Liturgy
Father, I stretch my hand to thee — for no other help I know. Oh, my Rose of
Sharon, my shelter in the time of storm.
My Prince of Peace, my hope in this harsh land.
We come to you waiting for freedom, We come to you crying for
justice, We come to you longing for peace.
We bow before you this morning to thank you for watching over us and taking
care of us. This morning you touched us and brought us out of the land of
slumber, gave us another day — thank you, Jesus.
We come to you waiting for freedom, We come to you crying for
justice, We come to you longing for peace.
When I come down to the river of Jordan, hold the river still and let your servant
cross over during a calm down.
Father, I’ll be looking for that land where Job said the wicked would cease from
troubling us and our weary souls would be
at rest, over there where a thousand years is but a day in eternity,
where I’ll meet with loved ones and where I can sing praises to thee, and I can
say with the saints of old, “Free at last, free at last, thank God almighty, I am
free at last.”
We come to you waiting for freedom, We come to you crying for
justice, We come to you longing for peace.
In the name of God our Liberator, Christ, our Redeemer,
And the Spirit of Shalom.
Amen.
(Excerpts from “Traditional Juneteenth Prayer,” Juneteenth: A Celebration of Freedom by Charles Taylor)
Prayer
Gracious God, through the prophets,
and through Jesus, your Nonviolent Son,
we learned the seemingly distant divine,
could be known as a Compassionate Parent.
Creator of the Cosmos, and Lover of our Souls,
whom Jesus called upon as Father,
Today we remember our earthly fathers.
Some are fathers by birth,
some through adoption,
Still others by their presence as father-figures, and mentors in our lives
May your Guiding Spirit be with all those who have fathered us along
our journeys
We give thanks for those who fathered us into wholeness…
by putting our needs above their own convenience and comfort; by teaching us
to show courage and determination in adversity; by challenging us to adventure
beyond self-limiting boundaries; for modeling the qualities that would shape and
inspire us.
We give you thanks for the many times our fathers and father- figures
reflected your love, strength, generosity, wisdom, and mercy.
Some of our fathers caused chaos and suffering in the lives of their families…
Give them the grace to acknowledge and repair their mistakes. Give us the
grace, when we are ready, to extend to them
the same forgiveness you offer us all.
Heal us from the trauma of our past.
Allow us all to move forward toward what will give us growth.
We remember these fathers, who struggled to live in the love you gave
them.
We acknowledge everyone experiencing sorrow this day…
for those witnessing a child struggle in life
for those distant geographically or relationally from their child or father
for those mourning the death of a child
and grieving the loss of their father
May you comfort us all with your Presence,
and guide us along a path that transforms our pain.
Give new, and expectant fathers, as well as future father-figures, the wisdom
and vulnerability they need
to develop joyful and wholehearted children;
grounded in Divine Love deep within
May all on the path of fathering sense your abundant grace and
steadfast lovingkindness!
We ask all this through
God our compassionate Father,
Christ our humble healer,
And Spirit our breath of life,
Amen.
(Vox Prayer Team)
Homily and Reflection
Who do you say that Jesus is?
How might the Spirit be asking you to see as God sees? What lenses might you need to set down?
What might God be asking Vox to see, embrace, and become in this season?
Resources
Book: Writing Down the Bones: Freeing the Writer Within by Natalie Goldberg
Book: This Here Flesh: Spirituality, Liberation, and the Stories that Make Us by Cole Arthur Riley
Benediction
May you rise up out of this sacred place
And go in peace,
Knowing you are so very loved.
Heavenly God, we are ready to know you.
We will listen when you call.
May we show each other radical grace.
Let our perception sharpen
And our hearts soften
by the redemption Jesus taught us.
May we find connection & purpose with ease
amidst this heavenly creation.
Jesus, Savior of all, we will see each other
always through the lens of your wild love.
May our path towards the Lord be illuminated
By the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
May we surrender to the unmarked journey
And trust in the divine unfoldment of God’s will.
It’s okay to not know the direction quite yet,
We will hold onto each other along the way.
We go forth in the name of
God the Creator,
Jesus, our steadfast shepherd,
& The Holy Spirit, our heavenly guide.
Amen
(Vox Prayer Team)
[Photo by Dmitry Dmitry]