Faith Expressions

Mother Earth, hear your child,
As I sit here on your lap of grass, I listen to the echoes of your voice
In my brother, the Wind,
As he blows from all corners and directions.
The soft and gentle raindrops are the tears you cry for your children.

Teach me the Lessons you offer:
To nurture my children, as you nurture yours,
To learn the Lessons of the Four Kingdoms, that make up this World of Physical Things, and
To learn to walk the path chosen so long ago.

Mother Earth, hear your child,
Be a bond between the Worlds of Earth and Spirit.
Let the Winds echo the Knowledge of the Grandfathers.

Who await, unseen, yet visible if I only turn my eyes to their World.
Let me hear their Voices, in the Winds that Blow to the East.

From the East: I seek the Lessons of Childhood:
To see with the trusting innocence of a small one, The Lessons of Spirit,
Given in Love by our Creator.

From the South: to Learn the Ways of Questioning:
The Fire and Independence of adolescence,
The Truths, and how they help us Grow along this Path.

From the West: where the Grandfathers teach us Acceptance of Responsibility
That come during the years of Marriage and Family.
That my own children grow Strong, and True.

From the North: where the Elders, who by their long lives
Have learned and stored Wisdom and Knowledge.
And Learned to Walk in Balance and Harmony with our Mother, the Earth.

Mother Earth, hear your child.
Hold my hand as I walk my path in this world.
Guide me to the Lessons I seek, bring me closer to Our Creator,
Until I return to the Western Direction, to once again Enter the World of Spirit,
Where the Sacred Fire Awaits, and I rejoin the Council of the Elders,
In the Presence of the One Who-Created-All.

— KiiskeeN’tum- She Who Remembers

Creator God, the people who love me work hard to take care of me.
But sometimes we don’t have enough to eat.
Sometimes we are cold.
Sometimes we have nowhere to go.
Bless the people who love me.
Help them to take care of me.
Bless us with your gifts of abundance.

Amen.

Dear God, in your image you made me.
You created me to thrive and to be well.
Sometimes I am bullied and made fun of
For being different.
There are times when I am scared
And I don’t want to get anyone in trouble
For how I am treated.
I pray that I will be loved and protected.

Amen.

Gracious God,
It is from water that life came forth.
It is with water that your Spirit signifies your claim upon us in baptism.
It is water that quenches our thirst, and without it, no life is possible.
For those children for whom water is a luxury, we pray.
For those who rely on dried up wells; who sit parched and find no relief. For those whose water is contaminated by industry or ignorance–who sit by the water but cannot drink. For those whose water is tapped by others for profit.
What once was a gift to drench the fields and to supply the table and the bath is now a commodity sold at a price.
For those whose water is a dwindling resource– where streams that once watered cattle and fields are now a source of violence and conflict–for who owns this gift will survive. Gracious God,
Drench us with your Spirit. Saturate us with your grace.
Enable us to see the world as you see it; to see all of your children as our own.
In your Spirit make us wise, that we may show well what you have given us so that all may be sated.

Gracious God,
For all of the uninsured children who need medical care, we pray.
For fevers that need tending.
For treatments that go undone.
For healing that will not happen because there is not enough money to pay for it.
For all of the parents who worry at night, frantic that their children will grow sicker when treatment is available but unaffordable, we pray.
For all of the parents who run doctor to doctor hoping someone will help, but find little solace.
For all of the parents who mount up bills in desperation, and who are quickly overwhelmed with debt.
For a nation who tolerates such neglect, dear God, have mercy upon us.

God of the abundant life,
Our hearts ache for the children who die for the want of something as simple as a clean cup of water.
We ponder the infant mortality rate of Black, Latinx and Indigenous babies who have a higher death rate, and of babies who die before they have even reached their fifth birthday,
Young children who never have a chance at learning or loving or making a difference in this world.
We who do have access to abundant life—we are the ones who could change the course of their destiny.
Forgive us our indifference, convict our unwillingness to engage the systems that hold the health of children hostage, and grant us the vision to discern your will for the health and wholeness of these little ones.

Amen.

Righteous God, open my eyes.
Help me to see what you cannot ignore.
Help me to understand what my choices mean for children who are depending on adults to do what is life-giving.
Righteous God, open my lips.
Help me to speak so that others, too, may see.
Help me to understand how connected my life is to the lives of thousands of children who endure experiences that kids should never have to.
Righteous God, open my heart.
Help me to live differently so that what I know is made visible.
Help me to act in faith, believing that your Spirit may move in ways I cannot yet understand, but will bring your kingdom of righteousness to life on earth.

Amen.

Creator and Sustainer,
Behind closed doors, children suffer silently.
Their bodies are small and their keepers are strong.
When they tell their stories, their voices are seldom heard.
In denial, we hide our faces from the despair of their daily lives.
Great God, grant us clarity and compassion.
Allow us to listen without judgment.
Make us fearless and willing to speak up.
Provide us with the resources to make a difference.
Shine your light into dark, hidden corners and heal the hearts of the broken.
We pray for this with a commitment to be advocates for children.

Amen.

Teacher God,
Today we remember children who are struggling to learn.
Provide for their need through a parent, a caregiver, a mentor, or friend.
Open our hearts to a sense of call to be such a person for children in our midst.
Help us remember children who get the wrong kind of education.
Education that takes away their innocence and wounds their spirit.
Education from circumstances that harm them.
Protect children with safe, loving and nurturing environments that would help them to thrive.
Help us rise up to advocate for educational programs and after school activities that give life and help children thrive in adulthood.
We pray today for governments and systems to provide equitable education so that all children, regardless of ethnicity, family background or income status can learn and reach their highest potential.
Remind us that sometimes these powers put profits over children and we have a responsibility to speak up for children.
Help us to discern how to best educate children, providing tools and resources to equalize education for boys and girls, inner city and suburbs, for all God’s children.
Help us to honor unique gifts and the many ways children learn and grow in knowledge and wisdom.
Teach us to use the power of our voice to bring about change.

Amen.

Children of Abraham,
Daughters and sons of Ishmael and Isaac,
We are family,
Cousins and kin,
Separated only by time and history.

Let this moment be a celebration.
Let this moment be a holy convocation.
Let this be a moment of blessed reunion.

Some of us proclaim: Allāhu akbar (الله أكبر).
Some of us proclaim: Adonai, Hu Ha’Elohim (יי הוא האלוהים).
All of us yearn for holiness and light.
Each of us prays for kindness and grace.
Together we will build a world of justice and peace.

One G-d,
Voice of Creation,
Whisper of Eternity,
Source and Shelter,
Let our voices resound in the heartbeat of our peoples.
Let our hopes resound in the pulse of our longings.
Bless those who are here.
Bless those who stayed away.
Bless the doubter and the cynic.
Bless the hopeful and the optimist,
That one day
All peoples embrace each other,
With Your love.

© 2017 Alden Solovy and tobendlight.com. All rights reserved.

Almighty God, you have blessed us with the joy and care of children:

Give us calm strength and patient wisdom as we bring them up, that we may teach them to love whatever is just and true and good, following the example of our Savior Jesus Christ.

God who is love; we pray in thanksgiving for the ways you nurture us.

We pray for children everywhere, and for the grown-ups who care for them.

That they, with open hearts, continue to look, listen and feel for ways to grow, learn, share and give.

Almighty God, the fountain of all wisdom:

Enlighten by your Holy Spirit those who teach and those who learn, that, rejoicing in the knowledge of your truth, they may worship you and serve you from generation to generation; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

–  Book of Common Prayer, pg. 261

God who is always with us, we pray that our children may have healthy food to eat, beautiful music that inspires them, Godly relationships that nurture them.

We pray for our children to have a joyous time playing with friends and safe spaces where they will not be harmed.

Thank you for entrusting children to our care.

May we steward them well, protect them, love them, and ensure that they have access to everything they need to fulfill your plan and purpose for their lives.

Help us to care for our children and each other, and inspire us to continue to share in your love. Amen.

– adapted from Emily Keniston and The Rev. Katie Holicky

Grant, O God, that our children will lie down in peace, and You will raise them up, our Guardian, to life renewed.
Spread over them the shelter of Your peace.
Guide them and us with Your good counsel; for Your Name’s sake, be our help.
Shield and shelter our children beneath the shadow of Your wings.
Defend our children against enemies, illness, war, famine and sorrow.
Distance us from wrongdoing.
For You, God, watch over us and deliver us.
For You, God, are gracious and merciful.
Guard our going and coming, to life and to peace evermore.

She-ma yisrael, adonai eloheinu, adonai echad Hear O’Israel, Adonai is our God, Adonai is One

God is my shepherd; I shall not want. God causes me to lie down in green pastures;
God leads me beside still waters.
God restores my soul; God leads me in paths of righteousness for The Holy One’s name’s sake. Even as I walk in the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil for You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
You set a table before me in the presence of my adversaries;
You anointed my head with oil; my cup overflows.
May only goodness and kindness pursue me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of Adonai forever.

O Lord, my God! These are our children…
O Lord, my God!  These are our children that have sprung from the loins of some of Thy servants to whom Thou hast granted a distinguished station in the Tablets of Thine irrevocable decree in the Books of Thy behest.

I beseech Thee by Thy name, whereby everyone is enabled to attain the object of his desire, to grant that these children may become more mature souls amongst Thy servants; cause them to shine forth through the power of Thy name, enable them to utter Thy praise, to set their face towards Thee and to draw nigh unto Thee.
Verily it is Thou Who hast, from everlasting, been powerful to do as Thou willest and Who wilt, to eternity, remain potent to do as Thou pleasest. 
There is none other God but Thee, the Exalted, the August, the Subduer, the Mighty, the All-Compelling.

Bahá’u’lláh

May we be generous toward our children.
May we be fair in thy judgment and guarded in thy speech.
Be a lamp unto our children who walk in unsafe places and guide them to safety.
Be eyes to the ones who are blind to policies that negatively impact our children and a guiding light unto the feet of the erring.
Be a breath of life to the body of humankind, a dew to the soil of the human heart, and a fruit upon the tree of humility.

May all small beings, children everywhere, who are plagued with sufferings of body and mind quickly be freed from their illnesses.

May those children who are frightened cease to be afraid, and may those children and families bound by unjust systems be free.

May the powerless find power and may people think of befriending one another.

May those who find themselves in trackless, fearful wildernesses—the children, the aged, the unprotected—be guarded by beneficent celestials, and may they swiftly attain Buddhahood.

“For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” Ephesians 2:10

Holy God, thank You that You have created us to do good works.
Remind us everyday that we have a responsibility to do good work on behalf of our children.
The good work of making sure they do not go hungry.
The good work of making sure they have a safe place to live and play.
The good work of ensuring that they have access to a good education, healthcare and the joys of childhood.
God, we cannot do this alone, for this is work that must be done in community—in the community of legislative halls, in the community of schools, and in the community of boardrooms and courthouses.

Oh God, lead us from the unreal to the Real.
Oh God, lead us from darkness to light. Oh God, lead us from death to immortality.
Shanti, Shanti, Shanti unto all.
Oh Lord God almighty, may there be peace in celestial regions.
May there be peace on earth.
May the waters be appeasing.
May herbs be wholesome, and may trees and plants bring peace to all.
May all beneficent beings bring peace to us.
May the Vedic Law propagate peace all through the world.
May all things be a source of peace to us, especially to our children.
And may thy peace itself bestow peace on all and may that peace come to our children also.

In the Name of Allah, the beneficent, the merciful:
Praise be to the Lord of the Universe who has created children and made us into tribes and nations that we may know each other, not that we may despise each other.
If the enemy inclines towards peace, do thou also incline towards peace, and trust in God, for the Lord is one that hears and knows all things.
The Lord  keeps a watchful eye over our children.
May we do the same.
And the servants of God Most Gracious are those who care for our children, their wellbeing and their livelihood.

Peace and Universal Love is the essence of the Gospel preached by all the Enlightened Ones.
The Lord has preached that equanimity is the Dharma.
Our children are deserving of love, care and good health.
Children are not a hindrance; they are a gift given to us by The Lord.
Let us remember to love them well, to see the Divine in them and to create a space where they can grow in knowledge, love and wisdom.
May we protect them and make their way safe.

Come, let us go to the mountain of the Lord, that we may walk the paths of the Most High.
We shall sing of the goodness of God and thank God for children, for they are a reward and an inheritance from God.

Almighty God, the Great Thumb we cannot evade to tie any knot, the Roaring Thunder that splits mighty trees, the all-seeing Lord on high who sees even the footprints of an antelope on a rock mass here on Earth, you are the one who does not hesitate to respond to our call.
You are the cornerstone of peace.
Hear us when we call to You on behalf of the children.
Before they can grow to become Mighty Oaks they must first be nurtured as Little Acorns.
Let us be nurturers of our children as we lift them up into your capable hands. 

Although the people living across the ocean surrounding us, I believe, are all our brothers and sisters, why are there constant troubles in this world?
Why do winds and waves rise in the ocean surrounding us?
I only earnestly wish that the wind will soon puff away all the clouds which are hanging over the tops of the mountains for our children’s sake.

God judges us according to our deeds, not the coat that we wear.
Truth is above everything, but higher still is truthful living.
Know that we attain God when we love, including loving our children, and preparing a future for them.
We cannot say we do good deeds if we leave our children vulnerable and exposed to hunger, illiteracy, and poverty.

We pray to God to eradicate all the misery in the world, that understanding triumphs over ignorance, that generosity triumphs over contempt, and that truth triumphs over falsehood.

As you engage these texts, reflect together:

What inspires you from your own tradition?
What resonates with you from another tradition?
How might these words shape our action for children today?