LENTEN PRAYERS
What could be worse than being asked to speak to a group of people? Being asked to pray for a group of people. Not infrequently, people have said to me, I don t know what to say. Honestly, I believe you when you say that. Somehow, praying feels like it takes a magic touch with just the right words. Even in private, we stumble around with our words, with what we want to say and how to say it. How often has our perceived lack of words gotten in the way of praying? Probably more often than we admit. [As a small aside, St. Paul recognized this little problem and he reminded the Roman Christians that even when we don t have the right words, the Spirit gives the words to our prayers. See Romans 8:26] So, what do you do when you re stuck? If we run out of words, or don t have our own words, it can be helpful to have something to begin our prayers. The staff at Trinity has collected some prayers that mean quite a bit to us. We ve found these words helpful in our lives, and we now offer them up to you. As you journey through this Lent, we pray your life grows closer to God. Peace, Pastor Erdos
Almighty and everlasting God, you have brought us in safety to this new day. Preserve us with your mighty power, that we may not fall into sin nor be overcome in adversity. In all we do, direct us to the fulfilling of your purpose; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
KILLING TIME How do I kill time? let me count the ways. By worrying about things over which I have no control. like the past. like the future. By harboring resentment and anger over hurts real or imagined. By disdaining the ordinary or, rather, what I so mindlessly call ordinary. By concern over what s in it for me, rather than what s in me for it. By failing to appreciate what is because of might-have-beens, should-have-beens, could-have-beens. These are some of the ways I kill time. Jesus didn t kill time. He gave life to it. His own. -Leo Rock, SJ From Hearts on Fire, ed. Michael Harter, SJ., Loyola Press, 2004. pp. 28-29.
O God of unconditional love, you who show no partiality in respect to people or nations, we have heard your good news of great joy for all the people. We hear that good news, and in hearing, believe. We know that your sanctuary is a house of worship for all people, with no regard for the color of our skin. As we worship you, knit us into a people, a seamless garment of many colors. May we celebrate our unity, made whole in our diversity. Forgive us for our inability to let our old selves die to the world. Adapted from the United Church of Christ s Prayers for Racial Justice Sunday (www.ucc.org/worship/ways) and from the United Church of Canada O God, you have called your servants to ventures of which we cannot see the ending, by paths as yet untrodden, through perils unknown. Give us faith to go out with good courage, not knowing where we go, but only that your hand is leading us and your love supporting us; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. The origins of the prayer seem uncertain. The prayer is sometimes attributed to Anglican priest, Eric Milner-White as it appeared in publication for the first time in Eric Milner-White and George Briggs Daily Prayer (London: Oxford, 1941).
Dear God, As you draw me ever deeper into your heart, I discover that my companions on the journey are women and men loved by you as fully and as intimately as I am. In your compassionate heart, there is a place for all of them. No one is excluded. Give me a share in you compassion, dear God, so that your unlimited love may become visible in the way I love my brothers and sisters. Amen. Written by Henri Nouwen Heavenly Creator, Please forgive my past sins. Give me the assurance that You are always ready to forgive, and that all my sins have been washed away by the blood of Jesus. Tomorrow, may the Holy Spirit open my heart to hear your word, that I may See you more clearly, Love you more dearly, Follow you more nearly My Savior and Guide. Amen.
COME THOU FOUNT Come, Thou Fount of every blessing Tune my heart to sing Thy grace Streams of mercy, never ceasing Call for songs of loudest praise Teach me some melodious sonnet Sung by flaming tongues above Praise the mount, I m fixed upon it Mount of Thy redeeming love Here I raise my Ebenezer Here there by Thy great help I ve come And I hope, by Thy good pleasure Safely to arrive at home Jesus sought me when a stranger Wandering from the fold of God He, to rescue me from danger Interposed His precious blood Oh, that day when freed from sinning I shall see Thy lovely face Clothed then in the blood washed linen How I ll sing Thy wondrous grace Come, my Lord, no longer tarry Take my ransomed soul away Send Thine angels now to carry Me to realms of endless day Oh, to grace how great a debtor Daily I m constrained to be Let that goodness like a fetter Bind my wandering heart to Thee Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it Prone to leave the God I love Here s my heart, oh, take and seal it Seal it for Thy courts above -Robert Robinson
WHEN I SURVEY THE WONDROUS CROSS Christ be with me, Christ within me, Christ behind me, Christ before me, Christ beside me, Christ to win me, Christ to comfort and restore me; Christ beneath me, Christ above me, Christ in quiet, Christ in danger. Christ the heart of all that love me, Christ in mouth of friend and stranger. -St. Patrick O God, give me the courage and strength to be worthy of being called a Christian. - Karl Rahner, SJ When I survey the wondrous cross On which the Prince of glory died, My richest gain I count but loss, And pour contempt on all my pride. Were the whole realm of nature mine, That were a present far too small; Love so amazing, so divine, Demands my soul, my life, my all. -Isaac Watts, pub. 1707 THE DOXOLOGY Praise God, from whom all blessings flow; Praise Him, all creatures here below; Praise Him above, ye heavenly host; Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen. -Thomas Ken From Hearts on Fire, ed. Michael Harter, SJ., Loyola Press, 2004. p. 97.