Prayer for the teachers

Notes from the Pastor…

We are now in the third week of August, marking the “Great Change” in our community.  Before long our summer neighbors will return to their full-time homes, and businesses will tally the seasonal revenues; comparing it to former years and planning for the coming lean months.  Nonetheless, the great change happens not only in the pace of commerce, but also in the purpose of community.

William Butler Yeats once said, “Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire.”

This week, as children and youth return to story times, math quizzes, and study halls the fire of education embraces our community.  To paraphrase President John F. Kennedy, education is the means by which our greatest abilities are developed, “because in each of us there is a private hope and dream” which, fulfilled, can become the benefit and strength of community.  Thus, educators embark in task of community transformation – instructing and inspiring potential into competence.   Throughout this educational season, may we be committed to expressing support and providing prayer.

A prayer for teachers [by the United Church of Christ]:

          God of Love, thank you for every teacher who notices a child’s special gift. Thank you for teachers who are listeners and gentle guides. Thank you for teachers who expect much and love enough to demand more. Thank you for the special teacher each one of us remembers.
          God of Mercy, sustain teachers who give everything they have and feel abandoned when society expects too much. Strengthen teachers who assume the blame for so many problems beyond their control. Help exhausted teachers rest God of Strength, encourage teachers to care and inspire them to nourish. Motivate teachers to keep on learning for the fun of it and to make learning fun for children.
          We wonder at teachers who know how to quiet a class of five-year-olds or help fourth grade girls be empathetic. We admire teachers who enjoy middle school writers, or teach physics or math or civics. We cannot even imagine how to help every single student achieve Adequate Yearly Progress. Bless the people who are expected to accomplish these miracles and who know how to comfort children when miracles don’t happen.
          God of Justice, help our nation find a way to steward our vast wealth to support teachers in their special calling, wherever they teach and whatever the race or religion or gender or wealth of the children.

We pray these things in the name of our great teacher, Jesus Christ.  Amen

Grace,
Pastor Ryan