Prayers for Lent, Day 15: Give Up, Take On, Pray

I

Am

A Hole

In A Flute

That the Christ's Breath

Moves Through - 

Listen to This

Music.

~ Hafiz 1320-1389*

O Breath of God,
        waft through my body, permeate my soul, fill my consciousness to overflowing and let me breathe You into the World. For today I will give up the oblivion of mindless breathing and take on the wonder of inhaling and exhaling with purpose beyond the obvious. I will stop and notice several times today as I breathe in with intention and breathe out with awareness. I will pray at those moments to experience the Radiance of Christ entering in and the humility of conveying the Glory of Christ as I release His music to the world around me. amen.




*Hafiz (Shams-ud-din Muhammad) was a beloved poet of 14th century Persians and his mystical verse has come down through the ages influencing the work and lives of Goethe and Ralph Waldo Emerson, both of whom translated his work. Arthur Conan Doyle had his character Sherlock Holmes quoting Hafiz and Johannes Brahms used several lines in his own compositions. It has been said that in difficult moments, Queen Victoria also went to the work of Hafiz. The quote above was translated by Daniel Ladinsky in his book, A Year With Hafiz.

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 for Lent, Day 14: Give Up, Take On, Pray

       When suddenly you seem to lose all you thought you had gained, do not despair. You must expect setbacks and regressions. Don't say to yourself "All is lost. I have to start all over again." This is not true. What you have gained you have gained....When you return to the the road, you return to the place where you left it, not to where you started.  ~ Henri Nouwen 1932-1996*


            We all have or will have or know those who have those moments in life - the loss of someone integral to your everyday life, a job loss, significant health challenges, or whatever causes you to fall into hopelessness. There is a time and a need to grieve these losses and be surrounded by those who care for you and who give you hope. Take the time it takes yet do not grieve for the sake of grief. Find the help you need when you realize that you have fallen into despair. Life is precious and short; live on this earth for those who cannot, and get back to the road of this life even if you are limping and bruised. The sun will shine again when you let it.


Dear God of my broken heart,
       I have had the times when it is all I can do to open my eyes and face another day and when I longed to hide myself in the black of night that matched the darkness of my grief. Give me the eyes to see when another is in the merciless grip of pain and sorrow and let me be a quiet comforting presence of hope. For today I will give up living in the shadow of yesterday and take on living in the light of today. I pray for the peace to walk down my road, give encouragement to others, and live my life giving thanks for each breath I am given. amen.


  

*A Dutch-born Catholic Priest with a doctorate in Psychology, Henri Nouwen was a prolific writer on the subject of spirituality. He wrestled with clinical depression throughout his life and it informed his abilities for his writing, teaching, and pastoral care. After teaching appointments with The Menninger Clinic, University of Notre Dame, Yale Divinity School, and Harvard Divinity School, he accepted the position of Pastor for a L'Arche Community for the developmentally disabled near Toronto, Canada. His books such as Wounded Healer, The Way of the Heart, and The Return of the Prodigal Son remain widely read and deeply held by people of all faith expressions.

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.

Meditation Moment: Absalom Jones, an Extraordinary and Exemplary Man

"You must before your God 

appear to Give an account of 
your transactions,
And how you spent your time, 
            when here.”
     ~ The Rev. Absalom Jones  1746-1818

     Absalom Jones was born enslaved to Abraham Wynkoop a wealthy Anglican planter in 1746 in Sussex County, Delaware. He was working in the fields when Abraham recognized that he was an intelligent child and ordered that he be trained to work in the house.  Absalom eagerly accepted instruction in reading. He also saved money he was given and bought books (among them a primer, a spelling book, and a bible). Abraham Wynkoop died in 1753 and by 1755 his younger son Benjamin had inherited the plantation. When Absalom was sixteen Benjamin Wynkoop sold the plantation and Absalom’s mother, sister, and five brothers. Wynkoop brought Absalom to Philadelphia where he opened a store and joined St. Peter’s Church. In Philadelphia, Benjamin Wynkoop permitted Absalom to attend a night school for black people that was operated by Quakers following the tradition established by abolitionist teacher Anthony Benezet. He continued to work for the wages that eventually allowed him to purchase his and his wife's freedom. The short version of his extensive biography* is that he became the first African-American priest in the Episcopal Church in the US, founded several churches, multiple organizations to aid freed and runaway slaves, and a Literary Circle. 

      His words in the quote above may sound trivial at first glance, but when measured against the institution of slavery these words become profound and should reverberate within us all.  
      On New Year's Day in 1808, Jones said the following in his sermon giving thanksgiving for the passage of the Abolition of African Slave Trade Act by the US Congress: 

Let not our expressions of gratitude to God for his late goodness and mercy to our countrymen, be confined to this day, nor to this house: let us carry grateful hearts with us to our places of abode, and to our daily occupations; and let praise and thanksgivings ascend daily to the throne of grace, in our families, and in our closets, for what God has done for our African brethren.

      His graciousness may be considered premature inasmuch as slavery itself was not abolished in the US for 55 more years. And so, as those supporters of slavery then and now, we each will give the accounts of our own transactions while on this earthly plane. As for me, I ought to be too busy taking my own inventory to account for the transactions of others.  

O Loving and Forgiving God,
     Through the inspiration of Your true servant Absalom, we find the graciousness, joy, and reconciliation that should be the hallmarks of every Christian life.  For today, I will give up counting up the faults of others and take on re-framing my thoughts from judgment to tolerance; my actions from thoughtless to reconciling. I will pray for the insight to acknowledge my own faults, the contrite heart to make amends, and the wisdom to think first of God before I act on my own.  amen.  

The Rev. Absalom Jones is celebrated by the Episcopal Church in the U.S. on February 13.

*For more information about The Rev. Absalom Jones, click here: Absalom Jones Biography

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Prayers of the People: "Well", There's a Deep Subject; 3rd Sunday in Lent

for Sunday, March 23, 2014
Readings:  Ex 17:1-7, Ps 95, Romans 5:1-11, John 4:5-42

Have you ever been thirsty - really, really thirsty? Hot summer day, cutting the grass, playing golf, volleyball on the beach...so, what did you do? Into the kitchen, turned on the tap, reached in the fridge, opened the cooler, or paid a vendor for a bottle of spring water? Imagine you are 50 days' walk away from all you knew in a life so bad you are willing to be lured by the promise of new beginnings out of all the misery you've been living in.  All you have to do is follow the leader across the desert.  He says he knows the way.  And suddenly you realize there's no water - seriously, there's NO WATER, no well in sight, no streams or oases...how would you be talking to the leader?

              Jesus, stops by the local well to get a drink as part of the life and times. But he's on "the other side of town" where no respectable Jews would go and strikes up a conversation with one of those people and, a woman!  WWYD?  What Would You Do - if you were desperately thirsty and in a place you don't feel you belong in? Would you simply trust that God will keep you safe?

              Much of the world's people today have no clean, safe, supply of water.  Poorly maintained wells, drying and polluted streams, even miles to walk to get barely enough to carry back for just today.  Think about it the next time you let the hose run on the lawn, or the bathroom tap as you brush your teeth, or throw half a bottle of unfinished spring water into the trash. And, mostly, think about your desert moments in life - is God your Living Water for consolation and hope, or just the leader you blame and complain to?

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

LEADER:  ~ O God, Navigator of our souls, we lead our own souls into the parched desert of gloom and the arid wilderness of discouragement when we turn from the path of Life that leads to You. Guide us back to the gushing Rock that washes away all fear, anguish, and uncertainty. 

                        

                        Lord of Living Water,

RESPONSE:  Quench our thirst for Your salvation

~ O God, Navigator of our souls, the depth and breadth of human misery in our world through war, abysmal poverty, power mongering, prejudice, and natural disaster is invisible by choice to many of us. Grant our local and world leaders clarity of vision and enlightened perspective for a cooperative spirit of common purpose and global redemption. We pray especially for:  add your own petitions

                         Lord of Living Water,

                        Quench our thirst for Your salvation

~ O God, Navigator of our souls, pour Your love into those who are seriously ill, in pain, or in despair and for those who minister to their needs. Let them feel immersed in Your grace and blessed by enduring hope.  We pray especially for:  add your own petitions

                         Lord of Living Water,

                         Quench our thirst for Your salvation

~ O God, Navigator of our souls, we weep for our loss and mourn those who have left us even as they thrive in Your everlasting Life.  Dry our tears and bathe our hearts with Your healing mercy as we seek a trickle of ease in our lonely journey without them. We pray especially for:  add your own petitions

                        Lord of Living Water,

                        Quench our thirst for Your salvation

~ O God, Navigator of our souls, refresh the spirit of those we have called into leadership for Your Church. May their faith in You course so strongly in their hearts that they are sustained and renewed with the courage of their convictions. We pray especially for:  add your own petitions

                         Lord of Living Water,

                        Quench our thirst for Your salvation

The Celebrant adds:  God Almighty, LORD of Heaven and of All the Earth, Jesus is our proof of Your love for us and the model for how to live in an inclusive community of faith.  Let us rid the world of prejudice and hate by reconciling ourselves with others, drowning the seeds of injustice, and returning kindness and tolerance for real or perceived insults and injuries. We ask this through Jesus our Messiah, and the Holy Spirit our Sustainer, who live and reign with You, One God, fount of all that is infinite and eternal.  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 for Lent, Day 12: Give Up, Take On, Pray

“God not only demands but needs our cooperation on the spiritual [as well as] the material plane. The Cross Bearer of the universe, as He passes in our midst, does not act for us, but in us.”
   ~ Vida Dutton Scudder 1861-1954*

 A paradox of Creation is that it is complete but not yet finished. God in the Trinity, as Creator, Redeemer, and Sanctifier, calls us into a spiritual relationship and as earthly co-creators, acting in us to continue the work of salvation in our world. So, do you feel more special now, or, more scared? A little of both?

Holy God of Mystery and Majesty,
       I feel overwhelmed at all You have entrusted to me. I want to live up to all of Your expectations even while I'm not sure I'm living up to my own. For today, I will give up the pursuit of material satisfaction as a principal goal of life. I'll take on trying to see Your Creation ~ the world around me, the street I live on, the people I know and those I don't, the every-day actions I take ~ as You want me to see. I pray to always know that You are within me and that I will move through this life with intention and purpose, caring and carrying Your love through all that I do. amen.


*Vida Dutton Scudder holds October 10 on the US Episcopal Liturgical Calendar as a Feast Day.  Professor of English Literature at Wellesley College in Massachusetts, she was one of the first two American women admitted to the graduate program at Oxford University. In addition to teaching, she was an author and a welfare activist in the social gospel movement. She was a founder or organizer of many groups involved with Christian socialism, trade/labor unions, and Boston's Denison House, the third settlement house in the US. In 1888 she joined the Society of the Companions of the Holy Cross, Episcopal women dedicated to intercessory prayer and social reconciliation. At her retirement from Wellesley she was given the title of Professor Emeritus and among other honors went on the become the first Dean of the Summer School of Christian Ethics at Wellesley and the first woman to be published in the Anglican Theological Review.



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 for Lent, Day 11: Give Up, Take On, Pray

      In the 5th Century, a 16 year-old Roman Briton was captured by Irish pirates and served as a slave for 6 years before his escape back to home.  He credits the time of captivity for his significant spiritual experiences that resulted in conversion to Christianity. 
     After being ordained, Patrick returned to Ireland later in life to preach the message of God in the Trinity, convert, and baptize. As a foreigner who refused the patronage of the Kings, he endured much opposition and was without legal protection. He wrote about beatings, being tied up with chains, periodic imprisonment, and threats of execution. 
        Through it all he Christian-ized many of the early Celtic worship practices, including the sacred symbol of the shamrock that, it has been said, he used to explain the Trinity.
      The famous St. Patrick's Breastplate, also known as the Cry of the Deer, is a prayer poem attributed to him that has been set to music in a variety of ways.  Many of the hymnal versions use only a small portion of the lyrics and it often contains several separate melodies and rhythms within the one hymn. The work with or without music has a cadence of an almost Druidic incantation which the people of his time would have understood.  It isn't often that we see the entire piece and so it is included below, followed by a YouTube rendering of one musical setting. 
      Despite all the myth, fact, and legend, Patrick has had a profound impact as Ireland's Patron Saint, slightly ahead of Brigid and Columba, and is known throughout the world.

Mo Dhia, (My God),
       Your Servant Patrick taught the native Irish people the One-ness of God in the Three-ness of the Trinity. For today I will give up 15 minutes of my time to take on reading and sitting with the power of the words of his prayer poem. Perhaps I can pick a different smaller portion of it to work with each day this week as "I arise..." I pray to feel the strength of the Breastplate, the armor of my Faith, in my body, mind, and soul, now and always.  amen.   

I arise today
Through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity,
Through belief in the Threeness,
Through confession of the Oneness
of the Creator of creation.

I arise today
Through the strength of Christ's birth with His baptism,
Through the strength of His crucifixion with His burial,
Through the strength of His resurrection with His ascension,
Through the strength of His descent for the judgment of doom.

I arise today
Through the strength of the love of cherubim,
In the obedience of angels,
In the service of archangels,
In the hope of resurrection to meet with reward,
In the prayers of patriarchs,
In the predictions of prophets,
In the preaching of apostles,
In the faith of confessors,
In the innocence of holy virgins,
In the deeds of righteous men.

I arise today, through
The strength of heaven,
The light of the sun,
The radiance of the moon,
The splendor of fire,
The speed of lightning,
The swiftness of wind,
The depth of the sea,
The stability of the earth,
The firmness of rock.

I arise today, through
God's strength to pilot me,
God's might to uphold me,
God's wisdom to guide me,
God's eye to look before me,
God's ear to hear me,
God's word to speak for me,
God's hand to guard me,
God's shield to protect me,
God's host to save me
From snares of devils,
From temptation of vices,
From everyone who shall wish me ill,
afar and near.

I summon today
All these powers between me and those evils,
Against every cruel and merciless power
that may oppose my body and soul,
Against incantations of false prophets,
Against black laws of pagandom,
Against false laws of heretics,
Against craft of idolatry,
Against spells of witches and smiths and wizards,
Against every knowledge that corrupts man's body and soul;

Christ to shield me today
Against poison, against burning,
Against drowning, against wounding,
So that there may come to me an abundance of reward.

Christ with me,
Christ before me,
Christ behind me,
Christ in me,
Christ beneath me,
Christ above me,
Christ on my right,
Christ on my left,
Christ when I lie down,
Christ when I sit down,
Christ when I arise,
Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks of me,
Christ in every eye that sees me,
Christ in every ear that hears me.

I arise today
Through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity,
Through belief in the Threeness,
Through confession of the Oneness
of the Creator of creation.

The Deer's Cry/St. Patrick's Breastplate




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Prayers for Lent, Day 10: Give Up, Take On, Pray

If I have achieved anything in my life, it is because I have not been embarrassed to talk about God.   ~ Dorothy Day* 1897-1980

      How often do you talk about God in your every day life?  There are many people, good church-going folks, who have difficulty discussing God, Jesus, religion, and/or spirituality in "normal" conversation.  It's one of the "taboos" of  polite conversation learned early - "Never discuss religion or politics" ostensibly because it leads to conflict and discomfort in relationships.  Perhaps it sets us up for debates on right and wrong theologies. Maybe there's an element of proselytizing that we are anxious about giving or receiving.  Or, it's just a matter of appropriate time and place.  What about privately - to yourself?  Do you talk to God - in joy and thanksgiving, blame and anger, frustration and supplication?  When is it right to talk about God?  What would you say?

O God, Holder of my soul, 
         I come to You in my quiet and alone time to speak of my wants, desires, and needs, for myself and for others.  I speak to You during worship along with all the others as we lift our voices in prayer and response.  But speaking about You to others outside of the Church's footprint has never come easy to me.  I worry too much about not knowing enough to hold off debates, or being perceived as some kind of "holy roller."  You don't need me to plead Your cause but I would like to be less constricted in doing so. For today, I will give up being embarrassed in talking about my relationship with You. I will take on finding at least one moment, as a start, outside of Church, to say some small thing about my relationship with You in a conversation with another person, even if only in a casual remark.  I pray to You for the right words at the right moment, and, for me to make things less difficult for myself and others than You would have them be. Amen.

            *Dorothy Day was a primary founder of the Catholic Worker Movement in the 1930s, a pacifist nonviolent organization that continues to aid the poor today. She began and continued as editor of The Catholic Worker newspaper from its founding in 1933 until her death drawing contributors such as Daniel Berrigan and Thomas Merton. She wrote passionately about women's rights, free love, and birth control early in her life but in the 1940s, she became an Oblate in the Order of St. Benedict. An oblate is a lay person unprofessed as a monk or nun who makes a commitment to a specific Rule of Life - often called a Third Order.
               In 2000, Pope John Paul II titled Day "Servant of God" as a person whose cause for Sainthood has been opened. She has been named "a person Worthy of Commemoration" in the US Episcopal Church whose guidelines allow for an official remembrance in the liturgical calendar no sooner than 50 years after death but local observances are encouraged. Day's extensive biographical history is quite amazing in its breadth and depth. She would never have thought of herself as a saint,  but she was most certainly was a force to be reckoned with.

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. You may contact me directly at Leeosophy@gmail.com