Morning Prayers Monday, 17 August 2020

Duplex: Black Mamas Praying

By Antoinette Brim-Bell

Black Mamas stay on their knees praying. Cursing
the lies folks tell ‘bout how the world don’t need you—

“The world don’t need you” is a lie folks tell themselves
when they step over blood gelled black and slick.

Folks step over black blood gelled and slick to get
on with things—don’t bring bones to the cemetery.

Bones in the cemetery, hear the prophecy:
—together, bone to bone—tendons and flesh—skin—

bone to bone—tendons and flesh—skin—together,
four winds breathe into these slain, that they may live—

—breathe, four winds, into these slain. That they may live—
Calling forth prophecy is no light work, No—

but, for Joshua, the sun stood still—the moon stopped.
Black Mamas stay on your knees praying—praying—

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…

Spirit of Truth
who reveals to us the things of God
we praise your name.

Spirit of Wisdom
who inspires the words we ought to speak
we praise your name.

Spirit of Power
who grants the courage we need to act
we praise your name.

Spirit of Love
who knows our nature and loves us still
we praise your name.

Amen

Presence

The more we call on God
the more we can feel God’s presence.
Day by day we are drawn closer
to the loving heart of God.

Freedom

Fill me with Your Holy Spirit Lord,
so that I may have inner freedom.
Let your Spirit instil in my heart
a desire to know and love you more each day.

Consciousness

When I return to my everyday tasks,
remind me, Lord,
that you are always there beside me.
I need never despair.

The Word of God

Matthew 19:16-22

Then someone came to Jesus and said,
“Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?”
And he said to him, “Why do you ask me about what is good?
There is only one who is good. If you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments.”
He said to him, “Which ones?” And Jesus said, “You shall not murder;
you shall not commit adultery; you shall not steal;
you shall not bear false witness; Honour your father and mother;
also, you shall love your neighbour as yourself.”
The young man said to him, “I have kept all these; what do I still lack?”
Jesus said to him, “If you wish to be perfect, go, sell your possessions,
and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven;
then come, follow me.” When the young man heard this word,
he went away grieving, for he had many possessions.

Words of wisdom

The invitation from Jesus to move from one stage to another seems quite clear in his frequent invitation to metanoia: to turn around or change our minds.  I remember having problems with that myself. I thought, “Why should I turn around? I’m baptized, confirmed, have shared the Eucharist, and am even ordained! I’m right!” How foolish and yet how typical of someone in love with Order. That’s precisely the stubbornness Jesus is talking about.

Almost inevitably, our ideally ordered universe — our “private salvation project” as Thomas Merton called it—will eventually disappoint us, at least if we are honest. At some point in our lives, we will be deeply disappointed by what we were originally taught, by where our choices have led us, or by the seemingly random tragedies that take place in all our lives. There will be a death, a disease, a disruption to our normal way of thinking or being in the world. It is necessary if any real growth is to occur.

Some of us find this stage so uncomfortable we try to flee back to our first created order—even if it is killing us.Others today seem to have given up and decided that “there is no universal order,” at least no order we will submit to. That’s the postmodern stance, which distrusts all grand narratives and ideologies, including often any notions of reason, a common human nature, social progress, universal human norms, absolute truth, or objective reality. Much of the chaos that reigns in the American culture and government these days is the direct result of such a “post-truth society.”

But permanent residence in Disorder is rather tragic and certainly unhelpful. It tends to make people negative and cynical, and usually angry. Searching for some solid ground, we can easily become quite opinionated and dogmatic about one form of political correctness or another. While some accuse religious people of being overly dogmatic, this stymied position worships disorder itself as though it were a dogma.

I can see why Christianity adopted the language of being “born again.” The great traditions seem to say the first birth is not enough. We not only have to be born, but remade. The remaking of the soul and the refreshing of the eye has to be done again and again.

Fr Richard Rohr

Prayers and intercessions

We pray for the world…

Lord in your mercy
hear our prayers

We pray for the universal church of Christ…

Lord in your mercy
hear our prayers

We pray for one another and all those known to us…

Lord in your mercy
hear our prayers

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.

Silence…

May God the provider
of green pastures
and quiet waters
be the peace in our hearts today

May Jesus our guide
on mountain top
and valley deep
be the hope in our hearts today

May the Spirit of truth
and knowledge
comforter and friend
be the strength in our hearts today

Amen

The blessing

May the beauty of God
be reflected in your eyes,
the love of God
be reflected in your hands,
the wisdom of God
be reflected in your words,
and the knowledge of God
flow from your heart,
that all might see,
and seeing,  believe

Amen

Thank you for join us. Have a wonderful day!

Revd. Ernesto Lozada-Uzuriaga