Leading up to the Special Council on Human Sexuality in April, the Reformed Church in America has published a series of 21 devotionals to help the denomination and participants prepare. We encourage all Room for All supporters to sign up to receive these devotionals via email and follow along as we pray for the church and particularly those LGBTQ people who are participating.
In addition, Room for All has commissioned a series of 21 Inclusive Prayers and Devotionals written by supporters and friends of Room for All to coincide with and complement the RCA’s series. We will publish those here on OUTsights over the next 21 days.
These readings and prayers are solely the words and opinions of each guest writer and do not necessarily reflect the views of Room for All, their staff, or the board.
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Day 1
a prayer by Liz Estes
Creator God, grant us the courage to acknowledge how perfectly you made us. You alone determine whether we are right or left-handed. And for each of us, only you weave our personal and mysterious mix of gender, sexuality and sexual orientation into our very being. Help us bask in your loving gaze. For the gracious and audacious gift of who we are, thank you.
Jesus Our Brother, by your crucifixion, you know that when we step outside the norms of society, we are subject to verbal brutality and physical abuse. Protect us when RCA Ministers, Elders, and apostles take the place of the Gospel’s chief priests, scribes and Pharisees. Comfort our siblings who keep their true selves hidden out of fear. Guard our siblings who can no longer hide their true selves. Shine the light of your cross on our persecutors. Uncover their eyes to the wounds they inflict. As God revealed you crucified and risen to the Apostle Paul, reveal to those who call themselves Christian that it is you whom they hurt. Grant them courage to confess the harm they have done. One-by-one, as they kneel at your feet, help us to look upon their limitations with compassion.
Holy Spirit, we count on you to reveal to the whole world that Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Queer, Transgender, Asexual, Intersex, and all Gender Non-Conforming identities are gifts of God. Among all the earth’s people, these identities reveal that God’s creativity surpasses and surprises society’s limited understandings. You have given each one of us a vital role in the Body of Christ. All are needed to save the world and each other. Help us affirm your gifts in all people.
Creator, Brother, Spirit, to reveal our faith in our true selves is to put our faith in you and in one another. Be with us. Guide our steps. Open our hearts and minds to the ways you are always at work to heal our world so we may become instruments of your peace.