Friday Morning

Season:

Ordinary Time

Friday, September 18

Morning

Read:

Psalm 130; 148

Esther 1:1-4, 10-19

Acts 17:1-15

John 12:36b-43

Pray:

Eternal God, we praise you for your mighty love given in Christ's sacrifice on the cross, and the new life we have received by his resurrection.  Especially we thank you for

    the presence of Christ in our weakness and suffering...

    the ministry of Word and Sacrament...

    all who work to help and heal...

    sacrifices made for our benefit...

    opportunities for our generous giving...

God of grace, let our concern for others reflect Christ's self-giving love, not only in our prayers, but also in our practice.  Especially we pray for

    those subjected to tyranny and oppression...

    wounded and injured people...

    those who face death...

    those who may be our enemies...

    the church in Latin America...

The Lord's Prayer

Our Father, who art in heaven

Hallowed be thy name

Thy kingdom come, thy will be done

on earth as it is in heaven

Give us this day our daily bread

And forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil

For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever.  Amen.

Kyrie (means "Lord have mercy".  An imploring for mercy in our failings)

Yesterday, I heard someone talk about how the policies out there had shaped her soul "in here."  We long to see the things we build reflect the best of us.  But lest we have an overly sanitized view of ourselves, we should acknowledge that these will also bear the marks of our sinful pursuit of autonomous control and independence from God.  Then what?  Do not the things we build perpetuate sin, oppression, and dehumanization?  Be not proud, O my soul.  Ambition, be tamed.  Let the Christian then trust in the Lord, not in the work of our own hands.  Lord, give us clean hands, but also prosper the work of our hands.