Prayers for the People (48)

48. For Those Who Live Alone

Almighty God, whose Son had nowhere to lay his head:
Grant that those who live alone may not be lonely in their
solitude, but that, following in his steps, they may find
fulfillment in loving you and their neighbors; through Jesus
Christ our Lord. Amen.

-- Online Book of Common Prayer

Prayers for the People (33, 34)

33. For Cities

Heavenly Father, in your Word you have given us a vision of
that holy City to which the nations of the world bring their
glory: Behold and visit, we pray, the cities of the earth.
Renew the ties of mutual regard which form our civic life.
Send us honest and able leaders. Enable us to eliminate
poverty, prejudice, and oppression, that peace may prevail
with righteousness, and justice with order, and that men and
women from different cultures and with differing talents may
find with one another the fulfillment of their humanity;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

34. For Towns and Rural Areas

Lord Christ, when you came among us, you proclaimed the
kingdom of God in villages, towns, and lonely places: Grant
that your presence and power may be known throughout this
land. Have mercy upon all of us who live and work in rural
areas; and grant that all the people
of our nation may give thanks to you for food and drink and
all other bodily necessities of life, respect those who labor to
produce them, and honor the land and the water from which
these good things come. All this we ask in your holy Name.
Amen.

-- copied and adapted from the Book of Common Prayer

Prayers for the People (9 and 10)

9. For Clergy and People

Almighty and everlasting God, from whom cometh every good and perfect gift: Send down upon our ministers, and other clergy, and upon the congregations committed to their charge, the healthful Spirit of thy grace; and, that they may truly please thee, pour upon them the continual dew of thy blessing. Grant this, O Lord, for the honor of our Advocate and Mediator, Jesus Christ. Amen

10. For the [Presbytery]

O God, by grace you have called using this [presbytery] to a goodly fellowship of faith. Bless our [ministers and elders] and all our people. Grant that your Word may be truly preached and truly heard, your Sacraments faithfully administered and faithfully received. By your Spirit, fashion our lives according to the example of your Son, and grant that we may show the power of your love to all among whom we live; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

-- Adapted from The Book of Common Prayer p 817

[References to Bishops and Dioceses changed to reflect Presbyterian governance.]

Prayers for the People (8)

8. For the Mission of the Church

Everliving God, whose will it is that [all nations] should come to you through your Son Jesus Christ: Inspire our witness to him, that all may know the power of his forgiveness and the hope of his resurrection; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

-- Adapted from The Book of Common Prayer pg 816-817

Prayers for the People (6 and 7)

Please excuse yesterday's Labor Day hiatus from posting these prayers in the series. I was caught up in busy family activities.

The context of prayer 6 is still the global one. For example, it might remind us that we can not only pray for ISIS to be vanquished, but for the members of ISIS to be led into the truth from hatred and prejudice.

After prayer 6, things shift to prayers for the church. Today I will include prayer 6 and prayer 7.

6. For our Enemies

O God, the Father of all, whose Son commanded us to love our enemies: Lead them and us from prejudice to truth; deliver them and us from hatred, cruelty, and revenge; and in your good time enable us all to stand reconciled before you; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen

The next 11 prayers after this are geared toward the church. You can apply these prayers not only to your local church body but to the church universal.

Since The Book of Common Prayer is an Anglican document, and I am a Presbyterian, I will alter those prayers to fit a wider body of Christians, for instance, using "minister" for "Bishop" (as the text, in fact, allows.) I also will replace the prayer for monastic orders with a different prayer.

I'm using "catholic" to mean "universal" and using a little "c."

7. For the Church

Gracious Father, we pray for thy holy [catholic church]. Fill it with all truth, in all truth with all peace. Where it is corrupt, purify it; where it is in error, direct it; where in anything it is amiss, reform it. Where it is right, strengthen it; where it is in want, provide for it; where it is divided, reunite it; for the sake of Jesus Christ thy Son our Savior.  Amen.


-Adapted from The Book of Common Prayer p 816

Prayers for the People (5)

5. For Peace among the Nations

Almighty God our heavenly Father, guide the nations of the world in the way of justice and truth, and establish among them that peace which is the fruit of righteousness, that they may become the kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen

Prayers for the People (4)

4. For Peace

Eternal God, in whose perfect kingdom no sword is drawn but the sword of righteousness, no strength known but the strength of love: So mightily spread abroad your Spirit, that all people may gathered under the banner of the Prince of Peace, as children of one Father; to whom be dominion and glory, now and for ever. Amen.

-- The Book of Common Prayer, page 815

Prayers for the People (3)

Daily prayers taken from The Book of Common Prayer -- scroll below for earlier prayers.

3. For the Human Family

O God, you made us in your own image and redeemed us through Jesus you Son: Look with compassion on the [human family] ; take away the arrogance and hatred which infects our hearts; break down the walls that separate us; unite us in bonds of love; and work through our struggle and confusion to accomplish your purposes on earth; that, in your good time, all nations and races may serve you in harmony around your heavenly throne; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen

-- The Book of Common Prayer, page 815

Prayers for the People (2)

Continuing my project to, each day, print the seventy prayers listed in The Book of Common Prayer. (Brackets [ ] indicate a place to insert personal or specific pleas.) Scroll down for prior prayers.

2. For All Sorts and Conditions of Men

O God, the creator and preserver of mankind, we humbly beseech thee for all sorts and conditions of men; that thou wouldst be pleased to make thy ways known unto them, thy saving health unto all nations. More especially we pray for thy holy Church universal [the believers everywhere]; that it may be so guided and governed by thy good Spirit, that all who profess and call themselves Christians may be led into the way of truth, and hold the faith in unity of spirit, in the bond of peace, and in righteousness of life. Finally, we commend to thy fatherly goodness all those who are in any ways afflicted or distressed in mind, body, or estate; [especially those Christians persecuted and suffering in the Middle East]; that it may please thee to comfort and relieve them according to their several necessities, giving them patience under their sufferings, and a happy issue out of all their afflictions. And this we beg for Jesus Christ's sake. Amen

-- The Book of Common Prayer, page 814-815 

Prayers for the People

The Anglican Book of Common Prayer lists 70 prayers of supplication by topic (and many thanksgiving prayers by topic, as well). The prayers begin with a focus on the world, move to to a focus on the Church, then for the national conscience, and so on to prayers for family and personal life, even including some meal time prayers.

Here I will be posting the 70 prayers day by day, starting with the first prayer. 

1. For Joy In God's Creation

O heavenly Father, who hast filled the world with beauty: open our eyes to behold thy gracious hand in all thy works; that, rejoicing in thy whole creation, we may learn to serve thee with gladness; for the sake of whom all things were made, thy son Jesus Christ our Lord.

Only in God

The Anglican Church is a big tent. I grew up as a child of Reformed parents in churches who were part of the Episcopal Renewal in the '70s and '80s. Those Episcopal churches are now part of the Anglican Communion.

Some of the treasures I received from that community in those days were the Episcopal liturgy as expressed in the beautiful and thorough Book of Common Prayer, the value of weekly communion, and also the tradition of the words of Scripture put directly to song.

The instrumentation in worship services was simple and beautiful, and the tunes were accessible to a musically-untrained, hyper-aware, internal little girl in a military family  -- afraid variously of Skylab landing on her house, the Ayatollah Khomeini, and making new friends. These old songs lingered in my head and comforted me with the sweet and timeless words of Scripture and the nearness of Jesus Christ.

As it turns out, my faith has been well-placed; Iranian ayatollahs may come and go, but our stronghold remains.

I have tried and failed to find many of those old songs. But I have found a few John Michael Talbot songs we sang at one time, and here is one I want to share with words from Psalm 62 -- the lyrics first and the link follows.

(John Michael Talbot is a Roman Catholic founder of a monastic community, so if you watch the clip you will see imagery common to that tradition.)

Psalm 62

Only in God is my soul at rest
In Him comes my salvation
He only is my rock
My strength and my salvation

Chorus:
My stronghold, my Savior
I shall not be afraid at all
My stronghold
My Savior
I shall not be moved

Only in God is found safety
When my enemy pursues me
Only in God is found glory
When I am found meek and found lowly

Psalm 62

He Came for the Sick

A short reflection on the nativity from sunergoi blog.

http://sunergoi.blogspot.com/2014/12/why-christmas-is-for-losers.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed:+Sunergoi+(sunergoi)&m=1

Out of Death into Life

This is one prayer said just before Eucharist, or Holy Communion, in the Anglican church. It's a very brief summation of God's creative and redemptive work in human history.

***

We give thanks to you, O God, for the goodness and love which you have made known to us in creation;

in the calling of Israel to be your people;

in your Word spoken through the prophets;

and above all in the Word made flesh, Jesus, your Son.

For in these last days you sent him to be incarnate from the Virgin Mary, to be the Savior and Redeemer of the world.

In him you have delivered us from evil, and made us worthy to stand before you.

In him you have brought us out of error into truth, 
out of sin into righteousness, 
out of death into life. 

(Book of Common Prayer, page 368)

After Sunday: With Gladness and Singleness of Heart

"Eternal God, heavenly Father,

You have graciously accepted us as living members

of your Son, our Savior Jesus Christ,

and you have fed us with spiritual food

in the sacrament of his body and blood.

Send us now into the world in peace,

and grant us strength and courage

to love and serve you

with gladness and singleness of heart;

through Christ our Lord.

Amen"

(Book of Common Prayer, Holy Eucharist II p 365)

St Patrick's Breastplate

Legend says that St. Patrick wrote the words which Cecil Alexander made into an English hymn. Here is part of it:

I bind unto myself today
the strong Name of the Trinity,
by invocation of the same,
the Three in One, and One in Three.

I bind this day to me for ever,
by power of faith, Christ's Incarnation;
his baptism in Jordan river;
his death on cross for my salvation;
his bursting from the spicèd tomb;
his riding up the heavenly way;
his coming at the day of doom:
I bind unto myself today.

I bind unto myself the power
of the great love of cherubim;
the sweet "Well done" in judgment hour;
the service of the seraphim;
confessors' faith, apostles' word,
the patriarchs' prayers, the prophets' scrolls;
all good deeds done unto the Lord,
and purity of virgin souls.

I bind unto myself today
the virtues of the starlit heaven
the glorious sun's life-giving ray,
the whiteness of the moon at even,
the flashing of the lightning free,
the whirling wind's tempestuous shocks,
the stable earth, the deep salt sea,
around the old eternal rocks.

I bind unto myself today
the power of God to hold and lead,
his eye to watch, his might to stay,
his ear to hearken, to my need;
the wisdom of my God to teach,
his hand to guide, his shield to ward;
the word of God to give me speech,
his heavenly host to be my guard.

Christ be with me,
Christ within me,
Christ behind me,
Christ before me,
Christ beside me,
Christ to win me,
Christ to comfort
and restore me.
Christ beneath me,
Christ above me,
Christ in quiet,
Christ in danger,
Christ in hearts of
all that love me,
Christ in mouth of
friend and stranger.

I bind unto myself today
the strong Name of the Trinity,
by invocation of the same,
the Three in One, and One in Three.
Of whom all nature hath creation,
eternal Father, Spirit, Word:
praise to the Lord of my salvation,
salvation is of Christ the Lord.

---

Words: attributed to St. Patrick (372-466);
trans. Cecil Frances Alexander (1818-1895), 1889

A Reformed Presbyterian and a Spanish Muslim Meet at an Anglican Liturgical Service

Growing up Reformed doctrinally and Anglican liturgically, and with a heart for and interest in the Middle East, this article by Carl Trueman spoke to me.

  LINK