prayer before the prayer

/ Eric Mathews / Leave a comment
Desmond M. Tutu CC BY 2.0
 
 
I want to be willing to let go, to forgive.
but dare not ask for the will to forgive,
    in case you give it to me
    and I am not yet ready.
I am not yet ready for my heart to soften.
I am not yet ready to be vulnerable again.
Not yet ready to see that there is humanity in my tormentor’s eyes
    or that the one who hurt me may also have cried.
I am not yet ready for the journey.
I am not yet interested in the path.
I am at the prayer before the prayer of forgiveness.

Grant me the will to want to forgive.
Grant it to me not yet but soon
Can I even form the words?
Forgive me? Dare I even look?
Do I dare to see the hurt I have caused:
I can glimpse all the shattered pieces of that fragile thing
    that soul trying to rise on the broken wings of hope.
But only out of the corner of my eye.
I am afraid of it.
And if I am afraid to see
How can I not be afraid to say: Forgive me?

Is there a place where we can meet?
You and me
The place in the middle where we straddle the lines
Where you are right and I am right too.
And both of us are wrong and wronged.
Can we meet there?
And look for the place where the path begins
The path that ends when we forgive.
 
Desmond Tutu, 1931 – 2021 & Mpho Tutu, 1963- South African Anglican priests,
 
___________________________
 
 
Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, 
    you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, 
    kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. 
Make allowance for each other’s faults, 
    and forgive anyone who offends you. 
Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others.
 

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teach us to love what you have created

/ Eric Mathews / 1 Comment
 
Our Father, God, Creator of all your different children,
    teach us to love what you have created.
Teach us to see people one by one
    and to acknowledge them as our Father’s children,
    our brothers and sisters:
  not to pigeonhole them;
    not to hammer them into unnatural molds of our own making,
  but to rejoice in our differences,
    accepting people as they are
    – different but of equal worth –
    each one a part of God’s creation,
    showing something of his love and glory.
 
Sybil Phoenix, 1927-, Guyanese born British community worker
 
___________________________________________
 
 
May the God who gives endurance and encouragement 
    give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had, 
    so that with one mind and one voice you may glorify 
        the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, 
    in order to bring praise to God.
 

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Open unto me

/ Eric Mathews / Leave a comment
 
 
Open unto me, light for my darkness
Open unto me, courage for my fear
Open unto me, hope for my despair
Open unto me, peace for my turmoil
Open unto me, joy for my sorrow
Open unto me, strength for my weakness
Open unto me, wisdom for my confusion
Open unto me, forgiveness for my sins
Open unto me, tenderness for my toughness
Open unto me, love for my hates
Open unto me, Thy Self for myself
Lord, Lord, open unto me!

Howard Thurman, 1899-1981, American author, educator and civil rights leader
___________________________________
 
 
The Lord sets the prisoners free;
   the Lord opens the eyes of the blind.
The Lord lifts up those who are bowed down;
    the Lord loves the righteous.
The Lord watches over the sojourners;
    he upholds the widow and the fatherless,
    but the way of the wicked he brings to ruin.
 

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challenging the powers

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Christ Preaching, called La Petite Tombe, Rembrandt, via Wikimedia commons
 
 
Vulnerable God,
    you challenge the powers that rule this world
    through the needy, the compassionate,
    and those who are filled with longing.
 
Make us hunger and thirst to see right prevail,
    and single-minded in seeking peace;
    that we may see your face
    and be satisfied with you,
  through Jesus Christ.
 
Janet Morely British author, poet, and Christian feminist
 
___________________________
 
 
Looking at his disciples, he said:

“Blessed are you who are poor,
    for yours is the kingdom of God.
Blessed are you who hunger now,
    for you will be satisfied.
Blessed are you who weep now,
    for you will laugh.
Blessed are you when people hate you,
    when they exclude you and insult you
    and reject your name as evil,
        because of the Son of Man.

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Grace to interpret the Scriptures

/ Eric Mathews / Leave a comment
 
We implore you, Father of the only-begotten, 
    Lord of the universe,
        the one who has crafted all creatures,
        the maker of things that have been made.
 
We stretch out clean hands, 
    and we unfold our thoughts to you, Lord.
Have compassion, spare, benefit, improve and multiply us 
    in virtue, faith and knowledge.
 
Visit us, O Lord.
We display our own weaknesses to you.
Have mercy and pity on us all.
Lift up this people, and make us gentle and sober-minded.
Cleanse us and set us apart to worship you rightly.
 
Send your Holy Spirit into our minds
    and give us grace to learn the Scriptures
    and to properly interpret their meaning,
        that others may be encouraged 
  through your only-begotten Jesus Christ in the Holy Spirit,
    through whom and to you be glory and strength
    both now and to all the ages of the ages, Amen.
 
Serapion Scholasticus, 300-360, Egyptian Monk and Bishop
 
__________________________________
 
 
But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 
To him be glory both now and forever! Amen.

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And now unto Him who is able

/ Eric Mathews / Leave a comment
 
And now unto Him who is able to keep us from falling.
And now unto Him who is able to lift us from the fatigue of despair
    to the buoyancy of hope.
And now unto Him who is able to solve the race problem
    if we will cooperate with Him.
And now unto Him who is able to transform this cosmic energy
    into constructive force.
Now unto Him who is able to transform this midnight of injustice
    into a glowing daybreak of freedom and justice.
To Him be power and authority, majesty and dominion,
    now, henceforth, and forever more. Amen.
 
Martin Luther King, Jr. 1929 -1968, American pastor & civil rights leader
_____________________________________
 
 
Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, 
    and to present you faultless 
    before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy,
To the only wise God our Saviour, 
    be glory and majesty, dominion and power, 
    both now and ever. Amen.

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Why is there so little prayer?

/ Eric Mathews / Leave a comment
 
Why is there so little urgency
    to get time to pray?
Why is there so little forethought 
    in the laying out of time and schedule
  so as to secure a large portion 
    of each day for prayer?
Why is there so much talking,
    yet so little prayer?
Why is there so much running to and fro,
    yet so little prayer?
Why so much bustle and business,
    yet so little prayer?
Why so many meetings with our fellow men.
    yet so few meetings with You?
Why so little being alone,
    so little thirsting of the soul 
        for the calm. sweet, hours of unbroken solitude,
    where You and your child hold fellowship 
        as if they could never part?
It is the scarcity of these solitary hours 
    that not only injures my own growth in grace
    but also makes me such an unprofitable member of Your church,
         and renders my life useless.
 
Horatius Bonar, 1808-1889, Scottish Preacher and Hymnist
Celtic Daily Prayer, freely modified
 
_________________________
 
 
Give ear, O Lord, to my prayer;
    listen to my plea for grace.
In the day of my trouble I call upon you,
    for you answer me.
 

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we celebrate the coming of our Saviour

/ Eric Mathews / 1 Comment
Adoration of the Magi, via Flickr, CC BY-NC 2.0
 
Blessed are you, O Christ, our God;
    you were before time began,
    and came to the world to save us.
Blessed are you, Sun of righteousness;
    you shine with the Father’s love
    and illumine the whole universe.
Blessed are you, Son of Mary;
    born a child
    you shared our humanity.
Blessed are you, son of David;
    born to rule,
    you received gifts from the wise men.
Blessed are you, Son of Man;
    baptised by John,
    you saved us from ourselves.
Blessed are you, heavenly King;
    teaching and preaching, healing and comforting,
    you proclaimed the kingdom.
With all the voices of heaven
    we celebrate the coming of our Saviour.
Let heaven and earth shout their praise.
With all the creatures on earth
    we sing and dance at your birth.
Praise and glory to you, O Lord Jesus Christ.
 
David Beswick, 1933 – , Australian Minister and Professor
 
___________________
 
 
When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. 
On coming to the house, 
    they saw the child with his mother Mary, 
    and they bowed down and worshiped him. 
Then they opened their treasures 
    and presented him with gifts 
    of gold, frankincense and myrrh.

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Blessings of Time for the New Year

/ Eric Mathews / Leave a comment
image by geralt via pixabay
 
Lord, You who live outside of time,
  and reside in the imperishable moment,
  we ask Your blessing this New Year’s Day 
  upon Your gift to us of time

Bless our clocks and watches,
You who kindly direct us to observe the
  passing of minutes and hours.
May they make us aware of the miracle
  of each second of life we experience.

May these, our ticking servants
  help us not to miss that which is important,
  while You keep us from machine-like routine.
May we ever be free from being clock watchers
  and instead become those who journey through time.

Bless our calendars,
  these ordered lists of days, weeks and
  months, of holidays, holydays, fasts and feasts—
  all our special days of remembering.
May these servants, our calendars, 
  once reserved for the royal few,
  for magi and pyramid priests, 
  now grace our homes and our lives.

May they remind us of birthdays and other gift-days,
  as they teach us the secret that all life is meant
  for celebration and contemplation.

Bless, Lord, this new year, each of its 365 days and nights.
Bless us with new moons and full moons.
Bless us with happy seasons and a long life.

Grant to us, Lord, the new year’s gift of a year of love.  Amen.
 
Patmos Abbey—The Order of Saint Columba
__________________________
 
 
Lord, remind me how brief my time on earth will be.
    Remind me that my days are numbered—
    how fleeting my life is.
You have made my life no longer than the width of my hand.
    My entire lifetime is just a moment to you;
    at best, each of us is but a breath.
We are merely moving shadows,
    and all our busy rushing ends in nothing.
We heap up wealth,
    not knowing who will spend it.
And so, Lord, where do I put my hope?
    My only hope is in you.

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Glory to you who became lowly

/ Eric Mathews / Leave a comment

The Nativity by Giotto © José Luiz Bernardes Ribeiro / CC BY-SA 4.0

 
What mere human can declare the glory of the All-Life-Giver,
    who stepped down from majesty
    and humbled himself to become humanity?
 
You who lifted up humanity in your birth,
    lift up my weak mind
    to declare your birth and proclaim your grace.
 
How amazing is it that the Son dwelled completely in a body,
    that it was enough for him.
Your will was fully contained,
    yet your bounds reached wholly to the Father.
Blessed be he who, though without bounds,
    was bound!
 
Who can explain how,
    though you dwelled wholly in a body,
    you also dwelled wholly in all?
 
Your majesty is concealed from us,
    while your grace is revealed before us.
I will be silent, O Lord of majesty,
    and I will tell of your grace.
Your grace clung to you, 
    while it bowed you down to our worst.
 
Your grace made you a baby,
    and your grace made you a man.
Your grace straightened and enlarged your majesty.
Blessed is the might that became little . . .  and became great!
 
Glory to you who became lowly, 
    though your nature is lofty.
By your own will you became man,
    though you are God by nature.
Blessed be the glory which put on our image!
 
Your hope brought new hope
    when ours had broken down.
Blessed be the one who brought good news of hope!
 
Double was the happiness 
    of those who saw your birth and your day,
 yet also happy are those who have not seen,
    but who have believed.
Blessed is your happiness that added to us!
 
Ephrem the Syrian, c.306-373, Syrian hymn writer and theologian
_____________________________
 
 
For in Christ lives all the fullness of God in a human body.

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