Congregations Caring for Children

A Prayer for Children

A Prayer for Children

A Prayer for Children

A Prayer for Children

A Prayer for Children

We Pray for Children

We Pray for Children

We Pray for Children

We Pray for Children

We Pray for Children

Who put chocolate fingers everywhere, who like to be tickled, who stamp

in puddles and ruin their new pants, who sneak popsicles before dinner,

who erase holes in math workbooks, who can never find their shoes.

And We Pray for Those

And We Pray for Those

And We Pray for Those

And We Pray for Those

And We Pray for Those

Who stare at photographers from behind barbed wire, who can't bound

down the street in a new pair of sneakers, who never  counted potatoes, 

who are born in places we wouldn't be caught dead, who never go to the

circus, who live in an x rated world.

We Pray for Children

We Pray for Children

We Pray for Children

We Pray for Children

We Pray for Children

Who bring us sticky kisses and fistfuls of dandelions, who sleep with the

dog and bury goldfish, who hug in a hurry and forget their lunch money,

who cover themselves with band aids and sing off key, who squeeze

toothpaste all over the sink, who slurp their soup.

And We Pray for Those

And We Pray for Those

And We Pray for Those

And We Pray for Those

And We Pray for Those

Who never get dessert, who have no safe blanket to drag behind them,

who watch their parents watch them die, who can't find any bread to

steal, who don't have rooms to clean up, whose pictures aren't on

anybody's dresser, whose monsters are real.

We Pray for Children

We Pray for Children

We Pray for Children

We Pray for Children

We Pray for Children

Who spend all their allowance before Tuesday, who throw tantrums in the

grocery store and pick at their food, who like ghost stories, who shove

dirty clothes under the bed, and never rinse out the tub, who get visits

from the tooth fairy, who don't like to be kissed in front of the carpool,

who squirm in church or temple and scream in the phone, whose tears we

sometimes laugh at, whose smiles can make us cry.

And We Pray for Those

And We Pray for Those

And We Pray for Those

And We Pray for Those

And We Pray for Those

Whose nightmares come in the daytime, who will eat anything, who have

never seen a dentist, who aren't spoiled by anybody, who go to bed hun 

gry and cry themselves to sleep, who live and move, but have no being.

We Pray for Children

We Pray for Children

We Pray for Children

We Pray for Children

We Pray for Children

Who want to be carried and for those who must, for those we never give

up on and for those who don't get a second chance, for those we mother

and for those who will grab the hand of anybody kind enough to offer it.

We pray for our children, for your children, for all children, for childhood

dreams and nightmares.  In each child let us behold anew your promise of

the creation.  Sustain these little and not so little ones.  By your grace may

they live the lives for which they were created.  Amen.

Author: Rev. Dr. Eileen Lindner, National Council of Churches.

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