Instead of a fight over who gets to bless Obama, I suggest we each come up with a blessing. It can be a blessing for Obama or for the nation or for the world. Make it long or short. But make it from the heart.
I'll start by conferring a blessing upon all of us. It's one that "came to me" but which I cannot claim to have "written" so much as "recorded" - exactly as it came - in the middle of the night - after a patient requested a "prayer." Although it uses the word "god" in places, you can substitute another word - for example "these" blessings or "this" love. I've often said it that way for people, who might have been distressed by the word "god."
Let the blessings wash over you. And all of us. And then write your own.
I'll start by conferring a blessing upon all of us. It's one that "came to me" but which I cannot claim to have "written" so much as "recorded" - exactly as it came - in the middle of the night - after a patient requested a "prayer." Although it uses the word "god" in places, you can substitute another word - for example "these" blessings or "this" love. I've often said it that way for people, who might have been distressed by the word "god."
Let the blessings wash over you. And all of us. And then write your own.
A blessing for eachPeace.
A blessing for all
Now let abundant blessings fall
Upon the present
Upon the past
A rain of blessings that will last
Never forgotten
Never unknown
God's blessings find you and lead you home
Healing your mind
Healing your heart
Healing your soul so you won't be apart
Bringing you peace
Bringing you love
Bringing you solace from heaven above
Deep in your heart God's love will abide
Deep in your heart - like a nightlight inside
Deep in your heart, you're safe in this light
So close your eyes tight
And rest well this night
PERMALINK
very lovely!
May the road rise to meet you
And the wind always be at your back.
God bless Barack Obama
God bless America
This is very sweet.
A Christmas Blessing to us all.
And the wind always be at your back.
God bless Barack Obama
God bless America
This is very sweet.
A Christmas Blessing to us all.
Please God, show Obama the wisdom in removing religion from the public discourse and of taxing it like any other business.
Amen.
And it is not ironic prayer. It is a wish a cherish deeply.
And it is not ironic prayer. It is a wish a cherish deeply.
Bless you both.
attack-zing ironic prayer
That was a reply to mjeffn.
I pray for God to give Obama the strength to stand for what he believes in, the courage to navigate our country through new ideas into a promising future, and the humility to keep his ears towards the ground even as he sets his eyes towards the sky.
Pray to God, but keep rowing!!!
- An old Russian proverb
- An old Russian proverb
Just keep rowing, God's got nothing to do with it.
I offer two, that are meaningful to me.
ee cummings:
I thank you God for most this amazing
day: for the leaping greenly spirits of trees
and a blue true dream of sky; and for everything
which is natural which is infinite which is yes
Isaiah:
Here am I Lord, take me.
Thanks.
mp
ee cummings:
I thank you God for most this amazing
day: for the leaping greenly spirits of trees
and a blue true dream of sky; and for everything
which is natural which is infinite which is yes
Isaiah:
Here am I Lord, take me.
Thanks.
mp
I wrote this in a blog a while ago. My wish for us all is to have someone - some spirit, if you'd like - to give us comfort.
> I always promise to find you. Wherever you are, whatever you need. We all should feel that promise from someone. Just to know that when you need help a hand is there. Stretching out in your direction, just within reach. Fingers grasping for yours and touching the pulse in your wrist that threatens to abandon you. Just in the fraction of a second before it does. A shoulder soft enough to cry on and strong enough to take the blows. A smile meant just for you in a private moment, a hearty laugh created by your genius. Someone to say you matter when the world seems to be tearing you apart. A gentle soul to help pick up the pieces and put them together again. I promise to find you ... always.
> I always promise to find you. Wherever you are, whatever you need. We all should feel that promise from someone. Just to know that when you need help a hand is there. Stretching out in your direction, just within reach. Fingers grasping for yours and touching the pulse in your wrist that threatens to abandon you. Just in the fraction of a second before it does. A shoulder soft enough to cry on and strong enough to take the blows. A smile meant just for you in a private moment, a hearty laugh created by your genius. Someone to say you matter when the world seems to be tearing you apart. A gentle soul to help pick up the pieces and put them together again. I promise to find you ... always.
This is not a blessing in any sense of the word.
Be bold. Break from "tradition." Take the first amendment seriously. Remove all religion from the public sphere. Refuse all advice from ministers of any and all stripes. Ban prayers of any kind from all government sanctioned events. When toads like Rick Warren come knocking unleash the dogs. Stop favoring Christianity over all other religions. Appoint an open homosexual to your administration. Stand up for their right to MARRY! Speak out against bigotry... even when it comes from your friends. Call them out! Recognize the difference between faith and reason. Use reason. Be skeptical.
Inspire people to think!
Be bold. Break from "tradition." Take the first amendment seriously. Remove all religion from the public sphere. Refuse all advice from ministers of any and all stripes. Ban prayers of any kind from all government sanctioned events. When toads like Rick Warren come knocking unleash the dogs. Stop favoring Christianity over all other religions. Appoint an open homosexual to your administration. Stand up for their right to MARRY! Speak out against bigotry... even when it comes from your friends. Call them out! Recognize the difference between faith and reason. Use reason. Be skeptical.
Inspire people to think!
Loki, I commend you for not using any U.S. currency or coin. "In God We Trust" would never be something you'd wish to pass along.
In the same vein, Loki hopefully will never have to testify under oath: "so help me God."
Barefoot are implying that you have some coin and currency? I thought all that disappeared in the crisis.
Dear God, please tell everyone to stop sucking up to you constantly and just take care of each other.
Dear God, please tell everyone, "Hey, look, I'm GOD, for chrissakes! You don't need to worship me, I already have very high self-esteem. I'm omnipotent and omniscient, so my feelings aren't hurt that easily. Worry about each other."
Dear God, please tell President Obama, "Barack, I see that you're not going to church lately because you've got a lot of work to do. Well, THAT'S a relief. Thank God (heh-heh) you've got some common sense."
Dear God, you're obviously not in the habit of coming down and solving everyone's problems for them, but could you please give out a little more concrete advice from time to time? I think you're last message has been misinterpreted, a lot of us want to know what you really meant.
Dear God, I know, we're really a bunch of morons, and yeah, we've gotten ourselves into another jam, but could you please help us out again?
Dear God, please tell everyone, "Hey, look, I'm GOD, for chrissakes! You don't need to worship me, I already have very high self-esteem. I'm omnipotent and omniscient, so my feelings aren't hurt that easily. Worry about each other."
Dear God, please tell President Obama, "Barack, I see that you're not going to church lately because you've got a lot of work to do. Well, THAT'S a relief. Thank God (heh-heh) you've got some common sense."
Dear God, you're obviously not in the habit of coming down and solving everyone's problems for them, but could you please give out a little more concrete advice from time to time? I think you're last message has been misinterpreted, a lot of us want to know what you really meant.
Dear God, I know, we're really a bunch of morons, and yeah, we've gotten ourselves into another jam, but could you please help us out again?
:-)
♪ ♫ ♬
♪ ♫ ♬
Yo Barack
Bush is runnin' out the clock
But you'll soon be in the White House
And we once again will rock -
Economic stimulation
Environmental reclamation
Pragmatism heals the schism
Makes us proud to be one nation -
End the wars and treat the vets
Stitch up social safety nets
Regulate unruly markets
With your well-stocked cabinet -
Drop the war on terror hype
Bring indictments that are ripe
For the war crimes and surveillance
That done plunged us into night -
You rock, Barack -
Barack you rock!
Bush is runnin' out the clock
But you'll soon be in the White House
And we once again will rock -
Economic stimulation
Environmental reclamation
Pragmatism heals the schism
Makes us proud to be one nation -
End the wars and treat the vets
Stitch up social safety nets
Regulate unruly markets
With your well-stocked cabinet -
Drop the war on terror hype
Bring indictments that are ripe
For the war crimes and surveillance
That done plunged us into night -
You rock, Barack -
Barack you rock!
We can cool our race relations
Celebrate all orientations
Negotiate without aggression
'Round the globe with fellow nations.
Celebrate all orientations
Negotiate without aggression
'Round the globe with fellow nations.
A rap blessing! I love it!
Excellent!
Whatever blessing I could give, I would have to sing, as that was the way of my teacher.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=94DzYqAMvGo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=94DzYqAMvGo
Lux, that is so wonderful! What could be better than children singing? That will heal the world!
Modification of a Zuni Chant from Earth Prayers
We beseech the breath of the divine one.
His life-giving breath
His breath of wisdom
His breath of waters flowing
His breath of seeds flourishing
His breath of riches given to all
His breath of fecundity of the causes of good
His breath of power to achieve the virtuous
His breath of all good fortune.
Asking for His breath
to fill the brave young Man
Adding our breaths to His
to see the Noble Son through the night
Now Morning Star, breath of the divine one,
Take the tribe forward.
We beseech the breath of the divine one.
His life-giving breath
His breath of wisdom
His breath of waters flowing
His breath of seeds flourishing
His breath of riches given to all
His breath of fecundity of the causes of good
His breath of power to achieve the virtuous
His breath of all good fortune.
Asking for His breath
to fill the brave young Man
Adding our breaths to His
to see the Noble Son through the night
Now Morning Star, breath of the divine one,
Take the tribe forward.
Amen.
Father,
We are imperfect people trying as best we can to navigate our way through this world. Some of us depend on you for direction, others want to do it themselves. Please be with us all. Help us to love each other, as you love us.
Keep this special man who is about to begin leading us through treacherous times safe. Give him the wisdom he needs to make the decisions he has to make, the courage he needs to do those things that will not be popular, and the strength he needs to balance all the needs of so many different people.
Be with our country, our world. We need you like never before...
In Jesus's precious name, Amen
We are imperfect people trying as best we can to navigate our way through this world. Some of us depend on you for direction, others want to do it themselves. Please be with us all. Help us to love each other, as you love us.
Keep this special man who is about to begin leading us through treacherous times safe. Give him the wisdom he needs to make the decisions he has to make, the courage he needs to do those things that will not be popular, and the strength he needs to balance all the needs of so many different people.
Be with our country, our world. We need you like never before...
In Jesus's precious name, Amen
This brings tears to my eyes, stilli.
May Barack Obama continue to find the inner strength he already knows he has.
May no one harm him or his loved ones, nor his country.
May his term in office steer our country, and the perception of it by other countries, into a good and golden light that is remembered for decades to come.
May we all stand beside him, and beside our fellow earthly dwellers, and remember that we are only human and this is only a small and fragile globe that we stand on.
May we all know peace and no more killing in the name of religion or over land.
May Barack Obama know that we stand by him, as he stands by us, and may we all be blessed by whatever tender thread, be it God or Yahweh or Buddha or whatever the heck you want to call it, may we all hold together and love one another and help one another into this new century.
May he pick a puppy that his kids adore and don't sneeze and the MSM doesn't pick apart for four years.
Can I get an amen?
May no one harm him or his loved ones, nor his country.
May his term in office steer our country, and the perception of it by other countries, into a good and golden light that is remembered for decades to come.
May we all stand beside him, and beside our fellow earthly dwellers, and remember that we are only human and this is only a small and fragile globe that we stand on.
May we all know peace and no more killing in the name of religion or over land.
May Barack Obama know that we stand by him, as he stands by us, and may we all be blessed by whatever tender thread, be it God or Yahweh or Buddha or whatever the heck you want to call it, may we all hold together and love one another and help one another into this new century.
May he pick a puppy that his kids adore and don't sneeze and the MSM doesn't pick apart for four years.
Can I get an amen?
sorry, I meant to say "sneeze at"
AMEN! :)
Very beautiful, LisB.
Very beautiful, LisB.
Let us find new connections to the rest of the world, that we may see our own faces in those of our fellow journeyers.
Let us abandon the bully pulpit, and start a real international dialogue.
May we find within the crippled world economy enough wealth to feed, clothe, and shelter all.
Let us know we are all human beans; that all of us bleed red, regardless of skin color, religion, (or lack thereof), culture, or beliefs. May we celebrate our differences, and embrace those who differ from us.
Let us heal the sick, and comfort the dying.
Let us not cause more suffering in our attempts to solve our problems.
May we find and develop alternative technologies and strategies to reduce and eliminate our environmental stranglehold on our planet.
Let us leave clean water, air, and land for those who come after us.
Let us be free from greed in our policies and actions so we might build a sustainable and equitable national and world economy.
Let's initiate policy to accomplish all these goals.
Oh... and can we get some better restaurants in this little town I live in?
Let us abandon the bully pulpit, and start a real international dialogue.
May we find within the crippled world economy enough wealth to feed, clothe, and shelter all.
Let us know we are all human beans; that all of us bleed red, regardless of skin color, religion, (or lack thereof), culture, or beliefs. May we celebrate our differences, and embrace those who differ from us.
Let us heal the sick, and comfort the dying.
Let us not cause more suffering in our attempts to solve our problems.
May we find and develop alternative technologies and strategies to reduce and eliminate our environmental stranglehold on our planet.
Let us leave clean water, air, and land for those who come after us.
Let us be free from greed in our policies and actions so we might build a sustainable and equitable national and world economy.
Let's initiate policy to accomplish all these goals.
Oh... and can we get some better restaurants in this little town I live in?
Amen, miguel.
Amen.
Cooking school in your future? :)
in reply to a comment from miguelitoh2o Cooking school in your future? :)
December 20, 2008 10:57 AM | Reply | Permalink
34 Comments