Grace Us

Grace Us

One of the wise ones who shared the planet with many of us was Fred Rogers. Mr. Rogers leaves us with much to ponder, including this thought.

“When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me ‘Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.’”

This is a scary time for those of us who are in tune with the news, so with Mr. Roger’s advice, I have turned to the “helpers.” In this moment, the helper for me is not Mr. Greenjeans, but the great theologian, Reinhold Niebuhr. His thoughts are in italics, and my prayer is below them.

Nothing worth doing is completed in our lifetime;
therefore, we must be saved by hope.
God of hope,
In the tight places
In the dark places
In the dead-end places
Flood into us.
Offer us a vision beyond today.
Open us to the possibilities.
Humble us to be willing to be a cog or a catalyst.
Grace us with Hope.
Nothing true or beautiful makes complete sense in any context of history;
therefore, we must be saved by faith.
Steadfast God,
In this world of brutal destruction
In these times of profound estrangement
In these days of fear for the future
Flood into us.
Bless us with simple trust.
Gift us with wisdom
Open us to the power of Your creative spirit moving beyond time.
Grace us with Faith.
Nothing we do, no matter how virtuous, can be accomplished alone;
therefore, we are saved by love.
God of love,
In our tendencies toward perfection
In our desire for recognition
In our persistent sense of responsibility
Flood into us.
Remind us of community
Connect us with the larger whole
Enable us to receive love.
Grace us with Love.
May it be so