In
celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall uprising
Mary,
you
conceived more than a child.
You
conceived a vision of God’s intentions:
scattering
the proud,
putting
down the mighty,
exalting
those of low degree,
feeding
the hungry.
Your
vision led you through
the
pain of giving it birth,
the
anguish and joy of assisting its growth.
It
led you to the cross,
and,
finally, to an empty tomb.
Your
vision has conceived more births,
more
anguish and joy in growth,
more
crosses,
and
yet more empty tombs.
Your
vision has
scattered
the self-righteous,
brought
down those who would judge,
exalted
the marginalized,
and
nourished us with hope.
As
we conceive your vision in our own communities,
may
we remember those who have gone before us in the dream,
and
may we also be blessed with kin who greet us with joy,
and
prophetic voices who offer thanks to God.
Our
soul magnifies our God,
our
spirit rejoices in God our deliverer,
for
God has regarded our oppression.
Generations
to come will call us blessed,
for
God has done great things for us,
and
holy is God’s name.
Holy
Trinity,
divine
and blessed relationship,
bless
the ecstasy of these lovers
as
their faces kiss,
as
their bodies touch,
as
in their lovemaking
they
overcome the fear and the hatred
and
the garbage heaped upon them
by
the church and the culture.
Bless
their adoration of each other
as
they worship the holy imprint
of
your divine beauty
and
enjoy the communion
of
a loving covenant.
May
such sacrament
bring
them ever closer to you,
Lover
of us all.
lift
us from the paralysis of low self-esteem
so
we may walk into your commonwealth
with
the power you have given us:
a
power we do not need to prove
by lording it over others,
a
power we do not have to sacrifice
to love you or others.
Resurrect
us, God; call us to rise and carry our pallets,
and
let religious and political leaders and friends alike
stand amazed at our healing,
and
with those of long ago who witnessed the paralytic walk,
may
they witness in us your power and glory:
a power which seeks not to dominate but to serve,
a glory which seeks not itself but others.
Then
may they also glorify you, saying,
“We
never saw anything like this.”
From
lack of trust and faith
in
ourselves as individuals
and
ourselves as community,
O
God, deliver us.
From
lack of commitment
to
lover, to friends,
to
our faith, to our community,
deliver
us.
From
denial of our integrity
as
spiritual-sexual creations,
deliver
us.
From
rejection of others
because
of their body-state,
whether
gender, race, age,
sexual
orientation,
appearance,
or disability,
O
God, deliver us.
Free
us to live your commonwealth, O God.
Clarify
our vision,
purify
our motives,
renew
our hope.
In
the name of you who create us,
of
the Christ who calls us,
of
the Spirit who empowers us,
we
pray, O God. Amen.
The
foregoing prayers are excerpted from prayers for days 17, 24, 47, and 59 in my
1991 book, Coming Out to God: Prayers for Lesbians and Gay Men, Their Families and Friends. The graphic combining
the Celtic cross with the rainbow flag was devised at my suggestion by cover
designer Kathy York for my 2001
book, Reformation of the Heart: Seasonal Meditations by a Gay Christian.
See also: Three Meditations for Pride
See also: Three Meditations for Pride
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Chris R. Glaser. Permission granted for non-profit use with attribution of
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