Monday Morning

Season:

Ordinary Time

Monday, September 21

Morning

Read/Sing:

Psalm 57; 145

Read:

Esther 4:4-17

Acts 18:1-11

Luke (1:1-4) 3:1-14

Pray:

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

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.

Lament

I try to express the gratitude but the words just won't come.  I will take the lament that is near at hand: Lord, how long until your people run the way of your commands?  Would you touch our hearts?  Direct our eyes?  Illuminate your Word?  Stretch our lungs?  Stretch our muscles?  I know you will, Lord.  Like Esther, we fast, and we speak.  Like Paul, we proclaim when you say proclaim.  Thank you for the "thank you" that isn't immediately at hand but is still right on time.

Sunday Evening

Season:

Ordinary Time

Sunday, September 20

Evening

Read/Sing:

Psalm 46; 93

Read:

Esther 3:1-4:3

James 1:19-27

Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18

Pray:

We lift our voices in prayers of praise, holy God, for you have lifted us to new life in Jesus Christ, and your blessings come in generous measure.  Especially we thank you for

    the privilege of worship and service in this congregation...

    the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ for us...

    food and drink to share in the Lord's name...

    our calling to discipleship...

We hold up before you human needs, God of compassion, for you have come to us in Jesus Christ and shared our life so we may share his resurrection.  Especially we pray for

    the healing of those who are sick...

    the comfort of the dying...

    the renewal of those who despair...

    the Spirit's power in the church...

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.

Litany

I'm glad after a few days to have evening prayer.  Apart from it, my mind casts about

For some new ambition to conquer

Some way to feel good about myself

Some curiosity to satisfy

With it, I'm

Singing of God's lordship, his apparel in Psalm 46

Feeling the joy of exertion

That notes laid onto words are a type of apparel

The prayers invigorate my desire to be a disciple.

To gaze upon the wonder of the gospel

To be satisfied with God's pardon

His righteousness

The gift of his life

Eternal life with the Lord...just think of it!

Saturday Morning

Season:

Ordinary Time

Saturday, September 19

Morning

Read/Sing: (for Psalm singing resources, leave a comment)

Psalm 56; 149

Read:

Esther 2:5-8, 15-23

Acts 17:16-34

John 12:44-50

Pray:

Great and wonderful God, we praise and thank you for the gift of renewal in Jesus Christ.  Especially we thank you for

    opportunities for rest and recreation...

    the regenerating gifts of the Holy Spirit...

    activities shared by young and old...

    fun and laughter...

    every service that proclaims your love...

You make all things new, O God, and we offer our prayers for the renewal of the world and the healing of its wounds.  Especially we pray for

    those who have no leisure...

    people enslaved by addictions...

    those who entertain and enlighten...

    those confronted with temptation...

    the church in North 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

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.

Canticle

The Lord is gracious

    and this makes life amazing

I was numb, living life too fast

    scared to fail, ready to flee once again

The night descended

    the day was done

Instead of working more

    willing myself to work differently

You invited me to sleep

    you laid my head down

You gather all the loose pieces

    stray thoughts and fears

You bind up all the shadows

    the inchoate darkness

You push the world into light

    you awaken me from sleep

Your thoughts give me wisdom

    the morning rain falls

The Lord stands at the gate

    The Lord, a compass, encompasses

Let all creation sing

    The Lord is gracious

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