Morning Prayer
Wake my soul with all things living
thanks be giving to the Source of life and day
Sunlight comes and gone confusion,
night's illusion, like the starlight
fades away.

Cry for help, when griefs assail you,
good friends fail you, life seems hopeless, death appears.
One whose child knew deep affliction,
crucifixion,
ever waits to dry your tears.

If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us, but if we confess our sins, God, who is faithful and just, will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:8, 9

In you, O LORD, have I taken refuge;
let me never be ashamed.
In your righteousness, deliver me and set me free;
incline your ear to me and save me.
Be my strong rock, a castle to keep me safe;
you are my crag and my stronghold.
Deliver me, my God, from the hand of the wicked,
from of the clutches of the evildoer and the oppressor.
For you are my hope, O LORD God,
my confidence since I was young.
I have been sustained by you ever since I was born;
from my mother's womb you have been my strength;
my praise shall be always of you.
-- Psalm 71:1-7

Almighty God,
Your own Son had nowhere to lay his head:
Be with those who live alone today so that they may not be lonely in their solitude,
Help them live according to your example and follow in your steps,
May they find fulfillment in loving you and
May they find fulfillment in the love of their neighbors.

For those in the hospital today

Dearest Lord,
Be with us and be the strength of the weak and the comfort of sufferers:
Mercifully accept our prayers,
And give to those suffering the help of your power,
that their sickness may be turned into health,
and our sorrow into joy; through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Sanctify those whom you have called to the study and practice of the arts of healing,
and to the prevention of disease and pain.
Strengthen them by your life-giving Spirit,
that by their ministries
the health of the community may be promoted
and your creation glorified; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Tuesday Prayer

People of God, here is the truth of the broken bread;
Through Christ’s brokenness, we are healed
Through Christ’s struggle, we know freedom
Through Christ’s gift of self, we are released to serve.

People of God, here is the truth of the cup of salvation;
Through Christ’s outpouring, we are renewed
Through Christ’s sacrifice, we know God’s way
Through Christ’s forgiveness, we can live.


adapted from Seasons of the Spirit curriuculum

Loving Spirit

Loving Spirit, loving Spirit, you have chosen me to be;
you have drawn me to your wonder, you have set your sign on me.

Like a mother you enfold me, hold my life within your own.
Feed me with your very body, form me of your flesh and bone.

Like a father you protect me, teach me the discerning eye.
Hoist me up upon your shoulder, let me see the world on high.

Friend and lover in your closeness I am known and held and blest:
in your promise is my comfort, in your presence I may rest.

Loving Spirit, loving Spirit, you have chosen me to be;
you have drawn me to your wonder, you have set your sign on me.

[We sang this in church yesterday, but they didn't give an author/composer in the program, and I couldn't find anything on the web. Shout out if you do know, okay?]

A Prayer of Love for Easter 6

Holy and gracious God, we thank you for the gift of life. We thank you especially the gift of Jesus, who has come to reconcile the whole world to you; the Christ through whom you pour out your self-offering of love. We praise and bless those whom you have sent in the power of the Spirit to preach this Gospel-love to all nations. We thank you that in all parts of the earth communities gather in your Name. Communities who, because they know your love at the center of their being, are grounded in gentleness, reverance, and integrity. May the Holy Spirit continue to abide in us, lead us, and remind us always of your presence. May we be your servants too. May we, through the power of the Spirit, be the vessels through whom your love continues to flow into this broken world. May we always remember that how we live our lives speaks louder than the words we use, may our lives be a testimony of love to you. Amen.

Gracious God, open our hearts and eyes to the wonders of your presence among us in all forms of being. Help us to reach beyond ourselves so that our love and concern embraces all creation that shares this universe with us: people of every nation, animals of every species, all forms of vegetation, the planets, stars, and all the elements. We pray this in union with the incarnate Word of God in whose image all was created. May you be blessed throughout the ages and for all eternity. Amen. -- from Carmelite Prayer For Mother Earth

Thursday Prayer

O God, Father of all, from whom we come, to whom we go, enlighten our minds and hearts, so that recognizing your goodness in our own lives, we may become your goodness. We ask this through Jesus Christ our Lord.

--Gerard W. Hughes

A Prayer of St. Patrick

A Prayer of St. Patrick

I bind unto myself today
the strong Name of the Trinity,
by invocation of the same,
the Three in One, and One in Three.

I bind this day to me forever,
by power of faith, Christ's Incarnation;
his baptism in the Jordan river;
his death on cross for my salvation;
his bursting from the spiced tomb;
his riding up he heavenly way;
his coming at the day of doom:
I bind unto myself today.


I bind unto myself the power
of the great love of cherubim;
the sweet "Well done" in judgement hour;
the service of the seraphim;
confessors' faith, apostles' word,
the patriarchs' prayers, the prophets' scrolls;
all good deeds done unto the Lord,
and purity of virgin souls.

I bind unto myself today
the virtues of the starlit heaven,
the glorious sun's life-giving ray,
the whiteness of the moon at even,
the flashing of the lightning free,
the whirling wind's tempestuous shocks,
the stable earth, the deep salt sea,
around the old eternal rocks.

I bind unto myself today
the power of God to hold and lead,
his eye to watch, his might to stay,
his ear to hearken to my need;
the wisdom of my God to teach,
his hand to guide, his shield to ward;
the word of God to give me speech,
his heavenly host to be my guard.

Christ be with me, Christ within me,
Christ behind me, Christ before me,
Christ beside me, Christ to win me,
Christ to comfort and restore me,
Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ in quiet, Christ in danger,
Christ in hearts of all that love me,
Christ in mouth of friend and stranger.

I bind unto myself the Name,
the strong Name of the Trinity,
by invocation of the same,
the Three in One, and One in Three.
Of whom all nature hath creation,
eternal Father, Spirit, Word:
praise to the Lord of my salvation,
salvation is of Christ the Lord.
But we, in nature’s latest hour, O Lord, will cling to Thee!

Earth Day Prayer

The earth is at
the same time
mother,
She is mother
of all that is natural,
mother of all that is human.
She is the mother of all,
for contained in her
are the seeds of all.

— Hildegard of Bingen

From the Sisters of Erie

Ascension Hymn

Rejoice, the Lord of life ascends
to triumph from earth's battlefield:
his strife with human hatred ends,
as sin and death their conquests yield.

No more his mortal form we see;
he reigns invisible but near;
for in the midst of two or three
he makes his glorious presence clear.

He reigns, but with a love that shares
the troubles of our earthly life;
he takes upon his heart the cares,
the pain, and shame of human strife.

He reigns in heaven until the hour
when he, who once was crucified,
shall come in all love's glorious power
to rule the world for which he died.

Text: Albert F. Bayly
Tune: Parker

The Hymnal 1982, #222

In God's House - A Prayer for Easter 6

Wonderful and gracious God, We give you thanks for the gift of life, especially the gift of life we know in your son, Jesus. As we face the many challenges and changes of our lives we are grateful that Jesus has gone before us. No matter where life takes us, Jesus is there....like the Celtic hymn - Christ before us, Christ behind us, Christ above us, Christ below - no matter where life takes us, Jesus has been there and is still there - to be with us. We give you thanks that not only is Jesus there, waiting for us, but that Jesus is there in many ways - a room for each of us. We come to you broken. We come to you healed. We come to you lost. We come to you found. We come to you confused. We come to you certain. We come to you just as we are. And, no matter how we come to you there is room for us. For this we give thanks. Help us to love others as you love us. Amen.

Lord in Your mercy

hear my prayer!

I've scuppered the keyboard on my laptop! Please give me wisdom, patience and skill to sort it out.

For this and all other seemingly trivial requests, we thank You that we can bring them to you, confident that nothing is too insignificant for you to pay attention to, and nothing is too enormous for you to handle- today and everyday. Amen

Opportunity

I read this quote the other day and thought that it had some implications for our spiritual lives in general and our prayer lives in particular:

"A crisis is a terrible thing to waste."

Thursday Prayer

God of hopefulness and joy, give us a cheerful sense of our blessings. Make us content with all that you provide for us. Teach us that nothing can hurt us since you hold us in your kind and loving hands. Chase from our hearts all gloomy thoughts, and make us glad with the brightness of hope; through Jesus Christ our Lord.

—Book of Common Order of the Church of Scotland

Prayer for Wednesday

God of the day and of the night, in me there is darkness, but with you there is light. I am alone, but you will not leave me. I am weak, but you will come to my help. I am restless, but you are my peace. I am in haste, but you are the God of infinite patience. I am confused and lost, but you are eternal wisdom and you direct my path; now and for ever. Amen

–Dietrich Bonhoeffer, 1906-1945

Tuesday Prayer

We are hungry.
You feed us.
We are tired.
You give us rest.
We thirst.
You draw living water.
Our hearts ache for justice.
You give us eyes to see,
minds to create,
bodies to work
for the creation of Your Kingdom.

For all this, and more than we can say, we are so grateful, Dear One.

Living Water

With joy you shall draw water

from the springs of endless life;

With joy you shall draw water

from the living well of God.

Bob Hurd, Missa Ubi Caritas, sprinkling rite

Prayer for Saturday for the Good Shepherd

The Lord is my shepherd, I have all I need.
She makes me lie down in green meadows, beside the still waters she will lead.
She restores my soul, she rights my wrongs,
She leads me in a path of good things and fills my heart with songs.
Even though I walk through a dark and weary land,
there is no other that can shake me. She has said she won’t forsake me. I am in her hand.

She sets a table before me in the presence of my foes.
She anoints my head with oil and my cup overflows.
Surely, surely, goodness and kindness will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in her house forever, forever and ever.
Glory be to our Mother and Daughter and to the Holy of Holies.
As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end.
Amen.

This plays the song itself:
Bobby McFerrin’s setting of the 23rd Psalm to music in honor of his Mother.

Hat tip to pomomusings

A Gardener's Prayer

O Lord, grant that in some way
it may rain every day,
Say from about midnight until three o'clock
in the morning,
But, You see, it must be gentle and warm
so that it can soak in;
Grant that at the same time it would not rain on
campion, alyssum, helianthus, lavender, and others which
You in Your infinite wisdom know
are drought-loving plants-
I will write their names on a bit of paper
if you like-
And grant that the sun may shine
the whole day long,
But not everywhere (not, for instance, on the
gentian, plantain lily, and rhododendron)
and not too much;
That there may be plenty of dew and little wind,
enough worms, no lice and snails, or mildew,
and that once a week thin liquid manure and guano
may fall from heaven.
Amen. -- by Karel Capek

Thursday Prayer

In the morning light, O God,
may I glimpse again your image deep within me
the threads of eternal glory
woven into the fabric of every man and woman.
Again may I catch sight of the mystery of the human soul
fashioned in your likeness
deeper than knowing
more enduring than time.
And in glimpsing these threads of light
amidst the weakness and distortions of my life
let me be recalled
to the strength and beauty deep in my soul.
Let me be recalled
to the strength and beauty of your image in every living soul.

--J. Philip Newell

Tuesday Prayer

O God, we call:
Longing for transformation,
But no more able to see its end
Than the caterpillar is to imagine
Its winged glory.

Dying and rising,
Dying and rising,
The church turns, once again, to you.

Only you can lead us out of the beloved tomb.
Come, Lord Jesus. Come.

By Heidi Koschzec
Found at Fidelia's Sisters

Inner and Outer Torah

The wise women of Safed, like the Torah, itself, teach us that our inner voice must, at all costs, be discerned and listened to. And like the women of Safed, we also know that it would be foolhardy to ignore the ethics, laws, and practices of our ancient traditions, for they are based upon deep principles of truth that deserve our reverence and study. The ancient tradition must be brought into a conversation with what women know on the inside, for we can no longer forsake the clear and resounding voice of wisdom that arises from our bodies, our feelings, and our intuition.

Both voices are vital: the Torah understood by the outer tradition and the Torah received from within. To follow either one to the exclusion of the other is dangerous for men as well as women. But holding these two authorities in tension is not for everyone. It requires the hard work of listening and mediating and a taste for ambiguity. Nevertheless, when we listen to the inner feminine voice, we can hear more clearly how to open the doors of the tradition to our modern sensibilities and needs. The women of Safed model this approach for us.

The ancient traditions are begging for new life to be breathed into them, so that we can bring them into the world in fresh, relevant ways. This can only happen through those who are knowledgeable of the outer tradition, attuned to receiving their inner truth, and willing to grapple with the ambiguities of modern life.

Rabbi Tirzah Firestone, The Receiving: Reclaiming Jewish Women's Wisdom

Sunday Prayer

God of grace, God of wonder, we give thanks for all of the deep blessings you bring to the ordinary and extraordinary moments of our lives. Thank you for the many ways in which we encounter your loving presence every day... for the way we meet you in the gentle kindness of those who love us... for the friendly smile of a stranger... for the gift of this faith community and the ministry we bring to one another.

You fill our lives with hope, Holy One, when we are despairing and traveling life’s road with only sadness as our companion. God, you step in beside us and challenge us to live our faith in word and action. Help us to recognize you in our midst, and bless us as we navigate our days and nights as people of faith. May we live and serve faithfully, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Giver of Life ...

Giver of life ...

We thank You for new members in our extended families
We thank You that other we love have passed on to life eternal -what a gift!
We thank You that spring is here - for me a sign and reminder of Your resurrection
We are alive in You O Christ!

We bless You and adore You
Thank You for all good things
Trials that make us draw closer to You
Successes that make us shout out Your praises
We love You and adore You
Thank You for loving us first
For being our rock, our shield and our hope
Our comfort in times of distress

Amen

A Prayer For the Soil

Giver of life, we give you thanks that in the richness of the soil, nature awakens your call to spring
We praise you for the smell of freshly tilled earth, the beauty of a cleanly cut furrow, and a well-plowed field.
We ask that you help us to be good stewards of the land.
In the name of the one who gives us new life, Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen,
-- from Rogation Prayers, "Worship From the Ground Up," Center For Theology and the Land

Rainy Day

O God, in Whom we live and move, and have our being, thank you for the rain, in due abundance, that, being sufficiently helped with temporal, we may the more confidently seek after eternal gifts. Through Christ, our Lord. Amen.

Tuesday Prayer

Prayer is not asking.

Prayer is putting oneself in the hands of God

at his disposition,

and listening to his voice in the depths of our hearts.

mother teresa - in her own words