A Prayer of Mourning

From FUMC-FV

Merciful and Loving God

Surround and hold us in your Grace. 

All who mourn today beseech your loving compassion. 

Grief has come to us beyond our power to comprehend or overcome. 

We ask you to guide us and preserve us, 

Lift our hearts and let us not be overwhelmed 

Nor turn against you in our confusion and grief. 

Hold our hands, Lord, as we walk daily 

Through this veil of sadness and tragedy. 

Carry us in your Love and Mercy 

Until we come again to a place 

Where we can look forward 

And again know your Joy and Peace. 

In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ

                                                      ~Amen

by D. Denise Dianaty

© 22 September 2015

These loud, bigoted extremists are NOT the voices of Faith!

No!

Not true!

These loud, bigoted extremists are NOT the voices of Faith. They aren’t serving the Christian Faith – or any Faith – they are serving a theocratic corporate political agenda. And, they’ll pervert any decent and/or uplifting and uniting ideologies to destroy hope in their power grab.

Real Christ-centered Christians aren’t out there preaching that divisive message of hate and supremacy. Christ-centered Christians are quietly living the example rather than loud, empty proselytizing. Such ChristianISH extremists are no more Christian than ISIS is Muslim. These ChristianISH extremist “patriots” are about as unAmerican as I can imagine anyone being – everything

they do is a betrayal of our constitutional democratic republic; they want to impose their vision of a theocratic corporate feudal state upon us all. They are, in every way, the antithesis of our American Ideal and voted for Trump in direct opposition to every single word Christ ever spoke. These people are not speaking for Christians or democracy. They speak for the gospel of mammon. These people are extremists.

You say that first infographic, above, is saying the same thing? Okay. I accept your perspective, if that’s how you tell yourself it reads.

However: The infographic called into question my entire Faith and directly said “True Christianity is a lost religion.” And, it referenced all of “Today’s Christians…” The people they are identifying are not Christ-anything. I do not recognize the belief system to which they adhere. No church I’ve been a member of my entire adult life teaches their belief system as anything but the antithesis of Christ’s message. I will no more identify them as “Christian” than I will call ISIS “Muslim” because both demonstrate the same extremist falsity. They are bullying us with a hate-fueled lie that corrupts the message of love, compassion, forgiveness, and hope for all humanity through our Faith.

Every true Christian, living out a Christ-centered Faith – myself included – must feel deeply distressed to have our entire Faith identified with these FALSE PROPHETS! The hate and bigotry, fear and intolerance of their message is in opposition of Christ’s every word. We must not sit quietly by while these hate-mongers steal our Faith’s message of God’s Grace and compassion for all humanity. We must not let these proselytizing hypocrites speak their lies as truth and demonize everyone deemed “other.” We must take back the conversation about our own Christian Faith and real Christ-centered values.

We cannot let their lie be painted as our truth.

It’s extraordinarily simple to know “True Christianity” – Scripture tells us clearly how we will recognize it, from Christ’s own words. It is an immutable litmus test:

John 13:34 “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

And, fellow Christians, let us pray for unity and for those who think they serve our Lord with messages of hate and fear and exclusion. Let us pray and hope our omnipotent God of Grace and Solace will lead them back the Truth and back to a right relationship with Him seeking unity with all our fellow humanity, back to a community of Faith.

Colossians 3:12 “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 13 Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 14 And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.”

Prayer for leaders and @HillaryClinton

From FB “Methodists For Hillary

This prayer was crafted from Hillary Clinton’s own words when she was asked for whom and what she prays.

Merciful God of grace and solace, 
source of all hope and wisdom,
we humbly come to You in prayer
for our nation, our people, and our leaders.
We ask Your guidance and patience
as we seek to serve Your lambs 
and in everything to honor Your will.

We pray for those whose names You know,
for people experiencing difficult times,
illness, divorce, death, disappointment,
all of the tough life experiences confronting us.
We pray for the Your will to be known…
that we can, to the best of our ability,
try to follow it and fulfill it, in Your name.
We pray for people in authority.
Help us to consider what they go through,
even when we disagree with them.
Help us find some common ground,
some common understanding
that can make us more empathetic.
We know we won't always succeed,
but let us never fail to try.

Hold Hillary’s heart always
in prayer throughout the day,
because she needs Your strength
and she needs Your support.
Thank you for giving her ears to listen
and a heart and mind to serve
the needs of the people, Your lambs,
to be a leader guided by Your will
in our country and the world.
Protect Hillary from danger
both physical and existential
Help her keep Your will in humility
and empower her to serve Your will
in gratitude and perseverance
All the days of her life.

In Christ’s name, Amen.

Prayer for Our Leaders and Hillary and for Us All

Heavenly Father, God of grace and mercy,

By the great gift of Salvation and His resurrection 

You offer the gifts of eternal hope and peace
Through Your only begotten son, Christ Jesus.
Baptized by water, we are born anew… 

Born into Your heavenly kingdom.

Filled with the Holy Spirit, we are never alone.

In the Spirit, together we strive to do Your will.

Hold us, our nation, and Hillary in Your hands.

Make us the body and voice of Your will.

Together in the Spirit, we open our hearts.

We lay bear our souls before You, Father.

As one in the Spirit, we open our minds.

Together we are Christ’s hands in this world.

United in the Spirit, our doors are open.

In Your will we work together for peace.

As one voice we desire your will be done.

Together in the Holy Spirit and in unity

We know Your strength makes us 

Stronger together for a more just world.

Help us, Lord, to feed the hungry.

Teach us, Father, to care for the sick.

Guide us, God, to shelter the homeless.

Use us, El-Shaddai, to love everyone.

Humble us, Adoni, to find Your wisdom.

Grant us, Yaweh, solace in our tribulation.

Make us, Elohim, obedient in service.

Lead us, Sar Shalom, to be peacemakers.

King of Kings, grant wisdom to our leaders

With sacrificial hearts of service and compassion.

We ask for open eyes for our leaders 

to see all humankind as Your sheep.

We pray for leaders with open hearts

to understand the cares of Your lambs. 

We plead that our leaders have open minds

of love and compassion for all Your sheep.

We thank you for Hillary Clinton, and pray

You will protect and perfect her in Your will.

In Christ’s name, with Faith all believing and

in humble gratitude, we pray. Amen.

“Faith-Centered Leadership” 

Prayer for Comfort

Merciful and Loving Father in Heaven,

You are the source of Light in the earth,

The comfort and freedom of my soul

Every day is a struggle, weighing upon me

The world moves on, bustling and wrangling

Lord, I stumble often in my Life’s journey

Feeling misunderstood and isolated

It’s a struggle to find the blessing of comfort,

To keep holding on to my peace and hope

Guide me Lord, be my strength and my comfort

You alone are my peace and my hope

I know yours will always be the steady hand

Which guides me and catches me when I stumble

Bless my heart with gratitude and peace

Guide me by your Grace and will in this world

~ Amen

D. Denise Dianaty
© 22 September 2015

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