Sunday Prayer: Proper 21B, Pentecost 18B

Photo of the sunrise at the Grand Canyon taken with RevGals during the Grand Canyon road trip after the BE 2.0

Bless O God, all creation.

The sun that rises every morning

and clouds that bring us rain

and the moon in the dark night sky.

Bless us that we may be a blessing

to all we meet.

Heal us O God, from all 

that ails us - illness, dis-ease,

despair, hunger, thirst, all.

Heal us and all creation.

Bless the leaders of nations

fill them with wisdom.

Bless the leaders of cities

and towns that all

can work in unity

for the wellbeing 

of everyone, all

creation.

Help us, O God to be

your disciples. To listen

with open ears and heal

with open hearts.

Help us, O God to be

your disciples.

Amen.

To Whom Our Praise is Due

Praise the Lord for sunshine,
Praise the Lord for rain,
Praise the Lord for pleasure,
Praise the Lord through pain,
Praise the Lord for lessons learned,
Through every joy and sorrow,
Praise the Lord for days gone by,
And for each new tomorrow.

Alice Joyce Davidson
From "Reflections of Love"

God says to you today

By Kristin Noelle

Be Thou My Vision

Tuesday Prayer

Just remember,
God is with you,
holding you,
giving you strength,
listening to your heart,
and whispering,
"You can do it! You are my beloved!"
Amen.

Monday Prayer: To Do

Dear Lord,

Here's what I need to do today.
Please help me

1. Do the laundry Be more grateful.

2. Pay the bills Remember those who are struggling.

3. Vent to a friend Speak words of peace and kindness.

4. Clean up the house  See opportunities for sharing.

5. Try to remember everything Remember that I am not You.

6. Allow myself to rest in You.


Amen.

Sunday Prayer: Proper 20B, Pentecost 17B

Holy One, you are always

more compassionate than we can imagine,

full of kindness and wisdom.

You, O God, are justice

 and justice is You.

Watch over us, God of all creation –

Those who are suffering for any reason –

For want of food – deliver us from hunger, famine, dirty water, poor soil,

From too much – deliver us from greed and selfishness.

For those who are ill in body, mind or spirit

May your love bring healing and wholeness

The well-being that only you can bring, peace.

Over all creation, O God, give watch.

You, O God are justice, and justice is you.

Be with leaders of provinces, nations, states, cities, villages

May all civic leaders be filled with wisdom

May our leaders have a mind for all people.

May our discourse be civil and our compassion endless.

May we set aside bitter envy and selfish ambition.

May we listen deeply and respond

with hearts full of God’s wisdom and justice.

We give thanks, O God

For all the blessings of this life

For life itself.

For sun, moon, and stars,

For enough food, clean water, and fresh air

To sustain a healthy life as you desire.

For patience, the ability to grow in wisdom

For your mercy, alive in Jesus

For your tenderness embracing

Our vulnerabilities like children

Seeing into our lives, with love.

You, O God are justice, and justice is you.

You are always more compassionate than we can imagine,

full of kindness and wisdom.

You, O God, are justice

And justice is you.

Amen.

Prayer for the Middle East

Sustain together in undiminished hope, O God of hope,
those who continue to labor with undiminished determination
to build peace in the land from which, of old,
out of brokenness, violence and destruction,
nevertheless hope emerged for so many of faith. . . .

Bless all the spiritual seed of Abraham together
with the light of your Presence.
From the light of your Presence
we have found a way of justice and mercy
and a vision of Peace.
We praise you O God, Giver of Peace,
who commands us to Peace. Amen
Rabbi Herbert Bronstein
Northshore Congregation Israel, Glencoe, IL

Prayer Thought

Expect to have hope rekindled. Expect your prayers to be answered in wondrous ways. The dry seasons in life do not last. The spring rains will come again.

Sarah Ban Breathnach

Thursday Prayer

"Open unto me - light for my darkness.
Open unto me - courage for my fear.
Open unto me - hope for my despair.
Open unto me - peace for my turmoil.
Open unto me - joy for my sorrow.
Open unto me - strength for my weakness.

Open unto me - wisdom for my confusion.
Open unto me - forgiveness for my sins.
Open unto me - tenderness for my toughness.
Open unto me - love for my hates.
Open unto me - Thy Self for my self.
Lord, Lord, open unto me!
Amen"
~ Howard Thurman

Weds Prayer: Oh God

Oh Lord
I come before you
crawling on my knees
Not sure how much more I can take of the ugliness
the infighting
the mean-spiritedness of it all. 

No, it's the election this time, not the church. 
What are we doing to one another?
What witness must we be giving to the world -
as Americans?
as Christians?

I don't despair, because you told me not to.
I seek only to change that which I can change:
my heart
my attention to you

Amen

Tuesday Prayer

God grant me the grace

not to shake up the world on your behalf,
but

 to get the people around me to do it, too.

 Amen.

Monday Prayer: The King of Love

Sunday Prayer: Proper 19B, Pentecost 16B

Gracious God
Thank you for the gift of life

for all the blessings of this life
For hope unexpected,
Grace always given,

and hearts always open

to receive your love poured out -
Jesus.

In your mercy, Hear our prayer.

Holy One Comfort and heal -
Strife between nations, cities, people
Anger birthed by certainty, entitlement,

due to justice or injustice actions.
Pain:inflicted - me, you, us

the cause, because or for no cause.
May your Grace, oh God, prevail.

In your mercy, hear our prayer.

God, Mother with tender strength

and mighty compassion -
Tend our wounds:inflicted as we are from
War - innocent lives lost, violence toward the meek,
Hate: - bitter, unseeing, closed, overwhelmed by
Other-ness, grief, abuse, hurt, change,
In all our broken ways, mend us and make us whole.

Be especially with those who have died and those who are dying,

for any reason, illness, famine, violence, war, abuse

Comfort the afflicted, tend to the weary, bless the dying, 

soothe the suffering. Soothe our suffering, for we all do

Soothe us as only you are able.

In your mercy, Hear our prayer.

God, Father enlighten all people to see as you,
Or at least to try to see as you, or at least to hope

to see as you do - with open heart, arms wide for

a full embrace of love and compassion
In you mercy, Hear our prayer.
God, Sister, God our brother
Open our eyes and ears,
open our minds and hearts
Fill us, we pray, with love. .
Lord, in you mercy, Hear our prayer.
Amen.

A Prayer of Not Knowing

O God, I do not know how to pray. Because I do not know what it means to pray properly, to pray in such a way as to serve or worship, I must offer what I have and can do as my prayer. And here it is.

Let this posture be the prayer

Let this intention be the prayer

Let this very not-knowing be the prayer

Let this breath be the prayer

Let this resistance and discomfort be the prayer

Let this distraction be the prayer

Let this drinking of tea be the prayer

Let this eating of breakfast be the prayer

Let this hectic schedule be the prayer

Let this attempt at Remembrance be the prayer

Let the steps walked in silence across the parking lot be the prayer

Let the birdsong noted be the prayer

Let this poor journal-writing be the prayer

Let the vastness of the night sky be the prayer

Let worrying, and then dropping the worry be the prayer

Let chanting and dancing and reading be the prayer

Let dressing and undressing be the prayer

Let sleeping and rising and sleeping and rising be the prayer

Let missing someone be the prayer

Let memories and whispered calls for help for others be the prayer

Let opening the door and putting on and taking off shoes be the prayer

Let the keeping simple order be the prayer

Let the celebration of light and darkness be the prayer

Let warmth and cold be the prayer
All of it, not bad, not good, just as it is and wondrous all of it. . . .

be the prayer

O God, in my helplessness, from nowhere, with nothing, let these poor prayers, as flowers, draw You to the garden from which their fragrance arises.

Amen.

~Regina Sara Ryan

Ryan, Regina Sara. Praying Dangerously: Radical Reliance on God. Prescott, Arizona: Hohm Press, 2011. 19-20.

Tuesday prayer

Can anyone really describe the actions of the Matchless One?

Anything I can say is only what I’m allowed to.

Sometimes the One acts this way, 

sometimes in its exact opposite;

The real work of religion is permanent astonishment.

By that I don’t mean in astonishment turning

your back God--

I mean:  blazing in blind ecstasy, 

              drowned in God

              and drunk on Love. 

                                            --Rumi, 13th century Sufi poet

Monday Prayer: For World Suicide Prevention Day

God of all space and time,
There is darkness that exists which feels impenetrable.
Darkness that seems to overcome all light.
Darkness which swallows the will to live,
The desire to go on,
The possibility of grace,
The existence of hope.
There is darkness in this world, in some hearts, in some minds...
Darkness which makes a person feel separated from You and from Love.

You have created a light which no darkness can overcome,


But sometimes the darkness seems too great.


On this day, be with those who feel surrounded by darkness...
Who are afraid to speak of their plans,
Who are pondering in their hearts what seems the only end to their pain.

Be with those who have reached out, but not been believed.

Be with people who are left behind, who have questions, who blame themselves.

Send your Spirit of consolation and hope into the world on this day,

Turn up the Light of Love- burnish and banish the darkness,

Strengthen all to speak, to listen, to hold, and to share.

Holy God, we ask for the kind of peace- in hearts, minds, and all creation- that can only come from you.


Gracious God, hear our prayer.
And in your mercy, answer us.

Sunday Prayer; Proper 18B, Help Us to Love...

God, the maker of all, surround us like mountains, secure in love.

Bless the leaders of this world, of nations and cities, with wisdom

Help us to listen before speaking; may we assume good intentions.

(Oh, wouldn’t that be wonderful to not only assume, but to act with good intentions?)

Help us to love our neighbor as we love ourselves.

God, maker of all, in the heart of Jerusalem reside your people

People of many faiths, all giving praise to you. Be with the leaders

Of Churches and other faiths, reminding us of our common love in God.

Help us to love our neighbor as we love ourselves.

God, maker of all, be with those who are suffering from

Illness, poverty, hunger, injustice, abuse, and all the ways we fail

To care for others. Help us to respond to the broken places

Help us to love our neighbor as ourselves.

God, maker of all, be with those who have died.

Surround them with your peace and love. Sustain

Those who love and care for the dying, fill them with peace.

Help us to love our neighbors as ourselves.

In all we do, O God, help us to deepen our faith.

Help us to work on your behalf, that our words may have action.

Help us be your hands and heart in the world.

Help us to love you and love our neighbors, too.

Amen.

Thursday Prayer

Redeemer of Life, who leads us into being,
In the spaciousness of this moment, we waken to you. 
Enliven us with each breath.
 Expose our emptiness while deepening our sense of your fullness. 
As we move through the crowdedness of today, aim us toward love alone. Amen.
~ Janet Salbert

With thanks to Shalem Institute.

For Today

FOR TODAY O God, Give me the strength to live another day; Let me not turn coward before its difficulties or prove recreant to its duties; Let me not lose faith in other people; Keep me sweet and sound of heart, in spite of ingratitude, treachery or meanness; Preserve me from minding little stings or giving them; Help me to keep my heart clean and to live so honestly and fearlessly that no outward failure can dishearten me or take away the joy of conscious integrity; Open wide the eyes of my soul that I may see good in all things; Grant me this day some new vision of they truth; Inspire me with the spirit of joy and goodness; and make me the cup of strength to suffering souls; in the name of the strong Deliverer, our only Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. Amen. from Forward Day by Day

Tuesday Prayer

On this day,
We pray...
for your leading, guiding, and sending.
We pray
for courage to be led, guided and sent.
We pray
that where we follow,
that where we walk together,
that where we land...
we might be a blessing and balm
in whatever and whoever we meet.
In the name of Christ, our brother,
Amen.

Monday Prayer: Come to Us

When, good Lord, will you manifest yourself to us in bright sunshine? Yes, we are slow to understand and slow to see. But we are quick to believe; and we believe that if you chose to reveal yourself to us, you could do so this very day. 
Dear Lord, please appear to us, at dawn or at dusk or at the height of day. Come to our table at mealtimes, that we may share our meals with you. Come to our bed, that we may share our rest with you. Come to us at our prayers, that we may rejoice and be glad.

Amen. 


- Gilbert of Hoyland

Sunday Prayer: Arise and love - Proper 17B

Gracious God, we give you thanks this night/day for the gift of life. We thank you for being the foundation that supports our roots, for anchoring us richly, for nourishing us through the rocky days, the stormy nights, the wind, rain, and cold. During times when it seems all but impossible to stay grounded, you hold onto us. 

Especially on this Labor Day weekend - be with those who work with their hands, their hearts, their minds - in factories, stores, libraries, schools - with computers, the internet - in unions -for  those who labor in every way  to make our lives manageable, we give thanks.

We thank you for being there even when we are certain that we are all alone, abandoned to harsh elements

.

God of life, we thank you for all the blessings of our lives. For this on-line community that supports, sustains, and manifests images of You, of love and compassion and hope, through pain and hurt feelings, sorrow and loss. For our friends and family, those we love, with whom we celebrate in times of joy! Arise! And, love!

Compassionate One, we ask that you be with those tonight who need you most. Those who are struggling with their last breath, those who are taking their first breath, those who need release and the chance to take a deep cleansing breath. Bring them your peace.

God of grace, lead us into your truth, your ways. Help us, leaders, followers, in all walks of life, to hold before us a vision of your love. Help us, all, to love as you love, generously, all. Give us your eyes, your heart, help us to be your hands, help us to mend the broken places. Arise, and love.

Merciful God, forgive us when we fail, pick us up when we fall, sustain us when we doubt, guide us when we fear, embrace us when we cry, and laugh with us when we have joy. Then help us to do the same with those we meet, those we know, those we encounter day and night, even those whose lives we do not know. Help us to see deeply into the pain we cause - knowingly or not -help us to exhale your mercy that others may inhale your love.

Amen.