Prayers in Easter: Playin' in God's Dirt

                        Do you know
that even when you look at a tree and say, `That is an oak tree', or `that is a banyan tree', the naming of the tree, which is botanical knowledge, has so conditioned your mind that the word comes between you and actually seeing the tree? To come in contact with the tree you have to put your hand on it and the word will not help you to touch it...[and] if you have no relationship with the living things on this earth, you may lose whatever relationship you have with humanity.  
                 ~ Jiddu Krishnamurti*  [1895-1986]

Dear Creator God ~
            Your precious Creation in all of its bounty is as equally important in the scheme of life as we humans are. You have given us plant life, sea life, creatures of the land and all that our life requires to be sustained.  Help me stop and look, touch, hear, breathe in all that this Earth, our island home, has to offer.  Help me know a tree, a flower, a bird beyond its classification and name. Help me to know this Earth as more than just land, air, and bodies of water to support me. Help me know it as a partner in life, mutually beneficial, living and breathing as I do and requiring as much of my participation and care in its health as I need from its participation in mine. 
             Maybe, if I learn to know that the dirt under my feet is as necessary to my life as are all the pretty creatures and lakes and oceans, I will not only take better care of it, it will take better care of me.  Maybe, in that way, I'll see all of creation as necessary, whether wild, tame, cultivated, animal, mineral, and vegetable. And maybe then, I'll understand that every human on this Earth is also a partner in life, mutually beneficial, living and breathing as I do and requiring as much of me as I need from each of them.  Maybe then, I'll have a true relationship with humanity beyond just the names of a few people. amen. 


*Jiddu Krishnamurti, a speaker and writer on matters philosophical and spiritual was born in British India and was influenced as a child by the Theosophical Society in Aydar. Sickly and sensitive as a child, considered vague and dreamy, he was deemed to be mentally backward and was regularly beaten at home and at school. His subsequent development as a writer and speaker is exceedingly remarkable. He disavowed allegiance to any caste or religion, mastered several languages and traveled the world lecturing and writing.  He died in Ojai, California leaving a tremendously interesting legacy of writings and a fascinating biography.


Please feel free to request a prayer to be composed for a particular concern or topic for posting in this space. You may leave your request in the comments section or contact me directly at Leeosophy@gmail.com All compositions remain the property of the owner of this blog but may be used with attribution as long as they are not sold or charged for in any way. Requestors will remain anonymous.

Prayers of the People: Livin', Movin' & Bein', 6th Sunday of Easter

for Sunday, May 25, 2014, Readings: Acts 17:22-31, Ps 66:7-18, 1 Peter 3:13-22, Jn 14:15-21

Whether or not a person knows, it is God who created all of us. At the tiniest moment of wondering what is this all about, God is present.  And when the world is dark and empty and filled with grief, God embraces us even if we are unaware. In all Creation is the circle of life with all its drear and drudge,  fullness   and hope, doubt and wonder, that brings us from earthly breath to eternal peace and salvation.  


Let Us, God’s People, Pray

LEADER:  ~ Lord of Heaven and Earth, as Your offspring, we live and move and have our being in You who gave us breath. You have overlooked our ignorance and accepted our prayers; never withholding Your love from us. We pledge our obedience to Your commandments with humble hearts and love in our souls.

                                 Spirit of Truth

RESPONSE:      We live to praise our Loving God

~ Lord of Heaven and Earth, grant us strength and courage to demand, in gentleness and reverence, an accounting of the righteous and unrighteous actions from the political leaders of our world, our country, and our state.  We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                            Spirit of Truth

                           We live to praise our Loving God

~ Lord of Heaven and Earth, help us to bring the comfort and hope of You to those who are sick, anxious, or fearful, and to those who worry and attend to their needs. Let them feel Your presence through every breath and Your love in every moment.  We pray especially for:  add your own petitions

                            Spirit of Truth

                           We live to praise our Loving God

~ Lord of Heaven and Earth, we weep with those whose loved ones have gone from our sight, and commend to Your embrace those who have left this mortal life for Your life everlasting. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                            Spirit of Truth

                           We live to praise our Loving God

~ Lord of Heaven and Earth, please guide those who we have called to lead us in Your church, to a place of refreshment and renewal in Your Word and Sacraments. As You have revealed Yourself to them, we are blessed to have them walk with us on The Way to You.  We pray especially for:  add your own petitions

                            Spirit of Truth

                           We live to praise our Loving God

The Celebrant adds:  Loving and Living God, who holds our souls in life, our human hands reach out to You that we also may be made alive in Your Spirit. Grant us the peace that passes all understanding until we abide with You in eternal life. We ask this through our Savior Jesus Christ and our Holy Sanctifier, who live and reign with You, our One God, forever and eternally.  Amen. 

Please feel free to request a prayer to be composed for a particular concern or topic for posting in this space. You may leave your request in the comments section or contact me directly at Leeosophy@gmail.com All compositions remain the property of the owner of this blog but may be used with attribution as long as they are not sold or charged for in any way. Requestors will remain anonymous.

Prayers in Easter: Love is Everything

Dearest Jesus, 
     You are the definition of perfect love and teach us by Your example. We try very hard to remember that all of us are loved by You even in times when we feel abandoned and unloved. Help us in those terrible moments when the ones we love in our earthly lives leave us to join Your eternal life. Whisper into our hearts the knowing that giving love is never in vain, that even in our darkest deepest sorrow the love we have known stays within us, and, that true love never ever fails even if we fail to remember. amen.

for my love who has passed, on May 20 when the bliss is especially remembered

Please feel free to request a prayer to be composed for a particular concern or topic for posting in this space. You may leave your request in the comments section or contact me directly at Leeosophy@gmail.com All compositions remain the property of the owner of this blog but may be used with attribution as long as they are not sold or charged for in any way. Requestors will remain anonymous.

Prayers in Easter: For Scott's Mom & Dad

And now we lay him down to sleep,
his struggle done, no more to keep
    him fighting hard to overcome
all his battles lost and won.

And now we hold you close and weep
For all your shock and pain so deep
That if we could we'd take away
But we will hold you close and pray.


Dearest Lord in Heaven,
       How many times in a second do You hear the plaintive cry of sorrow rising for the loss of one so loved?  I know there are no answers, no magic words to soothe and patch the wounded hearts of those left behind in the awful moment of and for a long time after. 
      God help us yet again, to breathe in the hope of the Resurrection.  Our heads know and we want our hearts and souls to know, too. 
       Be with all those in the midst of grief; surround them with Your love, fill them with extra grace to bear it all.  Guide us to give comfort in the ways that are needed and wanted and to stay out of the way when that is needed and wanted. Let us be present, help us to listen, and to care more about the needs of others than our own.  God help us all.  amen.












Please feel free to request a prayer to be composed for a particular concern or topic for posting in this space. You may leave your request in the comments section or contact me directly at Leeosophy@gmail.com All compositions remain the property of the owner of this blog but may be used with attribution as long as they are not sold or charged for in any way. Requestors will remain anonymous.

Prayers in Easter: Twistin' and Turnin'

     The deeper our faith, the more doubt we must endure; the deeper our hope, the more prone we are to despair; the deeper our love, the more pain its loss will bring: these are a few of the paradoxes we must hold as human beings. If we refuse to hold them in the hopes of living without doubt, despair, and pain, we also find ourselves living without faith, hope, and love. 
                                      ― Parker J. Palmer* [1939- ]


Dear God - It seems counter-intuitive to me that the deeper my faith and hope and love becomes the crazier life can get.  But that has been my experience. Things can get all tangled up so that the dark nights can burn through the bright sunlight but then the bright sunlight can also shine through the darkness. I've tried to hide in a quiet space away from fear, and pain, and hopelessness and then discovered my quiet space was just empty. Guide me, my Lord, with all of my trepidation.  When I remember that You are always here, I can handle the twists and the turns, the light and the dark, the highs and the lows of all that the life You have given me has to offer. amen.



*Parker J. Palmer is an educator, activist, poet, and prolific author on issues in education, community, social change, and spirituality.  A member of the Religious Society of Friends, he has said that doubt is not the opposite of faith, but it is fear; we are afraid to be disillusioned.  He also says that "before you can have a spiritual life, you must have a life."  It is in a blending of our active and contemplative life that our sense of spirituality finds a balance.  The recipient of many distinguished awards, Dr. Palmer lives with his wife in Madison, Wisconsin.






Please feel free to request a prayer to be composed for a particular concern or topic for posting in this space. You may leave your request in the comments section or contact me directly at Leeosophy@gmail.com All compositions remain the property of the owner of this blog but may be used with attribution as long as they are not sold or charged for in any way. Requestors will remain anonymous.

Prayers in Easter: If only

   It is the very
pursuit 

of happiness 

that 

   thwarts happiness. 

― Viktor E. Frankl* [1905-1997]

Well, God,

        where did some of us get the idea that happiness is our birthright? We spend so very much of our lives chasing after it and even worrying about how to get it. How many of us have said: If I can just have that car, if we can live in that neighborhood, if that promotion comes through, if I can win the big lottery, then I'll be happy. We waste life looking back crying about "if only ___ had been different" and looking ahead thinking "if only ___ that can happen" that we completely miss today. I want to stop missing now by spending my time trying to change the past and imagine the future.  Please, Lord, help me see the moment I'm in as the place to fully be and live with whatever is happening. 

         As the child who finds magic in blowing the seeds of a dandelion into the breeze, let me experience the present as the fruit of the past and the seeds of the future, completely grounded in You and completely in right now. amen.    

*Viktor Frankl, an Austrian neurologist and psychiatrist, was interned in the Nazi Holocaust of concentration camps for three years losing his wife, his mother, and his brother.  His seminal work, Man's Search for Meaning, chronicles his imprisonment.  The translated German title is Saying Yes to Life in Spite of Everything: A Psychologist Experiences the Concentration Camp. It was through this unimaginable time he realized the importance of finding meaning in all forms of existence even under the most difficult and even horrible experiences and find reasons to continue to live.  His work has inspired the psychological community from that time forward and just everyday people.




Please feel free to request a prayer to be composed for a particular concern or topic for posting in this space. You may leave your request in the comments section or contact me directly at Leeosophy@gmail.com All compositions remain the property of the owner of this blog but may be used with attribution as long as they are not sold or charged for in any way. Requestors will remain anonymous.

Prayers in Easter: Hand out?

       Believe, when you are most unhappy, that there is something for you to do in the world. So long as you can sweeten another's pain, life is not in vain.
          ― Helen Keller* [1880-1968]




Dear God ~ Straight up, I need Your help! I do my best to be a helpful person to family, friends, and even strangers (unless their driving is driving me nuts - I'll keep working on that). But the part that is hard is remembering to remember others when I'm feeling down and sometimes even when I'm on top of the world.  Please help me find a way to look outside of myself regardless of what is happening in my life. In the ordinary moments of life, reaching out my hand to another is easy.  It is in the difficult times that I want to be thoughtlessly thoughtful, to hold my hand out to someone who needs me more than I need to think about myself.  How can You help?  Well, maybe if You just take me by the hand...  amen.
    

*Helen Keller was born a healthy girl in Tuscumbria, Alabama and at 19 months old she contracted an illness that left her deaf and blind.  The story of her extraordinary journey and that of her teacher, Anne Sullivan, has been depicted in the play and film "The Miracle Worker." An internationally known author, political activist, and lecturer, she was  the recipient of numerous honors including the Presidential Medal of Freedom by Lyndon Johnson, elections to the National Women's Hall of Fame and the Alabama Women's Hall of Fame.  She was the first deaf/blind person to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree upon graduation from Radcliffe.  Her life and work are iconic in framing the concept of overcoming obstacles and as an ardent advocate on behalf of others. 









Please feel free to request a prayer to be composed for a particular concern or topic for posting in this space. You may leave your request in the comments section or contact me directly at Leeosophy@gmail.com All compositions remain the property of the owner of this blog but may be used with attribution as long as they are not sold or charged for in any way. Requestors will remain anonymous.

Prayers in Easter: Looking Through My Mind

― Gibran Khalil Gibran* [1883-1931]


Dear Creator of Darkness and Light:
              A positive spin on life has never come easily to me.  It's so much easier to feel victimized, to wallow in the drama, to point the finger of blame and fault at others when life has failed to meet my desires.  I've lived in the THEY-can't-possibly-understand-or-take-the-time-to-care-about-what-I'VE-endured- self-involvement. And it wasn't until I was so depleted emotionally, that with nowhere else to go, I finally and desperately turned to YOU. When that happened I heard the Voice that had always been there.  I felt the Touch that reached for me. And as I came into the Love that never leaves, I started to feel the warmth fill my heart and my eyes opened to see all that has been there all along, for me. The dark days became suddenly brighter, the clouds lifted, and all that I need for life itself in good moments and terrible, in the ordinary and the amazing, from the depths of despair to the heights of heaven is an open heart to You. Thank You for being here for all the time it has taken for me to turn my mind around.  Thank You for the Free Will that allows me to choose my own path.  And although I may slip again, I now know the gift and glory of  being lifted up into the light and no longer will I want to drown in the darkness of my own making.  amen.




*Gibran Kahlil Gibran, the third best-selling poet of all time after Shakespeare and Lao-Tzu, was born in Lebanon and emigrated to the US as a young man settling in Boston's South End.  Also an artist and a writer - most famous is his fictional but inspiring The Prophet written in 1923 and which gained a tremendous resurgence of popularity during the 1960s counterculture turbulence and took new root within the New Age movement.  Raised a Maronite Catholic, Gibran was also influenced by Islam, particularly Sufi mysticism and had strong connections with the Baha'i faith. His request to be buried in his native Lebanon was fulfilled by his close friend and his sister.

Please feel free to request a prayer to be composed for a particular concern or topic for posting in this space. You may leave your request in the comments section or contact me directly at Leeosophy@gmail.com All compositions remain the property of the owner of this blog but may be used with attribution as long as they are not sold or charged for in any way. Requestors will remain anonymous.

Prayers of the People: Milking the Stones of Life, 5th Sunday in Easter

for Sunday, May 18, Readings:  Acts 7:55-60; Ps 31:1-5,15-16; 1 Peter 2:2-10; John 14:1-14

          In one of the closing prayers for the Episcopal Sunday Liturgy (service/worship) we say to our Eternal God: ...you have graciously accepted us as living members of your Son our Savior Jesus Christ, and you have fed us with spiritual food in the Sacrament of his Body and Blood... and here, in the readings for this Sunday we are given a clear message that, with intention, we can crave, desire, and need the spiritual milk that we are offered to nourish and develop our souls and deepen our understanding of the Salvation we are offered. And, as it takes many stones to create a stable foundation, we are called as Living Stones for the spiritual temple of Christ and to build up the many dwelling places in the House of God. Our faith in Jesus is the starting point, let's milk it for all it's worth!

Let Us, God’s People, Pray

Leader:  ~ Jesus, Purest Milk for our Spirits, Your Way, Your Truth, and Your Life lead us to the fullness of God, our Creator. Grant us sureness of footing and steadfastness of faith as we follow You to everlasting salvation.

                         O Lord our Refuge and our Foundation

Response:   Shine Your loving Face upon us                                                                    

~ Jesus, Purest Milk for our spirits, the people of our world cry out in so many ways and places because of the effects of war, hatred, poverty, and violence. Give us courage to act in Your name in ways large, small, and intentional, to strengthen the causes of peace, tolerance, and equality among all political leaders. We pray especially for:  add your own petitions

                         O Lord our Refuge and our Foundation

                      Shine Your loving Face upon us

~ Jesus, Purest Milk for our spirits, deliver those who are seriously ill and those who see to their care and comfort.  Walk with them as they seek shelter in the strong tower of Your love.  We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                         O Lord our Refuge and our Foundation

                      Shine Your loving Face upon us

~ Jesus, Purest Milk for our spirits, You promise us the gift of all Eternity with our belief in You. Help us to find peace in the knowing that those we hold dearest, who have left this life, now dwell in all the glory of God’s House forever. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                         O Lord our Refuge and our Foundation

                      Shine Your loving Face upon us

~ Jesus, Purest Milk for our spirits, as we walk together with those who lead Your Church, we will commit ourselves to be as Living Stones with them in Your spiritual temple. Grant our leaders the fortitude, the patience, and the desire to help us all convert our lives to Your purpose, to be obedient to the Word, and to foster stability of values in our community of faith. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                         O Lord our Refuge and our Foundation

                      Shine Your loving Face upon us

The Celebrant adds:  O God our Creator, while most of us will never be martyrs for our faith in You, keep us from injuring our faith by inattention and inaction. In times when we feel most rejected, point our Way to the Cornerstone of all that is, seen and unseen, through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior and Your Most Holy Spirit who sanctifies our souls who reign together with You, one God, forever and for eternity. Amen.

Please feel free to request a prayer to be composed for a particular concern or topic for posting in this space. You may leave your request in the comments section or contact me directly at Leeosophy@gmail.com All compositions remain the property of the owner of this blog but may be used with attribution as long as they are not sold or charged for in any way. Requestors will remain anonymous.

Prayers in Easter: Praying Inside Out

         Prayer of the heart is prayer of the total person, body, soul, and spirit.  But since the heart is the place of the Divine indwelling, prayer of the heart is praying in which it is not only I that speak, but it is the prayers which Christ and the Holy Spirit are saying within me.  Those who attain prayer of the heart have the experience of being prayed in. 
                              [emphasis added]                      ~ Kallistos Ware* [1934- ]

Lord and Spirit of my Heart ~
       It's true, then. I have felt You here, within me, but I was afraid to recognize You, to acknowledge You, and I have also denied to myself that I have felt You. It hasn't happened often but I would like it to happen again, and, more often. 
      The times of my life when I have needed the most comfort have sometimes been the most difficult to enter into prayer. And sometimes the happiest times distract me from praying my thanksgivings. I'm working on all of that and I ask You ~ I invite You ~ to come into my heart, my soul, and all of me and help me to discover again all that deep prayer can do with and for me. Pray in me, please, and let my heart feel full of You.  amen.
         

*Timothy Ware of Bath, England was raised in the Anglican Church and read classics and theology at Magdalen College, Oxford.  In 1958 at age 24 he affiliated with the Eastern Orthodox Church. After much travel in Greece and a significant amount of time at the Monastery of St. John of Patmos and other travels, he was ordained to the priesthood and tonsured as a monk in 1966.  At that time he received the name "Kallistos."  He was later consecrated bishop and his career path led him to be a Lecturer in Eastern Orthodox Studies at Oxford University, a position he held for 35 years before retirement.  He is the author of many books and articles on the Orthodox Christian faith.





Please feel free to request a prayer to be composed for a particular concern or topic for posting in this space. You may leave your request in the comments section or contact me directly at Leeosophy@gmail.com All compositions remain the property of the owner of this blog but may be used with attribution as long as they are not sold or charged for in any way. Requestors will remain anonymous.

Prayers in Easter: From SON Up to Sundown

For each new morning with its light,
For rest and shelter of the night,
For health and food, for love and friends,
For everything Thy goodness sends.
        ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson* [1803-1882]




Holy Creator of Dawn, Noonday, Sunset, and Night,
           I often go through each day with a particular agenda of things to do, places to go, and people to see without taking a moment to recognize the blessings of my life.  I'm always quick to complain, whine, or moan to You and yet while I might remember an exclamation of  "Thank God!" when something dramatic occurs (such as the birth of a child, an improvement in health, or a disaster averted), I'm less likely to remember to breathe a small prayer of thankfulness for waking, for the light of the day, and for the stars of the night.              
         Whatever the circumstances of my daily life, I always have small moments for which I can be thankful. All I have to do is remember. It's easy enough on Sundays to remember to be thankful for the Resurrection or the Nativity of Your Son, but please help me, Lord, to add thankfulness into my daily life even if only in small ways. While I'm not suggesting that You are the Do-er of everything, I do want to acknowledge the parts of Creation that impact me in positive ways as a thanksgiving for the miracle of life itself. Lord of Heaven, Lord of Life, Lord of All, thank You for this moment, right now. amen.

*Ralph Waldo Emerson was a noted lecturer and leader of the Transcendentalist Movement of the mid-19th century. With a Unitarian background and Harvard Divinity School education, he came to champion the belief in the inherent goodness of people and nature, and, particularly, that only from truly self-reliant and independent people can genuine community be formed. A well-traveled and well-written life, Emerson forms the backdrop of American intellectual pursuits and long collegial relationships with contemporaries such as Oliver Wendell Holmes, Henry David Thoreau, Walt Whitman, Henry James and other literary luminaries such as Samuel Taylor Coleridge, William Wordsworth, and Thomas Carlyle. His work resonates to this day and speaks to much of our current experience and dilemmas.



Please feel free to request a prayer to be composed for a particular concern or topic for posting in this space. You may leave your request in the comments section or contact me directly at Leeosophy@gmail.com All compositions and personal photos remain the property of the owner of this blog but may be used with attribution as long as they are not sold or charged for in any way. Requestors will remain anonymous.

Prayers in Easter: Rise and Shine

the mythical Phoenix
rises from the ashes of its previous life

        If there is anywhere on earth a lover of God who is always kept safe, I know nothing of it, for it was not shown to me. But this was shown: that in falling and rising again we are always kept in that same precious love.  ~ Julian of Norwich* [1342-ca 1416]



Dear God of Skinned Knees, Bruised Egos, Grieving Hearts, Pain-Filled Bodies, and Damaged Souls,
            I've been hit hard here and there ~ more than some, much less than others ~ and then life goes on in its way until the next bump, or fall, or smack-down and I pick myself up, dust myself off, and life goes on again. Some days, though, I do have to fight back the fear of what's next while the world turns on its axis, the sun rises and sets, and the seasons change. I know You are here with me, I don't know how I would have gotten this far without You. And as long as I have breath within me, I will try to remember to turn to You in those inevitable times. But, could you give me a nudge now and then? Sometimes I need it to get myself out of the dark. Better yet, send me off to help someone else ~ then I'll get out of my own stuff and let Your light shine. amen.

I get knocked down

But I get up again

You're never going to keep me down

                  ~ Chumbawamba

*Julian of Norwich, was an English Anchoress (a hermit who lived in, and was sometimes permanently enclosed in, a small cell attached to a wall of the church, whose life consisted of daily devotions, prayer, devotional reading, and writing). She is considered to be one of the most important mystics in all of Christianity. Her manuscript of Revelations of Divine Love - also known as the Short Text - is thought to be the oldest surviving book written in English by a woman. She is probably best known for her words that with God, "All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of things shall be well."



Please feel free to request a prayer to be composed for a particular concern or topic for posting in this space. You may leave your request in the comments section or contact me directly at Leeosophy@gmail.com All compositions remain the property of the owner of this blog but may be used with attribution as long as they are not sold or charged for in any way. Requestors will remain anonymous.

Prayers in Easter: Which One of Me?

              Everyone of us is a variety of persons at the same time, it may be a very rich blending, but also it may be an unfortunate meeting of discordant personalities. We are different according to circumstances and surroundings; the various people that meet us know us as different persons. 
               There is a Russian proverb that says, 'He is a lion when meeting sheep, but he is a sheep when he meets lions.' When it comes to praying, our first difficulty is to find which one of our personalities should be put forward to meet God...because we are so unaccustomed to be our real self that in all truth we do not know which one that is...  ~ Metropolitan Anthony Bloom* [1914-2003]  

Well, God, 
          today I come to You as close to me as I can.  It's late in the day and I'm tired. There's no one here just now but me. No one to impress, to one-up, to anger, to suck up to, to order around, to help. No make-up or jewelry, no special clothes, I don't look my best or my worst.  I'm just me.  You know more about me than I ever will and You still love me. Thank you.  I'm just here today to spend a few minutes with You. It's nice to love and be loved.  That's all for now.  I'll be back tomorrow and probably ask for something.  amen. 


*Metropolitan Anthony Bloom was born in Lausane, Switzerland. He spent his early childhood in Russia and Iran and the family settled in Paris after the Russian revolution.  He went into WWII as a surgeon for France, a participant in the French Resistance, and a secretly professed monk in the Russian Orthodox Church. He was ordained in 1948 and sent to Britain where he was later appointed vicar for the Russian Patriarchal parish in London. In 1957 he was consecrated Bishop and in 1962 as Archbishop for the Russian Orthodox Church in Britain and Ireland.  He was Exarch and then assigned as Metropolitan - Russian Orthodox ranks - for the Moscow Patriarchate in Western Europe.  In 1966 he was released from the larger responsibilities upon mutual agreement so he could devote himself to the pastoral needs of his diocese.  Between 1966 and 1986 he wrote and published six books on prayer including Living Prayer from which the above quote is taken. 

Please feel free to request a prayer to be composed for a particular concern or topic for posting in this space. You may leave your request in the comments section or contact me directly at Leeosophy@gmail.com All compositions remain the property of the owner of this blog but may be used with attribution as long as they are not sold or charged for in any way. Requestors will remain anonymous.

Prayers in Easter: Look who's (not) talkin' (as much)

To ‘listen’ another’s soul 
into a condition of disclosure and discovery may be almost the greatest service that any human being ever performs for another   
                    ~ Douglas Steere* [1901-1995]




Well, Dear God, here's a big shocker for you ~ 
     I do acknowledge that sometimes I am so busy thinking about what I want to say that I forget to listen to what someone else is saying! I'm learning, slowly, to give others their air time even though I'm sure my response is the better comment and the most necessary. (Yeah, ok, I'll work on that thought, too.) I have experienced the rare moment when I feel listened to, as if what I think and say and feel are important to someone. Other times I guess I go on and on about my stuff trying to re-experience the feeling of importance. But I've even had the rarer moment when I've just been present and listened to someone in need and let whatever I wanted to say go away unspoken. That is a truly amazing and humbling feeling. 
     True listening is a gift, in either direction, and I need to be more attentive to others and less attentive to what I want to say about it. And the best example I have as a pay-off is You, always here, always listening even when I ramble (like now). Thank You for that and, in the meantime, a little help along the way, please?! amen. 

Best advice for good listening:     

Listen deeply to understand and 

don't listen only with the intent to reply.

*Douglas Steere was a Quaker ecumenist who was professor of philosophy from 1928 to 1964 at Haverford College near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and spent a year as a visiting professor at Union Theological Seminary in New York.  Dr. Steere was significantly involved in Quaker post-war relief efforts in Poland, Norway, and Finland after World War II and was given national recognition by Finland in 1987.  He held a PhD from Harvard and was a Rhodes Scholar with two additional degrees from Oxford University.  A prolific author, editor and translator of books and articles on Quakerism and other religions, he was invited as an Ecumenical Observer at the Second Vatican Council.






Please feel free to request a prayer to be composed for a particular concern or topic for posting in this space. You may leave your request in the comments section or contact me directly at Leeosophy@gmail.com All compositions remain the property of the owner of this blog but may be used with attribution as long as they are not sold or charged for in any way. Requestors will remain anonymous.

Prayers of the People: Follow the Crook-ed Path, 4th Sunday in Easter

for the 4th Sunday in Easter May 11, 2014  Readings:  Acts 2:42-47, Ps 23, 1 Peter 2:19-25, Jn 10:1-10

         For Episcopalians, the reading from Acts this week is infused with one of our Baptismal vows as "They devoted themselves to the  apostles' teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers..." And from 1Peter we are admonished again with the difficult reminder to suffer what we must but not return abuse in kind. We are to realize that by the wounds of Jesus we are healed because we were going astray like sheep, but you have now returned...  Psalm 23 is no doubt the best known piece of Scripture in the world and gives us the most pastoral image of Christ. The Gospel also carries the Shepherd theme and comforts us with another serene image, that of Christ as the divine Gatekeeper for all the sheep to have safe and abundant pasture. We are each called to follow the Good Shepherd's Crook along the path to eternal life.  

Let Us, God’s People, Pray

Leader: ~ Shepherd of our Souls, within Your gates we find a calm pasture to shelter us and nourish our spirits. You know our voices when we call; remind us to always listen for Yours and to remember that Your earthly death brings us abundant and eternal life.

                     By Your blood we were reconciled

Response:  By Your wounds we are healed

~ Shepherd of our Souls, so much of our world is filled with hatred, violence, and desperation.  As you stood peaceably in front of the political authorities of Your time, let us peacefully and persistently urge our political leaders to legislate compassion, equity, and mercy, as well as safety, economic and environmental justice.  We pray especially: add your own petitions

                     By Your blood we were reconciled

                     By Your wounds we are healed

~ Shepherd of our Souls, we ask Your comfort for those in our midst who are enduring illness of all kinds, and for those who see to their daily needs.  Anoint their hearts, restore their hope, and give them rest from anxiety.  We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                     By Your blood we were reconciled

                     By Your wounds we are healed

~ Shepherd of our Souls, we mourn our loss of those who have walked through that Darkest Valley.  We entrust them to Your care and wait in faith for the consolation of knowing that they now dwell in the light of Your House forever. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                     By Your blood we were reconciled

                     By Your wounds we are healed

~ Shepherd of our Souls, with glad and generous hearts our pastoral shepherds here on Earth, break and sanctify the Bread of Life to bring You to us with prayer and fellowship. Let us, with You, support them in their work with and for us, that together we may feed all of Your sheep with goodness and mercy. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                     By Your blood we were reconciled

                     By Your wounds we are healed

The Celebrant adds:  Lord of Heaven, we are called into Your mystical pasture to live and thrive on the Divine Bread of Life raised up for us by the sacrifice of Christ Jesus.  Keep us among the number of those praising You each day with the  goodwill of having been saved by Your love.  We ask this though Jesus Christ, our Guardian and Shepherd, and the Holy Spirit, Sanctifier of our souls, who together with You, reign as One God, forever, and through all eternity.  Amen.

Please feel free to request a prayer to be composed for a particular concern or topic for posting in this space. You may leave your request in the comments section or contact me directly at Leeosophy@gmail.com All compositions remain the property of the owner of this blog but may be used with attribution as long as they are not sold or charged for in any way. Requestors will remain anonymous.

Prayers in Easter: ultimate I O U

     

     It is a fact that people are always well aware of what is due them.
     Unfortunately, they remain oblivious of what they owe to others.

               ~ St. Francis de Sales* [1567-1622]

O Lord,
     I am chastened by the recognition of how often I do the check-list thing and think about how to get all that I deserve. Then I look back over my life and worry that I might actually get all that I deserve...Please, God, spare me that! 
     Help me to discover Your peace within myself for my life to reflect. Help me to measure my life in gratitude and spend it seeking forgiveness for my faults and in forgiving others. Remind me of the grace You provide to look beyond myself and live as if You expected great things of me on behalf of all Your people.  
     O Lord, I am also chastened by the recognition that what is owed to me in this life is exponentially less than what I owe You and it is past time for me to begin re-payment.  amen.




*Francis de Sales, a saint in the Roman Catholic calendar, was Bishop of Geneva but not allowed to live there as it was under Calvinist control. Of great accomplishment as a bishop, he is best known now as a mystical writer who championed the laity and provided gentle spiritual direction and counsel. His best known work is Introduction to the Devout Life, still read today, in which he emphasized charity over penance as a means to progress in spiritual pursuit. He is said to have struggled with a short temper but his demeanor always portrayed an inner calm and deep faith.  



Please feel free to request a prayer to be composed for a particular concern or topic for posting in this space. You may leave your request in the comments section or contact me directly at Leeosophy@gmail.com All compositions remain the property of the owner of this blog but may be used with attribution as long as they are not sold or charged for in any way. Requestors will remain anonymous.

Prayers of the People: On the Road Again, 3rd Sunday in Easter

for Third Sunday in Easter, May 4, 2014 ~ Readings: Acts 2:14a, 36-41; Ps 116:1-3, 10-17; 1 Peter 1:17-23; Luke 24:13-35

       Now on that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem and talking with each other about all these things that had happened....When he was at table with them he took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized him; and he vanished from their sight. [Luke 24:13-14, 30-31 NRSV]

      Two regular guys are walking down the road talking about the irregular events of the past days. This other guy shows up and seems unaware of these events and their importance. They explain it and even invite him home to dinner. Suddenly the stranger is hosting the meal and even more suddenly, he's gone. Then they realize who He was.        
       Several messages here ~ obviously things/people aren't always what they seem. But more importantly you don't have to be part of the Inner Circle to have a place at the table.  All of us are invited to celebrate the breaking of the Bread ~ friends, strangers, young, old, etc., it makes no difference. We, too, will experience Christ's unseen Presence, not only in the Eucharist but also in every facet of our lives ~ once we let our eyes be opened.

Let Us, God's People, Pray 

Leader:   ~ Lord Jesus, our Companion on the Road, we blindly follow the way of the world without seeing that You are there with us in every step. Open our hearts that we may know Your Presence, open our eyes that we may see Your Path of Life Eternal, and open our souls to receive Your gift of Salvation.

                      Jesus, our Lord and Messiah

Repsonse:   You ransomed us all from sin and death

~ Lord Jesus, our Companion on the Road, guide our vision towards those whose daily lives are filled with hardship and dire circumstance. Please give us the mettle, the words, and the voice to turn the hearts of those in political power in our world to Your justice, peace, and mercy.  We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                        Jesus, our Lord and Messiah

                   You ransomed us all from sin and death

~ Lord Jesus, our Companion on the Road, some of our very own are lost in serious illness, emotional upheaval, and hopelessness. Walk more closely with them and with those who give them care, to ease their journey with hope and healing.  We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                        Jesus, our Lord and Messiah

                   You ransomed us all from sin and death

~ Lord Jesus, our Companion on the Road, You returned to see, touch, and inspire Your disciples after Your terrible death.  How many of us would long for such a moment with those we’ve lost?  But while saddened, we are also touched and inspired knowing that our loved ones share eternity with You. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                        Jesus, our Lord and Messiah

                   You ransomed us all from sin and death

~ Lord Jesus, our Companion on the Road, we ask Your special blessings on those who have heard the call to lead us along Your Path. Bestow renewed energy and vitality to their spiritual quest, so that together we can strengthen the mission of Your church. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                        Jesus, our Lord and Messiah

                   You ransomed us all from sin and death

The Celebrant adds:   Son of God, Messiah of all People, You do incline Your ear to us whenever we call upon You. Remind us that in good times and in difficulty all we need to do is turn in Your direction. We give thanks and praise for this living blessing through our Creator, our Sanctifier, and You, our Redeemer, who live and reign as one God, always, forever, eternally. Amen.

Please feel free to request a prayer to be composed for a particular concern or topic for posting in this space. You may leave your request in the comments section or contact me directly at Leeosophy@gmail.com All compositions remain the property of the owner of this blog but may be used with attribution as long as they are not sold or charged for in any way. Requestors will remain anonymous.