Prayers and Dreamings

with a bow to Ysaye Barnwell and Stephanie Kaza

Spirit within all, mysterious force giving shape to
life, miraculous source and river of being,
help us to know who we are, to see our place in the
history of the earth and in the ­family of things;
help us to see that we are part of all that ever was—
our grandmother’s prayers and our grandfather’s dreamings,
our mother’s courage and our father’s hope.

In our bones lies the calcium of antediluvian creatures,
in our veins courses the water of seas;
we are part of all that ever was,
born of this earth, riders upon a cosmic ocean;
we are not separate from nature, we are nature,
part of that same spirit that turned scales into
feathers and birdsong into speech;
we live by the sun; we move by the stars...
we eat from the earth; we drink from the rain.

O great spirit, help us know who we are
and fill us with such love for this holy creation
and gratitude for this awesome gift we call living,
that we might claim our inheritance and live out our calling
to bless the world and each other with our care.
Amen

Father in ocean, playfully tossing child.
A speckled egg and leaves inside of a bird's nest

Becoming

By Kayla Parker

From Skinner House Books

A spiritual companion for young adults and all who live amid transitions and tensions. Dozens of carefully selected readings address themes that are prominent for people in their twenties and early thirties.

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