{"id":18847,"date":"2024-10-22T14:07:59","date_gmt":"2024-10-22T19:07:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/transformingcenter.org\/?p=18847"},"modified":"2024-10-30T11:14:25","modified_gmt":"2024-10-30T16:14:25","slug":"praying-together-for-our-election","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/transformingcenter.org\/2024\/10\/praying-together-for-our-election\/","title":{"rendered":"Praying together for our election"},"content":{"rendered":"

PREPARATION<\/h4>\n

During this election season, we encourage you to find a time to pray with friends and family, people from your church or small group, and maybe even your neighbors. We have prepared this short liturgy to guide you. Set aside 15 minutes for this time of prayer.\u00a0 Sit in a circle (if praying with others) and light a candle.<\/i><\/p>\n

\u201cA vote is a kind of prayer for the world we desire for ourselves and our children, and our prayers are stronger when we pray together.\u201d<\/p>\n

– Rev. Raphael\u00a0Warnock<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

ELECTION LITURGY<\/b><\/h4>\n

Light A Candle<\/h4>\n

Song<\/h4>\n

\"\"<\/a>Heaven Help Us<\/i>
\nwritten by Kirk Bolen (TC15)<\/p>\n

Heaven help us, God come near us<\/em>
\nDo what only you can do<\/em>
\nHeaven help us, Father hear us<\/em>
\nWe\u2019re crying out to you<\/em><\/p>\n

Falling on our knees, we lift our eyes<\/em>
\nto where our help comes from<\/em>
\nCalling on your name, Lord, hear our cries<\/em>
\npour out your perfect love<\/em><\/i><\/p>\n

Scripture Reading Philippians 4:5-7 (NRSV)<\/h4>\n

5 Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. 6 Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.<\/p>\n

Silence \u00a0(3 to 5 minutes)<\/i><\/h4>\n

Surrendering Our Fears<\/h4>\n

Take turns saying out loud the fears and concerns you are holding at this moment.\u00a0 After you name these, hold them quietly in God’s presence reminding yourself that God is bigger than any fear, any burden, any obstacle, any division, any disunity, any hatred, and any lie. If it helps, sit with your hands open on your lap as a symbol of holding these concerns in God’s presence. \u00a0Whatever you are experiencing, God can handle it. \u00a0Write your fears\/burdens on a piece of paper and then bring them to the altar (or a receptacle that has been created for this purpose) as a symbol of trusting your fears and concerns to God. Or it might be meaningful to throw the paper into the trash as a symbol of choosing not to hold onto or live out of fear.<\/p>\n

As you engage in these symbolic actions, have someone in your group read the scriptures below.<\/p>\n

2 Timothy 1:7 (NRSV)
\nFor God did not give us a spirit of cowardice, but rather a spirit of power and of love and of self-discipline.<\/i><\/p>\n

1 Peter 5:7 (NRSV)
\nCast all your anxiety on him, because he cares for you.<\/em><\/p>\n

Prayer for Civic Engagement1<\/sup><\/h4>\n

If praying as a group, consider alternating who reads the \u201cone\u201d lines as a way to have more voices represented, keeping in mind diversity of gender, ethnicity and\/or age. <\/i><\/p>\n

One: O God of justice and peace, in this season of Ordinary time, we pause to reflect on the extraordinary call You place upon our lives to be faithful witnesses in all we do.<\/p>\n

All: As we approach the time of decision in our nation, we ask for Your guidance and wisdom. Help us discern what is right and just.<\/b><\/p>\n

One: Help us engage with a spirit of love and humility.<\/p>\n

All: May our participation in the civic process be a reflection of our commitment to Your Kingdom, where righteousness and equity dwell.<\/b><\/p>\n

One: We remember the sacrifices of those who came before us, who fought for the rights and freedoms we now hold.\u00a0 May their courage inspire us to be vigilant and proactive in ensuring that these rights are protected for all.<\/p>\n

All: Let our voting be an act of faithfulness, not only to our beliefs but also to the future generations who will inherit the decisions we make today.\u00a0 Strengthen our resolve to work for a society that mirrors Your compassion, justice and peace.<\/b><\/p>\n

One: As we prepare our hearts and minds to engage in this civic duty, remind us that our actions are a testament to the faith we profess.\u00a0 May we be instruments of Your peace in our communities, advocating for justice and mercy with every step we take.<\/p>\n

All: Guide our nation, O Lord, and help us be Your hands and feet in this world, committed to building a future that honors You and uplifts all of Your children.\u00a0 Amen.<\/b><\/p>\n

Silence<\/h4>\n

(Ask God for Wisdom. What action\/s do you need to take before voting?\u00a0 Are there any conversations you need to have?\u00a0 Is there any research you need to do?\u00a0 Ponder how your vote will impact your neighbors and our shared future.)<\/p>\n

Poem<\/h4>\n

(A moment of reflection on democracy)<\/p>\n

\n

\u201cDemocracy\u201d<\/em>
\nLangston Hughes<\/h4>\n

Democracy will not come
\nToday, this year
\nNor ever
\nThrough compromise and fear.<\/p>\n

I have as much right
\nAs the other fellow has
\nTo stand
\nOn my two feet
\nAnd own the land.<\/p>\n

I tire so of hearing people say,
\nLet things take their course.
\nTomorrow is another day.
\nI do not need my freedom when I’m dead.
\nI cannot live on tomorrow’s bread.<\/p>\n

Freedom
\nIs a strong seed
\nPlanted
\nIn a great need.<\/p>\n

I live here, too.
\nI want freedom
\nJust as you.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Blessing<\/h4>\n

(To be read together in unison.)<\/p>\n

God, You are Mighty and Merciful. We are grateful for
\nthe right to vote, and we will not take it for granted.
\nEmpower us to prepare our hearts to vote in a way that reflects
\nYour justice, peace and compassion.<\/p>\n

In Jesus\u2019 name. Amen.<\/i><\/p>\n

\n

Encourage One Another<\/strong><\/h3>\n

It is a strength for all of us to know that we are praying together across the country and around the world.<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Leave a comment below with the state or country you will be praying in. <\/strong>\u00a0Please note your comment may not show up right away. Please refrain from making political statements.<\/li>\n
  2. Use the share buttons below to encourage others to join us in praying about our election.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    1<\/sup> Adapted from Sacred Votes: A Guide to Election Participation, Justice and Social Transformation. https:\/\/www.umcjustice.org\/documents\/336<\/a>.\u00a0\u00a030-35.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    PREPARATION During this election season, we encourage you to find a time to pray with friends and family, people from your church or small group, and maybe even your neighbors.…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":44,"featured_media":18915,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-18847","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-beyond-words"],"yoast_head":"\nPraying together for our election - Transforming Center<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Set aside time to prayer together with Your Friends, Family, Small Group, Neighbors for our election.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/transformingcenter.org\/2024\/10\/praying-together-for-our-election\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Praying together for our election\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Set aside time to prayer together with Your Friends, Family, Small Group, Neighbors for our election.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/transformingcenter.org\/2024\/10\/praying-together-for-our-election\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Transforming Center\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/transformingcenter\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2024-10-22T19:07:59+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2024-10-30T16:14:25+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/transformingcenter.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/TC-Election-day-prayer-1.png\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"786\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"384\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Transforming Center\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@TransformingCtr\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@TransformingCtr\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Transforming Center\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/transformingcenter.org\/2024\/10\/praying-together-for-our-election\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/transformingcenter.org\/2024\/10\/praying-together-for-our-election\/\",\"name\":\"Praying together for our election - 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