By Bishop Ernest Lyght*
God of wisdom and knowledge, we enter into your school house with a deep and abiding concern for our children whose education is at risk because of the coronavirus pandemic. Please grant wisdom and courage to school boards and administrators who are grappling with the decision as to opening their schools on time, or postponing the start of the school year.
Holy Teacher, as we struggle to educate our children, our hearts are full of thanksgiving and praise for their teachers. Enlighten these women and men as they strive to impart wisdom and knowledge to their students. Grant them an artistic potter’s skill as they labor to shape the lives of their students into meaningful and beautiful expressions of their potential. We pray that you would rekindle their love for the children, and stoke their students with a renewed passion for learning and a sense of wonder. Resource their pedagogy with imagination and creativity in this season of virtual reality.
God of Comfort, because we truly care we pray for the safety and well-being of the classroom teachers and all the people who support the educational enterprise – principals, teacher aides, administrative staff, custodians, cafeteria workers, nurses, bus drivers and their aides, school crossing guards, and volunteers. We pray that all schools – public, parochial, private, college – will be a safe haven for the students and faculty, free from all diseases.
Parenting God, we pray for the parents of school children, for they too must make decisions about the education of their children. Help them to make informed and sound decisions about the welfare of their children. Teach us to appreciate and love the work that our teachers engage in with their students. Bless our teachers and children so that they might be safe while they continue to engage the educational process in this Covid-19 environment. AMEN.
