Prayer 1506

The Bradford Pear trees bloom on a glorious, spring-like day.

Lord, we see your handiwork all around us:
every contour of hill and skyline is shaped by the forces of creation.
Forgive us for our idolatry of privilege,
for loving things and using people,
rather than using things and loving each other.
Let us place our feet in the path of peace
and set our shoulders to the wheel of justice and healing.
Let us sing a song of gratitude and praise,
and humbly return to your ways, O Christ.
Like little children, let us run to your embrace
and rest within your love, O Holy One.
Lord, you are our refuge and strength:
we lift our hearts before You as we pray.

Amen.

Prayer 1505: Jesus in the Margins

Window at Emmanuel Episcopal Church, Webster Groves, MO.

Merciful God, Lover of Souls, we turn into your embrace,
grateful for your abiding love.

Accept our confession of all our sins,
and grant us the strength to turn from darkness to light.
Renew our commitment to discipleship,
that we may live lives dedicated to compassion, mercy, and healing.
Awaken us from our heedlessness
to respond to the pain of others,
and stand with the oppressed and the powerless.
Remembering that we are all one,
help us to see Christ's face in places of pain, anxiety, and suffering.
In Jesus's name, let us work to repair the ruptures in creation and in society,
caused by our own deeds and those of others.

Holy One, pour out your comfort and blessing
on those whose needs we remember before you, as we pray.

Amen.

First Steps: Speaking to the Soul, March 8, 2017

Genesis 12:1-4a

It’s been a difficult Lent for me so far, to answer a question asked yesterday in this space. Given the turmoil going on in community and country, I have been feeling unsettled, uneasy, and then Lent comes along and the message most people emphasize is giving up and sacrificing things that give them comfort or pleasure. It would be easy to let Lent be another layer of gloom in an already dreary time, which is not what it is meant to be at all.

This coming Sunday’s brief reading from Genesis 12 offers some insight here. Abraham abruptly makes his entrance in the biblical narrative, and it starts with an astounding challenge, followed by a promise. Verses 1-3 are such a brief description of this momentous event:

The Lord said to Abram, "Go from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you. I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.

Abruptly, almost nonchalantly in the first verse, God starts by telling Abram to do what even today would be unthinkable for many of us: “Leave everything you know and everyone you love, and walk until I tell you to stop. Once you get to this place I have in mind, I will give you everything: a nation of descendants, making you yourself great as the root and foundation of an entire people." But Abram’s greatness will be based not on his own glory, but on being a blessing for others—a point that will later be emphasized in the writings of the prophets, especially Isaiah.

Some would consider what Abram is being asked to do a sacrifice. But it’s also important to remember here that sometimes we have to let go of things in our life in order to make room for new things to have space to grow. And that’s a wonderful lesson to contemplate during Lent. Lent shouldn’t be about giving up things that make us happy just to deny ourselves pleasure or comfort. Rather, Lent can be a time of paring away, of making space in our lives for other things to take root. Lent is a time to be willing to step out in faith on the journey to a deeper, more intimate relationship with God.

That last half of a verse in our reading is actually probably one of the most astounding testimonies of faith in scripture, so astounding that the author of the Letter to the Hebrews makes this simple response the centerpiece of Hebrews 11. Genesis 12:4a states simply:

So Abram went, as the Lord had told him.

Reading these nine words, reminds me of that later description in Hebrews 11, verse 8: By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to set out for a place that he was to receive as an inheritance; and he set out, not knowing where he was going.

Faith is that which gives us the courage and the strength the persevere and to dare. Faith is the thing that gives us wings to carry us over the times of distress in our lives. Most of us don’t have the heaping mounds of faith that Abram has in this passage. But the good news is: just a little is often enough. Just a little can get us through the anxiety and uncertainties of these times. Now that doesn’t let us off the hook. Abram had faith, but then he had to act on the basis of that faith. He had to dare. He had to trust in this unlikely promise that God offered to him, and he had to be willing to countenance great losses in the name of that faith.

Lent is a time to remember where our priorities are: with stripping away all the distractions and self-centeredness that separates us from God and each other—in other words, sin and idolatry of self. It’s also a time to relax into the promise that God gives all of us as our tender, loving mother, seeking to draw us back to our true natures as beings made for love, made to be a blessing for others just like Abram was promised. It is a time to quiet ourselves like a child upon her mother’s breast—that beautiful image in Psalm 131. In other words, it’s not so much a chance to make ourselves suffer, but to give ourselves the opportunity to live more deeply into the life we are all drawn toward in our very natures: a life rooted in the Most Merciful One, who created us for love and community. All it takes is having the strength to take the first step. In faith.

(This was first published on Episcopal Cafe's Speaking to the Soul on March 8, 2017.)

Prayer 1504: Grace and Gratitude

Dawn breaks and prayers rise over the lake at Camp Phoenix.

Most Merciful God,
this is a new day,
filled with your promise of mercy: 
let us rejoice and give You thanks.

May the rising light give me sight
to seek forgiveness
and to turn to the way of healing and repentance.
Although I am but a child, 
ou, O God, bend near and guide me.

Lord, I remember your unfailing lovingkindness:
may I keep that grace ever before me to light my way today.
You, O God, have set my feet upon the solid rock,
high above the tumults and crashing waves that rise and fall.
You have created us
to be a fellowship of witnesses
and called us to love each other,
which is the greatest blessing of all.

Let us set forth upon the path of hope and reconciliation,
seeking to embody your abundant compassion
as we remember those for whom we now pray.

Amen.

Prayer, Day 1503

The Holy Spirit, detail from a window at St. Stephen's Episcopal Church, Ferguson.

Loving One, we thank you for this day and raise our praises and prayers to You. We bless Your Holy Name, and give thanks for Your deeds of mercy and compassion within our lives. 

Wash away our sins and help us overcome our faults, that we may stand before You night and day. Give us grace to seek out reconciliation with ourselves as well as each other, letting go of what we cannot change. 

 Let us raise up our joy for all our blessings, for the strength to persevere and the love we find in those we meet today. 

Look with favor upon us, O God of healing, especially on those who are wounded in body or soul. Hear the sighs of your people, in petition or thanksgiving, as they rest within your embrace.

Amen.
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Prayer 1502

The crocuses turn their faces toward the winter sun in hope: how can we not do likewise?

Most Merciful God:
in thanksgiving we come before You,
rooting ourselves in your mercy and sheltering embrace.
Bring us to a new awareness of the gifts You have given us,
that we hear your call to holiness.
Lord, you give us freedom:
forgive us for when we have abused our freedom
to exploit others or oppress the weak.
Strengthen us in kindness and humility:
lead us into new paths of compassion
in the name of healing and love.
Guide the hands and the minds of the healers, Lord Christ:
bless doctors, nurses, and caregivers,
and those they tend.
Bend near to all in trouble or need, O Spirit of Love,
and comfort especially these beloveds.

Amen.

Prayer 1501: First Sunday in Lent

In humility and repentance, let us pray.

This is the day that the Lord has made: let us answer the call to reconciliation and worship with open hearts.

Forgive us, O Creator, for our transgressions and rebellions,
that we may be reconciled to You and each other.
In contrition and humility, we turn to You and repent,
for love of You, O Lord, should be the aim of our lives.
Align us again to your will, O God, and not our own,
that we may restore justice and peace within ourselves and our communities.
Renew us in fellowship and compassion,
and clothe us in holiness and love, we humbly pray.

Enfolded within your grace, O God,
may we remember again your promises of mercy,
and embody that promise in our hearts.
Send your angels to abide with those who are weary or worried,
and comfort and strengthen those for whom we pray.

Amen.

Prayer 1500: We are beloved dust

Galaxies and suns in their courses, and we are made of the same, beloved.

Lord, our spirits are drawn toward you,
and we are rise with the sun to rejoice
at your precious love and faithfulness.

We are dust,
beloved dust,
dust shaped and formed by the Holy One:
may we bless and love the Earth,
our womb and our home.

We have sinned,
yet are made for love:
let us repent
and embrace healing,
turning toward life and integrity.

Help us to live in holiness and hope,
with justice and joy,
bound to each other in affection.

Let us shine
with your glory and truth,
Blessed and Beloved One,
bearing the banner of love and unity.
Holy One,
we lay before you our cares and concerns,
and ask your peace for all who seek You.

Amen.

Prayer 1499- Jesus, Our All

The light shines even in darkness.

Jesus, you are our lamp in our waking:
let us be filled with your light.
Jesus, you are our confessor for our sins:
let us bend the knee of our hearts in penitence and repentance.
Jesus, you are our companion in our day's journey:
let us be guided by your Spirit.
Jesus, you are our healer for our wounds and sorrows:
let us open our spirits to your touch.

Your gospel of Love, Lord, is the root of our humanity.
Your fellowship, Lord, reminds us that we are all One.
Your mercy, Lord, is the ground of our hope.
Your grace, Lord, reminds us that eternal life begins now.
Help us to claim our heritage as your children:
renew us, that we recover our wonder and compassion.

May our prayers rise like incense to your throne,
O Holy One:
draw under your sheltering arm those for whom we pray.

Amen.

Prayer 1498- in penitence

Winter grasses.

(inspired by the Litany of Penitence for Ash Wednesday, BCP 267)
Holy God, the Author of our Souls, who inscribed your grace and peace in our hearts, we bow before You in gratitude. May we rededicate our hearts to serve God's kingdom with joy and holiness, to the glory of God's Name. Open our hearts anew to your call to serve, Holy One, that we may serve Christ in one another. May we be true to the mind of Christ, proclaiming justice for the oppressed and hope for the weary. May we be led by the Holy Spirit, surrendering our willfulness and trusting fully in You, O God. Redeem us and bless us, O Creating Spirit, and pour out your blessing over those we raise before You.

Amen.

Prayer 1497- for Ash Wednesday

The Return of the Prodigal Son, by Rembrandt van Rijn, 1667.

Humbly, let us kneel before our God,
opening our hearts to examine and purify them
for Love's sake.

Holy One, you are the True Vine,
our Portion and our Cup,
Model of Mercy and Justice.
We acknowledge before You
and each other
our manifold sins and wavering intentions,
and ask forgiveness.
Teach us to walk
not in fear
but in integrity, mercy, and love,
and gentle our warring spirits, we pray.
Cleanse and deliver us
from all envy, jealousy, and hatred,
from all that seeks to diminish another
for our own benefit.

Lord, reconcile us to right relationships;
teach us to follow you as our true North Star.
Gentle Savior, you knock at the door
and ask to abide within us:
make us worthy to receive you.
You call us to be your Body in the world,
your witness against evil,
and to reflect your light
through the storms and trials of life.

In all we do,
may we seek to abide in You
in fellowship and compassion.
Lord, we remember before You
those who are in pain, sorrow,
or any kind of trouble.
Send your Spirit to guide us into redemption,
and grant respite and comfort to those for whom we pray.

Amen.
(citation: John 15:4)

Prayer 1496: Shaping Our Lives With Love

The altar at Holy Communion, dappled in evening light.

Lord Christ,
part the darkness of the night,
and open the eyes of our hearts
to your truth and light, we humbly pray.
We praise you,
we bless you,
we worship you
and give thanks for your blessings and care.
Mold us as a potter works her clay, Lord,
and inspire us to shape our lives
according to your gospel of love.
With humble, hopeful hearts,
we ask for your guidance this day, O Holy One,
that we may walk in paths of peace and holiness.
We place before you our cares and concerns,
and ask your blessing upon those we now name.

Amen.

Prayer 1495: I lift up my soul to Christ

This portrait of my friend, mentor, and priest, the Rev. Emery Washington, Jr.,
painted by Ms. Tito Gay, was unveiled yesterday at Holy Communion.

Most Precious Savior,
Brother Jesus, Love Incarnate:
guide me in paths of wonder and grace today.
To you, I lift up my soul:
accept my poor offering,
open and renew it, I pray.
Center my scattered thoughts;
within your embrace may I rest and gain strength.
Let me take that strength
to serve as You served,
humbly and with great love and mercy.
Teach me and shape me
to walk gently on this earth,
led by your wisdom and compassion.
Accept my prayers
as they rise to You with the sun,
and open the ear of my heart to hear your Word.
Comfort those who watch, or weep,
and relieve the distress of those who hurt,
especially those we remember before You.

Amen.

Prayer 1494: Last Sunday After the Epiphany

The reredos in evening light at Christ Church Cathedral in St. Louis.

We gather in your courts to worship and obey,
O Light of Lights,
and give thanks for your grace and mercy.
Open our ears to hear your Word, Holy One,
that we may enshrine it upon our hearts
in love and hope.
Lord God, You call us not just to repentance
but to transformation,
that our witness to You may shine in the darkness.
Make us better disciples of your Word,
and give us courage of our convictions
to stand for justice and peace.
Let all we do reflect your glory
and serve You and each other in the name of your Love.
Gather within your embrace all who seek You,
and send your Spirit to comfort those we now name.

Amen.

Prayer 1492: Receiving the Light of Christ

Jesus with the children, window at Church of the Holy Communion, University City, MO.

Holy One,
Light of Lights,
rise within our hearts
and fill us with your light,
that we may be people of hope.
Help us to lift up those
who are in anxiety, grief, or trouble,
by loving each other
through the power of the Holy Spirit.
Grant us strength for today's labors,
compassion for today's encounters,
and rest within You, O God, at day's end.
Ground us in your mercy, Lord Christ,
and root us in your love,
that we may grow deep in faith and justice.
Gathered in your name, O Savior,
we ask you grant your peace and comfort
to those we remember before You.

Amen.

Prayer 1491: My soul quieted within Christ

My friend and teacher Peter and my friend Maria prepare to bless my car, which made me feel so much better. I still have some anxiety after my last car was totaled in a collision, and this made me feel reassured.

Most Merciful God,
who rested your hand upon me through the night,
let me now draw before You in thanks and praise.
With each breath,
let me offer my humble thanks for each blessing,
and rejoice in your guidance and care.
Let me still my soul
and make it quiet within You, O Savior,
resting upon you like a child at peace in her mother's arms.
Let me rise from my prayers
refreshed and strengthened,
dedicated to testifying to your grace in my life.
In all my steps,
make me an instrument of healing and reconciliation,
for the life of the world.
Holy One,
I remember before You those in anxiety and trouble,
and ask that your blessing rest upon those who call to You.

Amen.

Prayer 1490- With a song

A glorious sunset begins at the start of my first clergy retreat in the Diocese of Missouri.

With a song in my mouth
and a glad cry in my heart
I rise this morning
to breathe in your presence,
O Holy One.

God of mercy,
hear my prayer,
and let it rise
with those who seek you.

Grant me
an understanding and humble spirit,
that I may walk in the way of Christ
with love.

Settle your Holy Spirit
on those whose needs we lay before You, O God,
especially those we now name.

Amen.

Prayer 1789: for steadfast faithfulness

Evening light through the windows of St. Martin's, Ellisville.

(inspired by Ruth 1)
Almighty God, we lift our eyes to You,
Source of Our Help and Light for Our Way,
who has brought us safely to this day.
Forgive us our sins,
especially for the times we have broken faith
with those we are called to love.
Give us, instead, the steadfast love of Ruth,
and generous hearts to walk beside our companions
in all their ways.
Make us faithful servants of God,
daughters and sons
in the name of love and hope,
led by Christ and his example of mercy.
Rededicate our hearts for healing
and hands for comforting,
that we work for the renewal of those who struggle.
Send your Holy Spirit
to rest upon those who lift their needs before You,
O Holy One.

Amen.

Prayer 1488: for generous hearts

Pray without ceasing, and let your light shine.

Blessed Savior, we lift our hearts
as the sun rises in the East:
hear our prayers and accept our lives
as we offer them to You.
Forgive us for the sins we have committed
and the sins done through our quiet assent or distraction.
Forgive us for claimed helplessness
in the face of oppression
and denying the power of your Spirit within us.
Make our spirits generous and glad;
save us from those with leanness in their souls.
Give us wisdom, O Lord,
to ask and to work 
for what is good for us:
peace, justice, and fellowship.
Help us to live into your call to us
to work as disciples and beloved brethren
of the Prince of Peace.
Holy One, open the clenched fists of our hearts
to embrace each other
and all creation
in the name of hope as we pray.

Amen.

Prayer 1487: Seventh Sunday after Epiphany

Morning mist on the lowland fields in the Missouri River bottoms.

O God, your mercy endures forever;
your steadfast love never fades.
Gather us into your house as one people,
united in love, justice, and faith,
seeking to serve You and the world.
Teach us your ways
and inscribe them on our hearts
that we may walk blamelessly before your altars
as children of light and love.
Reconcile us to each other
according to your law of forgiveness and mercy.
Teach us to pray for those who hate us,
that their hearts may be turned
and divisions may cease. 

In all things bring our hearts back
to praise and prayer grounded in your Incarnate Love,
and hear our prayers as we remember these beloveds.

Amen.