The Revised Prayer of Francis of Assisi

Lord, make me a channel of disturbance.
Where there is apathy, let me provoke.

Where there is compliance,
let me bring questioning.

Where there is silence, let me be a voice
Where there is too much comfort and too little action
Grant Disruption
Where doors are closed, and hearts are locked,
Grant a willingness to listen.
Where laws dictate and pain overlooked...
Where tradition speaks louder than need...
Grant that I may seek rather to do justice
than talk about it.

Disturb us, O Lord,
To be with, as well as for, the alienated.
To love the unlovable, as well as the lovely.

Author Unkown

Since this is the octave of the Feast of St Francis of Assisi, may this prayer be reflected in your actions.

Comments

  • I prefer the original. This revision strikes me as being too much dedicated to anger and hatred rather than to understanding and love. Grant that I may never seek so much to be understood as to understand. YMMV.
  • I like it, despite its empty grandiosity. Especially if the UK Labour Party prayed it. To anyone who prays it, I'd say show me.
  • EnochEnoch Shipmate
    I agree with @Hedgehog.
  • Poor @Gramps49, just trying to add to the tradition.
  • DoublethinkDoublethink Admin, 8th Day Host
    FWIW @Gramps49 I think it’s rather good, and after all it’s a complement to - rather than a replacement of - the original prayer.
  • FWIW @Gramps49 I think it’s rather good, and after all it’s a complement to - rather than a replacement of - the original prayer.
    FWIW, when I've seen it elsewhere (sometimes attributed to Rina Wintour and/or Pat Lavercombe, and sometimes in slightly different form), it’s been referred to as the “Reverse Prayer of St. Francis.”



  • The_Riv wrote: »
    Poor @Gramps49, just trying to add to the tradition.

    Add to the tradition? Is outrage! ;)

    But yes, for once I agree with @Martin54. If you are going to pray that, show us.

    Mind you, the same applies to the original version of course ...
  • CaissaCaissa Shipmate
    Take out the "Lord" part and it describes the behaviour of many of my communist/socialist friends.
  • I'd say the same to them. 'Show us.'
  • I have been an instrument of this prayer many times. I know the bishop was very happy when my term on the synod council expired. I refused to be her yes person on a number of questions. I can look back on how I became a change agent for the congregation I am a member of from changing the altar and baptismal font early on, to changing the worship times, to expanding our evangelical outreach. Just the other day someone mentoned our Lutheran church does not have many traditional Lutherans anymore.

    A few years ago, I was called on to develop a program to divert people from mental health institutions in the region. No one thought we would be successful, but we were. I saved our local government $36 million dollars over the five years I ran the program. To this day, the program is still bring used with some adaptations

    I remain very involved in civic affairs more often than not responding to opinion pieces in the paper. I have many people tell me they look forward to seeing my letters.

    A local concern people have in our area right now is the placement of a new wind farm just out of town in a rather scenic area. I am opposed to that, but I am not opposed to a new wind farm at a number of alternative sites. Very conservative people are opposed to any idea of a wind farm. I see it as necessary in order to continue to meet the power demands in the region.

    So, yes, this prayer speaks to me, and yes, I try to be an instrument of the change it is calling for.
  • I hear what you are saying, and rejoice in all the good stuff you have done. I'm different. I can only pray St Francis's original prayer. My minisstry seems to have been pastoral care of those affected by the worthy actions of those who respond to and act upon the modified prayer.
    God's Kingdom needs both sorts responders of course!

    Blessings.
  • TheOrganistTheOrganist Shipmate
    edited October 2024
    RockyRoger wrote: »
    {snip}I can only pray St Francis's original prayer.{snip}

    The so-called Prayer of St Francis has no connection with him whatsoever. It first appeared during WWI and is generally agreed to have come from a Canadian forces chaplain, Father Esther Bouquerel.
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