God, we greet your coming in Jesus Christ

December 21, 2025December 19, 2025 / Eric Mathews / Leave a comment

Altarpiece of the Seven Joys of Mary, c 1480 France, via Wikimedia Commons

We greet your coming, God, with wonder:
You come to be with us;
yet you remain far greater than we can imagine.
You are near;
yet your wisdom sets you apart from us.
You appear among us;
yet we cannot describe your glory.

We greet your coming, God, with repentance:
We are more or less satisfied with ourselves;
but your presence exposes our sin and failure.
We are self-confident;
but you challenge our confidence in ourselves.
We are proud of our understanding;
but you show us that we do not know everything.

We greet your coming, God, with joy:
We had no true idea of what you are like;
but you have shown us yourself in Jesus Christ.
We felt our human life could be of no importance to you;
but you have shown its value by appearing among us as a man.
We are aware of the gulf between us and you;
but you have bridged it with love.

God, we greet your coming in Jesus Christ our Lord!

Caryl Micklem 1925 – 2003 English Reformed minister

Contemporary Prayers for Public Worship

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Psalm 77:11-14

I will remember the deeds of the Lord;
yes, I will remember your wonders of old.
I will ponder all your work,
and meditate on your mighty deeds.
Your way, O God, is holy.
What god is great like our God?
You are the God who works wonders
you have made known your might among the peoples.

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How can you greet the coming of Jesus with wonder, repentance, and joy?

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Be with us in our darkness

December 6, 2025December 5, 2025 / Eric Mathews / Leave a comment

Journey of the Three Magi to Bethlehem, Leonaert Bramer, via Wikimedia Commons

We wait in the darkness,

expectantly, longingly, anxiously, thoughtfully.

The darkness is our friend.

In the darkness of the womb,

we have all been nurtured and protected.

In the darkness of the womb

the Christ-child was made ready for the journey into light.

It is only in the darkness

that we can see the splendour of the universe –

blankets of stars, the solitary glowings of the planets.

It was the darkness that allowed the Magi to find the star

that guided them to where the Christ-child lay.

In the darkness of the night,

desert people find relief from the cruel relentless heat of the sun.

In the blessed desert darkness

Mary and Joseph were able to flee with the infant Jesus

to safety in Egypt.

In the darkness of sleep,

we are soothed and restored, healed and renewed.

In the darkness of sleep, dreams rise up.

God spoke to Joseph and the wise men through dreams.

God is speaking still.

Sometimes in the solitude of the darkness

our fears and concerns, our hopes and visions

rise to the surface.

We come face to face with ourselves

and with the road that lies ahead of us.

And in that same darkness

we find companionship for the journey.

In that same darkness

we sometimes allow ourselves to wonder and worry

whether the human race is going to survive.

And then, in the darkness

we know that you are with us, O God,

yet still we await your coming.

In the darkness that contains both our hopelessness and our hope,

we watch for a sign of God’s hope.

For you are with us, O God,

in darkness and in light.

James Hawes, Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa, New Zealand

source

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Psalm 139:11-12

If I say, “Surely the darkness shall cover me,
and the light about me be night,”
even the darkness is not dark to you;
the night is bright as the day,
for darkness is as light with you.

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Where is the darkest place that you have seen God move?
What did God do?

my words can’t carry all the praise

November 27, 2025November 26, 2025 / Eric Mathews / Leave a comment

The Thankful Poor, H.O. Tanner, via Wikimedia Commons

Glorious God,

how curious

and what a confession

that we should set aside one day a year

and call it Thanksgiving.

I smile at the presumption,

and hope you smile, too.

The the truth is,

Holy Friend,

that my words can’t carry all the praise

I want them to,

of that they should,

no matter how many trips they make.

So this day,

all is praise and thanks

for all my days.

I breathe and it is your breath that fills me.

I look and it is your light by which I see.

I move and it is your energy moving in me.

I listen and even stones speak of you.

I touch and you are between finger and skin.

I think and the thoughts are but sparks

from the fire of your truth.

I love and the throb is your presence.

I laugh and it is the rustle of your passing.

I weep and your Spirit broods over me.

I long and it is the tug of your kingdom.

I praise you, Glorious One,

for what has been, and is and will ever be:

for galaxy upon galaxy, mass and energy,

earth and air, sun and night,

sea and shore, mountain and valley,

root and branch, male and female,

creature upon creature in a thousand ingenious ways,

two-legged, hundred legged, smooth, furry, and feathery,

bull-frogs and platypuses, peacocks and preachers,

and turkeys (especially the roasted kind)

and families gathered, and the thanking;

the brave, lonely one, and the asking;

the growling, hungry ones, and the sharing.

O Glorious One,

for this curious day,

for the impulses that have designated it,

for the gifts that grace it,

for the gladness that accompanies it,

for my life,

for those through whom I came to be,

for friends though whom I hear and see

greater worlds than otherwise I would,

for all the doors of words and music and worship

through which I pass to larger worlds,

and for the One who brought a kingdom to me,

I pause to praise and thank you

with this one more trip of words

which leaves too much uncarried,

but not unfelt,

unlived,

unloved,

Thank you!

Ted Loder, 1930-2021, American Methodist minister

Guerrillas of Grace Prayers for the Battle, slightly edited

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Psalm 103:1-5

Bless the Lord, O my soul,
and all that is within me,
bless his holy name!
Bless the Lord, O my soul,
and forget not all his benefits,
who forgives all your iniquity,
who heals all your diseases,
who redeems your life from the pit,
who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy,
who satisfies you with good
so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

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Blessing for the day’s work

November 19, 2025 / Eric Mathews / Leave a comment

Security of the People, Seymour Fogel, Wikimedia Commons

I will not let you go, O Lord, until you bless me;

so bless me this day, this hour, this moment:

Bless my mind to discern the one thing that this day requires;

Bless my heart to remain at peace in the face of fear;

Bless my will to resist all needless distractions;

Bless my hands to do the work that you have entrusted to me;

Bless my ears to be attuned to your voice;

Bless my eyes to see the signs of your presence;

Bless my feet to go wherever you would lead me.

I pray this so that I might be

like the birds of the air

and the lilies of the field,

free of worry and secure

in the enfolding care

of my Father in heaven.

I pray this in your name.

Amen.

Prayers for the Pilgrimage
W. David O. Taylor, American theologian and Anglican priest

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Psalm 128:1-2

Blessed are all who fear the Lord,
who walk in obedience to him.
You will eat the fruit of your labor;
blessings and prosperity will be yours.

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prayer for bleary-eyed parents

September 25, 2025 / Eric Mathews / Leave a comment

Mother and Child by Julius Gari Melchers, Art Institute of Chicago

O Lord, you who hold all things together,

help me. I pray, not to lose my mind;

you who calmed the tempest,

help me not to lose my temper;

you who promised rest to the weary,

speak a word of peace to my tired body;

you who healed the blind,

open my eyes to see your presence in the dark;

you who speak things into life,

help me to hear your small voice over the din of my own noisy mind;

you who welcomed the children,

take care of my own;

and you who promised to be with us always,

be with me now in my hour of need,

so that I may feel your tangible care.

I pray this in the name of Jesus, the Compassionate One,

Amen,

Prayers for the Pilgrimage

W, David O. Taylor, American theologian and Anglican priest

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Psalm 103:13-14

Just as parents are kind
to their children,
the Lord is kind
to all who worship him,
because he knows
we are made of dust.

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on the day of my distress

August 28, 2025 / Eric Mathews / Leave a comment

Photo by Javier Balseiro via Pexels

O Lord, I cry out to you on the day of my distress.
It is a day that is full of challenges and limitations.
On this day, I discover that I cannot handle all of my problems.
My resources and experience are not enough. I have tried.
I decided to change things, but I did not prevail.
I truly need a saviour.

There is no saviour better than you.
You are the greatest and most compassionate saviour.
Therefore, I will not invest my efforts and energy
in recruiting the resources that people use to address their problems.
Instead, I will start with something unique and come to you.
Some trust in guns and tanks, but we trust in the name of the Lord.
In my distress, my life will be different;
my thoughts, feelings, and decisions will be different;
for I shall come to you and trust in you.
I shall trust from the bottom of my heart that the outcome with you is very different.

You alone are God and we are the children of the blessing.
Our King is not deaf or harsh or impotent.
I thank you because you have entered into the day of distress
and turned it into a day of supplication.
You have blessed me in the midst of my distress
and consequently my inner soul has recognized that you are trustworthy.
I surrender my life into the hands of the one who can calm waves and dry tears.

Yohanna Katanacho, 1967 – , Palestinian Israeli evangelical theologian

Praying through the Psalms

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Psalm 20:1-9

May the Lord answer you when you are in distress;
may the name of the God of Jacob protect you.
May he send you help from the sanctuary
and grant you support from Zion.
May he remember all your sacrifices
and accept your burnt offerings.
May he give you the desire of your heart
and make all your plans succeed.
May we shout for joy over your victory
and lift up our banners in the name of our God.
May the Lord grant all your requests.

Now this I know:
The Lord gives victory to his anointed.
He answers him from his heavenly sanctuary
with the victorious power of his right hand.
Some trust in chariots and some in horses,
but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.
They are brought to their knees and fall,
but we rise up and stand firm.
Lord, give victory to the king!
Answer us when we call!

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for those suffering the anguish of inner darkness

July 25, 2025July 24, 2025 / Eric Mathews / Leave a comment

photo via pixabay CC0

Lord Jesus,

as you bowed your head and died,

a great darkness covered the land.

We lay before you

the despair of all

who find life

without meaning or purpose,

who suffer the anguish

of inner darkness

that can only lead them

to self-destruction and death.

Lord,

in your passion, you too

felt abandoned, isolated, derelict.

You are one

with all who suffer

pain and torment

of body and mind.

Be to them the light

that has never been mastered.

Pierce the darkness

which surrounds and engulfs them,

so that they may know

within themselves

acceptance, forgiveness, and peace.

We pray for those who,

through the suicide

of one close to them,

suffer the emptiness of loss

and the burden of untold guilt.

May they know

your gift of acceptance,

so that they may be freed

from self-reproach

and mutual recrimination,

and find in the pattern

of your dying and rising,

new understanding, and purpose

for their lives.

Neville Smith, retired Anglican priest and hospital chaplain

Prayers for People in Hospital

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Psalm 34:18-19

The Lord is close to the brokenhearted
and saves those who are crushed in spirit.
The righteous person may have many troubles,
but the Lord delivers him from them all

love for the Eternal Trinity

June 19, 2025June 18, 2025 / Eric Mathews / Leave a comment

The Mystic Marriage of Saint Catherine of Siena, Giovanni di Paolo, via Wikimedia Commons

O Eternal God! O Eternal Trinity!

Through the union of your divine nature you have made so precious

the blood of your only begotten Son!

O eternal Trinity, you are as deep a mystery as the sea,

in whom the more I seek, the more I find;

and the more I find, the more I seek.

For even immersed in the depths of you,

my soul is never satisfied, always famished and hungering for you,

eternal Trinity, wishing and desiring to see you, the true light.

O eternal Trinity, with the light of understanding

I have tasted and seen the depths of your mystery

and the beauty of your creation.

In seeing myself in you, I have seen that I will become like you.

O eternal Father, from your power and your wisdom

clearly you have given me a share of that wisdom

which belongs to your only begotten Son.

And truly the Holy Spirit,

who proceeds from You, Father and Son,

has given to me the desire to love You.

Catherine of Siena, 1347 – 1380, Italian Dominican mystic

Encyclopedia of Prayer and Praise, freely modified

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Psalm 27:7-8

Hear me as I pray, O Lord.
Be merciful and answer me!
My heart has heard you say, “Come and talk with me.”
And my heart responds, “Lord, I am coming.”

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to sweep out the corners

March 6, 2025March 5, 2025 / Eric Mathews / Leave a comment

image by Louis Henri de Fontenay

God, we come
with hesitant steps
and uncertain motives
to sweep out the corners
where sin has accumulated,
and uncover the ways
we have strayed from Your truth.

Expose the empty and barren places
where we don’t allow you to enter.
Reveal our half-hearted struggles
where we have been indifferent
to the suffering of others.

Nurture the faint stirrings of new life,
where your spirit has begun to grow.
Let your healing light transform us
into the image of Your Son.
For You alone can bring new life
and make us whole.

Christine Sine, Australian physician and contemplative activist

source

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Psalm 139:23-24

Search me, O God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts.
Point out anything in me that offends you,
and lead me along the path of everlasting life.

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