Prayer 1527- Make us one body

Daffodil

Most Merciful God, accept our humble offerings to You of our life and love as we make our prayer to You.
Forgive us our willful disregard for each other, and restore us to communion and trust, we pray.
Give us grace to allow love to heal our wounded relationships, that we may be one body, made in your image. 
Make us holy, a priestly people serving You and each other in love, O God, and bring us into unity with all creation.

Place your hand of blessing over all who ache, or mourn, or seek a way through difficulties.
Spirit of Light and Truth, bless us, and pour out your balm of blessing over those we remember before You.

Amen.

Prayer 1526- Planted within God's grace

Starbursts of redbud blossoms crown each limb in full, glorious bloom.

Most Merciful God,
You who loved us into being:
we rise and lay our spirits open before You.
Forgive our pride, our wayward steps,
our heedless will to wound;
let us return to You with penitence and humility.

May your law of love be drawn into our hearts
as spring rain awakens the slumbering Earth.
As pear, cherry, and redbud
carpet the ground with their blossoms,
may we give thanks
for your mantle of mercy drawn over us.
Plant us deeply within your grace, O Creator God,
that we may be firm and upright
in faith and compassion.

Blessed Savior, bless us and teach us,
uplift us that we may embody your grace.
Walk beside us and lead us
into justice and truth, Lord Christ:
accept our praises,
hear our prayer,
and have mercy upon us.

Amen.

New Every Morning: Speaking to the Soul, March 29, 2017

Morning Prayer at dawn on the beach, Matanzas, Cuba, 2017.

Yesterday was a hard day. I went to bed exhausted, emotionally and physically spent, having presided at the funeral of a dear young man and neighbor, and right before bed being informed of the death of a long-time friend and mentor from my teaching days. But in my ten years’ journey toward ordination, one of the blessings that has sustained me and guided me has been the cultivation of a rule of life, a set of spiritual, mental, and physical practices that have helped shape my identity as a Christian, as well as as a pastor, deacon, and minister.

The grace of having a rule of life is that, after giving myself a few hours’ sleep, even while still a bit heart-sick and tired, I rose as I do every morning and prayed morning prayer. What a blessing to see that today is the feast day of John Keble, one of the leaders of a 19th century reform and revival movement in the Church of England known as the Oxford Movement, which, besides encouraging the recovery of practices and traditions that drew the Church of England back to its Catholic roots, inspired and shaped the spirituality of Christina Rosetti, the poet.

Keble, besides helping to launch the Oxford Movement, is himself one of the finest poets in the Anglican tradition, and wrote a book of poems entitled The Christian Year, which was intended to inspire devotion to the Prayer Book, that most Anglican collection of worship and theology. Each Sunday and holy day of the Church Year receives a poem, as well as holy days. At the beginning of this beautiful work, Keble wrote two poems, “Morning” and “Evening,” in reflecting on morning and evening prayer. Some of the stanzas from “Morning,” were used for hymn 10 in our hymnal, often used for morning prayer. So after I prayed morning prayer this morning, I listened again to these beautiful words, and let them seep into my heart:

New every morning is the love
Our wakening and uprising prove;
Through sleep and darkness safely brought,
Restored to life, and power, and thought.

New mercies, each returning day,
Hover around us while we pray;
New perils past, new sins forgiven,
New thoughts of God, new hopes of Heaven.

If on our daily course our mind
Be set to hallow all we find,
New treasures still, of countless price,
God will provide for sacrifice.

Old friends, old scenes will lovelier be,
As more of Heaven in each we see:
Some softening gleam of love and prayer
Shall dawn on every cross and care.

The trivial round, the common task,
Would furnish all we ought to ask;
Room to deny ourselves; a road
To bring us daily nearer God.

Only, O Lord, in Thy dear love
Fit us for perfect Rest above;
And help us, this and every day, 
To live more nearly as we pray.

Even though the morning light has not yet broken through the shroud of night, nonetheless, the gift of a new day reminds me of the love that is our foundation through Christ our Savior—love that binds us together in one beautiful and mystical body. Even when sitting alone at my desk to pray my prayers in the morning, I am never alone. In every moment as I pray, others all over the world are praying too, and where two or three are gathered together in love, there is Christ also.

We are drawn upward into a great cloud of saints, whose witness to God can be found in something as profound as writing beautiful poetry or as mundane as helping a friend find something lost or placing a gentle hand in the hand of one awash in grief. The tide of love will always come in, and rosy-fingered dawn caresses our hearts, drawing our eyes and hearts upward as we prepare to walk through this day.

The Spirit tugs at my sleeve as I read these words, reminding me of the grace of God that upholds all of us, especially when weary, restless, or heart-sick. Heaven is all around us. This moment is a gift. The face of the Holy One is there before me, shining from all those I meet, beloved, whether friend or stranger. The Lord of Love embraces us in our despair and mourning as much as in our pleasure and rejoicing. This is the day that the Lord has made, and this is the Love that fills my heart and shines out even from where the brokenness is healing by grace and mercy. Come, Lord Jesus. Help me this and every day to live more nearly as I pray.

(This was first published at the Episcopal Cafe's Speaking to the Soul, March 29, 2017.)

Prayer 1525: Morning by morning your mercies I see

The path towward light

(inspired by the poetry of John Keble)

In thankfulness for the light
singing its way into being,
we give You praise, O God,
for your unfailing mercy and love.

You abide with us
in both sorrow and in joy,
in anxiety and in rest;
your mercies are new every morning.

Awaken us to see your face, Lord Christ,
in all your beloved creation,
in those known and unknown to us.

Help us to amend our hearts and steps
to walk in your beauty and light,
upholding us all our days.

Help us remember that heaven is our home,
and our home is beneath our feet,
in this good earth filled with light and love.

Dear Jesus, guard the hearts and hopes
of all those who turn to You,
sustaining us by your grace,
as we make our prayer to you.

Amen.

Prayer 1524- led by Love

Calla lily, San Carlos Borromeo de Carmelo Mission, Carmel, California.

Come, Blessed Redeemer, and be our guide,
for the night is past,
and we seek to abide with you this day.
May we walk in gentleness and love with each other,
and seek to serve God in all persons.
May we be led by the Love
which sustains all the earth,
and be strengthened to work for justice and truth.
May we be witnesses in compassion,
healing the wounds of injustice and enmity,
for the sake of Christ our Savior.
May we be led by the Holy Spirit to newness of life,
to see with the eyes of our hearts
the unity of all creation.

Lord Jesus, abide with those who work,
or watch,
or weep this day,
and strengthen those whose faith is known to you alone.
Pour out the balm of your mercy
upon all who seek their way,
and upon those whom we remember before You, as we pray.

Amen.

Prayer 1523: feeding our hearts with grace

"Now there was a great deal of grass in that place; so they sat down, about five thousand in all. Then Jesus took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed them to those who were seated; and also the fish, as much as they wanted."- John 6:10-11

Lord Jesus Christ, we kneel before You in thanks for this day.
Forgive us our sins, O God, we humbly pray,
and guide us into new pathways of peace and mercy
for your love's sake.
Bring us into a new fellowship of faith and hope,
and drive far from us all division and fear.
You, Lord, bid us sit down and eat:
open our eyes to see your abundant blessings all around us.
As you multiplied the loaves and fishes
to feed the multitudes,
feed us with your grace and peace,
satisfying our souls.
Pour out your Spirit upon us, O God,
that we may reflect the light of love and healing
into the darkest corners of the world.
We turn to You, O Holy One,
for your healing touch:
place the balm of your blessing upon all who call upon You.

Amen.

Prayer, day 1522- God is our shepherd and provider

The Good Shepherd.

(Based on Psalm 23)

God is our shepherd and provider,
You claim us as your own.

God leads us into pastures that supply all our needs;
You give us rest and security.

God refreshes and revives our souls anew;
leading us into truth, 
trusting us to follow and glorify God's Name.

You shield us by your strength and vigilance;
when trials approach us, 
we have no fear, 
for You hold us in your hand 
even when the darkness of death looms.

You provide a rich banquet for us even as enemies look on;
You have consecrated us and blessed us abundantly.
Your steadfast promise of love enfolds us,
and goodness and mercy are our sure companions 
as You lead us through our lives.

We rest securely in your arms,
and our home is with You forever.

O Shepherd, hear the call of your people and gather them close, especially those we now name.

Amen.
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Prayer 1521: The Anunciation of Our Lord

The Annunciation, by Brigid Marlin, 2005.

Eternal One, God of Compassion,
we turn from our beds
to rest our trust in You.
You sent your Son to be with us,
to walk with us in all our travails:
let us choose to walk alongside him today.
Let us bear Christ within our hearts,
as Mary bore him into the world;
let it be for us, too, according to your word.
Grant us the humility to accept your call to us,
and the strength and boldness to testify to your glory.
Humbly, we pour out our hearts before You,
Most Merciful God,
and ask You to send your angels to tend those we now name.

Amen.

Prayer 1520- Make us a holy people

Cairn, Osage Monastery Forest of Peace, Sand Springs, OK.

Blessed Savior,
watch over us this day,
for we turn to the radiance of your glory
in faith and trust.

Forgive us, Lord, for all our sins,
and bring us to seek reconciliation
with those we have hurt.

Make us unfailing
in the cause of the oppressed and the vulnerable;
may we seek justice and compassion for the poor.

Uphold us by your Holy Spirit
to bring comfort and companionship
to those who are alone, in mourning, or in pain.

Holy One, make us your holy people,
that through our love
others may come to know You and your grace.

Stretch forth your hand of healing, O God,
upon all whom we remember in our prayers,
and all who cry out to You.

Amen.

Prayer 1519- for hope in the dawn

The rising sun unveils the beauty of God's creation before us, even after the darkest night.

Lord of Love, who divides night from day,
and watches over us as a mother hen over her children,
grant us grace and peace.
Each breath we have is a gift from You, O Creator;
we live and move and have our being
grounded in your Love.

You are our ever-present help, O God,
and we turn to You
as You hold our souls within your saving hand.
Blessed Jesus, who wept for his friend Lazarus,
comfort those who mourn,
and bring healing to the broken-hearted.
Holy Spirit, come,
kindle your light in those whose hope is faltering,
that they may see to find their way home.

Merciful One, we lay our hearts open before You:
pour your blessing over those whom we remember before You, we pray.

Amen.

Prayer 1518: Responding to the call to confession

Melchior, Jesus Healing the Leper

Confession of Sin, Book of Common Prayer, p. 360

Most Merciful God, we confess that we have sinned against you in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done, and by what we have left undone. We have not loved you with out whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We are truly sorry and we humbly repent. For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ, have mercy on us and forgive us, that we may delight in your will, and walk in your ways, to the glory of your name. Amen.

Most Merciful Lord,
Jesus Christ,
we bend the knees of our hearts before You.

We have stubbornly clung
to the path of vanity and exploitation:
we have failed to trust in your unfailing Word.
In the face of injustice, persecution, and want,
we have claimed helplessness or hidden our gaze,
to shield us from acting against oppression done in our name
and for our own comfort.
By our heedlessness and casual cruelty,
we have denied the power of your Love
working in our hearts.

Our thoughts and words,
actions and inactions
convict us, O Lord:
but You, in abundant love and mercy,
love us still.

Let us seek reconciliation with you and all we have harmed.
Let us forgive, as we ourselves seek forgiveness.
Let us love as You yourself love us,
even as we feel our way through our own darkness.
Let us give thanks for the love that surrounds us,
and release the hurts to which we cling.
Let us embody your hope and healing in the world,
and walk in light as you have always led us.

Holy One, we rest like children within your embrace:
press your hand of blessing upon all whose cares we lay before You.

Amen.

Prayer 1517: from the wastelands of sin

Holy One, may our prayers rise to You
as the sun rides high in the east,
and may we center our souls in your grace.
May we turn back from the wastelands of sin;
may we repent and reconcile
with all whom we have offended or harmed.
You have set a table for us
in the wilderness;
may we feast together,
united by the work of love you have given us.
Strike the rock of our hearts, O Holy One,
that the water of life may fill us
and inspire us to serve all creation.
Spirit of Love,
you know our inmost thoughts and cares:
extend the shade of your right hand
over those for whom we pray.

Amen.

Prayer 1516: in humility and compassion

Beloved Savior, we praise and bless your holy name, giving thanks for your unnumbered mercies.
You have sheltered us in your embrace through the night; watch over us as we go forth into the day you have given us.

Pour into our hearts the living water of your grace and truth, that we may be refreshed and restored to do your will, O God.
With humility and compassion, may we seek to be your healing hands in the world, following the path you set before us.
Open our eyes to see your light in all we encounter, embodying your mercy and justice to all the oppressed.
Give us the will to destroy the walls we have erected among each other, remembering that you have called us to unity.

Preserve the joyful, comfort the sorrowful, strengthen all who falter, and relieve those who suffer, especially those we now name.

Amen.

Prayer 1515: Third Sunday in Lent

An ancient depiction of Jesus speaking to the Samaritan woman at the well. Picture not mine.

Almighty God, our prayers rise to You with the rising sun: let us worship You and give thanks in your holy places.

Give us the wisdom to follow with gratitude when You lead us through the wilderness of sin that envelops us.
In places of contention and testing, let us witness to the power of the One whose mercies never cease.
Give us living water, that we may worship You, Lord Christ, in spirit and in truth, testifying to your saving love. 

Holy One, you know what is in our hearts: spread the fold of your mercy over us, and give comfort to those we now name.

Amen.

Prayer, day 1514: based on a prayer by St. Patrick

St. Patrick

(based on a prayer of St. Patrick)
Blessed Savior,
You are our armor in times of trouble:
hear our prayer.
Awaken in us a desire to love and praise You,
for You are our companion
in times of joy and in times of trouble. 

Guide us by your Strength, O God,
and preserve us by your Power,
that we may always walk before You. 
Instruct us by your Wisdom,
and protect us by your mighty Hand
as we seek to be your disciples. 
Direct us by your Way,
defend us by your Shield,
and send your angels to guard us night and day. 

Be with us,
before us, and in us, Holy Spirit,
and send us out with a zeal to serve You
with our whole heart. 

Fill us with a Holy Fire
to embody your gospel of love and forgiveness to friend and foe,
and place your blessing upon those we now name.

Amen.
785, adapted

Prayer 1513: A Confession on St. Patrick's Day

Merciful God, we open our eyes to the rising sun,
and our hearts to meditate upon your grace and love:
Lord, hear our prayers.
In pride and heedless self-worship we have sinned, O God:
we have exploited the defenseless and turned on the weak.
We have sowed division to gain power,
surrendered before injustice,
and destroyed communities with mistrust and enmity.
Forgive, forgive, forgive, Lord Christ:
may we seek to restore our communion
with you, each other, and all creation.
Holy Spirit, renew in us a right orientation;
give us empathetic hearts and minds,
remembering that we are one.
Give us the will to seek the lost
comfort the suffering,
and lead those who thirst
to the water of life.
Guide us to be healing hands within the world,
loving each other as You, O God, have loved us, without fail.
In your compassion, O Holy One,
we place before You all those in anxiety or need of rest.

Amen.

Prayer 1512: Prayer for reprentance

Stacked Stones, Osage Forest of Peace, Sand Springs, OK.

Blessed are You, O God of heavens and earth, for you are our Strength and our Redeemer. Bring us to true repentance as we examine our hearts. Accept our humble confession for our sins, done by us or done on our behalf. Lead us to renewal of life and faithfulness, that we may serve You and all creation. Centered within your love, Lord Christ, may we open wide the doors of our hearts, dwelling in your mercy as we pray.

Amen.

Prayer 1511: God whose mercy upholds our days

Seagull in flight, Creve Coeur Lake.

Most Merciful God, who upholds us all our days, we rise in love to center ourselves within your care. 

Be our shield and our rock, Lord Christ, a lamp to light our path to reconciliation.
By the power of the Holy Spirit, defend us from all evil, that we may dedicate ourselves to your truth.
Create and sustain in us hearts for justice, that we may be forces of healing and liberation in the world.
Make us bearers of the light of Christ, united in fellowship to love and serve your unfolding creation.

Lifted up by your Grace, O God, we place our praises and pleas before You as we pray.

Amen.

Prayer, Day 1510

Abandoned lighthouse, Barbados.

Almighty God, we turn to you as the Earth turns toward the sun, bringing light and life to all. Let us be light to all the dark places of the world, like mirrors reflecting your wisdom and truth. Let us not be deceived by appearances, but see with the eyes of the heart what is true, good, and right. 

Help us to know and repent of our faults and hardheadedness, and forgive those who have wronged us as we would hope for forgiveness. May those whose eyes are closed in prayer open them to see anew the radiance of your hope, Lord Jesus, especially those we now name.

Amen.
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Grace in the Storm: Senior Sermon, Eden Theological Seminary

Readings:
Psalms 130 and 131
Matthew 14: 22-33

Icon: Jesus and Peter walking on the water

Once, when I was a teenager, I got left out in the middle of an Oklahoma lake during a sailing lesson at summer camp. The minutes I spent trying to swim to shore were some of the longest in my young life. Once I realized I was marooned, it got even more interesting. The sky overhead matched my mood, turning gray and surly, with dark low-lying clouds scudding by in that way that in Oklahoma says “You think it’s a pretty summer day? Hold my beer.”

In those few minutes I did a lot of thinking out there, though, powered by panic. And one conclusion I came to was this: when you’re out on the water, staying in the boat always seems like the best thing. Not exactly earth-shaking as realizations go, but solid.

That’s probably what the disciples thought too, when Jesus put them on that boat on the lake. Until that storm came up.

In our gospel reading, Jesus has put his disciples on a boat so that he could get a moment’s peace. Throughout Jesus’s ministry as a teacher and a healer, he still needed times to re-center by through a mindful practice of prayer. As our great High Priest, Jesus models a truth for everyone engaged in ministry: to be the best minister you can be, you also have to be mindful of maintaining your own spiritual life so that you can have something to give to others. That’s what prayer and worship is all about: courage as well as comfort. Strength for the journey.

However, it doesn’t take long for the disciples to run into some stormy weather out there on the water. The disciples in that boat must have been terrified. And then along comes what they think is a ghost: a figure walks across the waves toward them there in the middle of the night in that storm. Is it any wonder that they don’t recognize Jesus? But Jesus speaks, and seeks to reassure them.

And then here comes Peter. I don’t know about you all, but I love Peter. If ever there is a disciple that reminds us of us, if we’re honest, it’s Peter. Leap before you look Peter. Peter, who makes commitments rashly and then loses his nerve. Just like all of us. And yet this is the one upon whom Jesus will build his church. I sometimes wonder if Jesus wasn’t being ironic calling Peter “the rock.” Because if he is rock, he’s more like sedimentary rock, or maybe limestone. Maybe he’s the rock because he can be kind of dense. Whatever the reason, Jesus is awfully patient with Peter, loving him and pulling him along out of this mess or that one whenever he puts his foot in his mouth. And thank God! We can take hope from the fact that Peter was given the grace by Jesus to make mistakes while he was trying to find his own way. Even when Jesus gets exasperated or irritated with Peter, Jesus also at the same time never gives up on him. Nor with us.

Jesus’s generous urging of Peter to take that step and share in the miracle of ministry reminds us of the unfailing grace and patience we all receive, even when we lose sight of our goals again and again. Peter’s faith does falter, and he begins to sink—yet out of the depths he cries out to Jesus, who chides him and pulls him up and keeps Peter from sinking. Some think of Peter as being a fool here. But I think Jesus admired Peter’s willingness to dare, even if it came from an impulse. To my mind, even as Peter is sinking under the weight of that flickering faith, he actually at the same time perfectly embodies the life of faith, knowing that Christ is the One Peter can call out to and trust to save him. There’s a lesson for us in that. Even a little faith is enough.

Some people might say that the boat represents the Church, and the lake represents the world, and I think those might be fruitful metaphors for our time. The Church does not exist for her own sake, within her own walls, but is called into mission for the life of the world. That means that sometimes we have to risk leaving the confines of the boat and step out onto the waves for the sake of the gospel of love and unity that has drawn many of us here as seminarians.

It’s easy to get cynical about the Church today. We see that the Church is being battered around by storms both within and without it. Many of us ourselves feel battered. We’re not sure everyone in the boat is on the same page. We’re not sure the boat is going to hold together. We’re not sure the boat is going the right direction, even before the storms come up. Some of the people in the boat don’t show too much concern for anyone not already in the boat. Frankly, a whole bunch of us look at that boat, and we feel anxiety. For many of the disciples, the last thing they want to do is leave that boat to engage the world. And in our time, there are so many people who see the boat pitching around in the storm, and the last thing they want to do is get in it.

But I’m convinced that the boat is the way we get out on the water in the first place. We see that Jesus is out there on those waves. And for me, that fills me with hope and wonder. As Jesus’s disciples, we are called to engage with the world for the life and healing of the world. In order to bear witness to the God we worship, we have to remember that the Church exists for the world, and not the other way around. God reveals Godself to us in the most unlikely of ways, and Jesus reminds us again and again of God’s solidarity with all creation, which calls us to engage with creation in a spirit of unity and healing. Jesus encourages us to open our eyes and recognize him when he shows up in the most unlikely ways. We can’t just sit passively in the boat and expect the world or Jesus to come to us.

The Church cannot bear witness to the saving love of God if those in the boat forget what our true calling is: to be bearers of hope and grace as members of Christ’s body, transformed by the love that lights our paths and heals the woundedness we all have, friends as well as opponents.

There is a lot of despair, fear, anger, and hopelessness in our churches and in our world right now. Even as we enter Lent, it’s hard not to feel that all that looms before us is the cross and the tomb. But we have to remember that the Holy One who is our Savior ultimately calls us to be an Easter people. We confront pain and injustice, and are called to respond with something radically different: 
Shalom.
Wholeness.
Peace.
Integrity.
Empathy.

We are called as disciples to be sacraments, which in my tradition is defined as “outward and visible signs of an inward and spiritual grace.” Poet Gerard Manley Hopkins reminded us of the sacramental nature of the universe when he said, “The world is charged with the grandeur of God.” We have a special calling to embody that beauty, even in the face of fear and storm—even out there on the water. The water can be a place of danger and struggle, but it can also be a place of rebirth and new life.

In the name of Love Incarnate, we come up out of the waters of baptism, and we can come up out of those waters empowered to be Christ’s saving hands to those who themselves feel they are being pulled under. The world is already mired in cynicism, fear, and love of self. But that presents us in the Church with an opportunity to be truly counter-cultural as the gospel calls us to be. We have the chance as the leaders of the Church to protest and stand for right and resist hate, but in doing so to testify in hope-filled witness to the God of Life and Light. As our psalms and Peter remind us, we call upon God when we are sinking, but we also can rest within the embrace of God like that weaned child resting upon the shoulder of the One whose love envelops and sustains us and all of creation, and then do the work of God’s kingdom.

And we are in a perfect place to learn how to do that. We come to Eden to study theology- and be reminded that Christ is in places we never expected. We have been called to embody Christ’s radical love as well as righteousness into a world that desperately needs that hope and love in the face of anger and violence.

Many of us in the class of 2017 learned that, even before our first class started. We learned that Christ was in the streets of Ferguson on August 9, 2014 and in the streets of St. Louis in October of that year, and Christ was in Waller County, Texas, that following July. We heard the voices of young people and older people, gay, straight, queer, or transgender folx of all kinds joining together in the name of justice, reminding us that “Love is Love,” and those voices all echoed with the reassurance that carried across the waves, saying, “Take heart, it is I, do not be afraid.”

But I hope we have also learned that God is found in simple things like sitting by the bedside of a sick person or a shut-in and being present with them. We have learned that God is found in common prayer, in reverent worship, in songs of praise and in silence, in sharing communion so that we never forget who we are called to be: the Beloved Community, the joyful Body of Christ. Just like Jesus, we are also called here to learn how to make worship and prayer the center of our lives, the thing that gives us the groundedness to step out in faith. We have learned all kinds of complex academic material in our time here at Eden, yet along the way we have also been called to serve God and each other with humility and kindness.

But I’ll tell you one thing: we DON’T come here to learn how to sit safely in the boat and just hang on. We come here to learn to dare to step out on those waves in love and hope. We come here because we are willing to hear Christ’s call and see where it leads. May we have the courage to long to hear Christ call us to step out on those waves, to testify to the beauty of God’s love all around us, knowing that even in the storm, we are not alone, but are upheld by God's grace.

Amen.

 (Preached in Wehrli Chapel at Eden Theological Seminary on Monday, March 13, at 11:40 am).

Prayer 1509

Bradford Pear blooms last week.

Holy One, we turn to rest in your embrace 
for comfort and for strength to bear witness to You in faith today.
In humility and hope, we gather together,
united by love
to offer our prayers of thanksgiving and intercession before You, O God.
For we are called to be one Body,
sharing our joys and our cares,
supported by each other and God’s grace.

Guide us as we step out in faith
on the path of discipleship and fellowship, we humbly pray.
Through your grace, Lord Christ,
open our hearts and minds to the love of God, each other, and all creation.
Uplifted by your peace and hope, O Creator,
we place before you our cares and concerns.

Amen.

Prayer 1508: Second Sunday of Lent

Winter sunrise.

God of Light and Life,
we turn our eyes to You in times of joy and times of anxiety,
for You are our hope and our guide.
Give us strength
to step out on the path your Son laid before us
with rejoicing,
bearing your light to the world.
Forgive us for our stumbles and misdirections,
for times we have been faithless,
acting out of anger or blind self-interest.
Help us be reborn through the Spirit,
that we may be children of hope,
embodying the love God bears for the world.
Blessed Jesus, draw us within your embrace,
and place your hand of healing upon all we place upon you.

Amen.

Prayer 1507: A Prayer of Trust and Action

Two days ago, 70 degrees. Today, snow.

Lord, you know our lying down and our rising up:
we abide each moment in the palm of your hand.

Your way is the way of justice, liberation, and truth, O Christ:
may we resolutely turn our hands and hearts to that work.

True peace is planted in the hearts of the compassionate,
who walk in the footsteps of Jesus, our brother and guide.

With each breath, may we breathe in the Spirit of Love:
may all our deeds testify to the glory of God.

Holy Spirit, descend upon us,
and comfort and embrace those we now name.

Amen.