Prayers that tugged at my heart.
So during Advent, we made this prayer chain, and over the weeks following Advent we had been taking pieces of the chain off and using them during the intercessory prayers on Sundays.
As I went through these, there are several I pulled out that tugged at my heart, and truly illustrate what the kids in this neighborhood go through, and how powerfully they see God in their lives and need God in their lives. I want to share them, and hope that you will see their power as well.
1. I pray that I live to see another day and I pray that some day my mom won't give up on me.
2. I pray that my broken heart can get healed and I can stop thinking about the one I gave my heart and gift to.
3. Me.
4. All my close friends and enemies.
5. I pray that I can go to Prom because this is my first one.
6. I pray that my mom could get some help with paying the bills and with us, she can't do it alone.
7. Gay pride.
8. Safer streets in all cities.
9. I would like to pray on my life and that I won't be homeless by January.
There were many many more prayers, but these are the ones I knew were written by the youth, and that made me cry each time I read them. The children of the church and of the cities are in need of help, they need people to support them, to show them love (because they don't always get it at home) and to listen to their fears, because they are real. Many of these children try to find that somewhere, and end up in gangs or as prositutes, so I would encourage everyone to reach out and care, take a child into your heart, and offer them a safe place that they can talk and be a kid.
I pray that all these children's prayers are answered, and that they feeling the healing presence of God in their lives, supported by people who care.
Labels: cities, kids, love, prayers, urban ministry
End of the Begining.
And it has come, the end to the beginning of my seminary career. It has been a transformational, informational, and fruitful first year.
It amazes me how much I can still learn about myself, my relation to God, and my future vocation. People have such complex edges to them, and I am able to help them through some of the biggest celebrations and mournings they will ever have. I have the opportunity to celebrate, cry, laugh, and grow with many people. Not many people can say that their job can bring them even closer to their faith.
Although I understand that I am just showing God's light through me, it's awesome that I get to be a bystander and facilitator of that power. Think about it...I get to preach God's word, wow! I get to proclaim the good news to everyone. To share with people the grace that God gives each on of us, and to comfort them with the knowledge that God loves them and everyone so much, that God saves us through our faith in Jesus Christ's death for each of us. God died, so that God may save us.
What a powerful message I get to deliver? What a powerful comfort I am able to facilitate to people? Each day I realize in greater detail that God called me for a reason. God called me to share with people the talents and care that I have inherently within me.
Seminary has been an awesome experience in itself. I connected on multiple levels to people here, had theological discussions, wrote some formative papers, explored myself, and came out as an empowered and excited woman. I think this year has truly been the year that I came into my own. I grew, I formed my own opinions and ideas, I explored those ideas in papers, I formed my theology, I got a voice. A voice which will be shown throughout the rest of my career. I have the power to challenge the intellectual aspects of Christianity and theology, and I have the heart to connect deeply and care for those people who are in need of seeing God's love.
I have realized a lot about what I would hope for my ministry. I have chosen to have urban ministry be my concentration. A choice, which I think God has also called me to, in that I feel very connected to the situations that people in urban settings go through, and I also would like to challenge current systems that are in place in urban settings, creating social change, breaking social codes, and striving for social justice.
Overall, I think I am more excited about seminary now, then when I first entered. It's just where I am meant to be, and I'm glad that God finally got through and I listened. :)
This post was more for myself, then anything, to document where I have come from and how I have changed. Here's to a great summer being a chaplain. *raises glass*
Have a great summer kids! I shall post about my experience as a Chaplain as I can, but my hours will be crazy, so no promises.
Pace e bene.
Labels: change, chaplain, first year, grace, LTSP, seminary, summer, urban ministry
