Litany for Afghanistan

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This is a prayer for Afghanistan as that nation is in the midst of great turmoil and fear, in light of the US withdrawal after 20 years of occupation and war, and the return of the rule of the Taliban.

God, we remember to you those suffering in Afghanistan:
Non-combatants in fear for their lives and livelihoods, 
Women and girls historically abused and oppressed by the Taliban, 
Troops and workers watching the dissolution of decades of work, 
Soldiers mourning lost comrades, 
All who have worked and hoped for a better future for Afghanistan. 

We don’t claim to understand everything about what’s happening there,
But we know pain and chaos when we see it. 
The people of Afghanistan are our family; 
When they hurt, we hurt. 

God, bring peace and comfort to the Afghan people. 
Let the land no longer be a place of war and conflict. 
Bring just government and leaders who are fair and upright. 
Let inequality and oppression be relics of the past. 
Upend the cause of the unjust and destroy the plans of the wicked.
Restore the nation of Afghanistan to its truest beauty, it’s sacred home.

Forgive us for ways we, our government, our military, have been complicit in the chaos there.
Guide our government and military authorities in the path of insight (1).
May they learn to wield power in ways that help and not harm, 
To prevent war rather than perpetuate it, 
To know when to intervene on behalf of the vulnerable,
And when to mind their own business. 

We pray, here and abroad, for people and governments
That act justly and love mercy, 
That work persistently for the good of all, 
That protect and serve the vulnerable,
That uplift the oppressed,
That root out injustice. 

May God’s good community, your Kin-dom family,
Come on earth as it is in heaven. 

Amen

1) Proverbs 9:6


Proper 15 (Year B, 2021): Litany for Going Out and Coming In

The bulk of my work can be accessed via Patreon
Patreon helps me make this work sustainable.
Thanks for reading and subscribing.
You can find archived litanies here, and purchase my book here.
Attribution guidelines are here.

In this week’s reading from 1 Kings 2, Solomon speaks to God in a dream. God asks Solomon what he wants, and Solomon explains that he is (or feels like he is?) “only a little child; I do not know how to go out or come in…” and asks for “an understanding mind to govern your people, able to discern between good and evil…” 

Scholars believe that Solomon was only 12 when he became king of Israel; a young child faced with a vast responsibility. I read that frank admission of young Solomon’s: I’m just a whippersnapper who doesn’t know hardly anything; and I feel such resonance with him. 

Especially in Covid days, when cases are increasing and ICU’s are at capacity in the area where I live. Especially when I consider that my kids are starting school in a red zone in which the local authorities have left us with virtually no ways to ensure their protection. Especially on weeks when the UN releases a devastating climate report calling it a “code red” for humanity.  Especially when the political divide is a veritable chasm of difference.

I am disheartened. And I am praying to God: I am a little child. I don’t even know how to go out or come in. I need wisdom for how to do life in a way that makes any sense in these trying days. 

So this week, in light of these scriptures and this life situation, I’m translating that prayer into something I hope will be useful congregationally. If this more raw version is not up your alley for this week, I invite you to check out Litany for Wisdom, which I wrote for Proper 15 in 2018. 


God, in this time of pandemic, 
Political extremes, 
And global unrest, 
We are overwhelmed….


Attribution Guidelines: Updated

This is an update of a post I originally shared in March of 2019. I realize this needs periodic reminders, especially during Advent. Please follow these guidelines in sharing or utilizing my litanies.

Attribution is a tricky subject. The internet makes it even more complicated. And I've had a few instances where I've encountered my litanies not being attributed correctly. So today I'm trying to make attribution rules clear. And I'm grateful to the folks who've asked for clarity on this. I want people to pray good prayers. I want love to flow in this world, and for people to connect to the Divine, and for our collective consciousness to be raised. This is why I do this liturgical work.

Over the years I have had to tweak how I share my work, and how it is made available. If you visit my Patreon, you’ll find that there are multiple tiers for access and use of my litanies:

Individual subscribers:

Individuals may use my litanies for personal devotions but may not share them on social media or with a congregation or organization without my express written permission.

Organizational subscribers:

Organizations such as churches and non-profits that wish to use my work in their congregations or gatherings may do so when they are signed up in the appropriate tier for their organizational size; OR when it is a litany that I have made freely available on my website. For Patreon-only litanies, your subscription is my permission to use the work, and all I ask is that you follow attribution guidelines. Please use this attribution tag alongside the title of the litany, anywhere a litany is projected or printed:

©Fran Pratt franpratt.com Used with permission

If the resource is digital (such as a digital worship guide, pdf, or online document), you must include a link to my website, preferably to the original post of the litany you’re sharing.

For Non-Subscription litanies:

I do have some litanies that are older which I made freely available without any subscription to my Patreon. If a litany is available via franpratt.com in its entirety, you may use or share it as long as you follow the guideline above (include “©Fran Pratt franpratt.com Used with permission”, and if the resource is digital then link directly to the original post on my website).

For Everyone:

Please do not post or reproduce my litanies in their entirety on social media. A little snippet or quote is fine (even helpful in terms of getting the word out) as long as it's linking back to my website. It's also helpful if you share links to specific litanies on my website on social media. But please, don't post a photo of a printout or a screenshot of an entire litany. Driving traffic to my website helps me get the word out about my work, and about my book.

Please do not publish an edited or changed version of my work without my express written permission.

I encourage churches and organizations to subscribe to my Patreon. Especially if you are using my work regularly. Obviously I can't force you to do this, nor will I necessarily even be aware if you're using my work. You are on the honor system and I trust the Spirit in you. I spend a great deal of time creating liturgy and it is the creative work the Spirit has given me to do in this season. If your spiritual community benefits from the work I do, especially on a regular basis, I don't think a small subscription is too much to ask in return for a regular liturgical contribution to your community - it's a small amount that helps make the work sustainable for me to continue.

Finally, this is grassroots art. I know it's going to take on a life of its own. Everyone isn't going to follow attribution rules perfectly. I just ask for people who genuinely appreciate this work to please have my back in this small way.

Thanks. I love you and I'm grateful for you.

-Fran

Lament for the 200,000

On Tuesday September 22, 2020 the United States passed the milestone of 200,000 deaths due to Covid-19. This is a lament for those we’ve lost.

God, we hold up to you these lives:
These 200,000 lost to us.
We know they are not lost - 
You hold them in your mercy and love. 

We commend to you their care. 
Heal them there,
Close to your inimitable light
And your unfailing Love. 

We grieve alongside their families and loved ones. 
They have departed, but will not be forgotten. 
For we know that death is not an end to their story, 
Only of this human chapter. 

We lament the failed leadership that did not keep them safe. 
We lament the state of a government willing to let people die needlessly. 
We lament the political system that makes it expedient to sacrifice human lives. 
We lament the lack of regard for vulnerable people. 
We lament the lack of regard for human life. 
We lament the inaction and apathy of people in political power. 

We know, despite everything, that death is always a risk,
That safety from death is an illusion;
And also, we know that we are safe in your care every moment. 
You catch us as we fall. 

Bring us now into the necessary awareness
To make change,
To create a more just world,
To care for the least powerful,
To prevent further suffering and loss of life,
To endure this season of grief,
To heal the trauma we have collectively sustained,
To comfort those overwhelmed by suffering.  

Hear the voice of our pain, oh God.
Amen

Litany for Our Planet

I feel a great deal of urgency combined with hope. People, especially people who claim to follow the Christ - the Peacemaking, violence-ending, death-resurrecting Christ - need to wake up to the understanding that caring for creation = caring for the poor. This is my prayer that Spirit People will not wait to face this, that they will start now, make and push for change now. So that we can leave a legacy of a healthy planet to our children and grandchildren.


God, we ask for your help. 
Our planet, our mother, is suffering
Due to human neglect, apathy, and greed; 
Due to overconsumption, mass production, and pollution.…


Litany for No More War

On this Epiphany day, please join Red Letter Christians today in a prayer vigil at 6pm (in your timezone). If you can’t attend a larger gathering, grab whomever you live with or nearby, light a candle, share a moment of silence and #prayforpeace. This litany may be used (with attribution, please) in any prayer gathering focused on peace. Please share and pray. #nowarwithiran

We must cultivate peace in our own hearts first, allowing the Peace of Christ to root there. This is our work as we pray for peace in the whole earth.

God, we come now to cultivate peace in our hearts
That it may reverberate outward.
We ask that the Peace of Christ, 
The peace beyond understanding,
The peace that blesses enemies,
The peace that turns the other cheek,
The peace that leaves vengeance in your hands,
The peace that seeks empathy,
The peace that practices justice and compassion,
The peace that dissolves ego - 

This baffling and impossible possibility,
This radical peace,
Would rest upon the whole world now,
At home in our hearts, and abroad. 

We do not want to witness more loss of life,
More destruction of homes and livelihoods,
More degradation of land and waterways,
More human suffering.

We do not come to peace lightly.
We know that true peace disrupts violent patterns.
We are not expecting convenience or ease. 
And still, we want true peace;
That our nation may know no more war,
And our children inherit no more suffering. 

Oh God, put a stop to war [with Iran] before it begins.
Raise up peace in the hearts of war-mongers,
Let the egos of the violent be silenced,
And let us move into a more beautiful future;
Our feet firm and confident on the Path of Peace (1),
Our words and actions rooted in the Peace of Christ.  

Amen

  1. Luke 1:79

Proper 22 (Year C): Litany for Hanging On

Hi! As you may have noticed,
I’ve moved much of my work over to Patreon.
This is part of my effort to make 2019 a #yearofwritingsustainably
So thanks for reading and subscribing.
You can find archived litanies here, and purchase my book here.

This week’s Lectionary is heavy on the lament, both from the two Lamentations passages, the Habakkuk, and the Psalm. Habakkuk reminds us that “there is still a vision for the appointed time; it speaks of the end, and does not lie. If it seems to tarry, wait for it; it will surely come, it will not delay. And the Psalmist says “Be still before the LORD, and wait patiently for him; do not fret over those who prosper in their way, over those who carry out evil devices.”

This is a hard word, especially for those who are in the trenches, working for justice, working toward the Kindom-coming, working to serve the poor, pushing against inequity… to be still and wait. To not fret about “evil-doers.” To not allow our anger to consume us when the waiting for justice seems way too long. So I’ve written this litany in hopes that it will help us hang on, keep working for good, rest in the Love. 


God, all day long we see wrong-doing
Our eyes behold trouble.  
Destruction and violence are before us;
strife and contention are all around …

Litany for Religious Bigotry

Latest death toll from the Sri Lankan terrorist attacks is at 290, with nearly 500 injured. Many of those victims were attacked while attending Easter Services. And Last month on March 15, 50 people were shot and killed by a white supremacist while praying in their Mosque in Christchurch, New Zealand. Closer to home here in the US, just a few weeks ago three Black churches in Louisiana were burned down by a white terrorist. And last year in Pittsburgh 11 people were murdered while praying in a gathering at Tree of Life Synagogue. I’m sure there have been other, less publicized incidents of religious violence and bigotry as well that I am unaware of.

We pray for this violence to end. We pray for the root causes of religious and racial bigotry to end. We pray for terrorism and the hate that fuels it to end. I have written many litanies about terrorism and war, and the fallout and grief that follow them. But today I’m offering this prayer and reflection, in hopes that they may find their way out into the world, to soften hearts, to open ears and minds, and to bring us all closer in to Love’s consciousness.

Love has no bounds. Love sees race and religion, admires their precious beauty and diversity, and flows on regardless. Love encounters each human being with an open heart. Love accepts and embraces all.


God, our hearts break for those killed in the terrorist attacks in Sri Lanka, New Zealand, Louisiana, and Pittsburgh*
The world reels from this violence.
Love has no room for violence and killing.
In fact, Love repudiates violence.

As Christ on the cross has shamed and rebuked death and violence,
So we rebuke these violent attacks,
Instead proclaiming a gospel of peace
And an ethic of reconciling Love.

We pray for the families of the deceased,
That their hearts may draw ever closer to Love.
We pray for the spiritual communities dealing with the aftermath,
That they may be good homes for healing.
And we pray and stand in word and action against religious bigotry,
Offering up Love’s redeeming alternative.

Let us each, in our hearts, cultivate peace,
Each day as we practice prayer,
Engage in service,
Do justice and mercy,
And heed the voices of the suffering oppressed.
Oh God, help us to be Love.

In Love there is no Other.
There is only One.

Amen

*Add other locations of violence as you are aware of them, or God forbid, as they occur.


How to Properly Attribute a Litany

Attribution is a tricky subject. The internet makes it even more complicated. And I've had a few instances where I've encountered my litanies not being attributed correctly. So today I'm trying to make attribution rules clear. And I'm grateful to the folks who've asked for clarity on this.

I want people to pray good prayers. I want love to flow in this world, and for people to connect to the Divine, and for our collective consciousness to be raised. For these reasons I allow my litanies to be used by church congregations and other non-profit groups, so long as my name and website are clearly referenced.

If you're using a litany of mine, whether it’s one that is freely available on the internet or via subscription on Patreon, please use this attribution tag alongside the title of the litany, anywhere a litany is projected or printed:

©Fran Pratt franpratt.com Used with permission

If the resource is digital (such as a digital worship guide, pdf, or online document), you must include a link to my website.

Please do not post or reproduce my litanies in their entirety on social media. A little snippet or quote is fine (even helpful in terms of getting the word out) as long as it's linking back to my website. It's also helpful if you share links to specific litanies on my website on social media. But please, don't post a photo of a printout or a screenshot of an entire litany. Driving traffic to my website helps me get the word out about my work, and about my book.

I encourage churches and organizations to subscribe to my Patreon. Especially if you are using my work regularly. Obviously I can't force you to do this, nor will I necessarily even be aware if you're using my work. You are on the honor system and I trust the Spirit in you. I spend a great deal of time creating liturgy and it is the creative work the Spirit has given me to do in this season. If your spiritual community benefits from the work I do, especially on a regular basis, I don't think a small subscription is too much to ask in return for a regular liturgical contribution to your community - it's a small amount that helps make the work sustainable for me to continue.

Finally, this is grassroots art. I know it's going to take on a life of its own. Everyone isn't going to follow attribution rules perfectly. I just ask for people who genuinely appreciate this work to please have my back in this small way.

Thanks. I love you and I'm grateful for you.

-Fran


Transfiguration Sunday (Year C): Litany for Impatience

Hi! As you may have noticed,
I’ve moved much of my work over to Patreon.
This is part of my effort to make 2019 a #yearofwritingsustainably
So thanks for reading and subscribing.
PS: There are 3 days left to get a special by-request litany from me!

A number of things are informing this week’s litany. One is the newest climate change news. Another is the UMC General Conference, which I’ve been following intently. And of course there’s the rest of the news in general. So as I read these Lectionary passage for the week, gosh I feel impatient! Ready for justice to be served. Ready for righteousness to prevail. Ready for the earth to be set right. I hear Jesus’ words “You faithless and perverse generation! How long must I be with you and bear with you?!” and I resonate with them. I resonate with that feeling of mixed longing and exasperation that I hear in those words.

This week is Transfiguration Sunday. We pay attention to the similarities between the story of Moses coming down glowing from Mount Sinai (Exodus 34) and of Christ’s transfiguration on the mountain, when he glows with light, and the voice of God from heaven affirms him (Luke 9). The text says that the disciples were “weighed down with sleep,” but somehow they manage to stay awake and glimpse the glory of Christ’s glowing light. And we pray for the courage, patience, and fortitude to stay awake long enough, and for our consciousness to be expanded enough, to see it in our time.



God, we are heavy with sleep,
Struggling for a glimpse of your glory (1).
We are impatiently and desperately waiting
For heaven to come on earth. ..

Thanks so much to all who’ve jumped into the fun on Patreon! Know that you’re contributing to keeping the lights on here at franpratt.com. If you prefer to support my work in another way, you can grab a copy of my book and give it a positive review. I’m sending you love, gratitude, hope, and peace, regardless.
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2 Fun Bits of News

Bit #1:

Today on Patreon I’m sharing something new: tips for getting started writing prayers and liturgy for your own congregation. Teaching liturgical writing is a new frontier for me, but seems to be a theme coming up for 2019. I’ve learned a lot these last few years, and turns out, I have a lot to say on the subject. So head on over to Patreon, and if you aren’t already a patron, it’s easy - a few clicks and you’re done.

Bit #2:

Speaking of teaching, I’ve been invited to team up with Brian Doerksen and Cindy Rethmeier to teach at a summer retreat for songwriters and liturgists. It’s in August in Abbotsford, B.C. There are 12 spots, and they’re by audition only. Check it out!


Have a great week, and leave me a comment on Patreon!