Proper 14 (Year A): Litany for the Impossible

Hi! In 2019 I moved much of my work over to Patreon
as part of my effort to make this work sustainable.
So thanks for reading and subscribing.
You can find archived litanies here, and purchase my book here.

---

This week’s Gospel reading is Matthew’s account of Jesus doing the impossible: walking on water. Peter asks to join him on the water, and when he looks down, sinks, Jesus says incredulously, “you of little faith, why did you doubt?”

(see also: Litany for Solitude)

Western civilization has overcivilized our imaginations. We are so stuck in our economic and political status quo that we consider - have been conditioned by powers that benefit from it to consider -  a better world to be impossible. Our apathy and lack of imagination are well on display in this current moment. 

Will we revise our expectations? Will we do the impossible? Will we bring the Commonwealth of Heaven, to which Jesus so often referred and on which he staked his reputation and actions, here to earth, following in his imaginative footsteps? 

God, we know that we are programmed and conditioned -
By society and culture,
By religion and expectation - 
To distinguish the possible from the impossible.

Litany for Forgotten Hope (Ordinary Time, Year A)

Hi! In 2019 I moved much of my work over to Patreon
as part of my effort to make this work sustainable.
So thanks for reading and subscribing.
You can find archived litanies here, and purchase my book here.

---

This litany references the Lectionary passage from Genesis 18 where Abraham and Sarah receive 3 visitors who tell them that God’s promise to them of a community of offspring (Genesis 17) will be fulfilled, and that Sarah will give birth to a son in her elder years. I imagine their hope for that new, future family was difficult to remember. Just as it is at various times difficult for us to remember our hope in the Commonwealth of God, the Kin-dom of God, and its nearness to us, just at the horizon of today. 

God, the times we live in are chaotic and divisive,
Revealing systemic injusticeAnd institutionalized inequity.
We feel the unrest of our nations.We feel the undercurrent of fear.
We feel the stress of uncertainty. 

Proper 24 (Year C): Litany for Wrestling

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.

---

Hello! Sorry the litany is a bit late this week - my kids had fall break and the week has been unusual.

This week's Lectionary has such a hopeful message about wrestling with hard emotions, conflicts, trauma, questions, and problems, but staying with it. When we stay committed to uncovering the shadow, digging out what lies hidden beneath the external behavior or presentation, and to persistence in prayer and practice, God notices! We may come out with a limp like Jacob, but we are our true selves!

Life is hard. Emotional and spiritual work is hard. Justice work is hard. We won't get off this earth scot-free and unscathed. We will limp, somehow. But every lesson, every experience, every heaving, breathless effort is part of our learning and our growth. We can wrestle hopefully and gratefully, with acceptance and faith.

God, there is so much to work through
And so many problems to solve:
Troubles that come to us from within ourselves
And from without…

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

Epiphany, Year C: Litany for Christ Made Known

You can find the Lectionary litany for Epiphany on my Patreon.*

*I know, you might be feeling annoyed, especially if you’re used to accessing the lectionary litanies each week for free. Change is hard. But subscribing to my Patreon isn’t, and it doesn’t cost much! Plus you get my undying appreciation, in addition to the prayers. Thanks for being patient with the means I must use to make this work sustainable for the future.

Big News for 2019

For the past 3 years, it has been my joy and privilege to produce hundreds of congregational litanies to the public, to the Body of Christ, free of charge on my website. My model has been: just be creative and serve the church. It’s been great - freeing, expanding, humbling! But it’s no longer sustainable for me to only do it this way. With the amount of time the writing takes, and the busyness of life in general, and the way my career is currently structured, I need to earn a living wage for the hours that I spend working. So. Starting in 2019, the majority of my weekly and monthly litanies will be available via Patreon.

As I’ve gone along, I’ve more and more embraced my own identity as an artist and creative. Patreon is a blessing for artists. (What is Patreon?) It is a way that fans can participate in the work of their favorite creators. It’s actually a beautiful model of partnership, and a way that people who don’t necessarily consider themselves creatives can support and participate in the creation of beauty in the world.

I will still offer a couple of free litanies per month here on my site, but the bulk of the work will be accessible via subscription. If my work has been a blessing to your community, and you value its continuing, I invite you to join in on it by becoming a patron. For less than the price of a latte per month, you can see all or most of my offerings. And you can help me make it so that I can keep on creating and actually start to cover the cost of creating, and so the Church can keep on praying these prayers.

This work is alive and dynamic. I’m responsive to current events, to what society is experiencing, and of course to the ancient resonance of the Lectionary. I’m so jazzed by getting to create liturgy that is relevant and timely, but also ageless and timeless. I’m just getting started, folks! Also, don’t forget to grab a copy of my new book, available in paperback and kindle!

The catalogue of work that’s available here will, for the most part, remain. If you have questions about the changes I’m making, please email me via the contact page, or send me a message on facebook. As always, I’m sending you all love and light.
-Fran

Patreon Only: Litany for Grieving

I recently sat with my grandmother in the last days of her life. My mom and I were there holding her hand as she took her last breaths. It was a profound experience that has brought me to think about all the forms grief takes, and my own experience of grieving - how unpredictable it is, how sometimes consuming, how suddenly past only to reappear again. We grieve events, losses, trauma, time passing, people passing… and I’m coming to believe that grieving is not just some mental or emotional space that we are plunged into by life events; it is also a skill we can practice and hold space for. And the only way to get through this life whole is to learn the skill. If we can’t accept pain and process it through appropriate grief, we will be constantly resisting the experience of life. Through grief, we learn to integrate experiences we (dualistically) judge to be “good” and “bad”, bringing them into wholeness. The more life I experience, the more I’m convinced that learning to hold the tension of grief is as powerful a life skill as, say, positive thinking or good communication or self-care. Here's a prayer for skill-building, available on my Patreon page.

If my work has value to you and your community, please consider becoming a supporter on Patreon, where you get access to exclusive litanies and content. This month’s Patreon-only litany is Litany for Grieving.