Prayer.   Every faith tradition has prayer expressed in many different forms.   
Meditation, Chant, Singing, Silence.  Dancing, Drumming, and Art.
In private, in homes, in sanctuaries, in nature, in public.  
Praying alone or in community. Shouts of praise, whispers of yearning and those prayers that are non-verbal. 
The body language of prayer differs widely. Eyes open or shut, head up, head down, kneeling, standing, arms out, hands clasped or raised.   The good news is, God is not directional; God is within and all around. God is accessible in infinite ways to anyone who has desire.  
Praying is a spiritual practice.  To practice taking time to be intimate with God, to draw God near, to engage actively with God's presence and to share in the activity of God, as you come to know the God of your understanding.  There are as many ways to pray as there are people.

Protest is a form of Prayer.  I know this because of all the similarities that protesting has with the examples of prayer I have just given. Both are done publicly in the streets or from homes.  Protesting involves chanting, singing, people coming together, silence, art, movement, hands clasped or raised and a common desire to create change.  It is in this way, that we beckon God to draw near, to hear the prayers of the people trying to assure that God's Kin-dom come for all God's children.   
It is in this spirit, that we can all participate in Protest as prayer.  Here are some way for all ages and stages to participate in protest and prayer: ​

Pray with your words.  Protest signs are a prayer. 
What is on your heart, what do you stand for, what change do you need?  Make protest signs. 
Physically carry your prayer,  put it in the window of your home, chalk the walk, stake your yard, write your state government.  Let your words make an impact and amplify the words of others that need to be heard.  
Pray with your voice.  Protest songs are a prayer.
Across the generations, we all have a favorite protest song.  Join with others and sing or chant in one voice.  Sing from your core (you don't need to be on key).  Recite lyrics as verse.   Chant the chants of a generation demanding change. 
Pray with your feet.  Pray with your presence. Protest marches are prayer. 
Get moving if you can.  Use your body to stand up for others when they can't. 
Be in solidarity with others who can.  Be visible.  Be safe.  Be non-violent.  
Pray with your eyes.  Watching what is being protested is prayer. 
If you can't march then watch from home or on the sidewalks. Don’t look away.  
Notice who is protesting and what are they protesting for.  Pray for them.  
Pray with your ears.  Listening to Protesters is prayer.           
Listen to protesters.  Ask and hear their stories and desires. Educate yourself on the history behind that which is being protested.  Be open, be willing, ask questions. 
Pray with your gifts. Supporting Protesters is prayer. 
Donate and leave supplies for protesters. Feed them,  Tend to them. Clean up and repair after marches.  Provide safety to protesters.  Donate to causes that support and amplify the needs and desires of oppressed and marginalized peoples.  
 
Now is the time to Rise in prayer.  Now is the time to rise in protest in the just ways Jesus of Nazareth did.  Our faith reminds us that prayer never ceases and neither should the work of justice.  Jesus was a protester.  Faith and Justice are partners.  Protest is Prayer.   Amen. 

A link to an excellent article on how Jesus was a protester:
https://sojo.net/articles/jesus-was-protester

Trending on social media this Tuesday is the hash tag Blackout Tuesday.  The intention of  blackout Tuesday was an initiative to go silent on social media, reflect on recent events, and stand in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter Movement. The trend of Blackout Tuesday does not simply mean posting a black box picture and then leave social media for the day.  It means we stop promoting ourselves and our personal platforms and instead take some time to read, educate ourselves, to pray, to call out their names and to listen, learn and amplify the voices of our black brothers and sisters.  
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For Children, Youth and Families, I've gathered some resources and their links that may be helpful this Blackout Tuesday and everyday as we continue as faith community, as parents, and as citizens to support the Black Lives Matter human rights movement.

First I highly recommend the book Parenting Forward: How to Raise Children with Justice, Mercy, and Kindness written by Cindy Wang Brandt.   https://cindywangbrandt.com/parenting-forward/

"A progressive Christian parenting book with a social-justice orientation
How do we build a better world? One key way, says Cindy Wang Brandt, is by learning to raise our children with justice, mercy, and kindness.
In Parenting Forward Brandt equips Christian parents to model a way of following Jesus that has an outward focus, putting priority on loving others, avoiding judgment, and helping those in need. She shows how parents must work on dismantling their own racial, cultural, gender, economic, and religious biases in order to avoid passing them on to their children. “By becoming aware of the complex ways we participate in systems of inequality or hierarchy,” she says, “we begin to resist systemic injustice ourselves, empower our children, and change our communities.”                            Quoted from Parenting Forward: How to Raise Children and justice, Mercy, and Kindness
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An excellent collection of resources for all ages from Cindy Brandt:  Anti Racism Resources for White People   What is great about this resource is that parenting is at the top of the list, then it continues to include links to resources for all ages.  Included are book lists for children, Podcasts, articles, books, movies, music, websites and social media links.

I hope everyone can take inspiration from this piece written by Barack Obama. https://medium.com/@BarackObama/how-to-make-this-moment-the-turning-point-for-real-change-9fa209806067

Finally, I've included a Social and Racial Justice Vocabulary Sheet.  Language and how we acknowledge and use it is so important.  You can download the document at the bottom of this page. 
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There is  revolution happening in the streets and it is a moment of crisis and hopefully a moment of change.  We need to continue the conversation. We need share tools and inspiration to keep each other going in actively standing for faith, love, and justice.  

Richmond Beach Congregational Church United Church of Christ is a justice centered church which challenges us all to stand in solidarity and walk the talk of God's inclusive compassion with all people.  Black Lives Matter.  Faith and Justice are partners.   Protest is Prayer.