Prayers for Lent, Day 24: Give Up, Take On, Pray

                                                                              

          THEN                                                                NOW

I throw myself down in my chamber, and I call in, and invite God, and his Angels thither, and when they are there, I neglect God and his Angels, for the noise of a fly, for the rattling of a coach, for the whining of a door. 
          ~ John Donne* 1572-1631

Some things never change.
So, what are your distractions?

Dear Lord,

    I have such good intentions, especially at New Year's, or when I want something from You, and of course during Lent. It's such a busy world - so much to do, so little time, and when I do have some free time I just need to relax. I have tried to just sit quietly and pray but I can't quite seem to be still and my mind just races. But, I will try again.  For today, I'll give up 15 minutes of tv or that great book or start the dvr movie later. I'll take on finding some way to connect with You. I'll pray, somehow - I could read a couple of Psalms, go online and google Prayers, or I could just start with, Dear Lord, I want to talk to You but I don't know what to say, and then just tell You something about my day that worries me, makes me proud, or is just ordinary.  I do know that You are waiting so I will show up, this time.  amen.



*John Donne was a poet, lawyer, and satirist in England before becoming an Anglican priest at the order of King James 1. In and out of poverty, father of 12, he often wrote poetry for wealthy patrons.  He wrote love poems with quite sensual language, also sonnets, and religious poems and he is also known for many well quoted phrases such as "No man is an island...,"  "...for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee," and..."Come live with me and be my love..."  He became the Dean of St. Paul's in London where he is buried.  His fascinating biography and the breadth and depth of his writing all serve the understanding of why he is still taught in English Literature classes today.

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.

Prayer for the surgery of Fr. Ricardo Frohmader

by request of his faithful and loving parishioners

Holy God of all that is Healing and Healthy, 
we ask Your special grace upon Your Faithful Servant, Fr. Ricardo Frohmader of the Mission of St. Alban's in the Diocese of Guatemala. Comfort him in Your sacred embrace as he undergoes back surgery on April 1. Grant the surgeon clear sight, steady, and blessed hands. Fill the nurses and the operating room with the restorative energy of the Holy Spirit. Enfold Ricardo's spouse Mari and their children with Your soothing and hopeful Presence. Gather the prayers of parishioners and friends from close by and from far and wide as a protective canopy of love. Grant that the curative compassion of our Lord Jesus Christ will speed Ricardo's recovery and we will soon again be the benefactors of his ministry among us.   

Oramos para que en el nombre de Jesucristo para una recuperación rápida. 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 anyway. Requestors will remain anonymous.

Prayers for Lent, Day 23: Give Up, Take On, Pray

Humor is, in fact, a prelude to faith; and laughter is the beginning of prayer … Laughter is swallowed up in prayer and humor is fulfilled by faith. 

                    ~ Reinhold Niebuhr* 1892-1971


             I read once that, if Christianity is so wonderful, why do Christians often look as though they're sucking lemons? Especially in this penitential season of Lent, some of us might be taking it all so seriously that we miss the lightness, the joy, and yes, the humor in life as a Christian.  Had a good laugh lately?  Start with a smile...


Jesus,
     there's so much about my relationship with you that I've been taught should be quiet, restrained, sober, and even meek. I've memorized "The Don't List" - don't do this, don't do that...even though there have been times when I have done a little of the don'ts...but now that I think about it, surely You had fun with friends, enjoyed a good dinner, and even laughed out loud. I'm starting to realize that I might be less likely to do things on the don't list if I lighten up and experience the wonder of the gift that Your life has given me. For today, I'll give up feeling deprived in Lent. I'll take on finding one thing to laugh out loud about that is good-spirited, delightful, and soul satisfying.  I'll pray a thanksgiving for the living legacy of Faith that fills me with eagerness to be a happier reflection of life with You.  amen.

*Reinhold Niebuhr was an American theologian, ethicist, and professor at Union Theological Seminary in New York City for more than 30 years. Two of his most influential books are Moral Man and Immoral Society and The Nature and Destiny of Man. Along with an extensive biography and body of work, Niebuhr was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1964, the highest US civilian award.  After working with labor and working classes, in 1944 he wrote The Children of Light and the Children of Darkness in which he said, "Man's capacity for justice makes democracy possible; but man's inclination to injustice makes democracy necessary." His theo-philosophical perspective became known as Christian Realism. Niebuhr is best known for his "Serenity Prayer" although most often it is only the first few lines that people know.  Following is the complete text as he is said to have written it:

God, give me grace to accept with serenity

the things that cannot be changed,

Courage to change the things

which should be changed,

and the Wisdom to distinguish

the one from the other.

Living one day at a time,
Enjoying one moment at a time,
Accepting hardship as a pathway to peace,
Taking, as Jesus did,
This sinful world as it is,
Not as I would have it,
Trusting that You will make all things right,
If I surrender to Your will,
So that I may be reasonably happy in this life,

And supremely happy with You forever in the next.

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 22: Give Up, Take On, Pray

What exactly IS The Christian Ideal?

If you Google the phrase you'll get directed to the Chesterton* quote and untold numbers of sermons about "it." Off the top of your head, you may be confident that you know all about it, "Well, of course it is...." So, how do you define it as a way of life? Why does Chesterton say it's difficult? Write it out. What happens if (when?) you stray from the Ideal? Be specific - points off for vague responses!

Jesus, Beloved of God,
     You are the Christ, the Anointed One, the Son of God, the Son of Man. We are the Christians who have signed on to follow You, to live our lives as You have taught us. You did give us all we need to know in Matthew 22:33-40** which is pretty clear:  Love God with everything we have and love everyone - friend, not friend, and stranger - as ourselves. Sounds easy enough ~ I guess if we can really do that we've pretty well covered the original 1-10 list.  Well, I quietly admit there are days when I'm not loving anyone very much and many other days when I watch to see how I measure up with the ways other Christians appear to be following You.  That can be discouraging on a variety of levels. For today, I'll give up looking around to see what everyone else is doing and take on the "trying" part a little more diligently. I'll pray to find my path through The Christian Ideal and when I hit a bump or two or have a cranky day, I'll "try" to remember to pray again.  amen.


*G.K. Chesterton [1874-1936] born in London and baptized as an Anglican, studied art and literature harboring a desire to be an artist. He fell into journalism and then began to write in earnest penning more than 80 books, hundreds of short stories, and more hundreds of poems.  He's widely known for his Priest-Detective Father Brown character, which, dramatized for television, still plays on PBS in the US. A lay theologian and philosopher, he converted to Roman Catholicism in 1922. Poet, playwright, political commentator, literary and art critic, he was known for his wit and humor and use of paradox. His faith was deep and his practice devout enough to warrant a telegram of condolence from the Pope "To the English People" at his death. Just one more of his innumerable quotable quotes that feels quite contemporary: The whole modern world has divided itself into Conservatives and Progressives. The business of Progressives is to go on making mistakes. The business of the Conservatives is to prevent the mistakes from being corrected.  

^{**Matthew 22:33-40 [NRSV]
34} When the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together, ³⁵ and one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him. ³⁶ “Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?” ³⁷ He said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ ³⁸ This is the greatest and first commandment. ³⁹ And a second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ ⁴⁰ On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.”


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 21: Give Up, Take On, Pray

I hear and behold God in every object, yet understand God not in the least.  
                ~ Walt Whitman* 1819-1892




Where do you discover God in your life - in the woods, on a river, in the mountains, in the living room, on the highway, in church?  Have you ever experienced a moment when you were certain you understood God?   

Almighty, Mystical, Divinity,
     When I was a child, You were in every room, every sunrise, every blade of grass, inside, outside, and all over; and, I understood You, or at least the wonder of You and, who I was to You. And then I grew up - sort of. Where did You go?  Some days it's a struggle to find You anywhere and I'm more uncertain of You than ever.  Oh, wait, maybe I'm the one who went...
hmmm...SO...for today I'll give up trying to find You anywhere else but here because everywhere I am is here. I'll take on accepting that You are a mystery that doesn't need to be deciphered or comprehended. I'll pray. And then I can move forward because You are always here and I don't need to know why.  amen.


*Walt Whitman is an icon of American poetry, especially for his Leaves of Grass written and revised over nearly 40 years. Also an essayist, journalist, and humanist, Whitman believed that all religions were equal and although he remained a religious skeptic, he did believe that the human soul is immortal and always in a state of progression. A fascinating person, his biography is too extensive for this space but well worth the exploration. He continues to be one of the most influential American poets.  




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 20: Give Up, Take On, Pray

Prayer  is a...nongeographic space that one enters at one's own peril, for it houses God during those few moments of one's presence there, and what is there will most surely change everything that comes into it....Ever traveling as we travel, moving as we move, prayer grips like home, until the heart belongs nowhere else and the body can scarcely function apart from them both. Prayer is dangerous and the entrance way to wholeness.  ~ Phyllis Tickle* 1934-


How do you pray?  There are many ways - some use formally constructed prayers written by others, some pray spontaneously in a group.  Some pray in silence and alone.  What are the reasons for your prayers - intercessory (on behalf of others), thanksgiving (for blessings in life), petition (request for yourself), penitence (you're sorry for something), to give praise to God without asking or expecting a return?  How do you want to pray? Step one: Dear God, [fill in the rest here]...

Dear God,
       Sometimes I find it difficult to know what to say to You even though I don't seem to have a problem talking to anyone else. What words are best? What should I be saying? Do the words matter? 
       For today, I will give up trying to pray the way I think is correct and take on speaking to You from my heart.  I will pray to share sacred space with You, often. Is it true that I can be transformed by engaging with You regularly? That does feel a little dangerous but, You are God, what better danger can there be?  amen.




*Phyllis Tickle is an accomplished author and lecturer whose focus is primarily religion and spirituality. She has served as a teacher, professor, and an academic dean and as an editor for St. Luke's Press, Peachtree Publishers, and Publishers Weekly. Her best known works are The Great Emergence - How Christianity is Changing and Why and her series on The Divine Hours.  An Episcopal lay woman, Ms. Tickle lives in Tennessee with her husband.
  
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: The Ultimate Oil Treatment, 4th Sunday in Lent

for Sunday March 30, 2014, Readings: 1 Sam 16: 1-13, Ps 23, Eph 5:8-14, Jn 9: 1-41

The ritual of Anointing is as ancient as human life itself. This symbolic rite is still known across all cultures, religions, and ethnicities in every corner of the Earth. Perfumed oil has been used to establish and confirm a monarch, to welcome a guest, to mark a child as Christ's own forever, to promote physical and spiritual healing of the sick, exile demonic possession, and to honor the body of one who has died. Some practices use herbal pastes, scented water, and even yogurt.  
      The name "Christ" derives from the Greek word Χριστός (Khristós)   meaning "The Anointed One." 
       Beyond the sacramental, spiritual, and symbolic, as a universal ceremonial from the beginning of time, perhaps it is that the act of anointing taps something primal in us and deeply connects us to all who have gone before and all who are yet to come. Our comfort from  and to the ages.  


LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

LEADER: ~ Eternal Shepherd, our One True Light, You chose David in his youth and us from our births knowing our full potential. You see beneath the surface of our flesh and know the hidden longings of our souls. Lead us out of the blindness of self-pride to the clarity of eyes opened to life in You.

                             Anoint our eyes to see You more clearly.
RESPONSE:  Anoint our hearts to follow You more nearly.

~ Eternal Shepherd, our One True Light, illuminate the paths of justice and mercy that the leaders of this world might follow. Awaken their inner vision to see themselves as You see them, so they may begin to shepherd their own flocks with integrity and principle. We pray especially for: add your own petitions.

                      Anoint our eyes to see You more clearly.
                      Anoint our hearts to follow You more nearly.

~ Eternal Shepherd, our One True Light, attend those who are suffering with physical or emotional trials and calm those who give them care. Enfold them with Your radiance and grant them the peace of Your green pasture while they heal. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                       Anoint our eyes to see You more clearly.
                       Anoint our hearts to follow You more nearly.

~ Eternal Shepherd, our One True Light, we long for those who have left us to live in Your House forever. Let Your promised comfort embrace all who are weeping in the shadow of grief. We pray especially for all those who have been lost in earthly tragedies on land, on the sea, and in the air, and for: add your own petitions

                        Anoint our eyes to see You more clearly.
                        Anoint our hearts to follow You more nearly.

~ Eternal Shepherd, our One True Light, exhilarate the spirits of those who guide Your Church so they may lead us on our journey to You and we may all be released from sin and darkness. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                          Anoint our eyes to see You more clearly.
                          Anoint our hearts to follow You more nearly.

The Celebrant adds: Timeless, abiding, immutable Pastor, Your goodness and mercy overflows our cup of life when we choose the blessings You set before us. Grant our eyes to open and our hearts to see the table of Love You have prepared for us. We ask this through Jesus our Savior and the Spirit of all that is Holy, who live and reign with You, one God, forever and ever. 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.