blessing the fleet

The annual blessing of the fleet— of water trucks—went well today. Regular volunteers and board members were joined by Buddhist Jewish Lutheran and Episcopal clergy as well as the current vice-mayor of Tucson. Attendees gladly laid their hands on the trucks, at the invitation of our convener, adding their own blessings...

Humane Borders Blessing of the Fleet Participants, March 31, 2019

The Rev. John Leech
Priest of the Episcopal Church

Rev. Mateo Chavez
Pastor, San Juan Bautista, Lutheran Spanish Language congregation

Vice Mayor Richard Fimbres
Life long resident of Tucson,
32yr career in Tucson Sheriff's Dept. 
US Army Vet during Vietnam era

Br David Buer, OFM
Franciscan Friar .. intentional small community living

Rabbi Avraham Alpert
Cantor, Congregation Bet Shalom

Abbot Ajahn Sarayut Amanta
Tucson Buddhist Meditation Center and Wat Buddhametta

The Rev. Steven Keplinger 
Rector, Grace-St Paul's Episcopal Church

Dinah Bear
Chair for Humane Borders Board of Directors

Rev. John Hoelter
Director, Humane Borders

https://humaneborders.org/

Here is the prayer that I offered on Sunday afternoon 31 March 2019:

Bless these trucks,
accompany their crews, 
as you accompany us
in all our journey --

LORD prepare us to receive
the gift of the stranger.
Even as they are far off
let us embrace them as
long lost family. May we not
be jealous of your Bounty
but fully let the living water
of your love refresh
the wanderer, the homecomer,
the lost, the bereaved,
the watchful, the joyous,
and all in the name
of your Love. Amen.