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.

Tuesday Evening

Ordinary Time

Tuesday, September 15

Evening

Psalm 30; 86

Job 40:1; 41:1-11

Acts 16:6-15

John 12:9-19

Eternal God, we thank you for being with us today, and for every sign of your truth and love in Jesus Christ.  Especially we thank you for

    the gift of peace in Christ...

    reconciliation in our relationships...

    each new insight into your love...

    energy and courage to share your love...

    the ministries of the church...

Gracious God, we remember in our own hearts the needs of others, that we may reach up to claim your love for them, and reach out to give your love in the name of Christ.  Especially we pray for

    racial harmony and justice...

    those imprisoned...

    strangers we have met today...

    friends who are bereaved...

    Orthodox and Coptic churches...

The Lord's Prayer

Antiphon

I am grateful that I don't come here to this place seeking to appease you.  How could I ever come if that is what I felt I needed.  I come to this place because your life is rich, your thoughts are great.  You make all time and all space and your storehouses are full, but the needle's point of all this is right now.  I begin with you, but I can't outrun you because I will only find you at the end and though I'm so much the worse, you haven't changed.

Tuesday Morning

Ordinary Time

Tuesday, September 15

Morning

Psalm 123; 146

Job 40:1; 41:1-11

Acts 16:6-15

John 12:9-19

Eternal God, we rejoice this morning in the gift of life, which we have received by your grace, and the new life you give in Jesus Christ.  Especially we thank you for

    the love of our families...

    the affection of our friends...

    strength and abilities to serve your purpose today...

    this community in which we live...

    opportunities to give as we have received...

God of grace, we offer our prayers for the needs of others and commit ourselves to serve them even as we have been served in Jesus Christ.  Especially we pray for

    those closest to us, families, friends, neighbors...

    refugees and homeless men, women and children...

    the outcast and persecuted...

    those from whom we are estranged...

    the church in Africa...

The Lord's Prayer

Hymn

Lead kindly light, amid the encircling gloom

Lead thou me on

The night is dark and I am far from home

Lead thou me on

Keep thou my feet, I do not ask to see

The distant scene; one step enough for me

I was not ever thus nor prayed that thou

Should'st lead me on

I loved to choose and see my path but now

lead thou me on

I loved the garish day and, spite of fears,

Pride ruled my will; remember not past years

So long thy power hath blessed me, sure it still

Will lead me on

O'er moor and fen, o'er crag and torrent till

The night is gone

And with the morn those angel faces smile

Which I have loved long since and lost awhile

- "Lead Kindly Light", John Henry Newman

Monday Evening

Ordinary Time

Monday, September 14

Evening

Psalm 97; 112

Job 40:1-24

Acts 15:36-16:5

John 11:55-12:8

We rejoice in your generous goodness, O God, and celebrate your lavish gifts to us this day, for you have shown your love in giving Jesus Christ for the salvation of the world.  Especially we give thanks for

    the labors of those who have served us this day...

    friends with whom we have shared...

    those whom we love and who have loved us...

    opportunities for our work to help others...

    all beauty that delights us...

Gracious God, we know you are close to all in need, and by our prayers for others we come closer to you.  We are bold to claim for others your promises of new life in Jesus Christ, as we claim them for ourselves.  Especially we pray for

    those in dangerous occupations...

    physicians and nurses...

    those who are ill or confined to nursing homes...

    those who mourn...

    the Roman Catholic Church...

The Lord's Prayer

Responsory

It's such a short time to pray

as short as I could like it

Yet it expands from within

billowing with names

and all the outrageous goodness

that I yearn for them.

It was a yearning I did not quite feel

until I stopped

for such a short time to pray

Monday Morning

Ordinary Time

Monday, September 14

Morning

Psalm 135; 145

Job 40:1-24

Acts 15:36-16:5

John 11:55-12:8

We praise you, God our creator, for your handiwork in shaping and sustaining your wondrous creation.  Especially we thank you for

    the miracle of life and the wonder of living...

    particular blessings coming to us in this day...

    the resources of the earth...

    gifts of creative vision and skillful craft...

    the treasure stored in every human life...

We dare to pray for others, God our Savior, claiming your love in Jesus Christ for the whole world, committing ourselves to care for those around us in his name.  Especially we pray for

    those who work for the benefit of others...

    those who cannot work today...

    those who teach and those who learn...

    people who are poor...

    the church in Europe...

The Lord's Prayer

Lesson

I have a more pronounced sense of duality, distinction, and opposition between the kingdom of God and the kingdom of this world.  I don't quite know how to point and say "there it is" but the way to get there is like a garment one puts on daily.  Becoming aware of false gods, I will live in this world, using this world, but I am not of it.  The Lord is the light of my life.  I don't have much to trumpet to the world, and the world may take my joy and my vigor and my hope today; but joy, vigor, hope, yea the passing of the day into night are the Lord's himself.  And I am a baptized child of God too.  I will not cling to vessels and shells of influence, even more broken than we are.  I will take stock of all I must unlearn, a man of the present, aware of the past's presence, nobody's fool for the future.

And when I mistakenly find myself putting the whole carton of milk into the microwave, I will laauuuuugh!

Sunday Morning

Ordinary Time

Sunday, September 13

Morning

Psalm 19; 150

Job 38:1, 18-41

Revelation 18:1-8

Matthew 5:21-26

Mighty God of mercy, we thank you for the resurrection dawn bringing the glory of our risen Lord who makes every day new.  Especially we thank you for

    the beauty of your creation...

    the new creation in Christ and all gifts of healing and forgiveness...

    the sustaining love of family and friends...

    the fellowship of faith in your church...

Merciful God of might, renew this weary world, heal the hurts of all your children, and bring about your peace for all in Christ Jesus, the living Lord.  Especially we pray for 

    those who govern nations of the world...

    the people in countries ravaged by strife or warfare...

    all who work for peace and international harmony...

    all who strive to save the earth from destruction...

    the church of Jesus Christ in every land...

The Lord's Prayer

Psalm Prayer

Lord, I want my faith to be expressive of a way of life that is specific, repetitive, and copy-able.  Don't let me be a disciple of lofty thoughts who thinks he can change the world.  Let me be content to allow the seasons of the year, the rhythms of morning and evening, the interweaving of Old and New Testament, the gratitude and need of my soul, and the singing of the Psalms to all tune my life to praise you - not in a world of my own imaginings, but in this very world I live in.  Let me not seek to be unique, rather let me keep faith with you and your Son and your Holy Spirit through your Word.

Saturday Evening

Season:

Ordinary Time

Saturday, September 12

Evening

Read/Sing:

Psalm 138; 98

Read:

Job 38:1-17

Acts 15:22-35

John 11:45-54

Pray:

God of glory, we praise you for your presence in our lives, and for all goodness that you shower upon your children in Jesus Christ.  Especially we thank you for

    promises kept and hope for tomorrow...

    the enjoyment of friends...

    the wonders of your creation...

    love from our parents, our sisters and brothers, our spouses and children...

    pleasures of living...

God of grace, we are one with all your children, for we are sisters and brothers of Jesus Christ, and we offer our prayers for all whom we love.  Especially we pray for

    those we too often forget...

    people who have lost hope...

    victims of tragedy and disaster...

    those who suffer mental anguish...

    ecumenical councils and church agencies...

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.

Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors

Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil

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

Psalm Prayer

God, I'm so thankful to still be here, to be wrestling with the kinds of things I wrestle with.  Thank you for words to say at the end of the day, to talk with my Creator, Savior, and Lord.