Bless the Lord (Taize)

I know we are all in different time zones, but where I am the sun is just beginning to set. After a full day, this was so peaceful. Whether it is morning, midday or evening, may the Lord bless you and give you peace.

Tuesday Prayer: Courage My Soul--The Storm is Passing Over

I just imagine the disciples starting to get it about today...that the Christ is Risen...and that everything has changed, and if they knew this song, they might have sang it....

Sunday Prayer: Easter!

Mystery
open us
to your mystery
of love.

Open us
as you 
were opened for us
in love.

God of all
being
Reaching out your hand
in love

May we take
the hand
extended, open
for us.

And may we
offer
the same extended
love, all.
Amen.

Crossposted on RevGalBlogPals and SeekingAuthenticVoice

Lead Me to the Cross

Blessings to all of you on this holy day.

Thursday Prayer Thought

Ponder this:

Hebrews 12:1-3

12:1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us,

12:2 looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the sake of the joy that was set before him endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God.

Wednesday Prayer: Sharing the Cross

What I call the haven, as you know, is the Cross. If it cannot be given me to deserve one day to share the Cross of Christ, at least may I share that of the good thief. Of all the beings other than Christ of whom the Gospel tells us, the good thief is by far the one I most envy. To have been at the side of Christ and in the same state during the crucifixion seems to me a far more enviable privilege than to be at the right hand of his glory.

Source: Simone Weil, Waiting for God

Help me find the holy...

Help me find the holy
In this Holy Week.
Services are planned,
Bulletins ready,
Bowl and oils and towels set aside,
The cup, the pitcher
The wine and unleavened bread,
Candles and song and silence..
Nails and wood,
Shouts and jeers
Tears and doubts and betrayal.
Little hope.
Devastation, suffering.
Waiting.
Knowing the end of the story isn't the ending, and yet really not believing what is known.
Oh Holy One.
Help me find the Holy in this holy week.
Amen

Sunday Prayer Palm/Passion Sunday

God of all hopefulness, God of my life
On this holy day of Palms and Passions 
and through this 
the holiest of weeks,
when our Lenten journey
finds its completion
through pain
sorrow
despair
illness
losses of all kinds,
through fear
anger
hatred
vitriol
and finger pointing.

Through a (self) examination of
all the ways we work against you -
against your hopes and dreams 
for creation
against your love poured out 
in flesh and blood -
we hang our heads and bow our hearts
seeking your forgiveness
yearning for your guidance
desiring your compassion.

Fill us we pray, with the ability to
turn to you, kneeling before your grace
open our spirit that we may take you in
let you in
receive you in 
taking You in..

Into our hearts and minds and souls 
Let you in
that we might turn to you, 
return to you, 
be transformed in you, 
through you, by you, 
for you.

Transformed 
once more,
this day, this week,
into a new self, 
me, you.

May we become a new people, 
a gentle people, 
a people of
love and compassion, 
born anew from our
deepest sorrow 
through the breadth of your 
forgiveness
and love.

And then, may we do likewise.
Forgive.
And, love.
Amen.

Crossposted on RevGalBlogPals and SeekingAuthenticVoice

Thursday Thought

With more awareness we may discover
that small gaps in our daily round
can be places of silence. These are the found times
or rather the moments in which we ourselves are found.

Mostly they come when we are waiting:
in the doctor's office, on the telephone,
in traffic jams and the checkout line.

In just those moments we have an opportunity
to turn our attention to our physical being,
to the rhythm of our breath,
to the texture and feel of things around us.

By noticing particulars we can also begin
to notice the space in which they are held. . .
the vastness that holds everything--
the great lap of silence.

These waiting moments in our daily round
can turn out to be treasures. We can allow them
to support us instead of distracting us
or blocking us.

Here in each day is a wealth of time
we can take advantage of. They are breath breaks.
If we learn to rest and renew in them
our lives will go from disconnection and haste
to breathtaking presence.

~~Gunilla Norris

Norris, Gunilla. Inviting Silence. NY: BlueBridge, 2004. 21-22.

Wednesday Prayer: Lovely

“Everyone says forgiveness is a lovely idea, until they have something to forgive.”- C. S. Lewis

Lord,

How lovely am I?

Why am I so stuck on giving what I freely receive?

Watching others in a parade and missing in the action?

I pray that the Holy spirit moves within me today to chip away the stone around my heart.

To break open the pain and resentment that I hold onto.

And learn to be free.

In your mercy, hear me.

Amen

-Steven Masters

Sunday Prayer Lent 5A

Let us pray for the whole world
for all creation, for every living creature
for plants and flowers, for animals and for
fragile human beings.
Gracious God, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

Let us pray for those who suffer
the sick and dying, for sorrow, and for the loss
that separates us from the love
of the eternal God.
Gracious God, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

Let us pray for the nations of the world
for all people, for the land and water
that sustains and renews life.
Gracious God, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

Let us pray for the leaders of nation and cities;
May they remember to lean into you and to
listen to your words.
Gracious God, in your mercy,
Hear Our Prayer.

Gracious God, protect those who have no place to
live and no one to love them. Help them to know
you, and to know love.
Gracious God, in your mercy,
Hear Our Prayer.

We offer up our prayers of concern particularly
for those we love, family, friends, and others.
Fill us with Your Spirit.
Gracious God, in your mercy,
Hear Our Prayer.

For all the blessings of this life we offer thanks,
help us to have generous hearts and giving spirits.
Help us to be your hands in the world.
Gracious God, in your mercy,
Hear Our Prayer.

Amen.

Crossposted on RevGalBlogPals and SeekingAuthenticVoice

A Friday Morning Prayer from St Francis

Most High and glorious God,
enlighten the darkness of our hearts
and give us true faith,
a certain hope and a perfect love.
Give us a sense of the divine
and knowledge of yourself,
so that we may do everything
in fulfillment of your holy will;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Francis of Assisi (1182-1226)

Wednesday Prayer

God of many blessings.

Life is so full of surprises and blessings.

Full of seeing the world in a different light.

Going out into worlds of wonder, and seeing the hidden,

Those we forgot, those we despise, those we hate and seeing their heart, not their faults and changing them and us at the same time.

For when we are changed, we see the world as you see it.

And I can even be called a Jesus freak and live up to the calling,

Of trying to be like you, follow you, love all, bless all as you do.

Amen

Peace, Love and downward dog.(Yoga)

- Steven Masters

Prayer for a rambling spirit...

Ah, oh, yes, Holy One,
There you are..
Or rather, here am I...
Sort of.
I would like to be here more fully,
But there are so many things distracting me today.
The mundane, of course--
Dirty dishes in the sink,
The kitten that I lost upstairs somewhere (o.k.--that's not so mundane--and on that matter, could You do something about that?)
Bills to pay,
Forms to fill out,
Emails to answer,
Emails to write,
Getting it all done so that I might focus on...
That which is clearly more important but which easily and willingly slides into the background
Until the mundane demands are addressed.
Oh Holy One...
Sink into me,
May I sink into you...
Hold me,
So that I might more clearly hold the Light
For the mundane and for all that is sacred.
Amen.

Sunday Prayer, Lent 4A

God of light and night, hear our prayers

Into the deep of night,
in a world of pain,
despair overwhelms -
for the sick, the dying,
the lost, those who weep,
those who mourn,
for those who tend to the weary
and care for the tired -
what can we do, when
You, oh God, seem
so far away?

God of light and night, hear our prayers.

Into the deep of night,
a sorrow unveiled,
the sin, our sins
hurt, and, hurting -
for the broken places,
for the wounded spirits,
for things known and
things unknown, for
all the ways we contribute
to the chaos that
separates us from you -
what to do?
O God, what?

God of light and night, hear our prayers.

God, Spirit, You
in the deep of night,
cause roots to form,
new life springs forth,
turning our hearts and minds
to your heart, your desire,
for hope, love -
what can we do?
Trust in you.

God of light and night, hear our prayers

Fill us with your kindness
like healing oil of Samuel
anoint us with your grace
name us as yours,
sanctified in your Spirit,
to do likewise
anoint, heal, love, pray, care
as you do,
with mercy and compassion.

God of light and night, hear our prayers

Crossposted on RevGalBlogPals and SeekingAuthenticVoice

Prayer for Justice

Psalm 97:1,4-6,10-11 The Lord is king! Let the earth rejoice; let the many coastlands be glad! His lightnings light up the world; the earth sees and trembles. The mountains melt like wax before the Lord, before the Lord of all the earth. The heavens proclaim his righteousness; and all the peoples behold his glory. The Lord loves those who hate evil; he guards the lives of his faithful; he rescues them from the hand of the wicked. Light dawns for the righteous, and joy for the upright in heart.

Lord, many have lost hope that You will bring forth justice before the end comes. Give us brave hearts to pursue the prayers of your righteous purposes until you come. We pray for encouragement for those who are weary in the struggle and for your people to be persistant in crying out for justice. Amen

This is from my series of Lenten prayers over at The Owl's Song.