Blessings and Prayers for Students, Teachers and Schools.
When I was a boy, we had summer vacations which seemed to last forever and we never went back to school before Labor Day. Not these days. Here in Escondido, at least, students are going back to school this week, and hopefully they have rested and are ready for the challenges of the year. And hopefully the teachers and school staff have rested and are recharged as well.
A new school year is a threshold moment, a time of transition which brings excitement, anxieties and the promise of something new. At church, we are all about such moments. We regularly accompany people through the transitions of life and death. We rejoice together through good things and support each other in the challenges.
I ask you to pray for the students of our schools this year. It is going to be a challenging year for a lot of Escondido families. Many students are uncertain about what will happen with their parents because of their immigration status. Pray for them. Social media, phones and the constant presence of TicToc and other apps pull students away from focusing on classrooms and their studies. Pray for them. Despite being constantly connected through social media, young people are increasingly feeling isolated and lonely. Pray for them. Teachers and staff are constrained by budgets, often challenged by administrations, and asked to do miracles on a daily basis. Pray for them too.
To pray for our schools is not just to pray for our future, it is to pray for this present moment. The schools are the lifeblood of our society and if we neglect our schools we mortgage our future.
I will conclude with a short prayer. Please add your own prayers this week. And thank you.
Almighty God, source of wisdom and truth, bless all students, teachers, and staff as a new school year begins. Grant curiosity in learning, patience in teaching, and strength and support in schools across our country and world. Protect children in their coming and going. Keep schools safe. And be with families in support and love. We ask all this through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Tom +