"To everything, turn, turn, turn,
There is a season, turn, turn, turn,
and a time for every purpose under Heaven"
These words are from the 1960's song by the group The Byrds. I always loved the song because the music was pretty, and the lyrics were more meaningful than those in other popular songs of that time. It wasn't until many years later that I realized those meaningful words were from Ecclesiastes 3: 1-8. Today, as we cross the threshold into 2011, I would like to use these words as a prayer for the new year.
Dear God, in the coming year, help us as we tend to our spiritual gardens, pulling out and allowing to die those habits, attitudes, thoughts, and actions that are poisonous to our existence as Christians. In their place, let us plant seeds of love from which kind, grace-filled thoughts and actions will be born. (vs. 2).
I pray that, with your help, we can kill/eliminate the stereotypical thoughts and prejudices we and others harbor that are borne of ignorance and fear and that divide your children of different nations, races, religions, genders, socioeconomic status, political parties, etc. Please guide us in breaking down barriers, healing relationships and building up bonds of unity so that, as one world, we can address hunger, poverty, injustice, environmental concerns and many other important issues.
When we weep out of anger, frustration or sorrow, please help us to remember you gave us the gift of laughter to relieve our stresses and help us view our problems in a different way. When we mourn, please send us your strength and comfort to ease our sense of loss and guide our way through the grieving process so that we may one day be able to even dance and praise you with gratitude for the persons, relationships or other things we have lost (vs. 4).
In the coming year, please grant us the insight and determination to throw away the stones in our lives - the people, relationships, guilt, addictions, self-destructive tendencies - that weigh us down and prevent us from being the best we can. Please help us to refrain from embracing similar types of negative influences but instead to replace those weighty stones with smaller, lighter pebbles which allow the hope, joy, peace and self-acceptance you offer to drain into our beings, causing us to realize how beautiful and amazing you created us to be (vs. 5).
I pray that, as a church, we will seek your guidance in ministering to those in our congregation and outside the walls of our building. May we never lose sight of our mission and the vision you helped us discern for our church. Please help us to continually monitor our progress in nurturing our current members and working to bring your message of hope and love to those who need it most. Guide us in the difficult task of determining what ideas and practices from the past we should keep to lead us forward and what attitudes and mindsets we need to discard because they are unrealistic and unsuitable for our future (vs. 6).
As we interact with family during the coming year, dear Lord, reinforce in us the need for love, patience, a quick mind and a slow tongue (especially with our children) so that our words and actions do not hurt or tear down those we love or damage relationships. Please give us wisdom, objectivity and a forgiving spirit so that we can mend relationships that have been strained or broken. Help us remember that it is not about us, and there are times when the best we can do for someone is to be quiet and listen to what they are saying. Please give us wisdom to discern when we need to speak up and the courage to do so even when it may be unpopular (vs. 7).
Finally, God, help us to "above all, clothe (ourselves) with love," (Colossians 3:14) seeking opportunities to respond to hate and violence with a loving and peaceful presence in which others can see you (vs. 8). Amen.
Mary Taylor
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