Then God said, "Let us make humanity in our image to resemble us so that they may take charge of the fish of the sea, the birds in the sky, the livestock, all the earth, and all the crawling things on earth." God created humanity in God's own image, in the divine image God created them, male and female God created them.
Genesis 1:26-27
Prayer
God of creation, in whose image we are beautifully and wonderfully made, teach us to embrace ourselves with the same nurture and care with which you tenderly sculpted us. Help us to overcome the barriers and obstacles to sacred self-care that arise within and beyond us. Strengthen us as we practice subversive self-care. Empower us to cultivate caring and just communities where all of your children know their sacred worth and recognize it in others. Amen.
Hymn
Standin' in the Need of Prayer
African American Heritage Hymnal, #441
Benediction
You have been reminded that you are God’s good and perfect gift, created in the image of the Divine and endowed with sacred worth. May you go forth with the clarity and conviction that self-care is your right, your obligation, and your act of resistance. Amen.