A Prayer for Wholeness
Mothering, fathering God:
We give you thanks and praise for the joy of being church together for the exhilaration of doing liturgy as one body.
Help us to know and remember: It is not OUR SONG until ALL sing and then only will ALL be transformed.
It is not OUR STORY until ALL hear -- some with eyes, some with ears, some with open hearts.
And it is not OUR STORY until ALL are invited to PROCLAIM whether standing freely or firmly supported.
It is not OUR DANCE until ALL process to the altar and the GIFTS brought to the table are not the GIFTS OF ALL until the GIFT-BEARERS truly look like ALL OF US.
The WELCOME OF HOSPITALITY will not be TRUE AND HONEST until ALL are TOUCHED -- physically, spiritually, emotionally and ALL find in their eyes the gaze of the OTHER.
Lord God, make it clear to us that it will not be HOLY communion until those who BREAK AND SHARE THE BREAD look like all who TAKE THE BREAD-- and the cup is both OFFERED AND RECEIVED by ALL of us in the BROKENNESS that finds a home in EACH ONE'S HEART.
And so, baptized in the breath of this new day we stretch out our arms and lift up our hands in blessing embracing the GIFTS THAT MAKE US WHOLE. Gracious God, gather the gifts of ALL.
SHAPE AND CLOSE THE CIRCLE of your embrace in the name of the one who MOTHERS and FATHERS us into life; the one who RESTORES and RENEWS us, who CHALLENGES and CHANGES us, who ENFOLDS us and RELEASES us to do the LITURGY OF LIFE in the sacred spaces to which we have been called.
Humbly, EXPECTANTLY, we ask this in Christ's name.
Amen.
Mary Evers, Old St. Patrick's Church

Peace,
Terry Hershey