Prayers of Love and Faith

A Prayer of Dedication

God of grace, whose beauty, ever ancient, ever new, sings through all creation: enfold your servants N and N with your encouragement, hope, and love. Fill them with the grace to rejoice always in their love for one another, and to follow the Way of holiness and hope revealed in your Son Jesus Christ.

All Amen.

 Along the way I have joked that Anglicans have prayers for virtually every circumstance, including beseeching the Creator for sunshine on a rainy day. This might be something of an exaggeration, although leaf through the venerable Book of Common Prayer and you'll realize that I'm not far off. 

Recently I read that the General Synod of the Church of England has voted to move ahead with implementing special prayers of thanks and dedication for gay couples under the title "Prayers of Love and Faith". This is a collection for use in existing church services and also approved as the basis for stand-alone services.The vote to go ahead with the pilot program followed hours of emotionally charged debate about the church’s pastoral responsibilities toward LGBTQ2S+ people. Same-gender marriage has been legal in Britain and Wales for a decade but not allowed in the CofE. 

it's always a jolt to realize that these contentious conversations continue in many denominations, including those considered mainline. They certainly happened in the United Church and it was painful, particularly in the late 1980s and early 90s. It was not an easy time to be in ministry. 

Here are a couple of paragraphs from the Washington Post about the testimony of some who have been hurt by exclusion in the church they love and serve:

Several speakers during the lengthy debates described their own experiences of being gay in the Church of England. “I realized what it means to be queer, the way you love beyond gender, the shame I’d absorbed about me, but Jesus showed me how to be ourselves,” said the Rev. Chantal Noppen, from the Diocese of Durham, telling the gathering: “We need to make progress.”

Paul Ronson, who said he had been a church organist for 45 years, said: “We’ve all had enough. This has gone on long enough. Nothing can separate me from the love of God, I say to those who say I am going to hell.”

While I'm tempted to make a joke about church musicians being consigned to hell, this is no laughing matter for the untold thousands who have been "hidden in plain sight" in the church because of their orientation. 

Instead I'll share a couple of the test prayers and encourage us all to pray that the Church of England continue on the slippery Christian slope of acceptance and inclusion. 

A Prayer of Thanksgiving

Gracious God, from love we are made and to love we shall return. May our love for one another kindle flames of joy and hope. May the light and warmth of your grace inspire us to follow the Way of Jesus Christ, and serve you in your Kingdom, now and for ever.

All Amen.