Prayer 1788: Saying yes to God

We praise You, O Creator,
and lift our hearts to You in prayer:
abide with us,
abide within us, we pray. 

May we surrender all that separates us
from remembering our union with You, O God,
and with each other:
let it be for us according to your word.

Blessed Jesus, we open the gates of our souls to You:
renew and strengthen us in holiness
as we watch and wait for the Light of Christ.

Holy Spirit, bear us up on the wings of hope and faith,
that charity and generosity may dwell in our hearts;
still us and center us
within the blazing love of God.

In this season of anticipation,
may we offer the gift of ourselves
to the broken places in the world,
just as You, O God,
sent your Incarnate Word
in the name of healing and peace.

Loving Savior, grant us grace,
and guide us in humility today,
pouring out your compassion on those for whom we pray.

Amen.

Prayer 1787: Monday of the Third Week in Advent

Holy One, within the rising light we praise You,
and lift our hearts to be purified and renewed
to take up our work with steadfastness and joy.

Stir up your power, O Lord:
with your great might come among us
and within each of us,
that we may be wholly devoted to your call
to reconciliation, justice, and peace.

Drive far from us all wrong desires, Lord Christ,
and from the comforting lie of our own powerlessness
in the face of evil and wrongdoing.

Spirit of Wisdom and Truth,
keep always before us our obligation
to the poor and needy,
to the vulnerable,
the suffering,
and the lost,
and call us to righteousness, grace, and mercy.

Blessed Savior, help us establish the foundation of our lives
on compassion and reconciliation,
taking our part in the healing of creation
and in strengthening the cords of love
that unite with all the Earth.

Have mercy, O Creator and Redeemer,
and rest the hand of your blessing
on all the cares and concerns we bring before You,
as we turn to You in hope.

Amen.


(citations in this prayer include, from this morning's daily office, the collect for the Third Sunday in Advent, the collect for renewal of life, Psalm 41, and Psalm 52)

Prayer 1786: Third Sunday in Advent (Gaudete or Joy Sunday)

Rest upon us, Spirit of God,
that we may proclaim your Truth
by lifting up the lowly
and caring for the hungry
as our Messiah taught us.

Make us mighty oaks of righteousness,
that we may sink our roots deep
into the soil of lovingkindness and charity
you have prepared for us to walk in with joy.

Let our souls proclaim
the beauty of our God and Savior
who is creating the heavens and the Earth,
that true justice and hope
will draw the world to redemption and peace.

Help us to point not to ourselves,
but to You, O God,
as the Source and Ground of our being
to embody your light of faith into the world.

Unite us to each other
as we hold fast to your promises of mercy, O God,
and make us worthy
to be filled with your compassion, grace, and mercy.

Blessed Jesus, we rest in your embrace;
set the seal of your redemption and love
upon those who call upon You in hope.

Amen.

Prayer 1785: for ministry and dedication

Myself, the Rev. Dr. Maria Evans, and the Rev. Andrew Suitter
 after our grand ordination adventure was finally complete on December 17, 2016.
In the midst of an ice storm, Andrew and I were ordained on December 16,
and Maria was ordained the following morning after being stranded the night before.

(On the first anniversary of our ordination to the transitional diaconate)

Breathe upon us, Breath of God,
and consecrate us to your use, O Merciful One:
make us instruments of your love
transformed by your grace.
All that we have and are
we offer to you, O God:
make us worthy to stand before You, we pray.

Help us to minister to all we encounter,
be fully present to those we meet,
and honor your light in every face, O Savior.
Open our hearts to answer your call,
O Emmanuel,
to sow love and justice
even in the rockiest soils in our spirits
and throughout our journey today.
Give us voices to sing your praise, Lord Christ,
and the courage to witness to your gospel,
and set our feet surely
within the path of holiness and peace.

By the power of the Holy Spirit,
place your hand over us and guard us, O God,
and all whose needs we remember before You as we pray.

Amen.

Prayer 1784: Support and Protection

Have mercy upon us,
Most Merciful God:
bend near as we seek You,
our Rock, our Light, and our Hope.

Spirit of God, dwell within our hearts,
that we may be led by your love
and brought to healing and reconciliation.
Help us to persevere in faith, O Savior,
and resist falling into sin and contempt.

Holy One, be our shield and comfort
as we seek our path today.
Give rest to the weary, Lord Christ,
and comfort to the anxious;
be our companion in joy
and in sorrow.

Remembering your promises of mercy,
your lovingkindness which never ceases,
renew and revive our souls this day, O God,
and pour out your blessing over the concerns we lay before You.

Amen.

Prayer, Day 1783: On the fifth anniversary of the Newtown shootings

Most Merciful God,

we thank You for your care of us as we have rested:

gather us within your hand and guide us, we pray. 

For our hardness of heart

against You and each other,

we humbly ask your forgiveness and mercy. 

Let us sing a new song,

a song of peace,

whose melody is rooted

in the music our Savior taught us in all his ways. 
Let us shine forth

with the glory of our God,

proclaiming grace through our lives,

O Incarnation of Love Divine. 
Let us put healing hands and hearts

toward the divisions that hurt us,

and vow to live and work for the cause of love. 

Fill us with the power and beauty of the Holy Spirit,

O Creator God,

and shelter and bless those for whom we pray.

Amen.

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Prayer 1782: Seeking our center

Most Merciful One,
may our prayers to You ascend as incense,
and rise as morning mist hangs low over the awakening valleys.

May our songs to You, O God,
resound to the pillars of the heavens,
and join in harmony with all creation.

May we seek our center today
within your goodness and mercy, Blessed Jesus,
and seek to embody your love in the world.

Forgive us for our sins
and our silences before wrong,
and help us open ourselves to accept your abundant grace
and renew our determination to walk in love.

Abundant Spirit, Triune God,
pour over us and anoint us
to be healers, helpers, and companions
to all who seek You or a deeper knowledge of You.

Almighty One,
You search us out and know us,
tenderly standing watch over us,
for You are our comfort and stay,
waking or sleeping.

Grant your benediction and blessing
to all those who stand in need of prayer.

Amen.

Prayer 1781: On the Feast of the Virgen de Guadelupe

Fairest Lord Jesus,
we open our hearts before you,
extolling the transformative power
of your love and mercy in our lives.

May we empty ourselves
of all bitterness and rancor,
repent of all exploitation and envy,
and re-member we are your Body in the world.
Work in us your new creation
of justice, healing, and reconciliation,
O Christ,
and make us willing instruments of your peace,
reflecting and embodying
your grace, forgiveness, and mercy.
May we receive with joy
the guidance and wisdom of the Holy Spirit,
and be shaped by our seeking of your truth, O God.

Holy One, You are our shield and our stay:
nourish our spirits
and refine and renew our souls,
refreshed by the Living Water
of the gospel of hope you bring us.

Grounded in compassion,
guided by hope,
inspired by faith,
we ask your blessing, O God:
Earth-maker,
Love Incarnate,
Life-giver.
Grant your comfort and protection
to those whose needs we bring before You.

Amen.

Prayer 1780: Inspired by Psalm 25

Almighty One, we lift our souls to You,
who holds us and treasures us as children:
accept these our prayers and praises
which we humbly offer before You.

Take us by hand, O Precious Savior,
and lead us into your truth and light,
that we may ourselves reflect that light into the world.
Preserve us from evil,
for we are prone to wander far astray,
and do what we ought not to do:
forgive us, Lord, forgive.

Guide us into newness of life, Blessed Jesus,
and transform and renew our hearts
in faith, hope, and gentleness.
Lord, spread the shelter of your blessing
over all those whose needs we lift before you.

Amen.

Prayer 1779: Second Sunday in Advent

Light of Light,
we turn our faces toward your dawning:
let us gather before your altar, Lord,
to worship You and sing your praise!

We wait and watch in hope and trust,
and seek to do your will with joy,
O Creator and Redeemer.
Like a shepherd, O Savior,
take us securely into your arms,
lovingly bearing us upon your breast,
that we may be renewed for your service.

O God, you have spoken peace to your children;
may peace take root in our hearts,
planted in the soil of justice and mercy.
May we hear the voice of the prophets,
and turn again toward right pathways, O Holy One,
that our daily life may reflect your grace and truth.
By the power of God's abundant grace and loving-kindness,
may we renounce all that divides us
or lures us away from the light of God's love.

Merciful God, may we minister to each other
in holiness and hope,
and walk gently upon the Earth you have made.
Give your angels charge, O God,
over all who stand in the need of prayer,
and pour out your blessing, Lord Christ,
over those whose cares we lift before You.

Amen.

Prayer 1778

Come, Blessed Jesus,
and set your light within us,
that we may always give you thanks and praise!

Restore and revive us,
heart and soul,
that we may be led into paths of wisdom
in imitation of You, Lord Christ.
Let us dedicate ouselves today
to drawing nearer to You, Lord,
filled with a Spirit of Justice and Compassion.
Make us fully present to those we meet,
that we may love and serve You, O God,
by serving and loving each other as your beloveds.

Bind up the wounds of the anxious and aching,
and grant rest to the weary,
we humbly pray.
Merciful One, You know our needs before we ask:
pour out your grace
upon those who call upon You
and those who seek a deeper knowledge of You.

Amen.

Prayer 1777

Most Merciful God,
the curtain of the night parts,
and we rise to give thanks for this new day
to serve You with joy.

May we remember we are ever in your sight,
and seek to walk humbly in your ways,
keeping our feet firmly in the path
of gratitude, faith, and mercy.
Take us by the hand O God,
and preserve us from evil,
reminding us that the foundation of true peace
is laid upon the Rock of Our Salvation,
upon the gospel of mercy and truth.

May we embrace each other
in the spirit of healing, wisdom, and compassion
that our Lord Jesus Christ embodies,
and dedicate ourselves to following his example.
O God, we offer You our devotion:
sustain us and bless us with the light of your hope,
and grant strength, relief, and perseverance
to those for whom we pray.

Amen.

Blessing and Expectation: Speaking to the Soul, December 6, 2017

For the last several months, I’ve been collecting blessings to use at the conclusion of the liturgy. As a new priest, this is one of those things that wasn’t really on my radar in the last crush of seminary. And I’ve found some lovely ones, from a variety of traditions. Some come from scripture, like the familiar priestly blessing of Numbers 6:24-26, which remains fresh to me even though I’ve probably heard it a thousand times, helping us to envision the joy of standing before the loving face of God, looking upon us as a parent tenderly drinks in the sight of their child:
The Lord bless you and keep you;
the Lord make his face to shine upon you, and be gracious to you;
the Lord lift up his countenance upon you, and give you peace. Amen

And then there was this one, which I had heard put to music by the great choral composer John Rutter. It reminds us that each Sunday, as our worship concludes, we receive a blessing and a benediction to send us out into the world empowered to do what we can to walk in the Way of Christ and embody His presence in the world:
Go forth into the world in peace;
be of good courage;
hold fast that which is good;
render to no one evil for evil;
strengthen the fainthearted;
support the weak;
help the afflicted;
honour everyone;
love and serve the Lord, rejoicing in the power of the Holy Spirit;
and the blessing of God Almighty, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost,
be amongst you and remain with you always. Amen

And then I found this one, adapted from the old Sarum Rite from Salisbury Cathedral, which was developed starting in the 11th century:
May the Lord direct our hearts,
this day and for ever,
in the love of God
and in the patient waiting for Christ.
The Lord bless us
and preserve us from all evil
and bring us to everlasting life;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

In all of these benedictions, there is a sense of both anticipation and response through God’s protection and encouragement. There is a call to action and transformation, a reminder that we are called from despair into expectancy, and from fear and anxiety into trust and assurance, from uncertainty into a life of joy and meaning rooted in God’s love and grace. We are asked even in the heart of winter to prepare ourselves to be fertile fields for the gospel of Christ to come into new flower and fruitfulness, if we a re patient enough and trusting enough to allow God’s work in us to take root and grow. Prayers of benediction invite us to remember that we are the Body of Christ in the world today, and that we are also looking toward the time when that aim will be brought to fulfillment.

Praying and meditating on these benedictions reminded me of what a blessing Advent is for my own spiritual life. In both blessing and Advent, we are invited to live with the “is now/and yet to come” tension that is being revealed to us anew each moment if we are alert enough to pause and look. Christ has been, is now, and will be—all at the same time, Advent reminds us: the Jesus of history whom we remember being born over 2000 years ago as a humble baby in a lowly corner of the world; the Savior and Redeemer who lives in us still today and leads us toward the reign of God we celebrated on Christ the King Sunday; and the Christ Triumphant who will come again in glory, for whom we will await with longing even after the Christmas lights have been boxed up for another year. As God’s beloveds, we have been blessed, and will be blessed, and are called to then carry that blessing forth into our lives lived for others.

Embodying a benediction reminds us that we have cause for rejoicing, yes, and also a charge before us to translate that joy and redemption for the sake of each other and indeed for all creation. As I pondered these and other blessings, I became newly aware of the sense of hope and anticipation that permeates these and other beautiful benedictions—holding within our lives that “patient waiting for Christ” that is also such a vital part of the season of Advent we have just begun. These prayers have the same burgeoning joy and exultation that is infused in Mary’s Magnificat, another favorite scriptural selection popular in Advent devotions.

We are waiting, yet at the same time we are called to action. The season of Advent settles over us as the most beautiful of benedictions, by calling us to see ourselves through the loving eyes of God, and drawing us to embrace the vocation of living into that dream God has for each of us. As we lean into this season of watching, waiting, hoping, anticipating, may we lean anew into hearing and answering the call of love to restore our souls as we await the light of Christ to pierce the winter darkness and lead us into wisdom and renewal, devoting ourselves anew to a “now and will be” life sustained by the Lord of Life whom we look for in hope and joy.

(This was first published at the Episcopal Cafe's Speaking to the Soul on December 6, 2017)

Prayer, day 1776

Most Holy Lord, God of All Tenderness,
we arise with joy to seek your truth,
and be led like children into your ways.
We give thanks for the love that supports us,
for companions and loved ones
who keep faith in joy and sorrow.

Forgive us for our offenses,
and uphold us in the embrace of your love and mercy.
Lord Jesus, we pray for justice and wisdom
to roll down like waters,
to lift us like a tide over the shoals
of division and disaster.
Give us hearts open to each other,
enlightened by your gospel,
transformed by love and faith. 

Strengthen the hands and skills
of doctors, nurses, and caregivers,
that they may persevere in compassion.
Gentle us,
as a mother soothes her restless children,
and let your embrace bring us to peace, we pray. 

Holy One, you press upon us behind and before:
envelop those who call upon You in your unfailing mercy.

Amen.
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Prayer, day 1775: On the 62nd anniversary of the start of the Montgomery Bus Boycott

Beloved God, you have held us under the shadow of your wing throughout the night:
we emerge strengthened to do your will. 

Holy One, You have laid out a path for us founded upon love and charity:
let us seek to build your kingdom today.
Let us walk in equality with our brothers and sisters;
for all are precious in your sight.  

Divine Light, let us never be silent in the face of injustice,
but be empowered by love to sing forth freedom into the world.
Let our eyes be fixed upon justice;
let us uphold each other as fellow children of You, our Savior and our God. 

May we never forget the loving-kindness You have showered upon us,
for your mercy and grace know no bounds.
Let us seek to be instruments of peace before those who brandish the sword, and practice soul force in the face of oppression. 

Let the light of your countenance shine upon us;
keep us as the apple of your eye.
Anoint us with your blessing and benediction, O God,
and grant your peace to those we now name.

Amen.
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Inspired by Psalm 17

Prayer 1774: Monday of Advent 1

O God, your mercy is everlasting,
and we bow before you in gratitude and praise,
seeking your wisdom and truth.

Make us a people embodying Christ's love,
that we may be a blessing
and worthily bear your light and Spirit into the world.

Lead us by your light into paths of compassion,
honoring your image in all creation;
awaken us to our kinship
with all You have made, O Holy One.

May the stones in the hearts of the merciless
be shattered and tremble to dust;
replace them, O God, with hearts of flesh,
that true justice and peace be our standard.

Heal us of our infirmities of soul and body,
O Great Physician;
guide the hands of the healers;
send your angels to watch over all seeking healing.

Spread the mantle of your blessing over us,
O Savior and Redeemer,
and may the blessed weight of your peace
rest upon those for whom we pray.

Amen.

Photo: morning light reflected on the walls of First Presbyterian Church, University City, MO.

Prayer 1773: the First Sunday in Advent

Most Merciful One,
we awaken before You
and offer our thanks and praise
for your hand that has held us
and renews our spirits in hope.

Come, Lord Jesus, come,
banish the curtain of darkness
and drive away the clouds that enshroud us
with the glorious light of your love.

Let all people
from the four winds of the earth
sing praises as we await your coming,
sing praises to the humble Prince of Peace.

Let us be watchful and wakeful
as our Holy One approaches
and seeks entry into our hearts
to guide us in ways of redemption and peace.

Send forth your angels
to spread the canopy of your wisdom over us;
that we may perceive the coming light of God
pierce the lengthening veil of darkness.

By the power of the Holy Spirit,
draw forth within us
budding leaves of faith and expectation,
that we flourish in righteousness and abundant love,
as is your will.

Lead us in the ways of your Word, O God,
and rest your blessing upon all whose hope is in You.

Amen.

(Inspired by Mark 13:24-37)

Prayer 1772: inspired by Matthew 20:29-34

Blessed Savior,
we open our eyes to see your light,
and ask that it illumine our hearts
that we may serve you this day
with joy and gratitude.

Let our eyes be opened, Blessed Jesus,
where we once were blind,
to see your handiwork
throughout each moment
in our lives.

Let our eyes be opened, O Merciful One,
to see the broken and lost places
within ourselves and each other,
and through your grace,
to work for healing and reconciliation.

Let our eyes be opened, O Holy One,
that we may see with a spirit of mercy and compassion,
and be renewed to follow You
in hope and faith.

Lord Christ,
let your healing hand rest tenderly
upon those whose hope is in You,
especially those for whom we pray.

Amen.

(Photo--- "The Healing of the Blind Men" (Matthew 20:29-34) from an illuminated manuscript by Ilyas Basim Khuri Bazzi Rahib, 1684, located in the Walters Art Museum, Baltimore)

Prayer, Day 1771

Early in the morning
let me rise to bless the Lord,
the maker of heaven and Earth. 

In the rising light of daybreak
let me sing the wonders of God's handiwork
as I rest in the embrace of the Lord.
Even as my feet are cradled
by the resting ground,
let me feel the thrum and hum of life on this earth,
and turn my heart to thank my God. 

O God, You sustain and comfort me
throughout the day and night,
and call me to abide in your pastures.
My cup overflows with God's love:
You are my portion and my hope
as I rest in your mighty hand. 

Holy One, strengthen us to stand for peace,
and give us wisdom to seek out good
and turn away evil.
Remembering your promises of mercy and grace,
let us raise our hearts to You, Lord Christ,
and offer our praises and prayers to You.

Amen.
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Prayer 1770: Song of Praise on St. Andrew's Day

As the night whispers its tale to the dawn,
and the Earth turns and declares the glory of creation,
let us arise with a song of praise!

Holy One, we gather in your Name,
You who hold our souls tenderly in life,
and abide with us forever.

Lead us, O Shepherd,
in paths of peace, contentment, and mercy,
that we may live abundantly, in gratitude.
May we walk in humility with each other
and in reverence for the whole Earth,
extolling the unity and beauty of your creation, O God.
Let us take each other's hands
and lift each other up,
united, reconciled, and renewed for this day's journey.
At night, when your celestial wonders dazzle our eyes,
O Creator,
may we lie down in peace,
having used this day to embody your love,
forgiving, reconciling, and healing where we can.

Resting in your sure embrace, Blessed Jesus,
grant your peace and blessing to us,
and to all for whom we pray.

Amen.

(Photo- image of St. Andrew from a 13th century fresco in Kintsvisi, Georgia, from wikimedia)