This pride month, I’ll be offering a few liturgical and worship resources for celebrating pride in a faith context. The first is A Thanksgiving for Names. You are welcome to use and reproduce as needed. Please credit me as the author, and I’d be delighted if you sent me an order of service of bulletin from the service where it was used. (Message me for an e-mail or physical address.)
A Thanksgiving for Names
Many: God, we give you thanks for names
One: For Saul, who you called as an apostle, and whose name you changed to Paul.
Many: God, we give you thanks for names.
One: For Sarai, who had children long after her childbearing years were over, and whose name you changed to Sarah.
Many: God, we give you thanks for names.
One: For Abram, who you promised children as numerous as the sand on the shore or the stars in the sky, and whose name you changed to Abraham.
Many: God, we give you thanks for names.
One: For Simon, who called your Beloved One Messiah, and whose name you changed to Peter.
Many: God, we give you thanks for names
One: For Hagar, who saw you through the bushes, and became the only human to name you, the God who Sees.
Many: God, we give you thanks for names.
One: For Jacob, who you wrestled with near the banks of the river, and whose name you changed to Israel.
Many: God, we give you thanks for names.