A Prayer for Local Leaders and Decision Makers
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. famously said:
"The church must be reminded that it is not the master or the servant of the state, but rather the conscience of the state. It must be the guide and the critic of the state, and never its tool. If the church does not recapture its prophetic zeal, it will become an irrelevant social club without moral or spiritual authority. If the church does not participate actively in the struggle for peace and for economic and racial justice, it will forfeit the loyalty of millions and cause men everywhere to say that it has atrophied its will. But if the church will free itself from the shackles of a deadening status quo, and, recovering its great historic mission, will speak and act fearlessly and insistently in terms of justice and peace, it will enkindle the imagination of mankind and fire the souls of men, imbuing them with a glowing and ardent love for truth, justice, and peace.”
Now an invitation to imagination for you today… If you had the opportunity to pray with and for a gathering of local leaders, of elected officials and civil servants - the decision makers - what kind of prayer would you pray? Would it be words of blessing, gratitude, encouragement, challenge?
Brenna had the chance to offer a prayer of centering with and for the LA County Board of Supervisors this week. After you’ve read her words, talk with Jesus about the prayer in your own heart. He hears you right where you are, not just in big auditoriums downtown.
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“Shower, O heavens, from above, and let the clouds rain down righteousness; let the earth open, that salvation and righteousness may bear fruit; let the earth cause them both to sprout; I the Lord have created it.” - Isaiah 45:8
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Creator, source of love and life, good morning. We’re here, opening our hands, gentling our hearts, seeking you - bringer of the rains that fall and the sunshine that follows. The ancient book of Isaiah tells us that you send the clouds to rain down righteousness and invite the earth to open to it and bear fruit.
So we take a moment to notice and give thanks for that fruit, for all the good blossoming in our lives and in our communities,
for the parents and grandparents, the found families and spiritual circles, cultivating spaces of care and safety
for the teachers, librarians, and other caregivers encouraging our children to stretch their minds and grow,
the essential workers in the grocery stores and the hospitals and utility services who keep our world running behind the scenes
the artists who remind us the world we know is not the only one possible and help us imagine new ways forward
the public servants, many gathered here, committed to seeking the well-being of their people - of your people throughout the county of Los Angeles and beyond, each and every one so fully loved.
And God, we imagine and join in your rich, deep delight at how so many of our communities have rallied so quickly and forcefully for the most vulnerable among us, locking arms to make sure that all of their neighbors have access to the food they need.
We have needed this reminder that love is stronger than fear.
Because fear is and has been among us - we acknowledge it - and we lift up some of the communities feeling it most sharply.
We pray with deep sadness for the confusion and pain so many in our immigrant communities have been experiencing, and ask that you would bring comfort, protection and justice.
We pray for the LGBTQ+ community and especially for our trans kids, so often portrayed as the fearful other in political debate. May they know themselves to be wonderfully made and find safe spaces that truthfully mirror back to them their absolute belovedness.
Now as this time of conversation and discernment begins, we invite your love to empower us and your wisdom to guide us. Help us listen to each other with humility, giving special attention to those voices too often silenced or ignored, so we can lead our communities even in a difficult season toward mutual flourishing.
Amen.