A Prayer Service for Alaska’s Uninsured Children
Yesterday, Alaska’s governor Sean Parnell vetoed money approved by the Alaska State Legislature that would go to desperately needed health care for Alaska’s children and pregnant women through the Denali KidCare program (SCHIP). Today Alaska’s faith communities came together in prayer and compassion for those children and families in need.
They tried to keep this prayer service non-political, as the health care of children and pregnant women should not be a partisan issue. In that spirit, I’m keeping commentary out of this post, and letting this event speak for itself. The gathering took place outside the Atwood Building which houses the governor’s downtown Anchorage office.
AFACT (Anchorage Faith and Action Congregations Together) Prayer Service for Denali Kid Care
Pastor Lisa Smith led the service beginning with an Opening Prayer
Eternal God, we praise you for giving us life in communion with you and in community with each other. We acknowledge our failures to adequately care for every member of the human family, especially our children, and to ensure that all receive the health care they need. Forgive us for keeping still and silent, while children suffer for lack of health care.
Strengthen us in determination and resolve to insure the health of uninsured children in Alaska, so that all may have the health care they need. While we work together, sustain and uphold those who, in the meantime, suffer without care. Guide doctors, nurses and all health care providers in the healing arts.
For the blessings of life, we give you thanks. For the comfort and healing you provide, we give you thanks. For your call to care and serve as we are able, we give you thanks. Amen.
Litany of Lament: (with responses from Jeremiah 8:18-9:1)
Children without health insurance are less likely to see a doctor when they need to, so they have worse health outcomes than children with health care coverage.
My joy is gone, grief is upon me, my heart is sick.
As children soon return to school, too many lack the eye glasses, hearing aids, and health check-ups they need.
Listen, the cry of my poor people from far and wide is in the land.
Without adequate and appropriate health care, children are less able to achieve and reach their full potential. The reading scored of uninsured children double after they receive the health care and coverage they need.
The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved.
Children of the poor are more than five times as likely to be uninsured than children of the wealthy.
For the hurt of my poor people I am hurt, I mourn, and dismay has taken hold of me.
Seven percent of Alaska’s children were uninsured between 2005 and 2007.
Is there no balm in Gilead? Is there no physician there? Why then has the health of my poor people not been restored?
Some political leaders say we cannot afford health coverage for our children. Yet since 1998 the inflation-adjusted price of crude oil has greatly increased while we cut many of Alaska’s children from Denali KidCare coverage.
O that my head were a spring of water, and my eyes a fountain of tears, so that I might weep day and night for the slain of my poor people!
Now, the Alaska Legislature has increased Denali KidCare eligibility levels to 200% of the federal poverty level. We pray that this bill would find support from Governor Parnell. Let us move from weeping to providing balm, health care, hope, and healing for our children.
A Call to Care
Who needs care? Alaska’s uninsured children need care. Alaska’s uninsured workers and their families need care. Children, women and men who live sicker and die younger because they do not have health insurance need care. Families for whom a serious illness or injury could impoverish them need care.
Why do faith communities proclaim a call to care? Because faith communities have a long tradition of caring for people who suffer in mind, body and spirit, today we proclaim the call to care for Alaska’s uninsured children.
Because faith communities have founded hospitals, prayed for the sick, visited the hospitalized, blessed the dying and comforted the bereaved, today we proclaim the call to care for Alaska’s uninsured children.
Because faith communities have led the way in seeking just and compassionate public health care policies, today we proclaim the call to care for Alaska’s uninsured children.
Because our faith traditions hold the conviction that life is God’s gift to be cherished and that God’s people are called to care for one another, to provide healing and prevent suffering, today we proclaim the call to care for Alaska’s uninsured children.
How shall we respond? By reflecting on the texts and teachings of our faith that guide our understanding of and response to the health care needs of the uninsured, we will respond in faith.
By learning more about the plight of the uninsured and potential solutions, through study and discussion, we will respond with concern.
By reaching out to help people living without health coverage, through volunteer opportunities, we will respond with care.
Bu focusing attention on the plight of Alaska’s uninsured children and by promoting respectful discussion to seek and implement solutions, we will respond with justice.
Closing Prayer:
Creator God, Source of life, you made us in your image. Each child shows your creative handiwork, bears the reflection of your face and breathes the breath of your spirit. Open our eyes to see each child as a unique and precious gift from you – a sacred trust.
Compassionate God, Source of love, you claim us as your children and love us as a faithful parent. Open our hearts to care for each child even as you care for us; to feel each child’s hurt as our own, to respond to each child’s need with nurture, to live up to each child’s trust with protection, and to ensure they receive the care they need.
Righteous God, Source of justice, you set before us a vision in which all people have what they need. Turn us again to rightfully care for the widow and orphan, the sojourner and stranger, the poor and hungry, the vulnerable and oppressed.
Open our mouths to speak up for our children who suffer and die for lack of care. Instill in us your passion for justice so that we champion every person, especially every child, so all can live as you intend and enjoy the goodness of your creation.
In your Holy Name we pray. Amen.
Thank you.
i read the prayer and in the reading came the prayer, may our prayers become the reality in Alaska and in the world.
Amen and amen.
thank you Akm and Pastor Smith.
and again I say, Amen.
Alaska’s faith communities created a powerful call to action service on behalf of Our Children. I can see all the little lights shine from my house.
Thank you for sharing.
*Ripples expand*
Very thoughtful, respectful and moving. Let’s hope it wasn’t pearls cast before swine. Well, Boss Hog at any rate.
I’m glad to see that they did this. Thank you for sharing it with us.
Without a belief in god, one can still care for children, for justice, and for compassion for those who are unable to provide what they need for their children. So, for the unbelievers, I say, hear our voices, too. Make health care for all children, regardless of their parents’ ability to pay for it, your number one priority. No child or parent should suffer because they cannot afford to be treated for anything or cannot afford preventative care.
{{{{{the problem child}}}}}
One world. One heart.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4xjPODksI08
L’Shalom.
Thank you!
How does it work in Alaska with such a short legislative session. If the governor veto’s something after the session does it have to wait nine months to override? If that is the case, why have the legislature at all. I would also assume that nothing can pass without at least a few repub votes, so he would be going against his own party, or do the repubs vote for it to look good knowing he will veto it later. Either way, doesn’t sound very democratic.
Legislators can have a special session to override the Governor’s veto and/or do other State business. It costs money because legislators need to travel to Juneau. They did this last year when Palin quit. They defeated her veto of Obama’s stimulus money for children’ education and building energy efficiency, swore in a new Governor and voted in a new Lieutenant Governor.
Speaking as one of spirit-questing..I find that so beautiful..and very moving. Thank you to all who participated.
Beautiful. May the prayers come to fruition.
Lovely
One definition of prayer is what one truly desires. Under this definition, everyone prays, whether they believe in a supreme deity or not. Such prayers always bear fruit, though we may not se it ourselves.
Since I couldn’t join in, I wrote my Senator today asking what the legislature could do to over-ride the veto and problems children have without proper health care, early childhood learning, educational disabilities, visual, hearing and ear troubles, etc. Thank you to all who participated. It shocked me when I heard the Governor’s reason for taking health care from the children.
nicely done E of….i am thinking how does the health care bill the President just signed come into play in this case? cannot some of the children take advantage of the reform? i know it doesn’t cover the educational needs but i am curious about it.
It is hard to say as the Governor had the State sue the Federal Government over the Health Care reform. This all shows a good reason for Health Care Reform. Too bad their wasn’t a public option included that so many called for. Hopefully the pool will help.
I am too upset to write something without the anger showing!!
(
We have learned many times that preventative care SAVES us many times over in dollars and social issues.
Why does this continue to be an issue that politics is involved in?
Short sighted and I hope voters remember!
Andrew Halcro on his blog in the last 2 posts he has put out has covered the Denali Kid Care story.
He points out very clearly that Gov.SP 2.0 is merely pandering to the far right to get Votes and has called him out for it very clearly. He has known what the money was for because he voted for it previously. He has backed it up with pointing out what SP’s voting record is. SP 2.0 has lied… same pattern as SP1.0.
Veto KidCare????? Is he kidding?????????
Is he trying to get himself out of office?
Seriously …….
The Litany was so very moving. I haven’t read a Litany since I was involved with the church many years ago. It brought back many memories. This one had great meaning.
I totally appreciate the faith-based folks for what they are doing — and they just might have some meaningful impact. But this one should have been on the shoulders of our State government …… really. SP2 just might have gone over the edge on this one. What was he thinking?
So sorry, AK, that $P2 is proving no better than $P1. I hope you do better next election. Get your friends and neighbors registered if they’re not already, and help them get to the polls if you can. AK elections can turn on very few votes, as you well know.
Health and peace.
Am not a person of a religion, but that service was lovely, universal and heartfelt.
PARNELL CLAIMS HE VETOED THE MONEY BECAUSE 99.825 WAS SPENT ON NON-ABORTION RELATED MEDICAL SERVICES
The Alaska health department says 0.18 percent of a health insurance program for low income families was spent on “abortion related services” but it didn’t have exact figures on how many abortions were performed.
Gov. Sean Parnell vetoed an expansion of Denali KidCare this week because he found out the program pays for abortions.
The Anchorage Daily News reports the health department on Friday said $384,000 of the program’s $217 million budget last year went for “abortion related services” and 664 people received such services.
The department’s deputy commissioner Bill Streur says that doesn’t mean they all received abortions since that covers anyone who tells the program they are considering an abortion.
Streur says he’s trying to confirm the actual number of abortions.