Week 4 | Prayers, Practices, and Meditations for LGBTQ+ Christians and Allies

Q Christian is posting four weeks’ worth of daily prayers and spiritual practices. In a time of isolation for many, we hope the voices of these saints, past and present, will bring hope, peace, and joy in the midst of uncertainty and suffering in our world. 

Week 4, Day 1

“Lectio divina is a contemplative way to read short passages of sacred text. With the first reading, listen with your heart’s ear for a phrase or word that stands out for you. During the second reading, reflect on what touches you, perhaps speaking that response aloud or writing in a journal. After reading the passage a third time, respond with a prayer or expression of what you have experienced and what it calls you to. Finally, rest in silence after a fourth reading.” (Fr. Richard Rohr)

Song of Songs 6:9-12, 7:10-14, 8:6-7 (New Jerusalem Bible)

My dove is my only one,
perfect and mine.
She is the darling of her mother,
the favourite of the one who bore her.
Girls have seen her and proclaimed her blessed,
queens and concubines have sung her praises,
“Who is this arising like the dawn,
fair as the moon,
resplendent as the sun,
formidable as an army?”

I went down to the nut orchard
to see the fresh shoots in the valley,
to see if the vines were budding
and the pomegranate trees in flower.
Before I knew . . . my desire had hurled me
onto the chariots of Amminadib!

BELOVED:
[Y]our palate [is] like sweet wine
[f]lowing down the throat of my love,
as it runs on the lips of those who sleep.
I belong to my love,
and his desire is for me.

Come, my love,
let us go to the fields.
We will spend the night in the villages,
and in the early morning we will go to the vineyards.
We will see if the vines are budding,
if their blossoms are opening,
if the pomegranate trees are in flower.
Then I shall give you
the gift of my love.
The mandrakes yield their fragrance,
the most exquisite fruits are at our doors;
the new as well as the old,
I have stored them for you, my love.

Set me like a seal on your heart,
like a seal on your arm.
For love is strong as Death,
passion as relentless as Sheol.
The flash of it is a flash of fire,
a flame of YHWH himself.
Love no flood can quench,
no torrents drown.

Week 4, Day 2

As weeks stretch into months of isolation and fear, it is easy to lose hope. Have you found yourself feeling helpless recently? Uncertain of how long you can cope with the “new normal”? 

Read the following poem by Yayoi Kusama. Reflect on her words and invite God to give you perseverance and strength today in the midst of fear and uncertainty. Take a moment to think about what you are fighting for or against in this season.

Poem By Yayoi Kusama

Though it glistens just out of reach, I continue to pray for hope to shine through
Its glimmer lighting our way
This long awaited great cosmic glow

Now that we find ourselves on the dark side of the world
That God will be there to strengthen the hope we have spread throughout the universe

For those left behind, each person's story and that of their loved ones
It is time to seek a hymn of love for our souls
In the midst of this historic menace, a brief burst of light points to the future
Let us joyfully sing this song of a splendid future
Let's go

Embraced in deep love and the efforts of people all over the world
Now is the time to overcome, to bring peace
We gathered for love and I hope to fulfill that desire
The time has come to fight and overcome our unhappiness

To COVID-19 that stands in our way
I say Disappear from this earth
We shall fight
We shall fight this terrible monster

Now is the time for people all over the world to stand up
My deep gratitude goes to all those who are already fighting.

Amen.

Week 4, Day 3

As the virus continues to spread, more and more of us know a sick friend or family member. You may also be wrestling with illness at this time. Read the following prayer adapted from St. Francis of Assisi and pray this blessing for the sick. If you are able, extend an act or word of kindness towards a sick individual or healthcare worker that you know today. 

Adapted from A Blessing For the Sick
By Saint Francis of Assisi

Lord Jesus, when you were on earth, they brought the sick to you and you
healed them all. Today I ask you to bless all those in sickness, in weakness
and in pain.

For the sick in quarantine who cannot see the light of the sun;
the beauty of the world, or the faces of their friends and family:
Bless your people, O Lord.

For those in the ICU who cannot hear the voices which speak to them;
who are helpless and lie in bed while a ventilator moves their breath out and in:
Bless your people, O Lord.

For those with mental health struggles and those who are so anxious that
they cannot cope with life:
Bless your people, O Lord.

For those who are immunocompromised; those whose weakness
means that they must always be careful:
Bless your people, O Lord.

For those suffering from debilitating or terminal illness and for their caregivers:
Bless your people, O Lord.

For those who are near the hour of death and in their final struggle:
Bless your people, O Lord.

Father, your only Son took upon himself the sufferings and weakness of the
whole human race; through his passion and cross he taught us how good can
be brought out of suffering. Look upon our brothers and sisters who are ill, whom
we now remember in a special way. In the midst of illness and pain, may they be
united with Christ, who heals both body and soul. We ask this through Christ our

Lord. Amen.

Week 4, Day 4

For many of us in the LGBTQ+ community, our chosen family is our lifeline in these trying times. We love one another fully and without question. We seek each other out from all corners of the Earth and reveal to each other our deepest sorrows and greatest hopes.

Read the following poem by Jade Sylvan and take a moment today to connect with someone in your chosen family. Remind them that they are deeply and unconditionally loved.

Adapted from A Queer Prayer for Winter Nights
By Jade Sylvan 

As we gather in the darkness and the light
let us give thanks and witness to our chosen families
who we have traveled a lifetime to find.
We gather with our beloveds, on Skype and on Twitter, 
in our memories, in our hopes, in the silence and the noise.
We witness and hold these families no matter their size–
families of one or one-thousand. Families of 90 years or of 90 minutes.

We rejoice in the opportunities to care for our beloveds,
to feed them, to listen to them, to share our spirits’ fears
and desires, and simply to share space with this
precious kin-dom, holy and sanctified as any bloodline.

We celebrate our shared time as Holy Days,
for every time we commune with our beloveds,
we make that time and space holy.

And for those who are alone, we wish hallowed solitude,
that they may feel love-of-self and love of the Mystery.
May those who spend these nights of Sacred Darkness
alone know they are important,
they are connected,
they are Divine.

We celebrate each Holy Day as we find them together.
May we be present in this time of darkness and light.
May we hold one another in the quiet, may we do
what we can to make sure everyone we love

is warm and full of food and hope and love.

Week 4, Day 5

It is easy to fall down the rabbit hole of coronavirus news. You may find yourself routinely deep diving into an endless media stream of economic distress and political division. Some days, it may feel difficult to do much else.

Read the following prayer. When finished, reflect on what it looks like to quiet your mind today. Consider creating boundaries around what kind of news you consume. Perhaps set a time today when you will begin and end engaging with emotionally taxing information.

Slow Me Down
By Orin L. Crain

Slow Me Down 
Slow me down, Lord!
Ease the pounding of my heart
By the quieting of my mind.
Steady my harried pace
With a vision of the eternal reach of time.

Give me,
Amidst the confusions of my day,
The calmness of the everlasting hills.
Break the tensions of my nerves
With the soothing music 
Of the singing streams
That live in my memory.

Help me to know
The magical power of sleep,
Teach me the art
Of taking minute vacations 
Of slowing down
To look at a flower;
To chat with an old friend 
Or make a new one;
To pet a dog;
To watch a spider build a web;
To smile at a child;
Or to read a few lines from a good book.

Remind me each day
That the race is not always won by the swift;
That there is more to life 
Than increasing its speed.

Let me look upward
Into the branches of the towering oak
And know that it grew great and strong
Because it grew slowly and well.

Slow me down, Lord,
And inspire me to send my roots deep
Into the soil of life's enduring values
That I may grow toward the stars

Of our greater destiny.