Let’s adopt a Juneteenth state of mind. (Scroll down)
Yes, open stiff windows that keep us bound to times when manmade power stops us. A power that tries to arrest our dreams. A misfit power that tries to wrestle our ambitions and inspirations out of the rich soils that our ancestors toiled.
Bondage is more than a dream. It’s a reality that returns like a recurrent nightmare. It is part of our DNA.
But, whenever I take my Soul for a walk, Spirit has a way of calming my nerves. Spirit reminds me how much we’ve overcome as a people who are tough, born to overcome, resilient and renewed.
It’s 1:11 pm and time to press the reset. Time to charge our batteries. Time to light a candle. To find the blessed strength to just say no! Stop! Enough is enough!
Pray to the Holy One and watch the forces of Evil press against the wall Pray, pray to the Holy One. Pray that goodness forges a new path out of the wilderness, and away from danger.
Pray, never again, will God’s creatures, people stumble in darkness, chained to indefinite labor that feeds a stranger and leaves the worker starving. “Set me free or I will surely die” is a clarion call for freedom for all. No more free bull work. Yes, free all slaves. Even the loudest thunder and roughest hailstorm will not blow out the clarion call whenever we think free.
Juneteenth is a state of mind.
Let us celebrate daily at 1:11.
God we thank you for being our love, our hope, strength, and our guide. Break the chains and set us free to imagine our best selves. Help us to live into the dreams you birthed us to be. In thy Holy Name we pray. Amen
Let’s take a deep breath and slowly release. Let us pray at 1:11.
We look to you, O Merciful God who dwells in heaven and on earth. God, whose eyes are upon us we cry, “Mercy, God, mercy!”
Almighty God, we thank you for our help and strength comes from you. There’s none like you. Thank you for hearing our prayers.
We long to hear you in the midst of the storms in our lives. We trust your wisdom.
Almighty God, you call us to love one another. You declare we are your creation and your children who are created in your image. But, some grow weary, hardened, inhumane, evil and not ashamed.
Loving God, we need you. We watch and wait for you.
Speak, O God. Release your Grace, Mercy, Righteousness, Hope, and Healing Power upon this nation. We want to breathe easy.
O God! We hold our breath and we pray, O God, deliver us from evil. We take a deep breath and hold for the fulfillment of your promises.
Mercy, GOD, mercy! God, have mercy on us!
Quench the fires that burn in our hearts and minds. No more images of strange fruit hanging from trees. No more running, hands up, face down, lives lost and criminals set free.
Mercy, God give us Your mercy! Mercy, O God, mercy!
Too many have been kicked around for too long. Kicked and clawed in the teeth by complacent harmful beings. Kicked and held down by arrogant brutes.
On this day, we gather and hold onto that kicking foot. A kicking foot that becomes our gavel for carrying out justice.
No more holding our breath.
Merciful God, fill us with your spirit and guide our feet as we run this race. We humbly pray in your Holy name. Amen.
Loving God, Great God we are thankful for you. We see Your garden as a place to learn how to live in peace among many diverse flowers, weeds, and seeds. community. As we remember our Savior’s journey to the Cross. Help us to walk over hills, through valleys, and in the shadow of death with an awareness of Your presence. As Christ is risen may our lives rise like roses, breaking through soil that overcomes dirt, wrestling with thorns, and the poverty of a dry spirit that bruises us. Help us hold onto Christ the solid rock. May we learn from nature how to have perfection. We must be attentive to the seeds that grow in our garden of life. Help us to select with care the soil we plant. May we weed and cultivate our lives through prayer, and in communion with You and Your community. We thank you O Merciful God for Your love that shines on our gardens and grows new life, new flowers, new trees, and leaves that glorify Your Name and Spirit. Amen
Spirit, Guide, Love, Divine,and Comforter for all who mourn for lives lost in the Atlanta Spa attacks, supermarket massacre in Colorado, andelsewhere.
The pain is unbearable!
God, Almighty, lay your Healing Hands upon this nation and world.
Pull out the roots of all evil. Destroy the weeds that choke goodness and disrupt our peace. Holy One, release your heavenly angles to fertilize the heart of our nation with love, compassion, grace and mercy. Plant new seeds of righteousness.
May Your Light shine daily, breaking through wickedness and transforming deadly powers into new life. Create in us a clean heart, a renewed spirit, and a moral compass that guides us through life’s journey with you as our Master Gardener.
Vaccinate us with Your protective fragrance and heal broken souls and spirits. Help us, O God, to become peacemakers and peacekeepers who live in Your Garden, a place we admire. We thank you. Pray in our Savior’s Name. Amen.
Nay Says, “We All Win!”
We do and don’t get to decide
which part of a genius
to uphold and celebrate with pride.
The beauty of art and all its glory,
if one takes the jolted ride,
is that “it’s all good.”
Every intimate and infinite story.
The sum of one’s parts
is not greater than, or lesser;
Then…
Celebrate every blessed thing!
No matter the reason, form, or fashion.
Take what wills you
to your own greatness.
The Godly message – “We all win.”
When intentions, pure
emanate from the heart.
Every active mind and spirit’s candle
ignites what one’s backbone
and spine can handle.
Wisdom breathes below, on, above,
and well above the line.
Faith lives below, on, above,
and well beyond all of time.
Love,
Nay
Nay is a prolific inspirational writer, teacher, and author of several books for all generations. Nay’s writings will be periodically featured in Park and Pray at 1:11.
Check out her books. Each one is filled with amazing stories.
It’s amazing how often imperfections are missed in the midst of strong support. It’s as if the rocks in our lives holds us. Green grass gives us renewed strength. The roots anchor us and connect us with those who came before us. Our bent branches lean on God’s Grace and Mercy. It bends, it beckons us and it reaches forth to invite us to sit under the shade for a while. Park yourself at 1:11 pm. Breathe deep and pray reverently to the One who waits, listens and answers our prayers.
Give thanks with a grateful heart.
Go forth and trust your prayers are heard and will be answered.
Surely, Goodness and Mercy shall follow you all the days of your life.
Dwell in the House of the Lord wherever you happen to hv park and pray at 1:11 pm.
(We light a candle and pray your prayer at 1:11 pm)
Happy Birthday, Hank Aaron! Rest In Peace.
O Lord, our God, how excellent is Your Name,
You protected and sheltered Hank Aaron despite all his pain.
You laid Your hand on his shoulder and steadied his faith.
We remember him playing on a winning team,
It was more than an American Dream.
Despite the dangers he faced,
Your angels showed up for him every place.
You carried him through the rough and tough valleys.
You lifted him over the land mines of bigotry and hatred.
You held onto him while he climbed the highest mountains.
You never let go, and He never released Your hands.
When the winds of caustic emotions threatened his life.
You brought him a victory in 1974 that broke a record no one denied.
Hank Aaron was with us a few days ago and nothing seems the same.
Creator God, we loved his game, his person, and his rise to fame.
Yet, God, You called a time out, a season’s end, a final rest,
He did his best and trusted You to do the rest.
We remember Hank Aaron’s faith; it is so well known.
Loving God, You loved him, and You called Hank an MVP Allstar home. copyrighted 2021
We come before your presence with praise and thanks. We come O God, standing, sitting, falling on bended knees, or laying faced down with outstretched hands.
We park and pray at 1:11 p.m.
We stop and pray out of the depths of our being.
Almighty God, we thank you for your loving presence, guidance, grace and mercy.
Gracious God, you when President Lincoln was driven upon his knees, You answered his prayers and his presidency succeeded.
Today, we are thankful for inauguration office President Biden and Vice President Harris who prayerfully call on you. We call on you, O God to protect their lives and their loved ones. May no weapon formed against them prosper. Protect them all throughout their life journey. We pray they will successfully govern in a way that is pleasing to You O God.
God, help President Biden and Vice President Harris to comfort those who mourn the loss of more than 400,000 lives due to the COVID-19 virus.
Almighty God, we pray for Your will guidance and attention to our nation’s needs.
Many are sick, unemployed, and restless. Some children and youth are leaving their Chrome Books behind for video games. God help us!
Yet, more people are engaged in online worship and prayer.
Gracious God, heal and protect our nation from the evil that seeks to destroy the heart and soul of our nation.
Lord, God, have mercy on all who hope for a better job, home and education for our children. Equip teachers and students with the desire and resources to succeed.
Have mercy, O God, have mercy on us! We call, Emmanuel! Allah, Great God, Holy Mother, Loving Father, Holy Spirit, ABBA, Jehovah, Love Divine, Jesus, the Christ, Magnificent Savior, Holy Spirit, Alpha & Omega, Everlasting One. Hear us O Holy One, hear our cries and our prayers. Help our new President and Vice President lead the people to exercise respect for life.
To trust the wisdom of Science and Spirit that calls to be loving, patient, kind, not envious, arrogant, resentful or dangerous. To rejoice in truth. To comfort the broken-hearted and to promote peace. Bless all with renewed hope and promises.
Help us, O God to receive justice. We call on you to deliver the long awaited justice so we may overcome these painful times. Receive our prayers, O God. In your Holy Name. Amen
Rev. Jane Vennard, UCC Pastor, Educator, and spiritual director wrote this prayer that caught my attention today, two months later.
“The Day After Election Day”
Gracious God, Spirit of life……
We pause in your presence……. We breathe deeply……..
The day we have been waiting for has come and gone.
Some of us are celebrating, grace us with humility in our victory. Some of us are mourning, grace us with compassion in our loss.
Grant all of us the courage to go forward into the unknown future With hands out stretched in kindness,
With hearts over flowing with empathy,
With our minds set on justice and peace.
Help us be patient.
Help us stand strong in the midst of chaos.
Help us see to all of creation through your eyes of love.
Be with us as we work to create harmony in this divided world. Be with us as we struggle and fall and rise again.
Shower us with your mercy opening our heats to receive your blessing We ask this in the name of all that is Holy. Amen
“Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within me. Do not cast me away from your presence, and do not take your holy spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and sustain in me a willing spirit.” Psalms 51:10-12 NRSV
Let it be! So be it! Amen! These are words often spoken by us at the end of our prayers.
Recently, we prayed, voted, and we prayed again. We released prayers, hopes, concerns and thanks to Almighty God. Some of us waited patiently, while others were impatient and yet, we all received the same results. Joe Biden is the President elect and Kamala Harris is the Vice President elect. I believe God has spoken through the voices of the people. Let us say Amen!
The 2020 Presidential campaign ended and the results were decisive, however many people contested it. Let us fall on our knees and pray for God’s protection, healing and peace:
“if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” II Chronicles 7:14 NKJV
Almighty God, as many celebrate the outcome of this election, help us let go of any related discomforts. Unite us around these common words, “Amen.” God, “Let it be,” “as You will,” and Your Way. Holy One, we seek Your power to inspire lasting peace with each breath. Heal our land. Restore our soul with each common heartbeat. May Your Spirit resonate within us. Our Lord, Let it be! So be it! Amen!
On this day, we remember You, the Almighty God. We remember Your will, Your promises and Your Power to fulfill the righteous prayers of Your children. Today, we vote for a leader of our nation. We hope, and pray that our next President will listen and obey You. We lean on the side of Your truth. It sets us free.
We circle “loving-kindness,” on our ballots. It soothes our souls.
We touch the hem of Your garment, and we are made whole.
We feed the ballot boxes with our desires to be united as,
“One nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.”
We pray, we vote, and we pray at 1:11, and all times in Your Holy Name, Amen.
At this moment and perhaps in every moment, there is much in the world and in our lives that is unknown to us — the route and length of the pandemic, the results of elections and leadership across the world, the outcomes and consequences of the demands for racial justice, and even the walk of our own lives tomorrow or next week or next year. Deepen our trust in the Mystery, O God; deepen our reliance in the power of your Holy Spirit to carry us into our tomorrows, to seat us deeply in your Word and to heal and transform the world. In your mercy and to your glory, we pray. Amen
The Rev. Sr. Miriam Elizabeth, Order of Saint Helena
Holy One, You call us to pray for one another and pray for everyone.
Prayerfully, we come before your presence with thanks in our hearts. God our Comforter, we ask for your Grace and Mercy for our appointed leader, the head of our nation, the POTUS (President of the United States). 🙏🏾
You taught us about the power of prayer. You taught us how to pray. Today, we park and pray at 1:11. We speak and sing healing prayers. We trust Y to hear and answer our prayers.
Today, we pray for the POTUS, his family, friends, colleagues, and those stricken by the Covid-19 Pandemic.
O God, we lift up healing prayers for the POTUS, and all who reside, visit and work in the White House. All who are affected by his condition.
We pray the POTUS uses good judgments.
We pray he makes righteous and thoughtful decisions.
We pray the POTUS has an Ananias’ moment like early century Saul who after an encounter with God, Saul became Paul who devoted his life to serving God. Merciful God, lay Your hands on the POTUS. Make your presence known to him.
May the SCALES fall from his eyes. Scales that blur eyesight, insight, foresight and hindsight.
We pray healing for his body, mind and spirit. Lord, create in him a clean heart, a renewed spirit, a humble mind, and a righteous soul. May Your spirit dwell within him.
Gracious God, heal and transform the POTUS just like You changed Saul to Paul, a tender and righteous one who lived to serve and glorify God.
After the painful Presidential Debate, the clouds cried and it rained all night. Many remember the talking points and the shifting conversations. It resembled thunderstorms of undigested thoughts intended to hurt and harm some of the hearers. Today is a new day. Let’sPray at 1:11 for God’s Way.
1God be gracious to us and bless us ♦ and make Your face to shine upon us,
2That Your way may be known upon earth, ♦ Your saving power among all nations.
3Let the peoples praise You, O God; ♦ let all the peoples praise You
4O God, let the nations rejoice and be glad, ♦ for You will judge the peoples righteously and govern the nations upon earth.
5Let the peoples praise You, O God; ♦ let all the peoples praise You
6Then shall the earth bring forth her increase, ♦ and God, our own God, will bless us.
7God will bless us, ♦ and all the ends of the earth shall fear him. Psalms 67
O God, hear now the prayers of your people who are in our hearts and on our minds. We pray for all who are affected by the pandemic, the fires and the floods. We pray for the First Responders, Teachers, Students, Healthcare Workers, Grocers, Postal Carriers, Workers, Unemployed etc.,
In the face of You, O God we are mindful of Your presence. Your Light and Glory shines forth, O God of all the nations; we call upon You to hear the prayers of all Your people. O God, make known Your presence and Your grace to us. Help us to do justice, love mercy, and to walk humbly in Your ways. Help us to live and to speak Your way. In Your Holy name we pray. Amen.
We mourn her passing. We celebrate her life. We remember her opinions, her acts, and her compassion. Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg was a Notorious Rapper, a mighty force, and a voice with a bullhorn message.
She was a righteous and precious Pearl of Hope.
A Mustard Seed who grew beyond her challenges. Thank God for her presence during our lifetime.
Well done good and faithful servant. Notorious R.BG., she fought, and she won the hearts of many. She’s blessed with rest and with a fulfilled promise of peace eternal.
Farewell to Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. We will remember you among the Pearls of Hope shining ever so bright.
There’s a flag within me
A flag within you
True patriotic red, white, and blue
Freedom
Justice
Equality
Democracy
Harmony
These ideals mark
our collective reality …
Flags waving high
Arms extended to the sky above
Flag draped low
Citizens appreciate the freedoms
they have grown to love and know
From Ground Zero to Ground Hero
Living memorials to the deceased
Funeral pits are grave sights
Charitable acts erase or ease
enduring pain and grief…
People are seeking a life worth completely living
People are seeking a shift away from previous norms
People are working to establish a higher sense of right
People want relief from the recent shocking storms
Flaunting this emblem conscientiously is one response
to the massive tragedies
By providing thoughts of comfort, solace, faith or a chance to trace our heritage’s grace
These journeys must be made today
As streams of tears flood innocent faces
We focus our deeds of courageous acts
helping the beseiged with our hands and our hearts
Aiding those who are in need
Yet duty’s call cannot replace
The afflicted lives dissolved by ashes laced
with weapons of hate and mass destruction
Victim’s families will never see or touch
the cherished lost ones who are treasured so much…
Flags marking street corners are reminders of pride
As people march humbly, walk soberly, or somberly ride
In or to parades, memorials, vigils and funerals
Some pause to ask questions wanting, pleading to know why
while shedding endless cries
Flags of hope, courage, bravery and strength
Flags of valor distinctly marking this day forward
As people hold on to victory’s crest
certain the flag’s precepts will move everyone onward
But onward to what place? What place and where?
The public has stopped to ask these imperative questions sbecause they sincerely care…
Our little lives, our big problems—these we place upon Your altar!
The quietness in Your temple of silence again and again rebuffs us:
For some there is no discipline to hold them steady in the waiting,
And the minds reject the noiseless invasion of Your spirit.
For some there is no will to offer what is central in the thoughts—
The confusion is so manifest, there is no starting place to take hold.
For some the evils of the world tear down all concentrations
And scatter the focus of the high resolves.
We do not know how to do what we know to do.
We do not know how to be what we know to be.
Our little lives, our big problems—these we place upon Your altar!
Pour out upon us whatever our spirits need of shock, of life, of release
That we may find strength for these days—
Courage and hope for tomorrow.
In confidence we rest in Your sustaining grace
Which makes possible triumph in defeat, gain in loss, and love in hate.
We rejoice this day to say:
Our little lives, our big problems—these we place upon Your altar!
Written by Howard Thurman,Theologian, Preacher Teacher & more
Merciful God, we crave your kind of patience. We long for your peace. We look forward to a steady stream of Your truth blowing like a breeze gently laid across our nation. May it be as common as the air we breath.
We pray one day soon all that fails to shield us from the brutal forces of hatred, racism and injustice will be removed. We will come face to face before Your judgement and gracefully adjust our ways to Your desires for us.
Oh Sacred Heart, help us to see the truth as You made it, and live righteous, faithful lives that You fashioned for us. May the beauty of Your creation disrupt the lives of those who spread seeds of dissension and who inflame harmony.
Help us recognize and receive Your Gift of Grace and passion to embrace a renewed spirit.
Holy One, shine a light of new reckoning for anxious hearts, and healing for troubled souls.
Protect and Bless us with freedom to live, breath and have our being among the righteous. We offer our praise and thanks to You, O God.
There are times when our burdens ar greater than our blessings.
Thank God, for teaching us to pray.
Thank you for answering our prayers.
Let us pray:
Gracious God, thank you for your unfailing love.
Thank you for your promise of peace and compassion.
Thank you for the many ways you show up in our lives.
We are humbled by our relationship with you.
O God, whose power is greater than we can imagine.
Lay Your hands upon the soul of our nation.
Inspire love for one another as spiritual siblings.
Guide us through these challenging times.
Strengthen our faith and bless us with grace.
In our Savior’s Name. Amen
Love,
Your Children
“Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed,” says the Lord, who has compassion on you.” Isaiah 54:10 https://www.bible.com/111/isa.54.10.niv
Lord, lead me in your righteousness because of those who wait to ambush me, remove the obstacles in the way in which you are guiding me! Ps 5:8 NET
Let Us Park and Pray at 1:11 pm
I do not ask, O Lord, that life may be A pleasant road; I do not ask that thou would’st take from me Aught of its load. For one thing only, Lord, dear Lord, I plead: Lead me aright— Though strength should falter, and though heart should bleed— Through peace to light. — Adelaide A. Procter.
Remembering Rep. John Lewis, his Call, his names, the seeds he sowed and the plants that grew in our nation. A Living Sacrifice.
Wikipedia John Lewis 2/21/1940-7/21/20
His name was John. I called him the Blessed Gardener. Yet, many called him these other names and attributes:
A Bridge and a Builder
A legendary Icon”
“Lion of the Civil Rights”
Extraordinary
“The Conscience of Congress”
A Moral leader
A Sharecropper’s Son
A Cotton Farm Boy
A Loving brother, father, uncle, cousin and friend
A Widow wedded to the Promise of freedom and justice for all
A Hero
A Georgia Congressman
A Change Agent
A Movement
Peaceful, Nonviolent, Hero
An Architect of the march
A Bridge in troubled waters
A Champion, Protester, Agitator, and Support for innocent Gun violence victims
A “Good Trouble Maker” who sat down and called his colleagues to Sit In and change Gun Violence legislations
A Force who sat at forbidden lunch counters.
A Prisoner for nonviolent protests who stood up for Voters Rights, Civil Rights, Human Rights, Liberty, and the welfare and dignity of all people.
An Advocate, an Idol and Icon of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. teachings
“A Voice to the Voiceless” MLK III
A Giant of the Civil Rights Movement
A Broken Skull, Scarred
A Fearless Survivor of the 1963 March on Washington
A Beacon of Hope, an Inspiration
A Titan, A Good Man
An Icon of Anerican History
A Promoter of public service, civic education, leadership, peace and good troublemaking
A Hero and now Legend
Devoted to his faith and country
Let us Park and Pray at 1:11 pm and remember Congressman John Lewis who was a Living Sacrifice.
Park and Pray at 1:11 pm:
Holy One,
We called Congressman John Lewis many names. We pinned on him many attributes. You called him and fashioned him for our times.
God, we thank You for his life and his works. Thank You for calling him, inspiring and equipping him to do the hard work. May his seeds of love and nonviolent protest flourish. May his life inspire generations to serve You and heal our nation and world according to Your ways and as You will.
“As earth’s flowers need Heaven’s sun and dew — so our lives need Heaven’s grace and love to make them what they should be.”
Let’s Park and Pray at 1:11
O God, our heavenly Father, Mother, we need Your blessing and help. We are blind, and cannot see where to set our feet, and we need to be led by the hand of One who knows all the paths. We put our hands in Yours this day. Show us the way, for You know its every step.
Tell us what You would have us to do. You have a plan for our day’s life. There are things You have set down for each one of us to do. May we find these things, and may we have grace to do them all.
Keep us from being so absorbed in our own plans and schemes, that we cannot take Your plan and do Your will. If sometimes it is hard for us to take Your way, if it breaks into our cherished hopes and desires help us always to say, “Thy Will be done.”
We ask You to give us grace to live today as we should live. Life is not easy for us. Our burdens are heavy. There are temptations at each step.
Help us to speak only the words that will minister grace to those who hear.
Help us to be honest in all our business transactions.
Help us to be thoughtful and kind to all we meet.
Help us to be a strength to many. Let us be a discourager to none.
Please bless all of our work today. Without your blessing, there can be no true profit.
As earth’s flowers need Heaven’s sun and dew — so our lives need Heaven’s grace and love to make them what they should be.
Breathe on us , as we bow here at Your feet, and fill us with Your Spirit as we go forth. Then we shall be blessed, and be ready for a day of love and peace and joy.
We ask all these favors, with the forgiveness of our sins, in the name of our Savior. Amen.
I saw this rainbow in the sky. It reminded me of God’s love.
I see many shades melting together as one shining illumination. It’s arc is bending toward love.
Let’s Pray……..>~~~~~~~~>
To the Holy One,
To the God who puts rainbows in the sky and colors our path with shades of lightening and mercy.
Destroy all lethal viruses and corruptnatures.
Cleanse our spirits with a fresh coat of life giving love. Purify every breath, every drop, and every earthly being. Create in us a clean ❤️ and a renewed spirit.
Make us feel free to walk along the paths of life, to touch, sing and dance together again.
Satisfy us with your Holy presence. Protect us from harm and disarm our fears.
Dear God,
Help us!
Uncover what’s hidden behind our masks.
Help us O God!
Breathe with a fresh understanding.
Yes, uncover hatred, racism and tainted privilege.
You’ve removed the masks and allowed many to breathe.
No more of “you can’t…but I can!”
No more hidden agendas
No more derogatory insults spoken under the breath that You, O God own.
Our lips are no longer sealed behind the cloth of Self Righteousness. So we run wild!
As if someone let the dogs loose to roam without a leash. To release their dung on a neighbors freshly cut grass, a carpet that celebrates Light and makes even our bare feet laugh!
O God, Light of the world. You’ve torn off the mask and awakened the dead. Unbound Lazarus! He is awake and without his mask!
Holy One! Shine your Light!
Illuminate a path for healing, reconciliation, recovery and renewal .
Magnify Peace! Righteousness !
Love Divine, Merciful Savior,
Teach us to inhale your love and exchange the same in our words and deeds.
Inspire us to resolve our country’s history of slavery, racism, innocent blood shed, and bigotry.
As we come to the first anniversary of George Floyd’s brutal death, we pray the spirit that turns protectors into aggressors is defeated.
Help us resolve the ways we are complicit and complacent.
Many eyes are now open to the horrors of racism, privilege and supremacy that seeks to overpower and torment those who struggle to transcend their suffering.
They remove their masks and show a guarded smile with a caution expression. For they remember yesterday’s nightmare. Masks help us cover our fears.
But, in order to heal, we must remove the masks! Reveal the scars, pus, blood, broken teeth, abscesses, and foul odor.
Debridement! Dig deep! Peel away the layers
We need a Debridement!
Remove the dead and the infected parts!
Dig deep into America’s history of slavery. Extract the false narratives. Remove the rotten wisdom? tooth!?!
A root canal. Explore and extract all that is rotten and full of pain.
Let it rain! Shed buckets of tears! Wet masks cleanse Dear God,
Hear our prayers.
Help us understand when unarmed Black and Brown men, boys and women are a threat greater than a gun.
Please God, have mercy!
Black Lives Matter to You God!
Black Lives Matter to us!
Black Lives must matter to All!
Time out! Time out!
Time without masks that hides our sins.
No more cover up.
No more covering our noses and avoiding the stench of racism.
God help us!
Take off our masks and witness what’s hidden.
Almighty God,
Shine a light on evil practices of racism, injustice and priveledge .
Merciful God,
Take off all masks!
Shine Your Holy Light on a righteousness path.
God help us!
Take off the masks! No coverups!
Shine a floodlight on our past, present and future.
May Your goodness and mercy follow us all the days of our lives. O that we may be a place for healing and renewal. Let us go. Give thanks, O God.
It is you Lord, and, you alone who heals and preserves us. Please, take this prayer into consideration.
We ask that you flood our hearts with a love that overflows with joy for justice and admiration of those who seek peace.
Let all of us hear your call to holiness, and those who are willing, answer this call; purging old ways and adopting practices of discipline that leads to greater faith.
Lord, help us live in ways that serve your purpose, so that the brokenness of the world can be mended and we can see a new day with new possibilities.
“Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29 NIV) Give us life without harm, injustice, brutal attacks, death threats, unlawful arrests, grief and other misery. Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the works give us peace, your love and your blessed assurance that racism will end.
Let’s us hold our breath at 1:11 pm for 9 seconds.
Then, let us pray.
We lift our eyes to the hills from where comes our help. Our help comes from you, O God. We look to you, O God, for help and strength. We know your eyes are upon us. Almighty God, there’s none like You.
We are lost without You, O God. God, You created us in your image and likeness. But, some people have become hardened, inhumane, wicked, racist, and unashamed. Their behavior rips through the health, spirit, and soul of our nation.
God, we watched George Floyd’s painful death at the hands of intense hatred. It’s breathtaking to watch a man’s life painfully slip away at the hands of a Law Officer or police. His death opened many eyes and united many voices.
We pray, “O God, Have Mercy!” Comfort and support Mr. Floyd’s family! Bring peace, justice, and righteousness!
We hold our breath as we remember the deaths of many other innocent Brown and Black Brothers and Sisters. We can hardly breathe through the flood of tears. O God, how much longer must we bear witness to the wickedness and suffering of your people?
God, give us ears to hear from you. Speak to us O God, loud and clear. O God, stay near. We will not fear. O, God! Watch over us. O God, have Mercy on us!
Look upon us, O God. We pray, release the chains and untie the noose around us. No more running, no more hands up, and no more faces pressed against the ground. We shall no longer be bound by separate set of laws.
Give us freedom and justice. God,end the murdering of our innocent brothers and sisters. How long shall we hold our breath and wait?
O God, set us free. Lord, have Mercy! Mercy, O God! We can’t breathe! But You, O God, can see all things and do what seems impossible. Deliver us from evil, O God. O God, help us to hold on, march on, speak out, live on, and embrace your will. We can “Be Still,” and restless.
You alone are God are Holy.
We will hold our breath as You O God, guide us through the valleys of changes America desperately needs. God, bless us with Grace and Mercy!
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.” Psalm 23: 4 There are many aspects of the pandemic that are difficult and challenging. As a result of these dynamics, many people are suffering in so many ways. Their heartaches profoundly touch us. We also look forward to consoling those in our communities who have lost jobs or are facing financial uncertainty. We celebrate the courage and the dedication of front-line health care and nursing home staff, grocery store workers, and others now recognized as essential. We remember with gratitude those who work every day to care for the vulnerable and marginalized. We seek systemic policy changes to create a safety net under those struggling with hunger and homelessness and those who have to choose every day between work and their safety.
Amid all these circumstances, each day, we read the growing number of those who have died. Deaths that are often experienced through great suffering and fear and separated from the direct presence of loved ones. The rising number of deaths can be so overwhelming and yet, a constant factor in our daily lives. However, we can quickly become numb and can begin to only see the end as another number to track before moving on.
We are asking our Southern New England Conference United Church of Christ (SNECUCC) clergy and laity and the wider community to participate in a daily discipline of prayer for those who died due to COVID-19 and to support the families and loved ones who are grieving their loss. As God’s beloved children, we are asking in prayer to lift them to God’s eternal care and comfort.
The method of practicing this discipline is an existing prayer ministry called “Park and Pray at 1:11 PM,” started and developed by Rev Cleo Graham in 2015. We are encouraging others to participate in “Park and Pray at 1:11 PM” as a spiritual practice of daily prayer by stopping to pray at 1:11 PM each day. For additional information, you may refer to the website. www.parkandprayat111.com.
Please consider joining us in this daily discipline of prayer by first dedicating yourself to set your alarm to pray each day at 1:11 PM, and then going further to encourage those in your congregation, family, and friends to join with you in prayer.
“Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” Psalms 23:6
Rev. Scott Spencer, Pastor Woodridge Congregational Church
Let us Pray:
(You may use your own prayer or the suggested prayer below)
Almighty God, we humbly park and pray at 1:11 PM. In your Holy presence, we imagine lighting a candle. For there’s no place, we’d rather be than in your presence. God, we come before your presence with praise and thanksgiving, We come as privileged people who can go to God in prayer, to receive God and for God to welcome us.
“What a fellowship, what a joy divine to lean on the everlasting God.”
Bread of Life, Breath of Life, Light of the World, and our Hope eternal. Thank you for your sinless sacrifice to redeem us and restore us to a right relationship with you O God. We seek your guidance, your healing power, and the blessings of your Holy Word and protection.
We call on You O God to: Forgive us for disconnecting our lives and separating from you. Forgive us for failing to seek you during these difficult times. We seek forgiveness for our sins and we ask you to make us whole again. God, we pray the world may know you, hunger, and thirst for you.
We pray for our homes, our families, our friends, and neighbors. We especially pray for our children who are missing schools and friends. We pray for children who will experience Confirmation, Baptism, and other milestones in new ways.
May the glory of God’s Peace rise above any strife, neglect, disharmony, and bitterness. —– We pray for a united church that seeks Christ, his wisdom, his word, his will, and his ways.
We pray for (Names) those who are unemployed. Gracious God, build new employment.
We pray for (Names) who are sick and distressed, especially all who are affected by the Covid-19 virus may they experience your healing.
We pray for (Names) those grieving from a loss. May they experience your Comfort, O God.
We pray for (Names) those who have died. May the end of each life journey celebrate in the kingdom of God’s eternal home.
We pray for (Names) those who are financially burdened and unemployed that they may experience your Grace, O God.
We pray for all who keep us safe, that all will practice social distancing, barrier protection, and social isolation as protective measures warrant. Relieve the stress associated with loneliness and solitude.
Merciful God, help us to unite in prayer this day and every day. Strengthen our faith and renew our daily commitment to prayer. O God, we glorify your name as we Park and Pray at 1:11 PM.
Before we turn the page let’s park and pray at 1:11 for Ahmaud
God, You who formed his inward parts; You, Almighty God knitted him together in his mother’s womb. We praise you, for he was fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works.” Psalm 139:13-14.
Dear God, your eyes beheld his unformed substance. In Your Book were written all the days that were formed for him. A precious gem, a work in progress and a life that tragically ended.
Merciful God, comfort his family, friends, community and world, shaken and awakened again by the stench of evil. Hear our prayers.
Almighty Healer, search all who are wicked. Give them a clean heart, a renewed spirit, and a mind that rejects evil and delights in goodness.
May the Light of your Holy presence be our Guardian and Protector. Thank You for promising to love us, give us grace and eternal peace.
unhandlin’ things
just lettin’ go
of all those things
I think I knew or know
‘bout love, life, livin’
& naggin’ cravins’
I’m no wannabee
bein’comfy in
my own brown skin
unhandlin’ things
for now, ‘tis good
to just be here
in the now, not the should
gonna kick up my feet
& read a book
not a “how-to” book
somethin’ funny & good
be lazy as hell
no one bet-not say nothin’
sleep as late as I want
even eat in bed often
gonna swim in a lake
with my clothes off, too
not for exercise
but for sensations brand new
gonna shop at the mall
not for a “minimizer” bra
or a tummy-thinnin’ girdle
or a “sliminizer” dress
somethin’ simple, but loud, will do
long as it’s comfortable
share with my hubby
a ton of love
give to my family
go beyond and above
get on a plane, go
to who knows where
get on a train, go
to who dares care
just stroll, crack jokes, ease
my way through crowds
talk soft, talk junk
talk loudly, talk punk
doing whatever
I damn well please
Spirit of the living God breathe Light, life, and healing in our lives. Almighty, strengthen our endurance. As we enter the Sanctuary of Your love, build our spiritual relationships with you, and your children.
Let this be the fast that connects us in spirit. Keep us safe. Let us tap into your Power that’s beyond our finite imagination. Help us use this power to serve You and Your will, O God.
Let us bear witness to the gift of faith. O Lord, grow the seeds of caring and compassion within me..
Let’s call You, O Holy Lover, the Great Stream of Light, the Almighty, and the Creator.
Let’s Park and Pray at 1:11 pm., by pressing the reset, and calming the toxic impulses.
We pause, fast, give and stretch our spiritual muscles. We open space for You are Holy, Almighty, a Love Supreme and the Beam of Light pulsating throughout darkness.
We pray, Lord, have mercy on those who are sick, separated, in harms way, and without a place to stay. Help us overcome invisible attacks, losses, feeling flatlined by heartbreaks and heartaches.
We give thanks for our loved ones, especially those who are no longer with us. Help us to live peacefully without them.
Help us to love, comfort and care for one another. Help us to do and to be our best. To trust You, O God will do the rest.
Let us park and pray at 1:11 pm.
Pray these words, “As You will O God, as You will.”
The story in Beauty Beyond Bones captured the pulse of my prayers for NYC and other communities that feel flatlined by the Covid-19 pandemic. The author of the blog, a resident of New York City, said, “NYC flatlined.” The NYC that I know and love is a vibrant, bustling, spirited city fueled by the lifeblood of her people. Beauty Beyond Bones wrote about a current Pandemic view of NYC where empty streets, closed businesses and the uncharacteristic silence of a city mourning the loss of many people. I wondered if NYC flatlined. I’ve heard a variety of opinions from my NYC relatives and friends. Most people agree NYC streets are quiet, relatively empty and stillness penetrates the air. Yet, I find stillness can be a strength.
Imagine a race without shoes and a clear path. Imagine addressing Covid-19 without preventative teaching, testing, treating and tracking.
As a former NYC resident I imagine her pulsating through this second tragedy in two decades. Several years after 911 the city was filled with tension and restless anticipation of another tragedy. This is certainly an indescribable time in our country’s history. My heart goes out to anyone who lost loved ones. Sending my deepest condolences. I hope all who suffer find relief, healing, comfort and peace.
We are called to separate from friends and loved ones during crushing times in our lives. Many learned to pray and plead for God’s presence in ERs, waiting rooms, ICUs and wherever Social Distancing dictates. NYC is getting ready for this next sprint where she presses on toward the mark of her higher call. If, NYC and any community shows up for the race toward less contaminated fields without their shoestrings tied they could experience flatlines instead of a finish line. The prospects for success are shady without essentials such as, protective equipment, tests supplies and the means for processing Covid results.
NYC and other communities struck by the Covid-19 virus may appear lifeless or flatlined due to the numbers of deaths and sickness. It’s difficult to rebound when so many people are still sick and dying. But, the pulse of life is present and daily recovering. Many thanks for the nurses, doctors and others on the front lines rescuing patients and sacrificing their lives to do so. Let us pray they receive the highest praise by giving them a higher measure of preparation,k and tools to meet the challenges. We can prayerfully wrestle with this pandemic and win while we also embrace the hope of saving lives and our livelihoods.
During my years as a Critical Care Nurse in a New York City Hospital I wore clogs because shoestrings were not dependable in a busy surgical ICU. I cared for many patients including Arthur Ashe during his first Open Heart Surgery. He was young, robust, and vibrant. The standard of care was not compromised or threatened by a lack of equipment or supplies for patients and providers. I recall changing my mask more often during one shift than current nurses do in days.
In some ways, NYC resembles the heart. It’s always beating, pulsating, contracting, and relaxing. Prolonged relaxation without contractions may lead to lethargy. Lethargy May feel like you’re flatlining. Exercise such as marching in place may reduce that feeling, and add cardiovascular benefits. There are other risk factors.
One of our best weapons against disease
Friends, the tenets of Florence Nightingale’s days during the Crimean War saved lives. She instituted hand washing and reduced infections and the hospital’s death rate by two thirds according to her 1860 publication, “Notes on Nursing.”
“I solemnly pledge myself before God and in the presence of this assembly, to pass my life in purity and to practice my profession faithfully. I will abstain from whatever is deleterious and mischievous, and will not take or knowingly administer any harmful drug.” (Florence Nightingale)
My faith inspires me to practice speechless praying while examining patients in my clinic. I would pray as I passed my stethoscope across a patient’s chest years before attending seminary and becoming an ordained pastor. The gap between Practitioner and Pastor was a wilderness experience. Some patients sensed my prayers and welcomed the feeling of calm and peacefulness.
If you or someone you know experienced the death of a loved one from this Covid-19 Virus then, feeling flatlined may describe your feelings. Give your self time to grieve. Others should stay in touch with you.
Love never dies. It grows deeper.
As a Nurse, I couldn’t fully process the deaths of my patients until midnight, the end of my shift. During my walks from the hospital to my NYC apartment I experienced NYC as a city that never sleeps. The pulsating skylights seemed to affirm these thoughts. “I did your best, and I trusted God to do the rest. Peace Be With You.”
These days, I write prayer prescriptions(RX) for anxiety, fear, grief, hopelessness, sadness, isolation, insecurities and more. Prescriptions (RX) are free, without risks or adverse effects, and known to benefit all. Prayers are powerful. I call the Higher Power, the Holy One, God, more often these days. “Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on…(add name).
Let’s breathe and pray.
Spirit of the living God breathe Light, life, and healing in our lives. Almighty, strengthen our endurance. As we enter the Sanctuary of Your love, build our spiritual relationships with you, and your children.
Let this be the fast that connects us in spirit. Keep us safe. Let us tap into your Power that’s beyond our finite imagination. Help us use this power to serve You and Your will, O God.
Let us bear witness to the gift of faith. O Lord, grow the seeds of caring and compassion within me..
Let’s call You, O Holy Lover, the Great Stream of Light, the Almighty, and the Creator.
Let’s Park and Pray at 1:11 pm., by pressing the reset, and calming the toxic impulses.
We pause, fast, give and stretch our spiritual muscles. We open space for You are Holy, Almighty, a LoveSupreme and the Beam of Light pulsating throughout darkness.
We pray, Lord, have mercy on those who are sick, separated, in harms way, and without a place to stay. Help us overcome invisible attacks, losses, feeling flatlined by heartbreaks and heartaches.
We give thanks for our loved ones, especially those who are no longer with us. Help us to live peacefully without them.
Help us to love, comfort and care for one another. Help us to do and to be our best. To trust You, O God will do the rest.
Let us park and pray at 1:11 pm.
Pray these words, “As You will O God, as You will.”
God, your love broke through death’s dark tomb and opened the path for Jesus’ resurrection. Praise God! Jesus is Risen!
Almighty God, open wide the doors of your people’s hearts to receive the transforming power of the Holy Spirit. Praise God! Jesus is Risen!
We remember the life-giving words and ways of Jesus Christ, Savior, Redeemer, Healer, and Deliverer. Hear our Easter prayers. Calm our deepest fears, and dry our grief stricken tears.
Merciful God, mend our broken lives. Heal all manner of diseases, especially sickness due to the Covid-19. Help us to live into a new normal. God, we are eager to please you and grateful for the many ways you are present.
God, we thank and praise you. May the power of your love rise within us. We park and pray at 1:11 and celebrate, Jesus is risen! We shall rise too! In Jesus name we pray. Amen.
Almighty God, we are parked in our homes, away from businesses, schools, churches, merchants, family, friends and foes. We are parked and now we pray.
Lord, we call on you to help us. We need your supernatural power to overcome the Coronavirus and it’s impact in our world.
Your Holy power is greater than any strength we can ever imagine.
Merciful God, increase our ability and stamina to withstand the risks of sickness and sorrow.
I lift up my eyes to the hills from where will my help come? My help comes from the Lord. Ps 121:1
Our eyes are upon you, O God. Here our prayers and have mercy on us, we pray.Almighty God, speak peace, calm the raging seas within and around us. We are parked in shelters, institutions and communities. Lord, arrest the forces of this horrific virus. Bend stubborn attitudes, disingenuous behaviors and injustices that threatens to interfere with medical care.
We are your people. We hear your call. We are parked and we pray.
Loving God, we look up to you for our help and strength. We depend on You. Holy Mother comfort and feed us. Holy Father protect us from harm. Holy One, breathe on us.
Unite us as your children.
Answer our prayers.
You have our attention.
Give us Your Grace, Peace, Healing, Love and more.
Have Mercy on us. Lord, we are parked now and we are praying now at 1:11, morning, noon and night. We cry ABBA! Hear our prayers.
In your Holy Name. Amen.
Next Prayer: The Prescription
“If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, pray, seek my face and turn…then I will hear from heaven and forgive…heal their land.” 2 Chronicles 7:14
“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid.” John 14:27
Pray this simply powerful prayer at 1:11 pm with me in spirit.
Master Gardener, I heard some folks complain about the weeds in our gardens that ever so often wrap around our tongues, hands and feet.
Weeds interfere with our ability to be at peace and give peace.
Many struggle to release these weeds, roots of entanglement that kill the peace that you give us.
As one vice is released another one stands up against many of us.
It’s a constant battle to be free and at peace.
Master Gardener, hear our prayer.
Holy One, release all who are bound and at war.
O Merciful Peacemaker, prune our gardens.
Magnificent Lighthouse, shine your Divine Light on all who fear.
Shower your people with your Holy peace.
Thank You O God for giving us your everlasting peace.
In Your Holy Name we pray. Amen.
Remember God’s Promise
“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid.”
To the God who does extraordinary things through ordinary people. Give us peace.
To the God whose power is bountiful. Let not a virus prevail. Spread your love, O God.
To the God who moves mountains, raised the dead to life and heals all manner of diseases, conquer our fears and all that breaks our body, mind, and spirit.
Holy Spirit, that permeates every cell within us, cleanse whatever is spoiled. Strengthen whatever is vulnerable and protect whatever is healthy.
Bless us with a common love for you and one another.
It’s 1:11 pm 🛑.
Image and embedded 
Almighty God, we are parked in our homes, away from businesses, schools, churches, merchants, family, friends and foes. We are parked and now we pray.
Merciful God, increase our ability and stamina to withstand the risks of sickness and sorrow.
Almighty God, speak peace, calm the raging seas within and around us. We are parked in shelters, institutions and communities. 
Lord, arrest the forces of this horrific virus. Bend stubborn attitudes, disingenuous behaviors and injustices that threatens to interfere with medical care. 
Holy One, breathe on us. 