Morning Prayer Tuesday, 29 September 2020
The Invitation
By Oriah Mountain Dreamer
It doesn’t interest me
what you do for a living.
I want to know
what you ache for
and if you dare to dream
of meeting your heart’s longing.
It doesn’t interest me
how old you are.
I want to know
if you will risk
looking like a fool
for love
for your dream
for the adventure of being alive.
It doesnt interest me
what planets are
squaring your moon…
I want to know
if you have touched
the centre of your own sorrow
if you have been opened
by life’s betrayals
or have become shrivelled and closed
from fear of further pain.
I want to know
if you can sit with pain
mine or your own
without moving to hide it
or fade it
or fix it.
I want to know
if you can be with joy
mine or your own
if you can dance with wildness
and let the ecstasy fill you
to the tips of your fingers and toes
without cautioning us
to be careful
to be realistic
to remember the limitations
of being human.
It doesn’t interest me
if the story you are telling me
is true.
I want to know if you can
disappoint another
to be true to yourself.
If you can bear
the accusation of betrayal
and not betray your own soul.
If you can be faithless
and therefore trustworthy.
I want to know if you can see Beauty
even when it is not pretty
every day.
And if you can source your own life
from its presence.
I want to know
if you can live with failure
yours and mine
and still stand at the edge of the lake
and shout to the silver of the full moon,
“Yes.”
It doesn’t interest me
to know where you live
or how much money you have.
I want to know if you can get up
after the night of grief and despair
weary and bruised to the bone
and do what needs to be done
to feed the children.
It doesn’t interest me
who you know
or how you came to be here.
I want to know if you will stand
in the centre of the fire
with me
and not shrink back.
It doesn’t interest me
where or what or with whom
you have studied.
I want to know
what sustains you
from the inside
when all else falls away.
I want to know
if you can be alone
with yourself
and if you truly like
the company you keep
in the empty moments.
Good morning and welcome to Morning Prayer
The night has passed, and the day lies open before us;
let us pray with one heart and mind.
Silence is kept.
As we rejoice in the gift of this new day,
so may the light of your presence, O God,
set our hearts on fire with love for you;
now and for ever.
Amen.
Breathe in
Breathe out
Be still…
I arise today,
embraced in the arms
of God the Father,
empowered by the strength
of God the Spirit,
immersed in the love
of God the Son.
I arise today
in the company
of the Trinity,
Father, Spirit and Son.
I arise today
Amen
Presence
My soul longs for your presence, Lord.
When I turn my thoughts to You,
I find peace and contentment.
Freedom
Lord I ask for the grace to know
That doing your will is a joy
Because your will is my deepest desire
And you are always willing what is best for me.
Consciousness
We all need to take time out from our daily chores.
We know that our bodies need a rest.
When we come into your presence, Lord,
our hearts and minds are refreshed, our spirits lifted.
The Word of God
John 1:47-51
When Jesus saw Nathanael coming towards him,
he said of him, ‘Here is truly an Israelite in whom there is no deceit!’
Nathanael asked him, ‘Where did you come to know me?’
Jesus answered, ‘I saw you under the fig tree before Philip called you.’
Nathanael replied, ‘Rabbi, you are the Son of God!
You are the King of Israel!’ Jesus answered,
‘Do you believe because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree?
You will see greater things than these.’ And he said to him,
‘Very truly, I tell you, you will see heaven opened and the
angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man.’
WORDS OF WISDOM
We celebrate today the feast of three archangels, Michael (Who is like God?) is the protector from the snares of the devil, Gabriel (Strength of God) announced to Zachariah the forthcoming birth of John the Baptist, and to Mary, the birth of Jesus, Raphael (Medicine of God) is the archangel who looked after Tobias on his journey.
Let us reflect on the roles of the three Archangels. Michael, our protector against the snares of the devil, prompts us to ask if we are aware of the work of the devil in our lives. Recalling the temptation of Christ, we can be assured that if Satan went after Jesus, he will go after us.
Gabriel, the messenger to Zachariah and Mary, suggests that we ask ourselves how we react to the call of God in the changing movements of our lives. Raphael recalls our Guardian Angels, our personal protectors. Do our guardian angels feel unemployed because we give them so little attention?
PRAYER
May the angels of the Lord
defend you from the perils of daily life,
So you may have peace
May the angels of the Lord
spare you from the snares of those seeking to hound you,
So you may be free
May the angels of the Lord
Stir people’s hearts to offer you hospitality and refuge,
So you may find home
May the angels of the Lord
Make you invisible to the piercing eyes of the wicked,
So you may travel safely
May all the angels of the Lord;
Michael, Gabriel, Raphael, Uriel, Selaphiel, Raguel and Barachiel,
Protect you with their surrounding wings.
So they may walk with you
In front of you
behind you
above you
below you
always ahead of you
Amen
Prayer / Copyright ©2018 ELU
PRAYERS & INTERCESSIONS
We pray for the world…
Lord, in your mercy
hear our prayer.
We pray for the universal church of Christ…
Lord, in your mercy
hear our prayer.
We pray for one another and all those known to us…
Lord, in your mercy
hear our prayer.
The Lord’s Prayer
As our Saviour taught us, so we pray
Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins
as we forgive those who sin against us.
Lead us not into temptation
but deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power,
and the glory are yours
now and for ever.
Amen.
May God the Father
prepare your journey,
Jesus the Son
guide your footsteps,
The Spirit of Life
strengthen your body,
The Three in One
watch over you,
on every road
that you may follow.
Amen
BLESSING
May your day be blessed
by moments of quietness,
light in your darkness,
strength in your weakness,
grace in your meekness,
joy in your gladness,
peace in your stillness.
May your day be blessed
AMEN
Thank you for join us…have a wonderful day!
Revd. Ernesto Lozada-Uzuriaga
