Daily Reflections
Prayer
God of justice, fill us with your Holy Spirit this day as we celebrate and remember Rosa Parks and the contribution she made to civil rights in the United States. Inspire us by her example to be people of courage, committed to doing what is right and just. Strengthen us in mind and heart that we might dedicate our lives to the affirmation and promotion of human dignity, the common good, and freedom. With trust in you, we pray. Amen.
Prayer
Lord of all, today we celebrate with our Sikh sisters and brothers the birth of Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikhism. Stir within us the same respect and appreciation he had for your presence in all that exists. May his commitment to equality, love, goodness, and virtue inspire us to model our behavior reflecting these eternal truths. Fill us with the same spirit that animated Guru Nanak and move us to lead lives of selfless service, commitment to social justice, and the affirmation of human dignity. Amen.
Prayer
Coming Lord, as we begin the celebration of the sacred season of Advent, we ask you to give us hearts open to the many ways through which you are present in our lives. We ask you to give us the willingness to see you in each other. And we ask you to bless this sacred time that we might better prepare to celebrate the birth of your son at Christmas and recommit ourselves to the reign of God Jesus came to proclaim and embody. With confidence, we pray. Amen.
Prayer
Almighty God, sometimes we think of prayer as the opportunity to convince you we are right. Help us to see instead that prayer is an opportunity to encounter you. Through our prayer, shape us that we might grow closer to you. May our relationship with you transform our lives, making us instruments of your grace and peace each day. Give us the perseverance to remain faithful in prayer and committed to the lives to which you call us. We pray in your name. Amen.
Prayer
Humble Lord, for some, today marks the unofficial beginning of the holiday shopping season. Too often, the holiday season can be the source of stress rather than a reason for celebration. Help us as we celebrate this unique holiday season to remain focused on the blessings these days illuminate. Open our hearts to the goodness of this special season and stir within us the spirit of peace and joy at the heart of the days we celebrate. We pray in your name. Amen.
Prayer
Gracious God, today, we pause to give thanks. We give thanks for our families, for our friends, for the opportunity to do meaningful work, and especially for the gift of your presence and love in our lives. May our celebration instill within us a spirit of gratitude that shapes our living throughout the year. May we always be mindful of the many blessings in our lives and always committed to responding to your call to be a blessing in the lives of others. In gratitude, we pray. Amen.
Prayer
God of justice, you create each of us with inherent dignity. An attack on the dignity of one of us, is an attack on the dignity of all of us. Inspired by the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, give us the courage to eradicate violence against women in all its forms. Strengthen each of us that we might affirm and promote the dignity of all people, focusing efforts specifically on upholding the dignity, freedom, and rights of women in the United states and around the world. Open our eyes that we might see the ways in which women continue to be the victims of violence and open our hearts that we might work to create a world in which violence is eliminated and the dignity of all flourishes. We pray this in the name of God who is the source of our being. Amen.
