Stephanie Buckhanon Crowder: A Prayer for Back to School

Editor’s Note: Going back to school is always accompanied by a swirl of emotions. This is especially true in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. Dr. Stephanie Crowder offers this Spirit-inspired prayer to bless the fall season and the return to school.

Holy One, who created us and made us, we are grateful for the privilege of education. Yet, we are anxious, nervous, irritated, and fretful. We were scared then. We are still scared now. You can handle all of this honesty.

Blow winds of protection over students, teachers, professors, assistants, and administrators who are trying to find definition in uncertainty. Blow winds of care-filled instruction and discernment throughout every classroom, counselor’s office, corridor, and cafeteria.

Breathe winds of covering over bus drivers, crossing guards, cafeteria workers, guidance counselors, coaches, and nurses charged with caring for our loved ones as they seek to care for themselves.

Blow winds of safety as instruction is offered through masks, plexiglass, and cloth constructions. Let there be mercy in the masks, peace in the plexiglass, calm in cloth constructions.

Breathe winds of abundance of sanitizer, Lysol, bleach-laden wipes, and all personal protective equipment.

Blow winds of peace and provision in homes and shelters that will continue to serve as classrooms, cafeterias, pods, and before and after school programs.

Be the Master Teacher and guide Mom/Momma/Mama/Mommy, Dad/Daddy/Poppy, Big Mama, Papa, SisterMomma, UncleMomma, MamaAuntie, Nana, Guardians, and all who will remain as teacher, tutor, IT tech, principal, guidance counselor, coach, librarian, and resource person in their homes. 

Bind wifi, cable, and internet access capacity.

Boost finances and be our fiscal boon.

Be near us even as we must be physically distant from one another.  Let Your omnipresence bind us to one another.

Be the Immunologist, Epidemiologist, Virologist that the immunologists, epidemiologists, and virologists need. 

Be the healing source in the vaccines. Be our love for the vaccinated and unvaccinated.

Bring to our remembrance loved ones lost during this coronavirus pandemic.

Be Thou our vision, our voice, our victory as we traverse the vicissitudes of a semi-virtual learning and working COVID-19 environment. As we return to in-person communion, teach us to personify Your Grace and Goodness.

Amen

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Stephanie Buckhanon Crowder, author, speaker and teacher, is a Baptist and Disciples of Christ minister who holds a Ph.D. in New Testament from Vanderbilt University. Her latest book is When Momma Speaks: The Bible and Motherhood from a Womanist Perspective. This #WomanistMomma currently serves as Associate Professor and Academic Dean at Chicago Theological Seminary.

Facebook: Stephanie Buckhanon Crowder

Twitter: @stepbcrowder

Instagram: StephBuckhanonC

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Used with permission. Originally posted on Church Anew, a ministry of St. Andrew Lutheran Church in Eden Prairie, MN.

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