Morning Prayers
Sept 15 – Sept 21, 2024
Season After Pentecost
Sunday Sept 15, After Pentecost
Rest as a Rule of Life
This is a day for rest and renewal of body, mind, and spirit.
A prayer of rest
God of wisdom
Christ our shepherd
Spirit of light
Be in our rest today.
Be in our breath.
Be in us.
Amen.
Lectionary Readings: Sunday, September 15, 2024: Proper 19 (24) Prov 1:20-33; Ps 19; James 3:1-12; Mark 8:27-38
Monday, Sept 16, After Pentecost
Work as a Rule of Life
The people who trust in the Lord are like the mountain of God: never shaken, lasting forever.
Psalm 125:1 (CEB, adapted)
Silence
Be still and aware
of God’s presence
in your body and breath.
Prayers of Gratitude
Holy One, the Psalmist says that you surround us like mountains
We look to you as our shelter and our persistent hope.
We see your immoveable presence
When we close our eyes at night fall
When we open our eyes to morning light
Holy One, we lift to you thanks and praise today
For this shelter you offer to all.
What gratitude do you bring today to share?
The Lord’s Prayer
A Reading
Psalm 125
Reflect on the words of scripture and presence of God,
surrounding us like mountains.
Silence
Intercessions
As a new week begins, God we turn to you
Together.
As a collective.
A community of individuals
Choosing to put our trust in you.
This doesn’t mean, God, that our hearts are perfect
Our motives pure
Our lives exemplary.
We come to you trusting the grace of Christ
Who welcomed the helpless who believed
Even those who believed with doubt.
We come to you holding that tension also in our souls.
O God our surrounding mountain
Meet us here.
What needs and concerns do we bring to the community for prayer today…
Sending Forth Prayer
God of wisdom
Christ our shepherd
Spirit of light
Root our feet in peace as we enter this new day.
Daily Lectionary Readings: Psalm 73:21-28; Proverbs 22:1-21; Romans 3:9-20; Psalm 119:169-176; 1 Kings 13:1-10
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Tuesday, Sept 17, After Pentecost
Work as a Rule of Life
A good reputation is better than much wealth;
High esteem is better than silver and gold.
The rich and the poor have this in common:
The LORD has made them both.
Proverbs 22:1-2, CEB
Silence
Be still and aware
of God’s presence
in your body and breath.
Prayers of Gratitude
You have made us, God
Or should we call you, Artist
Creator
Maker
The one who shaped the creases between our toes
Who mixed the gradients of color that highlight our hair
We praise you this morning for clean hair
For soap to wash away the dirt of the day
The sweat of the late summer sun
We praise you this morning for shoes
Even those with worn out soles, scuffs, or stains
Protecting our feet from farm tools and scratchy sidewalks.
Good Maker, we give you thanks.
What gratitude do you bring today to share?
The Lord’s Prayer
A Reading
Mark 7:24-30
Reflect on the words of scripture and the Maker of the rich and poor.
Silence
Intercessions
Holy One,
Who do we bring to your attention today?
As we lift our intercessions.
Let our ears turn to the voices around us
Voices that are unexpected
Voices outside the circle of belonging we may draw
Those we wouldn’t call ‘our’ children.
As we join you, God, in this holy work of listening
Expand the voices we attend to,
As you did, O Christ.
What needs and concerns do we bring to the community for prayer today…
Sending Forth Prayer
God of wisdom
Christ our shepherd
Spirit of light
Be present in our hearing as we enter this new day.
Daily Lectionary Readings: Psalm 73:21-28; Proverbs 25:1-28; Colossians 3:1-11; Psalm 119:169-176; 1 Kings 13:11-25
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Wednesday, Sept 18, After Pentecost
Work as a Rule of Life
Those who sow injustice will harvest evil;
the rod of their fury will come to an end.
Happy are generous people,
because they give some of their food to the poor.
Proverbs 22:8-9, CEB
Silence
Be still and aware
of God’s presence
in your body and breath.
Prayers of Gratitude
Enough
To fill our bellies
Enough
To pay our bills
Enough
To share around
You are the God who provides all that we need.
We lift our prayers of thanks for both your enoughness,
And your abundance.
What gratitude do you bring today to share?
The Lord’s Prayer
A Reading
Mark 7:31-37
Reflect on the words of scripture and the Christ that opens up.
Silence
Intercessions
Filled with wonder
Amazed by the healing work of your hands
Was the crowd that followed you, O Christ
They couldn’t help but open their mouths to tell others of your work—
“Everything he does is wonderful” they said of you
Forgetting the moments just before
When they came
Begging on behalf of their friend
Placing bets on a rumor that you could heal.
In their spirit, O Christ, we come
We welcome your healing in us
And we join in your healing around us
On behalf of those who can’t hear
On behalf of those who can’t see
Let this be the work of our hands.
What needs and concerns do we bring to the community for prayer today…
Sending Forth Prayer
God of wisdom
Christ our shepherd
Spirit of light
Open us up to the healing you offer today.
Daily Lectionary Readings: Psalm 73:21-28; Proverbs 29:1-27; John 7:25-36; Psalm 119:169-176; Isaiah 10:12-20
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Thursday, Sept 19, After Pentecost
Work as a Rule of Life
Don’t rob the poor just because you can,
Or exploit the needy in court.
For the LORD is their defender.
He will ruin anyone who ruins them.
Proverbs 22:22-23, NLT
Silence
Be still and aware
of God’s presence
in your body and breath.
Prayers of Gratitude
Great Defender
Of all who need you
Thank you for your presence
That carried us through the night
That ushered us into this new day
That welcomes us to join in holy work
Of honoring the poor among us.
What gratitude do you bring today to share?
The Lord’s Prayer
A Reading
James 2:1-10
Reflect on the words of scripture and God who has chosen the poor.
Silence
Intercessions
Holy One,
Convict us of our partiality
Of those we open our homes to
Choose to sit with
Of the ways we make subtle distinctions of worthiness
In our time, our love, our curiosity.
How, Holy One, do we honor the poor?
At the street corners…
In the house on our lane…
How, Holy One, do we honor the poor?
How do we engage our hearts,
Not only our money?
Engage our skills and voices,
Not only our compassion?
Teach us live with the poor, as you did O Christ.
Show us the poor we do not see.
What needs and concerns do we bring to the community for prayer today…
Sending Forth Prayer
God of wisdom
Christ our shepherd
Spirit of light
Enliven our mind to welcome the poor this day.
Daily Lectionary Readings: Psalm 1; Proverbs 30:1-10; 1 Corinthians 2:1-5; Psalm 54; Judges 6:1-10
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Friday, Sept 20, After Pentecost
Work as a Rule of Life
See! God is my helper;
My Lord sustains my life.
I will give thanks to your name, LORD.
Psalm 54: 4&6 (CEB, adapted)
Silence
Be still and aware of God
in the presence of this community.
Prayers of Gratitude
Holy One, as we reflect on this week
And anticipate the activities and rhythms of the weekend
We praise you for these mornings of prayer
For this sacred space of growing together,
Of welcoming the Spirit and each other into our stories and pain
Of pursuing harmony with each other as we pursue Christ
Thank You, Holy One for this community from which we draw strength.
What gratitude do you bring today to share?
The Lord’s Prayer
A Reading
James 2:14-17
Reflect on the words of scripture and the active nature of faith.
Silence
Intercessions
Living Christ, we draw from the strength of our community
And look outward to our world
We join those early Christ followers in asking
For Your strong hand of healing to stretch out in power
We pray for acts of reconciliation and goodness to be done in this world
Miraculous restoration we cannot yet imagine
Acts that can only be done through Your power,
And our faithfulness in joining Your work of love.
What needs and concerns do we bring to the community for prayer today…
Sending Forth Prayer
As we enter this new day may our eyes be open and our spirits filled with boldness to join God’s work of transforming love in our world.
Daily Lectionary Readings: Psalm 1; Proverbs 30:18-33; Romans 11:25-32; Psalm 54; 1 Kings 22:24-40
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Saturday, Sept 21, After Pentecost
Work as a Rule of Life
The people who trust in the Lord are like the mountain of God: never shaken, lasting forever.
Psalm 125:1 (CEB, adapted)
Silence
Be still and aware
of God’s presence
in your body and breath.
Prayers of Gratitude
On this day that we rest and play
Work and visit
Plan and travel
Cook and clean
We bring to you our thanks, Holy One
For the end of another week
And your living presence with us
In each day
In each task
In every moment.
What gratitude do you bring today to share?
The Lord’s Prayer
A Reading
Psalm 125
Reflect on the words of scripture and presence of God,
surrounding us like mountains.
Silence
Intercessions
Living Christ, we welcome Your light in our lives today
Shine the warmth of Your presence
Into these areas of need and concern we share
Open our eyes to new ways of seeing the challenges that we face
Open our minds to creative understanding of problems at hand
Open our hearts to love deeper those we are at odds with
Living Christ, shine Your light on our path today.
What needs and concerns do we bring to the community for prayer today…
Sending Forth Prayer
God of wisdom
Christ our shepherd
Spirit of light
Hold us in your love
Today, tomorrow, and always.
Daily Lectionary Readings: Psalm 1; Ecclesiastes 1:1-18; Matthew 23:29-39; Psalm 54; 2 Kings 17:5-18
Comentarios