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The school year is beginning, or has begun, for friends and family and maybe you. Sometimes it goes by without my noticing beyond recognizing a shift in those engaged in it and the opportunity to lift them up in prayer. But as I’ve done that this year, I’ve felt connected to it differently, mostly remembering with joy. Both the joy of incredible experiences I had as a student in grade school, college, and graduate school, and the joy of being far away from the anxiety that creeped in among the excitement of a new year or semester. Whether or not you are feeling connected to it, our congregation certainly is. We have among us many students, teachers, and educators who are engaged, and right now find themselves looking ahead and figuring how to navigate a new year. New teachers, new students. New challenges, laws, friends, frustrations, things to learn, and, I pray, new joy. I invite you to join me in praying for them all. Let’s lift them up together, for strength, courage, clarity, peace, and love to be a part and guide the multitude of experiences ahead of them. In particular, perhaps lift up the following folks who are a part of San Marco Church that are teachers and educators, whose work enables the students’ opportunities for education and community and growth. We pray for Nancy, Sheridan, Reenard, Courtney, Andrew, Olivia, Terri, Brett, Abbey, and Matthew, that they would feel supported by God, and by their congregation, as they pour themselves into shaping this important school year. And I offer the following prayer for us to lift up for everyone. This morning I read some prayers for inspiration, but when I came across this one it was too good not to simply share it as is. It was written for another church’s blog by Lindsay O’Connor. I will be praying it in the weeks to come, and invite you to join me. Rev. Ben Richards A Prayer for Back to School
by Lindsay O’Connor God of new beginnings,
Be with us – students, educators, and we who love them – as a new school year begins. Bless us with awareness of Your presence amidst our excitement, stress, busyness, and anticipation. Allow us to be open to Your work in us throughout this new school year. God of wisdom,
Help us to grow in knowledge and wisdom that comes from experience. Let us know the joy and fulfillment of learning in an embodied way that involves our heads, hearts, and bodies so that along with wisdom, we grow in humility. God of compassion,
Some of us begin this school year with heavy hearts and weary bodies. Our grief, physical and mental illnesses, financial difficulties, broken relationships, and other personal struggles do not often follow a calendar and thus follow us into the school year. Let us know intimately the comfort available to us through You, and allow us the blessing of comforting others with the comfort we ourselves have received. God of unity in diversity,
Thank You for the creativity with which You have created us, for our diverse brains, bodies, and learning styles. Help us and others to see the gifts we bring, even when those unique gifts sometimes feel like burdens. Help us to companion one another well on the journey of self-compassion that leads to compassion for others. Let us not forget that we are all connected and that our well-being is inextricably tied to that of those in community with us. God of goodness,
Allow our schools and educational institutions to be protected places where people grow and thrive without fear or threat of danger. Protect students and educators from every kind of violence. Help us all to work together to eradicate the forces of oppression that plague the most vulnerable among us, that we might partner with You in bringing the Kingdom of Heaven to Earth. God of abundance,
Thank You for the abundance of goodness we don’t even know to ask for this year but will receive from You. Open our eyes to see the treasures hidden in the everyday, ordinary moments where You dwell. Amen.
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