Prayer for the ancestors

A prayer I wrote for the ingathering worship (Jan. 25, 2009) of our Unitarian Universalist Ministers Association, Pacific Southwest District Chapter, winter retreat. Before reading the prayer I asked the gathered ministers to call out into the room the names of people from our faith tradition who have influenced their own ministry.

Our great Unitarian Universalist parents are among us.
As we humbly offer our thanks
 for the many blessings you have given, we extend our love to the infinite end of creation surrounding and upholding all beings, physically or spiritually present, living or dead.
We respect you, honored ancestors, for the suffering that you have endured so that we may not suffer so.
We thank you for the institutions you built that give us communities to live in and work and grow.
Humbly we lift up the great work that you began and carry it forward in you honor.
Spiritual mothers and fathers of us all -
We invoke you to stay near us and furthur lead and guide us to a higher understanding and deeper wisdom and greater love.
Parents of all children, guide this your human family toward a greater unity, and a more cherished diversity. Strengthen our values of compassion, and justice, freedom for all, humility, and peace.
We swear upon the heritage and legacy that you have left to us to uphold and sustain this great religious tradition, in your names and in ours, and to continue the great work of this faith toward the total physical and spiritual liberation of all people.