Prayer by Kyle Oliver for prayr.cc (CC BY 2.0)
Photo: “Unplugged” by frankieleon via Flickr (CC BY 2.0)
O God, we thank you for the gift of connectivity, through which you strengthen relationships and communities, allowing shared pursuits to proceed.
We thank you for the gift of meaningful work and gainful employment, even as we pray for those unjustly excluded from the benefits of these blessings.
We thank you for the gift of technology, those tools and spaces that help us work and play in ways that were once unimaginable to us.
We know these gifts are good, dear Lord, and we confess that we do not always use them wisely. We know as well that there are times when you call us to set them aside, to step away.
Help us remember that unplugging from our daily cares makes space for us to connect more deeply with you, with our dearest ones, and with ourselves.
Help us in this time to drink deeply from the well of your love. Help us to rest, and to know your peace.
You have given us much to do, O Creator of Life and Sustainer of the World. Help us remember that you do not need us to do it all.
Be with us all our lives as we learn the sacred art of letting go.
Amen.
This prayer for unplugging can be used before a vacation or observance of the Sabbath, or any time you need God’s help letting go of constant connectivity.
In my case, it’s the former. Tomorrow Kristin and I will leave town for a while. It’s not my usual practice to leave in the middle of the semester, but the timing couldn’t be helped. I welcome your prayers for rest and rejuvenation.
Creative Commons Prayer will resume November 20 with the first of several guests posts.
Related Prayers
Book of Common Prayer, Public Domain
32. For the Good Use of Leisure
O God, in the course of this busy life, give us times of refreshment and peace; and grant that we may so use our leisure to rebuild our bodies and renew our minds, that our spirits may be opened to the goodness of your creation; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
53. For Travelers
O God, our heavenly Father, whose glory fills the whole creation, and whose presence we find wherever we go: Preserve those who travel [in particular _______________]; surround them with your loving care; protect them from every danger; and bring them in safety to their journey’s end; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
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Common Prayers: Faith, Family, and a Christian’s Journey Through the Jewish Year by Harvey Cox
This book has been hugely influential in my life—even more so now that I live and serve in New York City. The connection to this post is that every time I think of Sabbath, I think of Cox’s thoughtful Christian discussion of Rabbi Abraham Heschel’s conception of it as “a cathedral in time.” Perhaps today’s prayer for unplugging can be your doorway into that space, this weekend or sometime soon.
The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms by N. K. Jemisin
This gem (and its two sequels) can’t be my vacation reading because I just finished the series. But if you’re looking for something fun, fanciful, and theologically rich, I can’t recommend them highly enough. It’s an extended reflection on race, society, and divinity—but it does NOT feel like homework.