Here’s a prayer of petition and
confession for country. It was written by John Ballenger and posted on A Preacher Musing.
Re-Instill in Us the
Dreaming
Our God,
we pray on this occasion
remembering, in particular, our country.
we pray on this occasion
remembering, in particular, our country.
We give you thanks for the good
dreaming
that envisioned a land of freedom and opportunity—
a land in which to grow respect for all its citizens.
We give you thanks for all who sacrificed in so many ways
to create and to sustain such dreaming.
that envisioned a land of freedom and opportunity—
a land in which to grow respect for all its citizens.
We give you thanks for all who sacrificed in so many ways
to create and to sustain such dreaming.
We give you thanks for the many
ways
in which that dream has been,
and continues to be
embraced and made manifest—
as a better tomorrow is shaped for all—
all within these borders and all without them too.
in which that dream has been,
and continues to be
embraced and made manifest—
as a better tomorrow is shaped for all—
all within these borders and all without them too.
We thank you for the call to
let freedom shine,
to let celebration of the dignity of all resound.
to let celebration of the dignity of all resound.
But we also confess to you
the many ways in which we fall short
the many ways in which we fall short
of our best dreaming—
fall into immaturity, and selfishness—
into shortsightedness—
into too much of a focus on immediate benefits for some
and a lesser tomorrow for all.
fall into immaturity, and selfishness—
into shortsightedness—
into too much of a focus on immediate benefits for some
and a lesser tomorrow for all.
We confess to binding the dream
we apparently sometimes want to claim in word only—
not in words made flesh.
we apparently sometimes want to claim in word only—
not in words made flesh.
Re-instill in us the dreaming,
God.
Guide us into the disciplines of love and grace
that cultivate those ideals of discipline and sacrifice—
of a commitment to our children and our children's children
that theirs should be a better land than ours is now—
with more mature leaders and citizens than we are—
with greater opportunities than we have known—
with even deeper respect for all its citizens—
a more far reaching vision—
with richer examples of freedom and bravery
because that's the way we dream it to be.
Guide us into the disciplines of love and grace
that cultivate those ideals of discipline and sacrifice—
of a commitment to our children and our children's children
that theirs should be a better land than ours is now—
with more mature leaders and citizens than we are—
with greater opportunities than we have known—
with even deeper respect for all its citizens—
a more far reaching vision—
with richer examples of freedom and bravery
because that's the way we dream it to be.
Ah, may it be so.
Amen.
Amen.
~ written by John Ballenger, and posted on A Preacher Musing. http://preachermusings.wordpress.com/
