MorningPrayer

Dear God,     What a day, such frenzy, what a flurry.  You wouldn't believe it God, all the activity, and all in your name. Well... some of it in your name.  We do tend to get carried away and leave you behind in the dust of people, presents, wrapping paper and boxes.  But, we figure once a year or maybe a few times more you really don't mind, do you?  I mean you have said you are with us, regardless.      But then, there is a relief when we can settle down and look around the room in the stillness and there you are; sleeping quietly in the manger, nestled in the boughs of the pine tree, sitting in the Bible on the table... I guess you were with us all along,it was  just us who strayed and forgot. Thank  you for being with us.  It really matters and we really  need you.  Be still and know God. AMEN

Dear God,     We have been gathered by you, as a mother eagle gathers her babes.  You have pulled us from afar into the safety of your wings and the shelter of your heart.  Protected by you, we feel loved and we love, forgive and slowly stretch our wings. We are ready to fly into the wonders of creation and the mystery of life.  We are ready to soar and experience awe and praise, thanks and grace. Silent flight of faith. AMEN

Dear God,     By the fireplace blazing, the dog sleeping, the cat whispering, in our easy chair tea sipping,  watching  lights twinkling  in the village on the mantle--we know the hush of the silence of the day and the holy of the night.  In serenity gather us, in peace hold us, in tranquility lead us, in belief transform us into new creatures of prayer and gentle souls of the spirit.  In the eternity of now stretching in all directions, we live in this moment of infinity. AMEN

Dear God,     Following stars is no easy task; sometimes the light wavers or the star is hid by a cloud of dismay. Sometimes we stumble and fall and our eyes grow dim with doubt or fear. We pray for the vision to keep the star alive in our mind and heart and for our eyes to follow the light of belief. In the darkness of night or the brilliance of day, may the star of faith burn brightly, a beacon in our soul of love and eternal grace. AMEN

Holy Lord God,    We are in the final week of our journey to Christmas day; a time of profound meaning and beauty for some and  meaningless or painful for others.  Whatever our mindset, may we walk in tranquility and contentment with you as our guide.  May you be present with us, "Emmanuel",  and immerse us in the mystery, wonder and hope of this walk and this season.  May we recommit ourselves to love and peace in heart, soul and actions. In Jesus name we pray. AMEN

Dear God,      We sing Gloria and Love born this crystalline morning. Son rays pierce our heart out of the risen sky and we hold the new dawn in our breath. What wondrous opportunity lifts us up as we celebrate your loving grace in the voice of the angels and the community at prayer. What miracle awaits us if we but see and hear?  Gathered in your arms of Joy  and your blood of Hope we are ablaze in your Peace.  Silent in anticipation. AMEN

Dear God,    The tradition of prayer is found in the constancy of our habit.  Let us not stop praying for presence, for peace, for wellness and wholeness.  Let us be open to mercy both received and given.  In the mystery of your being may we find the routine of our daily bread and gratitude.  It is not magic that we seek, but rather your hand holding ours that we desire. In the hand  of Jesus we pray, AMEN

Most Holy God,     Our mind turns towards you with the clarity of a new found morning, splitting the night apart. We awaken not just in belief but in the attitude of seizing the day, and opening ourselves up to the larger world.  What a wonderful day to experience you, God, entering into our world and caring in love and compassion.  May our attitude of life become ever larger in the mystery of transcendence and the grace of transformation. AMEN

Holy God,     As we move ever closer to Christmas, we notice how caught we are  in the rush and bustle of this season.  Help us to slow down, pause and be still amidst the necessities of doing and acting.  There are many items needing our attention, but don't let this agenda get in the way of our being present with one another and of our inner joy and happiness. Help us to not just focus on the meaning of Christmas but to be that meaning. In Jesus name, we pray. AMEN

                                             Creating God, Redeeming Son, Sustaining Spirit,                                                                            Remake us                                                                            Remold us                                                                 ...

Dear God,     What gift can we bring to you and our loved ones?  What gifts mean the most of who we are and what we believe? If we have neither gold, frankincense or myrrh.  If we  have neither nobility nor power.  If we have neither creativity nor vivid imagination.  What gifts can we bring?  May we bring love and ourselves as simple as we are.  May we bring  visions and dreams of peace and joy gift wrapped  with hope.  May we bring peace in our heart and peace for the world.  May we bring faith and prayers of life lived in grace.  Are these suitable gifts for you and our loved ones? AMEN

Lord,       Consider the rain, the mountains flinging wind the clouds flapping and churning and the sun peeking through thin slits in the chaos. Consider our hopes and dreams, our visions of harmony, peace and tranquility. Consider us, O, God, your people caught between earth and sky. May your Son and the Holy Spirit embrace us and bring us to the valley of beauty and gentle peace. AMEN

Dear God,    Sometimes we are on automatic pilot, like a robot programmed to our daily tasks. Sometimes, this is the best we can do--just function. But with a little encouragement, perhaps from a loved one, or a little help from a friend or a helping hand from you, we can do better than just function. We can live. We can see and know beauty.  We can feel love and harmony.  We can be awake, aware and alert. So, please lift us up on eagles wings, caress us with a song and be the pulse in our souls, O God. AMEN

Dear God,     If our lives are like a flea market of memories, thoughts, experiences and discards then help us to walk through the aisles and be transporters of ourselves.  Maybe we can flip a few thoughts and dispose of the discards.  Maybe we can transform , redo and re-experience the junk. Maybe we can be made over and come alive in a new color, shape and use.  With your help and in your way and will we can be born again into a new life of potential.  Thank you God. AMEN

Holy God,    We sit by still waters in the comfort of our living room.  We close our eyes and breathe in the forest pine and hear the quiet waters slide in between the song of the wren. In the reality of our imagination is the mystery of creation bubbling and gurgling.  We are part of the ancient humming, tasting and smelling the burning atoms and the fermenting cells of life. Our skin tingles and our hair flames in the movement of angel wings.  We are part of the dance of Jesus and the plummeting Holy Spirit. AMEN

Lord,        In the darkness of our night and in the fog of our morning, we know you are there, silently reaching out a hand and whispering in the hush and gloom.   Be strong, fear not, you intone and your eyes light the pathway of righteousness , faith and safety. You hold our stretched and straining heart and the fabric of our selves so we won't split in two. In confidence and security, we lay down, knowing your angels  hold us in their arched wings and your voice soothes our soul. Blessed are we in this vessel of love and grace. AMEN

Oh God,     Sometimes we long to escape all the noise; the radio, TV, hum of fans and generators, chain saws, I-75 traffic, sirens, voices... and retreat into silence that cruises like a distant cloud through our mind.  Like prophets and seers of old, we want to escape to the silent cave or the endless desert and become saturated in the void.  Perhaps, there, we will hear your voice, the quiet whisper of revelation and insight and find our own voice of tranquility.  A voice of discernment and gentle wisdom. Hush, be still...AMEN

Lord Most High,    To you we turn in prayer, for all sorts of reasons. We are not necessarily looking for a miracle or  for magic to occur, though there are times that would be nice. We turn to you to give us strength to face our world.  We come in prayer because sometimes we need reminders about how to behave and what direction to move and you help us look in the mirror. We are prayerful because the change we seek is often in us and the transformation we long for is our own. In our words and in our faith, we become humble and and at the same time, our own self-esteem grows.  We long for wholeness and wellness, God. AMEN

Dear God,     When the world overwhelms us and we are sinking in the mire, please send a few dozen angels to help out, or maybe the hand of Jesus.  We need some patience and tolerance. Some kindness and understanding. We need to slow down and stop and pause and be still.  We need some patience, (oops, I already said that) and maybe a deep breath or several. Help us to remember to stop and pray.  That is very helpful. Then help us with what we need, whatever that might be. (we are not always sure.) We need to regroup and fold our hands gently and lift our eyes to heaven and pray.  We do. AMEN

Dear God,     Angels have brushed the sky this morning with flowing tendrils of pink paint.  Beauty flows like a river and the song of creation washes the earth and sky clean and bright.  We pause in the rush of our lives.  We are still in the presence of the Holy, breathing in the possibilities and remembering the angels like a dream in the fog.  May our spirit be in harmony with your love, and in the unfolding grace of the day might we be serene in heart and soul. AMEN

Dear God,  The embers of sunset are blazing in the fireplace and dawn casts a golden glow across your face. Morning beckons quietly through the frost as we unsnarl our tendons and slide into coffee and yogurt, the granola of the night digesting in the dreams of our mind. What will this day require of us? In gentle grace will we respond as the lessons of love and care have taught us? Once again, with your loving attention,in the footsteps of the elders we will rise to the mountaintop of beauty and harmony and be people of your image. AMEN

Holy God,      How do we do it God; both take care of ourselves and humanity at the same time.  How do we attend to our own joy and sorrows, laughter and tears, and still pay attention to others who are suffering, in pain, or laughing in the spirit of holiness. You hold us all in the palm of your hand at the same time and whisper sacred truths in our ear.  How can we image you and reflect your loving grace?  Can we? Shall we? Should we? Listen, you say, be aware and awake.  Be of compassion, sensitivity and caring.  It is a lot to ask, and yet, we shall try.  The people of earth deserve no less and we in our own space deserve our fullest attention.  Thank you for your love. AMEN

Dear God,      In the silent still meadow where the deer drink from the reflecting pond we peer into the mystery of faith.  We see ourselves in the depths of the earth and the vault of the firmament.  The saints embrace us in the flowing liturgy, the chants of Jesus, the newborn King. The water ripples in the splash of a star and we are reformed to purpose and vision, slipping into space and breathing the earth with love. Come, Holiness and sacred space, in serenity we are one with the Prince of Peace. AMEN

Dear God,     We ask for courage to touch this day in grace and humility. Courage of the butterfly to fly against strong winds and go home. Courage of the sapling to loose its leaves in the fall and gain them again in the spring.  Courage of the public servant to enter into danger in order to help someone else.  Courage of the wounded soul to face again that which has caused such distress. Courage of Jesus to face the trial and cries of, "Crucify, crucify!" Please be with us all, this day in strength and spirit. AMEN

Dear God,     Joy in the morning of opportunity. Wonder in the light that flows through the trees and coasts over the hills, washing our land in warmth and possibility.  Praise to you, God, for your Spirit of love that affords us new life and embraces our potential as children of Holiness. Mystery is in the hope that comes to us fresh, today, like a fresh new birth or an empty tomb. Alive! We breath, breathlessly. We are Alive!  AMEN

Dear God,      Sometimes we want to redo, remake, push the back space key, the delete key, pause, shift enter and do page down. Or sometimes we want to fast forward, page up, go home, or push airplane and mute and block it all out. But then again, God, we don't want to miss out on life and joy and opportunity. We want to be positive and optimistic and be open to challenge, change, transformation and new beginnings. May the depth of our experience be matched with the depth of our heart and mind to receive, process and deliver. Within the well of your Spirit, might we find the waters of eternal grace. AMEN

Dear God,    Still praying.  Still have a lot of things on our minds and in our hearts.  Concerns, sorrows, anxieties and pain, still there, but in our prayer, they are doable.  Prayer keeps us going. Finding our way through the wilderness.  Joys, thanksgiving, gratitude, smiles, love laughter and wonder, still there.  Amazing life, this.  And today, we begin a four week journey to Bethlehem, the birth, of course, of Jesus.  It is a prayerful time as the Holy family travels through the dirt and dissent of their life into a night of wonder and mystery.  Let's travel in prayer, shall we? AMEN

Dear God,     For many of us, this is a day of food, family, friends, gratitude, thanksgiving, story telling and joy.  We are grateful for the blessings and the good fortune that we have.  Truly, life is a blessing and a precious treasure.  Thank you God.  But, we are also painfully aware that many are not so joyful, having suffered losses or not having  the blessings of food and family that we have. We are prayerful for those who weep.  May they know your peace and abundance of mercy.  May all of us be aware of our blessings and the gifts we have.  In Jesus name we pray. AMEN

Dear God,       In the long list of "things to do",  may we add, taking a moment and being in silent prayer with you. May we breathe the refreshing breath of gentle presence and peace.  And then, God, as we chip away at our list, may we say a prayer of gratitude after each success. May we be centered in the priority of acknowledging your grace and peace. May no task be too small or too large that you are not at the center of our doing and being. AMEN

Holy Lord,     In the early morning silence of the sanctuary,        we are still, allowing the light of presence to enter in and fill us full.    May your peace be ours, O God.      May we pause long enough to seek out the sacred and become one with the Holy.      May deep inner joy become one with the awe of praise and serenity. AMEN

Dear God,    Help us to live in trust and not fear.  May our guiding principle be the ministry of Jesus who saw with his heart, gave of his mind and lived in compassion.  May we live out the principles of the Holy Spirit, breathing the breath of love and extending the helping hand of grace.  May we open our ears to the cries of the needy and lost, and out of our comfort, offer the best of who we might yet be.  In Jesus name we pray. AMEN

Dear God,     We live our lives in trust, faith in you, God, to be our guiding principle and our light of being.  You hold our minds and hearts in the palm of your hand, we are your creation and we breathe mud and stars. There is no other God before you or in front of you. On the platform of earth we have been placed, for what purpose you know and we must discover. In awe and praise we wind our way through the maze, knowing you are watching us and sharing with us the vision of eternity.   In the Holy Spirit we move in belief and grace. AMEN

Dear God,       It seems so clear to us; find a personal belief to cling to that gives us hope and life, treat others with respect and don't force our views on others.We embrace Christianity and a healing, saving  redeemer.  We commend it but don't force others to embrace it.          It seems so clear to us; live our life style as best we can, but don't force others to live it.  Others might not like what we live, but then we aren't forcing others to live our life style.  Find the one that suits you and do no harm, we suggest.        Is this asking to much for humanity, God, given that we are diverse and have freedom of thought. We are certainly a fallen species that needs constant learning and redemption.  We need the Holy Spirit to lead and guide us.  We pray for humanity and our earth, God. Hold us, tight and help us. AMEN

Lord,     If we are tired and weary and we see dark and dim,            open our eyes to the light of the day.     Blaze a star across the sky and brand our mind with a cross of hope.     Thrust into the new dawn our captured selves awake with new vision.     Alive in the shadows flitting before the light, boldly we announce a new day of being. AMEN

Dear God, Sometimes the moments of our past stand like strong trees in the forest, vibrant and healthy, shedding old growth and growing towards maturity and inner wisdom. Sometimes we are like wispy clouds, shredded by the winds of fate and negative self reflection. It would be helpful, God, if you would be the ground of our growing, the sky of our experience and the mirror of our developing self. In humility and thankfulness we pray, AMEN -

Dear God,     Many of our beliefs and much of our life is based upon those who have gone before us; the saints in our life, the elders, the reformers and transformers, the martyrs and originators.  Lord, if they could talk to us now from the vantage point of distance and time, what would they say?  How would they instruct us? How would they care for us, laugh with us and cry with us.  Would they  suggest a different position and and ask us to change and reform?  Would they remind us of beauty  in our world and the harmony of love and caring.  Help us to listen carefully and honestly and find our way to the horizon of the future through the mystery of the past. AMEN

Dear God,     Once again our world has experienced the hatred and death of terrorism. In deepest prayer we turn to you for consolation and mercy.  Be with those who are suffering. Help our world in its anguished efforts to coexist with different ideologies, religions and beliefs.  Must humanity forever struggle with itself or is there an avenue for peaceful living or is escalation of violence the only way? Help us, God. AMEN

Lord God,    Protect us from evil, the shadows that devour and the storm that consumes. But if we can't be protected and completely safe, then prepare us for what might come. But if we can't be prepared, then hear our prayers of distress and save us. But if we can't pray because we are over whelmed then embrace us and carry us to safety. In Jesus name, we pray. AMEN

Creator God,    If the day tumbles like laundry on the clothesline,       flapping and dancing to the whim of the wind and the billowing  jet stream,  help us to choose the graceful arch,       the rhythmic dance,          the free floating cascade of inner strength and  purposeful direction.   We choose to be responsive and not reactive.   In your vision, O God,         we choose to be reflective and be guided by the meditation of prayer and the attitude of choice. In the freedom of the given moment and the gift of life,        we choose your presence of God as our guiding force.  AMEN

Dear God,     In the rising mists our visions are revealed and our horizon knows no limitations.  May we dream our way into the future and catapult through space on the breath of dawn and soar like the angels in planetary flight?  May we sing the ecstatic song of the eons and explode into dance like bursting stars and solar systems given birth? May our shadows flit and fly like Peter Pan as we light up the sky in our blazing. May we be so bold as to leap off the face of the earth in joy even as we kneel in the humus of praise. Our Lord and God, we murmur... AMEN

Dear God,      Today, may we be utilized as a vehicle of healing and saving light.        May we be filled with your love as a vessel is filled with flowing waters of the spirit.        May we overflow and never be emptied.       May we go forth, vessels propelled by the Holy Spirit,            as angel messengers and cosmic tubes of your grace.       If there be any in need that we meet today,            might we disappear and only your life giving heart be seen and known.  In Jesus name we pray. AMEN

Dear God,      Sometimes we need more patience because little things irritate and bother.  We know they shouldn't but, for some reason they just get under our skin and itch and itch and we get nasty and bite back. Do you have an ointment or a pill for this? Or a quick fix of attitude or a bit of sunlight or a moonbeam? Or maybe a "Patience Prayer", that will help? Perhaps, a prayer to stop, be still, give thanks, receive joy, live in peace and accept grace.  Perhaps...Thank You God, AMEN

Holy God,     You speak to us in voices extraordinaire; the rays of the sun, the singing of the birds, the dance of the toddler, the creased smiles of an aged one, the hush of the morning light...there are numerous ways we see and know your Spirit and connect to your love. We just need to be alive to the breath of your presence.  Help us to be open and awake to you and the Spirit that flow around us like wind. For, surely, the presence of the Lord is  in this place... AMEN

Thank you God, f or days of work, effort and challenge.  May we be mindful of the passing moments even in the midst of the most mundane tasks. In the quiet  simplicity  of our work may we experience the genuine  peace of gentle accomplishments. Imagine the brush of angels wings and the breath of God, saying yes. AMEN

Dear God,   Isn't it funny that fall as a time of decay and rot is also a season of beauty and wonder. It is, like old age a time of elegance and wisdom.  Life is ever changing in rhythms ancient and cycles predictable and yet each unique and mysterious.  We pray that the passing days like old leaves on the forest floor and vine worn vegetables may add to the humus of our wisdom and profound understanding of life.  In the quiet depths of earth and sky may we find peace. AMEN

Dear God,     There is a time for sitting quietly in a chair or a church pew or a car seat and being still; no music, no thought, no doing.  We fill our minds with activity and noise and run the maze of doing and forget about being. We mistake emotion for thought and passion for commitment.  Just as we love you with all our heart and soul, so we desire your love for us.  Hold us like a bird ready to fly and give us room to soar in the energy of faith. Then in knowledge and wisdom may we fly in grace. AMEN 

Dear God,      In our search for meaning, we always arrive at love, that deep love that captures our brain of purpose and wholeness and resides in our soul. In that love is our hope for life.  May we be perfected in our love for you and as we love our self may we love others.  In that love may we be set free from despair and live in the eternity of the Christ promise. AMEN

Holiness,     Consider the complexity,  atoms,the strands of DNA, strings, quarks; things unseen that make things seen.  Consider a falling leaf in silent flight, exiting its home to live beyond itself. Consider humanity, colorful and busy, buzzing in the maze of underground roots and asteroids of ice and stone. Consider a time of silence, a deep pause of reflection where the ancient sounds of the universe beat in you chest. Consider God and be, AMEN

Dear God,       We are the sunlight pouring from the skies of the cosmic blast. We are filtered dust and frozen ice, hardened metals and molten lava. We are the flowers that flourish, the birds that laugh and the rains that sing. We are the bees caressing the earth and the grain that blows. We are the winds of the heavens and the voice of praise. We are the words of Jesus and the blood of the cosmic Christ. We are you and you are us and we are each other. We are the milk of our mothers, the breath of the elders and the chants of the ancients one. We are one, O Lord. AMEN

Lord God,     The halo of color flows over us, igniting our thoughts and imaginations.          Brilliance! Splendor! Awe!     Saturated in light, we exclaim in amazement,           What wonder you have brought into being!     In beauty we walk, in harmony we walk, in peace we walk.           In you we walk. Thank you God. AMEN