Amy Kelly, from the First Church of Christ, Congregational, Bedford, MA, sent out this email request to the Institute for Welcoming Resources Yahoo group:
"Our church is planning to offer a prayer for those who may be coming out on October 11th, National Coming Out Day. We have some resources for this kind of thing 'on order' but in the meantime, does anyone have such a prayer or know where I might find one online? It would be for those coming out, and for Grace for those receiving the information (assuming some will find it difficult to hear)."
I thought this was such a great idea that I invited everyone to share their prayers on MyOutSpirit.com. Thank you to everyone who contributed already, and I hope you will add your own prayers and affirmations in the comments area.
Peace & Blessings,
Clayton
AMY KELLY
Blessed Creator, we give you thanks that we are all made in your image. We give you thanks for the love & compassion of this community that lead us to the decision to express that compassion through our declaration as an Open & Affirming congregation.
Father/Mother God, we give you Glory for you unconditional love. We offer up our gratitude for the confidence and the grace to be fully who you have made us to be.
This Saturday is a Day of Coming Out, we pray for all those who have come to the brave decision to be fully who they are with those they love and care about. We ask that you support them, now, and into the future as we know that coming out isn’t one event, but rather a continuous process over and over again.
Dear God, we ask for strength for those taking this courageous step in showing their whole selves that you hold dear and know so well, to others. As the Psalmist wrote “O LORD, you have searched me and you know me.” We ask for grace and understanding for those they share this part of themselves with, that they may see You in their friend or loved one. We ask for that same grace for those who come out, that they may find Your comfort, and have patience with for those who may need time to accept this new revelation. God, your extravagant welcome overwhelms us. May you continue speaking to us that we may live more fully into your Kingdom here on Earth.
We pray that all of the people of God, following the example of these courageous ones, come out to God, revealing our own beautiful, hidden places, and falling into the joy that comes of sharing our most authentic, best selves. Amen.
MK O'Haver offered these prayers from "Coming Out Young and Faithful" by Leanne McCall Tigert & Timothy Brown
Prayer for Coming Out
Creator God, I am learning things all the time.
It is a gift to get to know you and your world, your beautiful creations.
I am also getting to know myself,
and I am discovering I am attracted to members of my gender - other
girls (or boys). Sometimes the things I feel are strong and deep.
Sometimes it even feels like love.
Sometimes I feel scared about these feelings.
Sometimes I feel wonderful about them.
I know that I am your creation,
and you have given me a wonderful gift in my orientation.
I pray for your supporting presence as I become more comfortable with my feelings.
I pray for your guidance,
that I may know when it is the right time
for me to let other people know about this part of me.
I pray for your supporting presence if I should be rejected,
knowing that you, God who created me, will not reject me,
that you will affirm me as part of your beautiful creation.
In your trust. Amen.
Parent's Prayer
God you are the creator of the universe.
You created all that is.
You made the animals, and the fish and the birds,
you created humanity.
You created me
and you created the miracle that is my child, whom I love deeply.
I/We have just learned that s/he is gay.
I/We don't know why you created her/him this way
Help me/us not only to accept him/her
but to fully embrace and love him/her for who he/she is
I/We ask for your presence during my/our own journey with my/our daughter/son.
I/We also ask for your presence
and special protection with my/our child on her/his journey in this world,
which can sometimes be so cruel,
especially to one so different.
I/We ask your blessing on my/our family.
Amen.
A Friend's Prayer
Loving Spirit and Friend,
my friend (name) is coming out as gay.
I ask for you to be present with my friend,
to help him/her know that s/he is loved - by me, by you, and by others.
Guide my friend as s/he comes to terms with his/her identity.
Protect her/him from the cruel things people may say or do;
surround him/her with support and with your love.
Amen.
Bonnie Crouse says, "I helped present a Coming Out Day worship service at a Unitarian Universalist retreat center. We drew all the readings from poetry, then had a brief homily tying each one to spiritual matters and virtues of real human communities. My favorite was Pied Beauty, by Gerard Manley Hopkins, a lifting up the preciousness of all the things in creation that are irregular, different, unconventional, quirky....the point being that the perfection of creation has plenty of room for all of us who are, well, different. It made for some wonderful dialog following the service.":
GLORY be to God for dappled things— | |
For skies of couple-colour as a brinded cow; | |
For rose-moles all in stipple upon trout that swim; | |
Fresh-firecoal chestnut-falls; finches’ wings; | |
Landscape plotted and pieced—fold, fallow, and plough; | 5 |
And áll trádes, their gear and tackle and trim. | |
All things counter, original, spare, strange; | |
Whatever is fickle, freckled (who knows how?) | |
With swift, slow; sweet, sour; adazzle, dim; | |
He fathers-forth whose beauty is past change: | 10 |
Praise him. |
Joni Christian says, "Be careful who you hate, it might just be someone you love," and offers two YouTube videos:
This is from my journal, from August 2006. I was realizing that my life was taking a turn, that I would be coming out to my church for the first time. I tried to capture a snapshot of my feelings, and how I viewed the realities of being gay in my denomination. Since that time, I have processed my thoughts a bit more. These reflections remain true for me, but more like I’m looking through a wide angle lens. When I zoom in on individual relationships and encounters I can see that the larger picture is indeed moving–although very slowly–in the direction of love and grace.
For now, my silence buys me a place in the safety of the 99, but as I begin to speak my truth, I step into the vulnerability of that 100th sheep. The shepherds of our church are not really going to come looking for me, though. They say that they will stand with me, but only up until that point where they have to take a stand. Then, they will look away, pretend not to see, say a shamed prayer of petition that I will quietly leave.
I am not the coin of great worth. As this prodigal is walking up the road to her spiritual home, there are no servants of my God running to greet me, to welcome the authentic me home. I will be worshipping in the same house with the family of God, but to many will no longer be known as a sister. I don’t know what grace will be afforded me. I don’t know who will be able to accept my reality, my presence, my servanthood.
I do believe that our leaders long to be true to the call and obligations of the kingdom, but the poverty of our spiritual lives limit that response. In the economy of our church today, it is the 99 sheep, not the Good Shepherd, who calculate the worth of the 1. The cost of accepting the truth of the outcast is too high to attempt. We will lose our illusion of unity, we will lose our ignorance of the boundaries we place on God’s love, we will lose our status within the kingdom of Christianity.
My shame is that I support this economy as well. I am not willing to endanger the body of Christ to save the outcast, even when it’s me. I am painfully aware that my actions and inactions are prolonging the estrangement of my gay brothers and sisters, and I knowingly compromise their worth for the non-confronted comfort of my congregation and denomination.
My prayer is that by becoming visible, I will help the church to better see Christ’s this-world redeeming love. In a way, I am the found, seeking to draw the 99 more fully into the Light of God’s grace.
Posted by: Stacie | October 10, 2008 at 02:09 PM
wow....i'm stunned.
Posted by: pennyjane | October 10, 2008 at 11:06 PM
I need a prayer,a prayer to ask god y he made me lyk this(gay)was he doing n experiment with me..If he ws then y me..Y me from 1000's of people in this world!!! Plz help me..
Posted by: Roamie | October 11, 2008 at 12:17 PM
who can know the mind of God? who can give Him advice?
about all you can be sure of is that He knows you better then you know yourself and that He loves you more then you love yourself. trust in Him, He knows what he's doing and it is for your best.
exalt in His gifts and bear His burdens, try to love Him as much as He loves you and it will all come together. may He bless you with all His love and all His hope. pj
Posted by: pennyjnae | October 11, 2008 at 04:11 PM
For Those Who Face Coming Out:
Our Heavenly Father who knows all desires and from whom no secrets are hid, we pray for our gay brothers and sisters who live in fear and uncertainty that they might lose the approval of man. We love you, Lord. We pray that you will lead us to love EACH neighbor as we love ourselves.
We pray for each gay brother and sister, that you remove fear and loneliness from their hearts. As we are young in love and young in Christ - bless us with your peace. Be with each of us in our time to try on the Rainbow Vest. Make it a shield to the adversity of man, and a mirror of your never-ending love. Bless us to find a good fit.
And be with us, Lord, the lovers, friends, family, supporters, who wear the Rainbow Vest for those who cannot wear theirs today. Bless us all and remind us of your greatest commandment on which hang all others: Love. Love.
Through Christ our Lord.
-Amen.
Posted by: John Myers | October 19, 2008 at 08:58 AM
Nice day.I need a prayer,a prayer to ask god y he made me lyk this(gay)was he doing n experiment with me..
Posted by: Kit | September 30, 2009 at 08:40 PM
God doesn't do experiments dear. He made you the beautiful, wonderous creature you are on purpose!
Amazing Grace...Father of all...help this, your own dear child, to love themselves as you love them. shine Your light on this heart that it may see You, the Love of the universe, the Maker of all, the One who is ever so proud of all Your creation.
take away this pain and suffering, replace it with peace and acceptance.
in Jesus' name i pray. amen
Posted by: pennyjane | October 01, 2009 at 10:37 AM
about all you can be sure of is that He knows you better then you know yourself and that He loves you more then you love yourself. trust in Him, He knows what he's doing and it is for your best.
Posted by: Jordan | January 28, 2010 at 07:42 AM
It would be amazing to cover the whole scope of LGBTQ personality and History, by studying all of the people who have been healed by their faith.
Posted by: Robbenwainer | October 25, 2014 at 01:18 AM