Scriptural Foundation

[BSAChaplain]

Okay, I'm a pastor and it shows. Here is one I used at a COH as an invocation it could be expanded for Scout's own or used as a Scoutmaster's minute

 

Luke 2:42 "And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men."

Thats how God made us to grow as well. Its what Scouting is all about growing up the right way, these very principles are woven into the Scout Oath:

wisdom mentally awake,

stature physically strong,

and in favor with God and man morally straight.

 

Then, as it was an invocation, I concluded with a prayer asking Gods blessing on the efforts of our young men to grow up right.

 

[Trevorum]

Along the same lines, but from a different faith tradition:

 

Oh, Great Spirit, whose voice I hear in the wind, whose breath gives life to all the world,

 

Hear me; I need your strength and wisdom.

 

Let me walk in beauty, and make my eyes ever behold the red and purple sunset.

 

Make my hands respect the things you have made and my ears sharp to hear your voice

 

Make me wise so that I may understand the things you have taught my people

 

Help me to remain calm and strong in the face of all that comes towards me.

 

Let me learn the lessons you have hidden in every leaf and rock.

 

Help me seek pure thoughts and act with the intention of helping others.

 

Help me find compassion without empathy overwhelming me.

 

I seek strength, not to be greater than my brother, but to fight my greatest enemy, Myself.

 

Make me always ready to come to you with clean hands and straight eyes.

 

So when life fades, as the fading sunset, my spirit may come to you without shame.

 

[johndaigler]

BSAChaplain,

 

I appreciate the teaching value of the verse. How would you suggest approaching that (or any other) lesson with a group of mixed-Faith Scouts? Would you group Christian references with other sources? Would you omit references to Jesus and use verses and lessons from non-New Testament sources?

 

My Pack is Reverently diverse and we feel the need to limit direct references to Jesus - or balance them with other choices. Unfortuantely, too often, that means skipping invocations and other "prayerful" moments, thus staying completely off the Reverence tightrope. Though convenient and practical, this seems terribly un-Scoutlike to us. I'm trying to find a better solution than religious-abstinence for my Cubs.

 

????

 

Respectfully,

 

jd

[packsaddle]

Trevorum, I liked that. What is the source? Are there more like it?

[packsaddle]

Trevorum, I liked that. What is the source? Are there more like it?

[Trevorum]

I found that when I was searching for prayers to use in a Scouts Own service. It is unattributed but is entitled "Great Spirit Prayer" on this interesting website: http://www.angelfire.com/md/elanmichaels/prayers.html

 

 

[BSAChaplain]

When I chose to use scripture in a large group, Scout setting it is never to teach about God. This is not the venue for my views on salvation etc. Rather it is to use a scriptural reference to illustrate a truth about life.

 

"A Scout is reverent; he is reverent toward God. He is faithful in his religious duties and respects the convictions and beliefs of others in matters of custom and religion."

 

Using a reference is meant to encourage reverence, to encourage a Scout to use His own scriptures to seek truth. You may (if this is true) start by saying This comes from the writings of my faith.

 

You have to know your parents and work within your context. It may be necessary for you to say something as straightforward as, Now my purpose in using this verse is to show how a person of character grows up, not that it was Jesus. Do you have parents of the other faiths who are knowledgeable in their faith? Perhaps they could give you a supportive reference from their own sacred writings.

 

Something that I did not mention when I wrote out the one up top, but did when I originally gave it was to mention that this comes a the conclusion of the only record of Jesus as an adolescent. This also makes the story more directed to a youth purpose.

 

[wyomingi]

Here's good source for prayers from many traditions:

 

http://www.worldprayers.org/index.html

 

If you click on celebrations or adorations you will get a random prayer, or you can use the search feature.

 

Some of my favorites are:

 

In striving to recognize the primacy of Fire and Light,

I feel kinship with my Zoroastrian brothers and sisters.

In striving to obey the Ten Commandments,

I feel kinship with my Jewish brothers and sisters.

In striving to be kind to neighbor and the needy,

I feel kinship with my Christian brothers and sisters.

In striving to be compassionate to creatures great and small,

I feel kinship with my Buddhist-Jaina brothers and sisters.

In striving to surrender myself completely to God Almighty,

I feel kinship with my Muslim brothers and sisters.

In the recognition that wisdom flows from enlightened masters,

I feel kinship with my Sikh brothers and sisters.

In remembering that serving people should be the goal of religion,

I feel kinship with my Baha'i brothers and sisters.

In my respect and reverence for Nature that sustains us,

I feel kinship with my Native American brothers and sisters.

In feeling that these and more are all paths to the same Divinity,

I feel kinship with my Hindu brothers and sisters.

In my love and laughter, joy and pain,

I feel kinship with all my fellow humans.

In my need for nourishment and instinct to live on,

I feel kinship with all beings on the planet.

In my spiritual ecstasy with this wondrous world,

I feel kinship with the Cosmic Whole.

universal reflection - v. v. raman - cape of good hope 1999

 

 

 

For each new morning with its light,

For rest and shelter of the night,

For health and food,

For love and friends,

For everything Thy goodness sends.

thanksgiving - ralph waldo emerson - 1803-1882