George:

I very much liked the prayer included in a lay sermon at the Thomas Jefferson Memorial Church, Unitarian Universalist, by worship associate Kip Newland, Sun. July 20. Here is the prayer, composed by Harry Meserve, a UU minister (now deceased):

From arrogance, pompousness, and from thinking ourselves more important than we are, may some saving sense of humor liberate us.

For allowing ourselves to ridicule the faith of others, may we be forgiven.

From making war and calling it peace, special privilege and calling it justice, indifference and calling it tolerance, pollution and calling it progress, may we be cured.

For telling ourselves and others that evil is inevitable while good is impossible, may we stand corrected.

God of our mixed up, tragic, aspiring, doubting, and insurgent lives, help us to be as good as in our hearts we have always wanted to be.

Amen

Carolyn Silver (Electronic mail, July 23, 2008)

Note: Carolyn is responding to a request for nonsectarian prayers in light of the decision of the Fourth Circuit in the case of the Fredericksburg Council prayer policy.