Wednesday, September 30, 2015

Prayer 981

This craftsman in St. Lucia , Mr. Eustace, made sculptures from coconut shells, patiently and lovingly working as he recalled his customers with stories.

Almighty God, your mercy and loving-kindness is never-failing: hear our prayers, we pray. Give us patience and compassion for others, that we may be loving and gracious in all we do. Give us forbearance and compassion for those who have hurt us, as we would hope to receive for our own failures. Give us strength and compassion to work for justice and peace, to live out your call to love and value all living beings. Give us gentleness and compassion to walk gently and reverently upon the earth, the first gift of love you gave us. May we unify our hearts and minds in pursuit of your kingdom of love, O Christ, and carry your gospel with joy into the world. Remember those whom we lift up before you, and grant them your peace, O Holy One, we pray.

Amen.

Tuesday, September 29, 2015

Prayer 980- Feast of Saint Michael and All Angels

The statue at Place Saint-Michel in Paris which is the feature of the Fontaine Saint-Michel at the end of the Pont Saint-Michel, in the Latin Quarter near Shakespeare and Company Books.

Lord Jesus Christ, we put our trust in You, and extol your saving help throughout all lands. May our spirits rejoice in the beauty of God's wonders; may we give thanks and praise for all our blessings. We put our trust in You, O Holy One, and proclaim the beauty of the Lord, our strength and shield. Give us the boldness to proclaim your gospel in word and deed, we pray, O Holy One. Keep us under the shadow of your wing, O God, and draw us onto the paths of peace. Almighty and Merciful God, we rest within your embrace: hear the prayer of your people as we pray.

Amen.

Monday, September 28, 2015

Prayer 979


Let me sit in stillness, and open my heart to the presence of God, to mend the cracks, and to fill the corners and crevices. Infuse my spirit to overflowing, O Holy One, for in silence I wait upon Thee. 

Like cool water over dry and thirsty ground, let your wisdom and peace wash over me. 
In the face of storms within and without, You have made this space within me one of sure reliance upon your goodness. 
Let me drink deeply of your wisdom, O Christ, and may I go forth in the name of justice and mercy today. 

May I carry a Spirit of Loving-kindness within me, and walk humbly with my God and my fellow-beings. May I be a voice of compassion, love, comfort, and healing to those I meet.  

May I attend to your truth in all my ways, O God: let my prayer come to Thee as I pray.

Amen.

Sunday, September 27, 2015

Prayer, day 978


How blessed and wonderful it is to come into your sanctuary, O God of Unchanging Wisdom! Let us raise our hands in thanksgiving for your unending mercy and forbearance. Let us raise our hearts, to be dedicated anew to following your pathways. Let us raise our eyes from our troubles to see your unfailing Love for us in creation and in each other. Let us proclaim your salvation in the world by all that we do this day, and see your image in the faces of those around us. Guide, guard, and strengthen us this day, and rest your hand specifically on these, your beloveds.

Amen.  

Saturday, September 26, 2015

Prayer 977


Almighty and All-Merciful One, we rise to sing your praises in gratitude for your blessings! 

May we be the servants of God, rejoicing in the work You have set before us. May we be lovers of truth and justice, knowing justice delayed is justice denied. May we resound with songs of praise and hope, lifting our eyes to see our the light of Christ in all. May we humbly reconcile with all whom we have hurt, and seek to walk in peace and compassion henceforth. 

United by your promises of mercy, bless and keep us this day, Lord Christ, and bless those for whom we pray.

Amen.

Friday, September 25, 2015

Shelter and Shadow: Speaking to the Soul, September 25, 2015

This was first posted at The Episcopal Cafe's Speaking to the Soul on September 25, 2015.


The Psalms appointed for evening prayer today are among my favorite in scripture. Together with Psalm 90, they form an introduction to what is known as Book IV of the Psalter. They radiate hope and trust. They comfort us in times of grief, when we are anxious or afraid. The fill us with the warmth of the love of a God who is gracious, whose loving-kindness never fades.

Some days it feels like we have the world on a string. Other days are filled with struggle and loss. Psalms 91 and 92 resonate on both kinds of days.  Their promises of God’s love and protection ring true, and hold up to us our reliance on God and God’s companionship with us in all seasons.  There are some beautiful images used for God in these two psalms. In Psalm 91, God is described as our shelter, our habitation—our safe home, a place of rest. Four times we are reminded that God is our refuge—and even more than a refuge, a stronghold. God is a mighty mother bird, with strong pinions and sheltering wings to draw her children close to Her and envelop us in safety. In Psalm 92, the beloved of God are referred to as being rooted in God as either a palm tree or a cedar of Lebanon, mighty trees whose roots run deep even during tempests and storms.

The first verse we will read tonight reminds us of the  encompassing love of God:

Those who dwell in the shelter of the Most High
abide under the shadow of the Almighty.

These two psalms call us to draw in a breath, and let it out. Feel that? The more mindful we are of our breathing, the more we are aware of the blessings God has given us, starting with our very breaths, given to us in creation, give to us from our births.  As we breathe, we feel the sheltering wings of the Almighty, which provide us refuge and respite as we catch those breaths, as we gather strength and are clasped within the  embrace of the One who is beside us always, who never sleeps.

That shadow we rest under is the cool shade of the garden, the underside of every green leaf warmed by the sun. It is the promise of being bound to God in love-- Love which is also the Name of God that echoes in our hearts. As Psalm 92 reminds us, this story of love and faithfulness fills all our days, and elicits from us a song to God of wonder:

To tell of your loving-kindness early in the morning
and of your faithfulness in the night season;

bearing us up through joy and through storm, ever steadfast, ever faithful, never failing. God’s grace is abundant and steadfast; it calls to us to sink our roots deep and flourish, to spread like a palm tree or a cedar and claim our piece of sky, but also to share in the work of God to provide shelter and shade throughout creation.  


O Almighty One, we thank You for granting us shelter and shadow. Help us to know your grace, to rest and root ourselves in You. Amen.


Prayer 976

Eucharist at Camp Phoenix, 2015.

Almighty One, look with compassion upon the whole human family whom You have made in your image. Help us to see the chance to serve you in the face of each person we meet. Help us overcome the arrogance and selfishness that lurks in our hearts. Help us to be mindful of the needs and concerns of others. And spread your wings of Love and respite over these for whom we pray this day.

Amen.  

Thursday, September 24, 2015

Prayer 975


(Inspired by the Jubilate)
You are the source of all goodness, O God, and our shelter in times of trial. The lands ring out their joy to God, whose mercy never fails. God calls each one by name, and we answer our shepherd's call. We know You have made us and are with us, O Loving One, and we sing your praise. Your gates open before us; let us enter with thanksgiving, sure in your reception and protection of us. We call upon You and You answer us, for your faithfulness endures from age to age. Strengthen and vouchsafe those who call upon You, especially these for whom we pray.

Amen.

Wednesday, September 23, 2015

Prayer 974- In memory of Father Emery Washington

Father Emery Washington passed away September 21 after a valiant battle with pancreatic cancer. He was a holy man and a gentleman, and a valiant champion of good. And he was my friend.


In peace, we pray to You, Most Holy One, to raise our hearts and hopes to You, through whom all things came to be. 

May we remember our dependence upon your creation, and care for it tenderly and faithfully, in gratitude. 
May we cling to your ways and follow your paths of peace and compassion, O God. 
May we embody your wisdom in faithfulness and gentleness. 
May we open our hearts that the light of Christ may fill us, and shine forth from our faces. 
May we seek always to support and encourage each other in the work of your kingdom, O Lord, that the Spirit guide all our steps. 
May goodness and mercy follow us all our days, and may we dwell in peace and equity with all creation. 

Merciful God, we ask that You place your blessing upon us, and grant your benediction to those we now name.

Amen.


Tuesday, September 22, 2015

Prayer, day 973


O God, You have known and treasured us through all of our days: we praise you for your steadfast love! Guide us to walk in your ways, that the works of our hands may find favor in your sight. Inscribe your precepts upon our hearts, for we are prone to wander from the paths of wisdom. Kindle within us the flame of lovingkindness, that we may be humble and righteous in all we do for the glory of your Name. Look with favor upon your children whom we now name.

Amen.

Monday, September 21, 2015

Prayer, day 972

Reflections from the stained glass at the rear of the nave at Holy Communion,
as seen on the back of the processional cross.

O Creator God, we thank you for this beautiful Earth You have made as our abode. We thank you for the family of humanity in all the places we call home. Help us to know and celebrate the common bonds that unite us regardless of race, creed, wealth, or nationality. We thank you for those who care for the lost, who comfort the sick, who welcome the stranger. Help us cherish each other and learn from each other, tied together in mutuality as Your beloved children. Strengthen those who sorrow or who hurt or who fear, especially these we now name.

Amen.