cross of diversity and true love

Merciful Jesus, have mercy on me
Show me what to pick up and what to lay down
that I may lose and loose
in order to find and bind
all that is of you
that I may bear all that leads to life
and give me the courage to help others do the same
Amen

*****
For more inspiration, go to The Resistance and Fruit of Gratitude and Not Safe, both by Steve Garnaas Holmes.

Take Up the Cross © 2017 Lisa Ann Moss Degrenia
You are welcome to use this work in a worship setting with proper attribution.
Leave a comment for information and permission to publish this work in any form.

The 2016 TED Talk Experiment – Week 1

Posted on by
Reply

TED talk blog graphic 2I’m trying an experiment in 2016. Maybe you’d like to try it with me.

Here’s where I am
I’m tired of the spin. I’m tired of ideas, news, and entertainment really being one long sales pitch for profit or power.

I’m longing for creativity, curiosity, and inspiration. I’m in search of passionate people willing to speak to the truth and complexity of living with a heart of hope. I want to hear from authentic humans who are in the trenches working for the greater good.

I think I’ve found them in the TED community.

“TED is a global community, welcoming people from every discipline and culture who seek a deeper understanding of the world. We believe passionately in the power of ideas to change attitudes, lives and, ultimately, the world. On TED.com, we’re building a clearinghouse of free knowledge from the world’s most inspired thinkers — and a community of curious souls to engage with ideas and each other, both online and at TED and TEDx events around the world, all year long.”

TED’s been around for 30 years. I’ve heard about them and even watched a couple of talks, but I’ve never spent any concentrated time mining the good stuff. So….

Here’s the plan
Watch 5 enthusiastic, inspiring TED Talk presenters a week for a year.
Apply and share the goodness.

Here’s what I chose for week 1

How I’m Preparing to Get Alzheimer’s
Alanna Shaikh
TEDGlobal, June 2012
My dad has Alzheimer’s. I clicked this link via a Facebook post. The idea for the experiment came from the goodness and vulnerability of this speaker.

How to Stay Calm When You Know You’ll be Stressed
Daniel Levitin
TEDGlobal, September 2015
Ok talk. They won’t all rock my world.

Looks aren’t everything. Believe me, I’m a model.
Cameron Russell
TEDxMidAtlantic, October 2012
Where was this talk when I was a teenager! So much more than a talk on body image. Cameron Russell calls out the legacy of privilege.

How to Make Stress Your Friend
Kelly McGonigal
TEDGlobal, June 2013
Game changing talk for me. How you view stress changes everything and I had a destructive view. Will be watching this one again.

The Transformative Power of Classical Music
Benjamin Zander
TED2008, February 2008
Benjamin Zander’s enthusiasm and joy are infectious. His talk is a parable for so many other aspects of life, including leadership, perspective, and renewal efforts.