Sunday Reflection: A prayer that moves my heart (in all directions)

Here's a gorgeous prayer from among the many prayed at the Inner City Pastoral Ministry, which is my favourite place to pray these days. I wish I knew who wrote it so I could give them credit and thank them for its beautiful words...

Prayer to the Great Spirit

Great Spirit of Love,

come to us with the power of the north.

Make us courageous when the cold winds fall upon us.

Give us strength and endurance for everything that is harsh,

everything that hurts, and everything that makes us squint.

Let us move through life ready to accept what comes from the north.

Great Spirit of the east,

come to us with power of the rising sun.

Let there be life in our words.

Let there be light on the path we walk.

Let us remember always that you give the gift of a new day, 

and never let us be burdened with sorrow when starting over.

Great Spirit of creation, 

send us the warmth and the soothing winds from the south. 

Comfort us and caress us when we're tired and cold.

Unfold us like your gentle breezes.

Unfold the leaves on the trees.

As you give to all your earth the warm moving wind,

give to us so that we may grow close to you in warmth.

Great Spirit of life,

we face the west, the direction of sundown.

Let us remember that the moment will come for our sun to go down.

Never let us forget that we fade into you.

Give us beautiful colour, give us a great sky for setting,

so that when it is time to meet you, we can come with glory.

Giver of all life, we pray to you from the earth,

that we need to be thankful for the earth,

and never to walk hurtfully in the world.

Bless us with eyes to love what comes from Mother Earth,

and teach us how to love your gifts.

Great Spirit of the heavens,

lift us up to you that our hearts may worship you

and come to you in glory.

Hold in our memories that you are our Creator,

greater than us, and eager for our good life.

Let everything that is in the world lift our minds and lives to you

so that we may come to you always, in truth and in heart.

+Amen

* * * * * * *

After a week of high anxiety for protestors and counter-protestors, police action and inaction, I wonder how on earth we can become a more united country, and help our communities feel safe once again. 

So I asked Farley this morning about a folk song he sang last weekend, one that hit me as just right for these times of division among Canadians. It's a gorgeous song by Bob Franke, an Episcopalian minister, says Farley, and it's sung here by Sally Rogers, who has a gorgeous voice. Gratitude to Lisa-Marie, who posted it to Youtube so we can hear it all year round, not just Thanksgiving Eve...