Rekindling Creativity on a Day for Truth and Reconciliation

 

                                                     Toronto Sign Wrap -- Joseph Sagaj

This is second annual National Day for Truth and Reconcilation and I trust that our Prime Minister is not on vacation. This is a holiday for some while many of us will wear our orange shirts and put up flags with the words "Every Child Matters" in recognition of the horrors of the Residential Schools for Indigenous children.

We now acknowledge that this supposed education system was designed to eradicate Indigenous culture and language. The Canadian government enlisted various Christian denominations in this concerted effort toward cultural genocide, to our great shame. Hundreds and likely thousands of children died while at these indoctrination centres from malnutrition, lack of adequate medical care, and God knows what other reasons. 

While this program was largely successful, creating intergenerational trauma and normalizing systemic racism, there has been an upwelling of Indigenous identity and culture in recent years. The arts have flourished in everything from music to dance to visual art. It's not hard to focus on the wrongdoing toward and victimization of Indigenous peoples but this artistic expression, along with the resurgence of Indigenous languages has been vital to the ongoing process of Truth and Reconcilation. https://artsconsulting.com/arts-insights/truth-and-reconciliation-in-the-arts-and-culture-sector/

This week the Toronto sign in Nathan Philips Square was unveiled with a new artistic wrap called Rekindle by Joseph Sagaj. Canada Post just issued four new stamps featuring Indigenous artists and artworks. 

We have a lot of art in our home and over the years have acquired a number of pieces from different Indigenous artists across the country, two of which are by an Inuk member of our extended family. While we have essentially no space for more art we recently purchased an original print by the wonderful Christi Belcourt called The Fish are Fasting for Knowledge, a title which intrigues us. We love this image and eagerly await its framing so we can put it in a place of prominence -- we're already musing about the wall space juggling. An interview with  Belcourt was on CBC Radio's Q this morning. https://www.cbc.ca/radio/q/friday-sept-30-2022-christi-belcourt-david-a-robertson-and-more-1.6590213

We feel this is a way to affirm Indigenous culture in a tangible way. For too long "good art" was associated with Europe and the settler descendents of Europeans in this land. 

                                                The Fish are Fasting for Knowledge -- Christi Belcourt

I have long believed that artistic expression can be a form of prayer as well as an affirmation of culture. This may not surprise people who know me and that I have a degree in art history as well as theology. Art also speaks truth to power. The paintings of Kent Monckman are irreverent (to say the least) and provide biting commentary on the history of colonialism.

                                                   The Scream -- Kent Monkman  -- 2017

                                                          Stained Glass in Parliament -- Christi Belcourt 

Migrants, Refugees, & a Newfoundland (H)airport

 

                                                      Re-opened Gander Airport International Lounge

Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, 

for by doing that some have entertained angels without knowing it.

Hebrews 13:2 NRSVue

There is a World Refugee Day in June and a World Migrants Day in December. So I was somewhat befuddled when I heard Pope Francis speak of yet another "day" on this theme, Sunday past. It turns out that the Roman Catholic church recognized Refugee and Migrants Day on the last Sunday of September each year. While this is a tad confusing, displaced peoples should be front of mind all through the year.

Canada has a mixed history of xenophobia and welcome when it comes to those from other parts of the world looking for hospitality. We can be stirred to generosity -- think of the Vietnamese boat people and Syrian refugees -- but we have also shameful aspects of our past -- we refused to welcome Jews fleeing the Nazi regime. 

Earlier this month we returned from a couple of weeks in Newfoundland and had a couple of hours in Gander airport. In July the restored International Lounge was reopened after forty years of being closed to the public. Queen Elizabeth was on hand when this showcase of design and art was unveiled in 1959 at a time when Gander Airport was one of the busiest in the world because flights to and from Europe and North America had to refuel for longer journeys.

Along with the fascinating mural, floor, and furniture created by the top designers of the day there is a photographic display in the mezzanine at the top of the elevator. Photos of famous personalities such as Bob Hope, Marilyn Monroe, and Muhammad Ali  are there. There are also photos of groups of people who passed through the airport on their way to refuge and new lives. 

                                                                           Hungarian refugees

In the 1950s nearly 40,000 Hungarian refugees fleeing the Soviet invasion of their country,  arrived in Canada, many through Gander airport. 

In the 1990s kids from the Chernobyl region of Ukraine came here to avoid radiation poisoning from the failed reactor. 

There is also a photo montage of the thousands of "Come from Away" airline passengers who ended up in Gander after 911. The mothballed lounge was opened to accommodate them and while we were looking around a contingent of organizers came in to scope out the space for an event which was taking place a couple of days later to commemorate those remarkable days of shelter and hospitality. 

I found myself quite moved by these reminders of Canada and Canadians at their best, rather than gripped by "fear of the other." Often it has been groups of dedicated Christians and congregations who have been involved in sponsorships for refugees, as was the case with Syrians, beginning in 2015. As it happens I will drive one of the 23 Syrian refugees welcomed by a coalition of faith communities and other people of good will in 2015 and 2015 to a medical appointment in another city. I haven't been involved with this group since my retirement but I agreed to be added to this week's roster and I see that other drivers are folk who were part of the group then and have continued to be supportive. 

I pray that Canadians can continue the positive aspects of our tradition of welcome, and that even as many faith groups are aging and struggling they will understand that hospitality is a vital aspect of the gospel of Jesus Christ -- who doesn't want to welcome an angel? 

                                                      Chernobyl children in Gander

Unprecedented?

 

                                           Damage in Port aux Basques NL from Hurricane Fiona

I don't want to say that I have been obssessed with Hurricane Fiona -- it's path, the impact, and the aftermath. Yet that may be an accurate way of describing the way it has affected me. It might be that we recently returned from two weeks in Newfoundland, although an area on the Northeast coast of the province which wasn't affected by the hurricane, other than high winds. It may be because we lived in Newfoundland as my first pastorate with five outport congregations, then later in Nova Scotia serving a large downtown congregation in Halifax.

We have experienced our share of fierce storms while living and spending time near the Atlantic Ocean.

 We lived in Newfoundland forty years ago during the unnamed February storm which sank the Ocean Ranger oil rig. We lost power and woke up the next morning unable to see out of any of our windows because they were plastered thick with snow. Then three years ago we were ensconced on Change Islands in the same area when the tail end of Hurricane Dorian battered the province with wind and the old house we were in shook and rattled and moaned for hours.

There were substantial storms when we were in Halifax, although nothing like Hurricane Juan or the winter blast which was dubbed White Juan which occurred in the months after we left. Two of our young adult children stayed on in the city after our departure and experienced these storms which left the city paralysed and without power. A huge maple tree leaned over onto our recently sold home as a result of Juan, a dilemma we didn't have to address.

None of these storms compared to Fiona which affected all four Atlantic provinces and devastated areas of three of them. As you'll know, houses were swept into the sea, thousands were displaced, and a couple of hundred thousand are still without power days later. At least three people died as a result of the storm.  

This hurricane or cyclone was unprecedented. No one was really prepared for the sheer power of what some are saying is the strongest storm in the recorded history of Atlantic Canada and perhaps in the country. How can people anticipate something like this, even when they've had a lifetime of battening down the hatches? Even oldtimers concede that this is the strongest weather event in their memory. 

On the news some bewildered survivors speak of climate change, and can we doubt that this is a factor? Climate change doesn't necessarily cause destructive weather but it accelerates it, whether drought and fire, or wind and rainfall. 

We hear officials, including the Prime Minister, saying that we're all in this together. Are we I wonder? There are 2.4 million people in the four Atlantic provinces, which is only about seven percent of Canada's population. They will be disproportionately affected by events such as these as weather patterns change. At least we can respond to the needs of our citizens.  We know, too, that poorer countries around the world which contribute relatively little to climate  change are already being heavily impacted. There is nothing fair or equitable about what is transpiring. And eventually we will all be dealing with a radically changed planet. 

Once we get past the "weather porn" of these catastrophic events we tend to get back to our everyday lives, which won't be the case for so many in these four provinces. We will be diverted by Hurricane Ian which has the potential to be the next unprecedented storm.

Here is the weird thing about the reporting from Halifax in the past few days. During a live segment the Global weather guy stood in front of a south end home where a big tree was sprawled along the street. We realized that our former home was in the background -- what trees will be left eventually? 

Do we have the wherewithall to act with determination for a safer and livable world? I pray we do but we're stiff-necked people, to use an oft-used biblical phrase.  

                                                           Halifax clean-up after Fiona

Shana Tova, For a Good Year

Sunday began Rosh Hashana, one of the holiest times in the Jewish calendar of festivals and observances. The name means "first of the year" or "head of the year," and it's is a time for reflection for all Jews. Rosh Hashanah is celebrated with symbolic foods, prayers, synagogue services, and the blowing of the shofar which is traditionally a ram's horn.

I figure every faith tradition should have some occasion to blow a ram's horn, but Christians have already appropriated a lot from other religions, especially Judaism.

I've noticed that there are some thoughtful pieces out there on including our environmental responsiblities as part of the reflection of these days, which makes sense to me when Creation is in crisis. 

This is the final day of Rosh Hashanah for 2022, if I read the calendar correctly. Here is a tweet from Rabbi Danya Ruttenberg which we can all take to heart, whatever our background. 

Rabbi Danya Ruttenberg

@TheRaDR

Shana tova, all. May it be a year of blessing, of healing, of righteous action, of inspiration, of laughter, of community, of connection, of compassion, of creativity, of building power, of vision, of truth-telling, of liberation, of justice, of unmitigated joy.

Medical Assistance in Dying: A Faithful Response

 

Yesterday I did a brief invitation from the pulpit (well, lectern) at Trenton United, inviting folk to participate in a three-session study/conversation on the sensitive subject of Medical Assistance in Dying. Since 2016 Canadians can legally choose to end their own lives within certain parameters, and the number of people who are availing themselves of MAID has grown over that time period. 

After the service I was approached by someone from the congregation who wondered if she could attend, in person, with her sister. It sounds as though they've had some conversations about whether this should be an option because of a situation in their family. 

I've also heard from a couple of people who are part of congregations in other communities and will join us via Zoom. One has been involved in hospice and palliative care through the years and while she is committed to these options for end-of-life support she wants to be better informed and to wrestle with the implications of MAID. We will have a guest from Hospice Quinte in our second session. 

There are individual Christians and Christian denominations which are categorically opposed to Medical Assistance in Dying. When the legislation was first enacted a Roman Catholic bishop out West warned people that they might be denied a Christian funeral if they chose MAID. My blood boiled at this announcement. 

We need to have this conversation, it seems to me, because eventually we all die (sorry to break this to you) and it's likely we will all be affected by Medical Assistance in Dying eventually, as someone we know makes this choice. We never know how we will feel personally if faced with the prospect of a lengthy, irremediable illness. 

Ultimately we may decide that we are opposed to MAID or that it is an option to be considered. Surely as people of faith, of the God who chose to live among us with all the sorrows and suffering of human existence, we can have a respectful conversation with one another. 

I have to say that I don't have a definitive answer or answers regarding Medical Assistance in Dying. I have attempted to become better informed over time and to take a prayerful approach to my evolving outlook as a Christian who cares for the vulnerable.  

Please join us if you're intrigued. 

Wednesdays, September 28 (this week), October 5 & 12, 10:15 AM.  Check out the Trenton United website for a Zoom link or show up at the church. You will be welcomed!

Truth and Reconciliation Day & Our Christian Response

                                                                    Trenton United Church

 I imagine we'll roll up to worship at Trenton United Church this morning and an orange "Every Child Matters" flag will be flying out front. Many United Churches across the country acknowledge what is now the official September 30th commemoration called National Truth and Reconciliation Day on the Sunday before. We'll join other members in wearing our orange tee-shirts and this week we'll fly our own flag in front of our home. 

This is a sombre occasion and it seems appropriate that we recognize it given the complicity of a number of Christian denominations in the Residential School system, really an indoctrination and assimilation system determined to extinguish Indigenous identity, including culture and spirituality. Denominations willingly worked with governments and police forces to take children from their homes into a life of misery which resulted in intergenerational trauma. The child's lunch box below from the 1950s or 60s is a chilling reminder of how pervasive this was. When I shared this image a couple of years ago I received this comment: 

Hello David. I too have recently come across this same horrific lunch box and I am not sure what to do with it. Would you have any suggestions ? My first thought was to burn it however I feel that it would only give weight to peoples denial that these monstrosities even existed. Just having it in my possession has troubled me deeply. Any suggestions ?

I'm reluctant to describe what happens today and officially on Friday as a holiday, except that this word originates in "holy day." While some holy days of the past were celebrations, others were for contrition and lament and seeking forgiveness. 

The revised United Church crest with the Indigenous colours of the four directions and four seasons, along with the Mohawk language phrase "all my relations"

Whatever our religious sensibilities, we can reflect during this week on what still needs to happen in terms of Truth and Reconciliation with Indigenous peoples. There has been too much "virtue signalling" on the part of governments and religious institutions, it seems to me, and not enough substantive change. 

I do appreciate the actions of the United Church in terms of apologies, reparations, and even the changes to our denominational crest as recognition of what is our greatest shame. We can still learn, change, and act. 

 

"No Forest & No Bears" in the Living Word

[Elisha] He went up from there to Bethel, and while he was going up on the way, some small boys came out of the city and jeered at him, saying, “Go away, baldhead! Go away, baldhead!”

 When he turned around and saw them, he cursed them in the name of the Lord. Then two she-bears came out of the woods and mauled forty-two of the boys.  From there he went on to Mount Carmel and then returned to Samaria.   

 2 Kings 2:23-25 NRSVue 

There is stiff competition for the most disturbing passage in scripture but one of the top three has to be the story of Elisha, the prophet, calling on bears to massacre children who taunted him with the term "baldy." Now, as a baldy I appreciate the sensitivity, but come on. This is such a grisly tale -- grizzly? -- that it's offensive and indefensible in virtually every way, although, bizarrely,  some commentators attempt to defend it. 

The pastor and writer Brian Zahn tweeted out the annotation to this passage by the esteemed Hebrew scholar, Robert Alter who calls the story "morally scandalous" and points out that through the centuries the rabbis have dismissed it as never having happened. In fact they coined a phrase "no bears and no forest" to not only sum up their opinion but as a general term for something that is fiction: 

No bears and no forest 

 No truth to it.  Doesn't exist.  There's no "there" there.  A complete fiction.  SOURCE: Stutchkoff, Der Oytser fun der Yidisher Shprakh. The first phrase is in Hebrew and usually stands alone. It is followed by a tongue-in-cheek paraphrase in Yiddish. Refers to a commentary on the story in 2 Kings 2:23-24, in which Elisha's curse called two bears out of a forest to attack youths who had mocked him. According to one interpretation, this was a double miracle because there existed in the area neither forest nor bears.

I have a high regard for scripture as the Living Word, but I'm not a literalist who chooses to engage in theological gymnastics to defend every strange passage. Nor do I feel that the values of another age must be applied universally for our time. Anyway, we are seeing many supposedly "bible believing" Christians across the border and here in Canada essentially abandoning scripture, including the teaching of Jesus, in favour of a quasi-religious White Supremacist cult. God help us all. 

Satirical depiction of Elisha and the Children 

Walk N' Roll( for Refugees) is Here to Stay

Walk N' Roll for Refugees volunteers participate in 2021's fundraiser where they raised close to $4,000 in support of the Anglican United Refugee Alliance. 

A bunch of people from Trenton United Church, our congregational family, will be involved again this year in an event called Walk N’ Roll, a fundraiser this coming Saturday for refugees under the auspices of both the Anglican and United churches in Canada. Our son, Isaac, is the Trenton UC minister and he and his family will be participants again this year. Rebekah, our daughter-in-law has been quite involved in the organization of the event and spoke to the Belleville Intelligencer recently. 

We're glad we can make a financial contribution to an organization bringing Afghans to Canada because of the humanitarian crisis in that country. I also feel strongly that our government has failed people who supported our troops during their years in Afghanistan and were left behind in a highly dangerous environment. 

Here is a portion of the Intelligencer interview with Rebekah. The forecast for the event is promising!

Community members are invited to walk, cycle, jog or roll this month in support of refugees entering Canada — with a focus on Syria and Afghanistan.

 “It’s a fundraiser to raise money for an NGO called the Anglican United Refugee Alliance (AURA),” explained Rebekah Kipp, an organizer for the region’s event. “It’s a family friendly event. We have lots of young people and youth who are participating with their parents.”

The teams of participants raise funds through sponsors. Those who wish to participate or help sponsor a team are advised to contact Kipp directly at rebekah.kipp@gmail.com or can donate to the team as a whole at bit.ly/Quinte_West. On the walk day, the team plans meet at the Quinte West Public Library as they begin their two–and-a-half hour journey through the community.

Last year’s event raised close to $4,000 in support of the NGO, Kipp explained that they hope to either match or beat that number come Sept. 24.

While many refugees are supported by the Anglican United Refugee Alliance, those coming from Ukraine can not be supported by the NGO due to legal restrictions. Kipp explained that refugees coming into Canada are not designated as UN sponsored refugees in the same way that refugees from other countries are. AURA is only allowed to assist refugees and has their hands tied due to the Canadian government designating the program to help Ukrainians in a different way and has not made them as refugees.

“I think everybody who is part of this NGO is very much aware of a situation in Ukraine, and is very supportive, of course, of any families who are coming to Canada,” said Kipp.

An Earth-Honouring Equinox

 

1 Great is thy faithfulness, God our Creator; 

there is no shadow of turning with thee;

thou changest not, thy compassions, they fail not; 

as thou hast been thou forever wilt be.

Great is thy faithfulness! Great is thy faithfulness!

Morning by morning new mercies I see;

all I have needed thy hand hath provided -

great is thy faithfulness, ever to me!

2 Summer and winter and springtime and harvest,  

sun, moon, and stars in their courses above

join with all nature in manifold witness 

to thy great faithfulness, mercy, and love.  R

3 Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth,

 thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide,

strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow - 

wondrous the portion thy blessings provide.  R

Voices United 288

But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I will hope in him.”

Lamentations 3: 23-24

This is the first day of Fall, the Autumnal Equinox which officially begins at 8:03 this evening. Here in the Northern Hemisphere we've been noticing that daybreak is later and nightfall comes earlier. Other traditional signals of the changing season such as the leaves taking on Fall colours haven't shown up in our area of Southern Ontario. Over the years I've noticed that decorations on Thanksgiving Sunday and Monday are different in this neck of the woods because we aren't able to collect the items from the natural world we once did. 

We're also seeing a variability in weather which is disturbing, including massive Fall storms which used to peter out before arriving in Atlantic Canada. Hurricane Juan nearly a decade ago,  Hurricane Dorian three years back, now Hurricane Fiona looming -- these are part of a new and devastating pattern. 

As we continue in the liturgical period known as Creation Time it's important to appreciate the gifts of Creator and Creation and to pay attention to the "signs of the times" in terms of human-influenced climate change. 

As we approached this day I thought of the oldie and goodie hymn, Great is Thy Faithfulness. It is based on a passage from the Hebrew scripture book called Lamentations which makes only a passing appearance in the Common Lectionary. It is about God's our Creator's faithfulness to us through all the seasons of life, but I take it as a call to respond with a sense of urgency and hope as we live as Christians in a troubled world. 

I notice that some Indigenous groups are holding Equinox gatherings today. Perhaps we Christians should be doing so as well, or joining in those events.

Please find time to get outside today, as you're able, so that your soul can say, I will hope in a merciful and loving God. And find the ways you can be agents of change for the sake of the planet. 

Equinoxe d'automne --Jean Paul Lemieux

A Prayer for the United Nations General Assembly

 

The 77th annual session of the United Nations is underway in New York City and the secretary general, Antonio Guterres, was blunt in naming the challenges faced by the organization in terms of international order and multilateralism. The future of the UN seems uncertain as we witness the rise of right-wing nationalism and general skepticism about the institution. 

I do feel that there is still an important place in international dialogue and action for the United Nations even though the criticisms about its unwieldly structure and effectiveness have some validity -- how can Russia still be a member of the Security Council with veto power?

The theme for this year’s General Assempby “A watershed moment: transformative solutions to interlocking challenges”.

 The New York Times described the opening address by Guterres as pivotting between alarm and hope, which is not unlike the prophetic utterances of prophets in the Judeo/Christian tradition. Those prophets were directed by God to tell the truth, regardless of whether people wanted to hear.

Guterres indentified the three areas of peace and security, the climate crisis and addressing inequality in developing countries as in urgent need of collective response. All are essential but I was particularly taken by what he had to say about the existential threat of the climate emergency. The Times report offers: 

Turning to climate, Mr. Guterres accused the fossil fuel industry of “feasting on hundreds of billions of dollars in subsidies and windfall profits” and called on the leaders of wealthy countries to issue additional levies to help vulnerable nations facing the irreparable damages of climate change. “Today, I am calling on all developed economies to tax the windfall profits of fossil fuel companies,” he told the heads of state and other government officials gathered at the United Nations General Assembly hall. “Those funds should be redirected in two ways: to countries suffering loss and damage caused by the climate crisis, and to people struggling with rising food and energy prices"

This is so clearly the truth, in my estimation, yet world leaders are reluctant to affirm this, including in Canada where we seem to be in thrall to fossil fuel producers, even when they leave behind terrible environmental messes, ignore the concerns of Indigenous peoples, and create greenhouse emissions which are choking the planet. I have no confidence in the current federal government's double-speak on addressing the climate emergency and I shudder at the thought of the Conservatives returning to power. 

Here is a prayer for the 70th anniversary of the UN in 2015. It may be even more appropriate today.  

For the work of the United Nations

Eternal God, beyond the desolation of poverty, of our violence and war,
you have given us the vision of the nations at peace with the earth and with one another.
Recall us to this your purpose in our day.
Prosper the work of the United Nations and its agencies
bringing together the peoples of the world
in the pursuit of truth and justice, equity and peace,
that the welfare of each may be the concern of all,
the suffering of each evoke the compassion of all,
and the achievement of each be a gift to all;
so may the nations be one as you are One, now and forever.

Farewell to a Queen

 1 The day thou gavest, Lord, is ended; the darkness falls at thy behest;

to thee our morning hymns ascended, thy praise shall sanctify our rest.

2 We thank thee that thy church unsleeping, while earth rolls onward into light,

through all the world her watch is keeping, and rests not now by day or night.

3 As o'er each continent and island the dawn leads on another day,

the voice of prayer is never silent, nor dies the strain of praise away.

4 The sun that bids us rest is waking our brethren 'neath the western sky,

and hour by hour fresh lips are making  thy wondrous doings heard on high.

                      Voices United 438

Well, I didn't see that coming. I'd almost forgotten about the royal funeral for Queen Elizabeth II yesterday but I was up early, as usual, and realized thanks to social media that the service from Westminster Abbey was soon to begin. In the end I watched hours of coverage and saw both the funeral service and committal service in their entirety with a fair amount of slow processing and marching in between.

I would say that the first few minutes of the funeral provided my highlights. The opening with choirs singing "I Am the Resurrection and the Life" was magnificent and brought to mind the hundreds of funeral and memorial services I began with those words from John's gospel, although not set to that sublime music. Some of the choristers were children and I hope they never forget this experience.One of the lads with ginger hair has already gone viral. 

 Then there was the first hymn (above) which is rarely sung in this time when there are no longer evening services. In fact, even though it is in Voices United I have to wonder if it has been sung once in a United Church in 2022. 

The rest of the service had meaningful moments, including the piper near the end. For the most part I found it rather flat with plenty of homage to Elizabeth in her life of service but no spark of her personhood. Even though there was plenty of religion it seemed to be an opportunity to uphold the monarchy, the military, and the Church of England -- strange bedfellows indeed. I suppose this comes with a history of empire and the intertwining of church and state in Britain. 

In the committal service there was recognition of the Queen's simple and yet profound Christian faith which had sustained her through the years. The musical setting of Psalm 121 was meaningful, and a prayer from the Book of Common Prayer was poetic and reassuring. 

I was in awe of the pallbearers who managed to move the 300 kilogram coffin in and out of the hearse, up and down stairs, along aisles, with dignity and grace. As someone who has witnessed many a ragtag group of pallbearers through the years this was an unexpected highlight.

 Oh yes, it was described as a funeral rather than a celebration of life, and instead of casket and funeral coach it was coffin and hearse. These terms have shifted over time, but not in this setting. Question: is it a waste to have a Jaguar hearse, when speed is definitely not required? Just asking. 

O Lord, support us all the day long,
until the shadows lengthen and the evening comes,
and the busy world is hushed, and the fever of life is over, and our work is done.
Then in thy mercy grant us a safe lodging, and a holy rest, and peace at the last.

There was also this new-to-me prayer from the magnificent John Donne who lived in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. There could be a study group on the thoughts expressed here!

Our Last Awakening

Bring us, O Lord God, at our last awakening into the house and gate of heaven, to enter into that gate and dwell in that house, where there shall be no darkness nor dazzling, but one equal light; no noise nor silence, but one equal music; no fears nor hopes, but one equal possession; no ends nor beginnings, but one equal eternity: in the habitations of thy majesty and glory, world without end. 

Amen.