Prayers for Lent, Day 28: Give Up, Take On, Pray

Our images of God matter. 

Just as how we conceptualize God affects what we think the Christian life is about, so do our images of God.   ~ Marcus Borg* 1942-

           

           Have you ever thought about what your image of God is? There have been lifelong influences, some more unconscious than others. In your mind does he look like the illustrations in Children's Bibles, photos of Michaelangelo's Sistine Chapel ceiling, the ultimate grandfather or, the ultimate disciplinarian? What about Jesus - sun-tanned, blue eyed European with long flowing locks sun-kissed by expensive-looking highlights or a middle eastern semite, a young Jewish man from Palestine?  And, the Holy Spirit - an upside down white dove? 

            Of course it's easier to relate to and feel comfortable with someone we can picture in our minds. Have you ever had the experience of meeting up with an old friend from school - you have that old photo in your mind and suddenly you're confronted with the reality.  Perhaps it all works fine or perhaps the memory and the reality are difficult to mesh. Just as we watch children grow from newborns, to toddlers, older children, teens, young adults...and just as we sometimes want to hold on to them at a certain moment in time, it's important for our relationship with them to recognize them as they are. 
           Obviously we don't have the luxury of knowing what God looks like, but we can look at how or if our early ideas about the image of God has, or hasn't evolved and what that means to us. 

            Sr. Sandra Schneiders, IHM, STD, Professor Emerita of New Testament Studies and Christian Spirituality at the Jesuit School of Theology at Berkeley has said, "God is more than two men and a bird."

            What does your Trinity look like - how does that affect your prayer, your relationship, your sense of who God is in your life?


Dear God,
       I'm concerned that I might have the wrong image of You in my mind. I want so much to capture the right picture of You in my imaginings - all of You, the Trinity ~ God, Jesus, Holy Spirit, so that I can feel that I'm relating to You correctly. And yet somehow that doesn't seem quite right, either.  Well then, for today I'll give up trying to appropriate someone else's image of You.  I'll take on thinking about how I am made in Your image.  I'll pray for the security and freedom to let You out of the box I keep trying to keep You in. And as I evolve in my relationship with You, perhaps I will be able to realize that all I need to do to see You in my mind's eye, is to look in the mirror and at those all around me and then I will see the Face of My Trinity.  amen.


*Marcus Borg, is a Fellow of the Jesus Seminar, and now retired Hundere Distinguished Professor of Religion and Culture at Oregon State University.  A progressive Christian with a significant record of scholarship and research of the Historical Jesus, a prolific author and lecturer, and known internationally through videos and television, Borg has also been a frequent collaborator with other theologians with whom he both agrees and disagrees.  He remains one of the most recognized and influential theologians of 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.

Prayers for Lent, Day 27: Give Up, Take On, Pray

“The way to misuse our possessions is to use them as an insurance against the morrow. Anxiety is always directed to the morrow, whereas goods are in the strictest sense meant to be used only for to-day.”  “...time is the most valuable thing that we have, because it is the most irrevocable.”
          ~ Dietrich Bonhoeffer*  1906-1945

          Two different quotes by the same person and his date on the U.S. Episcopal Calendar isn't until April 9, but wait, here's another: "We must be ready to allow ourselves to be interrupted by God.”  The plan was to wait for April 9 to use this piece but the plan was interrupted by yet another all day/evening Emergency Room run for an aged aunt who fell, yet again, and will be okay, for now...  The first quote had already been pasted before today's adventure. It seemed prescient, as the following two did as well so, why wait?  We only have NOW.  What will I do with it....what will you?

Holy God of Yesterday, Today, and (maybe) Tomorrow,
       The manna You give me today will not last until tomorrow so cajole me not to waste it, fritter it away, or misuse it.  For today I will give up the worry about what might come tomorrow.  I will take on seeing to the necessary business of the day but more importantly, letting those I care about KNOW, specifically, deliberately, intentionally, definitively, that I care. I will pray that we will each be part of each other's lives for much longer and for the gift of grace to let God interrupt my plans and understand, as Dietrich Bonhoeffer said also, “There is meaning in every journey that is unknown to the traveler.”  amen.


*Dietrich Bonhoeffer, theologian, Lutheran pastor, dissident anti-Nazi.  His book The Cost of Discipleship is considered a modern classic.  Polish by birth, he studied at the University of Tubingen and received his Bachelor's and Master's degrees and his Doctor of Theology at the University of Berlin.  He completed a second doctorate - all before the age of 25. He did post graduate study at Union Theological Seminary in New York and was introduced to and was profoundly inspired by the Abyssinian Baptist Church in Harlem.  His teachings and writings continue to inspire generations after his death.  With great angst but complete abhorrence of the Nazi dictatorship and violence, he was involved with the German Military Intelligence Office's plot to assassinate Adolf Hitler.  He was arrested by the Gestapo in 1943 and executed on April 9, 1945, 23 days before the German surrender. His "time is the most valuable thing we have..." comes from his Letters and Papers from Prison.  He never justified or excused his action but accepted that he was taking guilt upon himself as he wrote "when a man takes guilt upon himself in responsibility, he imputes his guilt to himself and no one else. He answers for it...Before other men he is justified by dire necessity; before himself he is acquitted by his conscience, but before God he hopes only for grace." There is so much more that can be said about Dietrich Bonhoeffer and all in his own words.

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 26: Give Up, Take On, Pray

       "[Faith] is the conviction that God is good to humanity and that God can and will triumph over all evil. The power of faith is the power of goodness and truth, which is the power of God. 
       The opposite of faith is therefore fatalism...[that] finds expression in statements like 'Nothing can be done about it.' and 'There is no hope.' These are the statements of people who do not really believe in the power of God, people who do not really hope for what God has promised."   ~ Albert Nolan*1934-

Faith....do I have it?  I think I do - I must, I go to church - but then there are those moments when I am unsure of what God means to my life. The times when I am certain there is nothing I can do that will make any useful difference in the world. I think about the question of my faith often and I suppose I always will.  What helps is seeing that tiny mustard seed ~ is that really all I need? I think I can muster that much in my way of Faith.

Dear Jesus,
   You said that if I have faith as small as a mustard seed I can move mountains. I feel that strength and know I can move anything larger than myself on those "good days." On those not so good days, sometimes it's all I can do to move myself. But when I look at that tiny seed, I can approach hope. For today, I'll give up pondering the details of what I am sure I believe and what I'm not so sure of. I'll take on walking through each day with that mustard seed as a tangible sign of Your love and inspiration - from its tiny beginnings to a full leafing of great height with the seeds to give flavor and spice to my life. I'll pray for more hope and more confidence in my faith. In the meantime, I have faith in that tiny seed's magic - within in it there is the potential for tremendous growth, just as there is within me, when I feel my faith. amen.

mustard tree

*Albert Nolan, OP, was born in Cape Town as a 4th generation South African of English descent. With inspiration from reading the works of Thomas Merton, he entered the Dominican Order in 1954. He taught theology to and has been Vicar General of the Dominicans in South Africa. The author of several books, his 1976 Jesus Before Christianity is the most well-known and has been reissued several times and as recently as 2001, its 25th Anniversary edition.  In it, Nolan discusses Jesus' radical struggle for the full humanity of the poor in the time of first-century Palestine. Nolan writes that Jesus "challenged the rich to identify in solidarity with the poor," a universal theme that is persistently relevant across time and culture.

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: Bone Dry, 5th Sunday in Lent

for Sunday, April 6, 2014, Readings:  Ez 37:1-14, Ps 130, Romans 8:6-11, John 11:1-45
                Have you ever just felt so dry inside that it feels as though dust will come out if you try to speak?  Even while shedding an ocean of tears in the midst of immediate grief, there can be a sense of emptiness that feels as dry and as deep as the sands of the Sahara.
                    Drink deeply from the Well of God, from the Hope of Christ, from the Peace of the Spirit. Come into the Light...

                                                                                                        LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

LEADER:   ~  Lord God of Healing and Life, our mortal selves dry up when we move out of Your glory and let go of Your hope.  Fill us with Your Spirit, forgive us, and raise us from the dust of sin. 

                                  Jesus, Unbind our souls,

RESPONSE:    Breathe Your light into our dry  bones.

~ Lord God of Healing and Life, place Your hand on the hearts of those who lead this world. Fill them with compassion, virtue, and ethics for the benefit of all the peoples of Your Earth.  We pray especially for:  add your own petitions

                          Jesus, Unbind our souls,
                          Breathe Your light into our dry bones.

~ Lord God of Healing and Life, surround those among us who are in ill-health, emotional turmoil, or in despair.  Help set their minds, and of those who love them, on Your Spirit and Peace as they await Your healing touch.  We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                          Jesus, Unbind our souls,

                          Breathe Your light into our dry bones.

~ Lord God of Healing and Life, as Mary, Martha, and Jesus wept for Lazarus, we weep for those we have lost. Out of our depths we call to You for comfort in knowing that You have brought them into a fuller life with You.  We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                          Jesus, Unbind our souls,

                          Breathe Your light into our dry bones.

~ Lord God of Healing and Life, animate the wills of those who have been sent to lead Your Church. Strengthen their resolve to prophesy Your Word and bring us all into the Spirit of Christ. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                              Jesus, Unbind our souls,

                         Breathe Your light into our dry bones.

The Celebrant adds:  O LORD our God, awaken us from the death of sin and call us to come out into the Light of Christ, that we might know life everlasting in Your mercy and redemption. We ask this through Jesus, our Redeemer, and the Holy Spirit, our Sanctifier who live and reign with You, our Creator, 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.

Prayers for Lent, Day 25: Give Up, Take On, Pray

"Holding on to anger is like drinking poison 

and expecting the other person to die." 

"Holding on to anger is like holding hot coals you intend to throw at someone - you're the only one who gets burned."

"Anger is an acid that does more harm to the vessel in which it is stored 

than to anything on which it is poured."

          All of the above quotes, in a variety of similar iterations, have variously been attributed to The Buddha, Mark Twain, Roman Stoic philosopher Seneca, 12-Step programming, and any number of contemporary authors. It is often difficult to pin down the actual origin of an epigrammatic expression especially when widely quoted. Nonetheless, whoever said them first, the consensus of the above seems to be that anger is more dangerous to yourself than others. Anger that escalates to rage and/or combines with desperation, however, is certainly dangerous for everyone.
           But not all anger is bad or dangerous - it's quite appropriate, justified, when it's directed at or a result of loss, injustice, discrimination, political decisions, economic hardship, and so on.  How we use our anger, how we respond may make the difference between poisoning ourselves and resolving an issue.  Thoughtful response rather than impulsive reaction? Some days are better than others.

 Dear God,
      There are days when I want You to be Your Old Testament Self - smiting and plaguing, wrathful and condemning, thundering, destructive, and vengeful, oh my! That gives me permission, sort of, to impose the eye for eye/tooth for tooth thing as I plot my revenge against a perceived enemy.  But mostly, I want - and need - Your New Testament Self in the form of Jesus who relieves my angst and anger and shows me a quieter yet equally satisfying path. For today, I'll give up attempting to bend my part of the world to my will by just being angry. I'll take on seeking more positive outlets to right injustice, overcome discrimination, promote understanding, and be involved with political organizing to resolve the larger issues that affect us all. I'll also work toward calming my inner upsets, examining the why and how of what bothers me, and continuing my quest for inner peace.  I'll pray for the guidance and blessing of the Holy Spirit, the support and friendship of a loving community of faith, and the collective wisdom and love of family and close friends. Oh, and I'll work on what I'm saying in the car while I'm driving. 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.

Prayer of Thanksgiving for Fr. Frohmader's Successful Surgery

We have grateful hearts this night, Dear Lord, that Your Servant, Ricardo has come through his 9 hours of surgery well.  Keep him close to You as we continue to pray for a complete recovery.  Bless all those who served this procedure and all those who waited through a very long day. 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 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.