Morning and Evening Prayers

    While wasting time on FB when I should have been writing I stumbled across Unitarian Universalist minister Naomi King's FB page. She may be the daughter of super-creepy writer Stephen King, but her theology is anything but. I was moved and inspired by her words, and want to post them here for any to read who wish it. Because she is UU, the focus of her prayers are largely non-denominational; I as a Pagan can easily identify with them, and her words resonate with some part of my soul that is seeking guidance, or perhaps just reassurance. With no further ado, the words of Rev. Naomi King:

Morning Prayer April 3

     Sweet Wonder stop us in surprising joy each and every day. Open our hearts that there is at least one flower at the end of the day, one blessing for us to name and give thanks for and share with another. Will it be the savory taste of a meal we have yearned for and reached, hungry and more than ready for the gift a meal can be? Will it be the sweet scent of a fresh breeze that promises a change or carries good memories upon it, drawing us back to earlier blessings? Open our hearts that there is at least one flower at the end of the day, one blessing for us to name and give thanks for and share with another. Will it be a kindness witnessed or received or offered, weaving together our lives with generosity and courage to risk giving, receiving, and bearing witness? Will it be a sound that thrills us, stills us, or calls us back to life's dance? Open our hearts that there is at least one flower at the end of the day, one blessing for us to name and give thanks for and share with another. Sweet Wonder stop us in surprising joy each and every day, knowing each surprising joy calls us back to our whole selves, our choices, and our calling to bless this world. Amen.

 

 

Evening Prayer April 3

     Sweet Wonder teach us to celebrate in each and every day. May we celebrate the moments of stillness and silence when the rest of our day was cacophony and busyness. May we celebrate the delights of dancing and laughing together when the rest of our day was pain and stillness broken only by cries of hurt. Let us not choose condemnation for dancing through our hunger, our hurting, and our broken-heartedness; the dancing gives us hope helps us carry on. Sweet Wonder teach us to celebrate in each and every day. May we celebrate trying again after a failure, and learning new ways of approaching the same problems, and not forget to giggle at our own absurdities. May we celebrate the commitment love requires and the freedom love creates and the responsibilities that call us to be better people than we find convenient or easy. Let us not choose dismissing the celebrators of little things and awkward moments, for they are choosing blessing this world and inviting us to the party. Sweet Wonder teach us to celebrate in each and every day. There is so much more worth celebrating than so many of us stop to do. Let us choose blessing this world with courage and gladness. Amen.