BODY AFFIRMATION adapted by Rachel Miller Jacobs What’s the difference between an affirmation/confession of faith and a prayer? An affirmation or confession of faith is a statement we make in the presence of, but not specifically to, God and others as a way of concretely claiming something is true. A prayer is a spoken, silent, and/or physical “conversation” with God: it is addressed to God. I call this practice an affirmation because while we speak it in God’s presence, what we are saying is not specifically addressed to God. I am grounded extend arms wide overhead—orans posture my roots go deep bend from the waist and touch toes if possible! I am flexible raise arms above head and bend to the right I am resilient then bend to the left I am facing my past dropping arms to side, turn half-way around and am letting go turn the rest of the way to face the front; of what I don’t need to carry make a rolling motion with the hands, then a releasing motion I am honoring God from a bent position, straightening up with my body and soul while sweeping your hands up your body then extending back into original orans posture Adapted by Rachel Miller Jacobs from a STAR (Strategies for Trauma Awareness and Resilience, Eastern Mennonite University http://www.emu.edu/cjp/star/) “prayer” This prayer/meditation/thing came to me one morning early in the COVID-19 pandemic, when I woke early Sunday morning feeling hopeless as the night leached into day. I did this first as a personal meditation, then immediately wrote it and led my congregation through it in Zoom worship.
Imagine that your belovedness is located deep inside of you. I’m talking about that core of who you are as someone made in the image of a God who loves you, that part of you that has experienced love and worth or that longs to feel that love. It’s there, whether you are familiar with it or not. Take a moment to locate it in your body. For me, it's a spot about the size of a walnut, right behind my sternum. Maybe it's larger or smaller for you, maybe it's lower in your gut, maybe it's higher in your heart, maybe it's somewhere else. Wherever the core of your belovedness is, reach down to it and give it a little nudge, waking it up. You can put your hand on your body if you like. This is a set of Calls to Worship and Prayers for Advent. I wrote them in 2018 (RCL Year C), but aren't tied particularly to the lectionary. Rather they are tied to a theme of waiting in honest expectation for God to arrive, to make good on what God promised.
Congregational Prayer
Written February 9 2020 Revised Common Lectionary Year A Matthew 5:13–20 “You are salt of the earth” God of salt, who satiates, fills our bellies, pleases our palettes, God of all juicy, rich, delicious things, we shout out our gratitude to you today: [Congregation shares gratitudes aloud] God who seasons us through and through, we are too often content to be bland. We sprinkle you on top of daily life, an afterthought, rather than letting your saltiness get deep into our bones, giving it time to do its work of changing us. We are too often content to live lives of shallow, diluted flavors, foregoing the depth you have already offered us. We are too often afraid to be bold. God, the savor of life, pour out your presence and love on every one among us who is hurting today: [Congregation shares petitions. Get salty with God; ask God to come, do, heal] God you made us salt of the earth. Give us a craving to live that abundant life. Give us the stomach to be spicy. Give us the courage to be bold. Amen. Beloveds, come forward, and as a sign of assurance that God hears and cares and responds, receive a taste of salt. [Give everyone who comes up a few flakes of salt. Kosher salt, obviously] |
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