O God,
You are Spirit;
You are wind;
You are breath.
You meet us in the wonders of creation,
in the awe of wonderful things,
in the terror of fearful things.
You blow among the fallen leaves,
the broken branches,
the whining pain
and the whirlwinds of delight.
Your wind gently touches our brow
with comfort and caress;
your forgiveness raises us to life;
your challenge disturbs our tidy piles
and spreads opportunities before our eyes.
Gentle Spirit, breathe on us your life.
Strong Spirit, open our closed doors to your compassion;
Universal Spirit, inspire us to sing and sigh for justice;
Spirit of Jesus, teach us to walk,
to work, to pray, to live, to love,
your way.
Awaken our dreams,
expand our visions,
heal us for hope,
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen
We’re in ‘Thy Kingdom Come’ season, from Ascension Thursday to Pentecost.
What started in 2016 as an invitation from the Archbishops of Canterbury and York to the Church of England has grown into an international and ecumenical call to prayer.
“After the very first Ascension Day the disciples gathered with Mary, constantly devoting themselves to prayer while they waited for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. Like them, our reliance on the gift of the Holy Spirit is total – on our own we can do nothing.
Through the centuries Christians have gathered at that time to pray for the coming of the Holy Spirit. ‘Thy Kingdom Come’ picks up this tradition.”
On Ascension Day a number of people from my church attended a service in the local Anglican Church. To mark the start of ‘Thy Kingdom Come’ season, the minister selected the following prayer from ‘Thy Kingdom Come’ online resources for the close of the service.
God of our salvation,
hope of all the ends of the earth, we pray: Your kingdom come.
That the world may know Jesus Christ
as the Prince of Peace, we pray: Your kingdom come.
That all who are estranged and without hope
may be brought near in the blood of Christ, we pray: Your kingdom come.
That the Church may be one in serving
and proclaiming the gospel, we pray: Your kingdom come.
That we may be bold to speak the word of God
while you stretch out your hand to save, we pray: Your kingdom come.
That the Church may be generous in giving,
faithful in serving, bold in proclaiming, we pray: Your kingdom come.
That the Church may welcome and support
all whom God calls to faith, we pray: Your kingdom come.
That all who serve the gospel may be kept in safety
while your word accomplishes its purpose, we pray: Your kingdom come.
That all who suffer for the gospel
may know the comfort and glory of Christ, we pray: Your kingdom come.
That the day may come when every knee shall bow
and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, we pray: Your kingdom come.
St Francis of Assisi (1181?–1226): Who better to help us explore the joyful in life and prayer?
First, some notes on Franciscan-style prayer, based on an article by Stefan Walser.
Next, 3 prayers written by St Francis (or connected with him) for you to try on and adapt. Indoors or outdoors. Alone or together.
Finally, a ‘Digging deeper’ section with a video and some links.
Enjoy.
Characteristics of Franciscan prayer
1. Individual. Francis of Assisi developed a personal and individual way of praying, based on his unique personality and life story, and he encourages us to do the same.
2. Responsorial. Prayer is always a dialogue, a response, a ‘re-action’. Bringing one’s life to God, one gives back what one received from God. Therefore, Franciscan prayer always includes thanksgiving.
3. Affirmative. In affirming the gift of life and God as the Creator of life, we develop an affirmative attitude in general.
4. Universal. There is nothing that does not relate to God, and so there is nothing that cannot be part of prayer.
5. Connected to actions and work. Francis prays, even in the most seclusive moments of his life, that his prayers might have some “output” and that he may fulfil “God’s commands”.
6. Integral part of communal life. By centring communal life around prayer, a certain “contemplative” attitude in all things is maintained.
Most High, all-powerful sweet Lord,
yours is the praise, the glory,
and the honour & every blessing.
Be praised, My Lord, for all your creatures,
and first for brother sun,
who makes the day bright and luminous.
And he is beautiful and radiant with great splendour.
He is the image of you, Most High.
Be praised, My Lord, for sister moon
and the stars, in the sky.
You have made them brilliant & precious & beautiful.
Be praised, My Lord, for brother wind
and for the air both cloudy and serene
and every kind of weather,
through which you give nourishment to your creatures.
Be praised, My Lord, for sister water,
who is very useful and humble and precious and chaste.
Be praised, My Lord, for brother fire,
through whom you illuminate the night.
And he is beautiful and joyous and robust and strong.
Be praised, My Lord, for our sister, mother earth,
who nourishes us and watches over us
and brings forth various fruits with coloured flowers & herbs.
Be praised, My Lord,
for those who forgive through your love,
and bear sickness & tribulation;
blessed are those who endure in peace,
for they will be crowned by you, Most High.
Be praised, My Lord, for our sister, bodily death,
from whom no living thing can escape.
Blessed are those whom she finds
doing your most holy will,
for the second death cannot harm them.
Praise and bless My Lord
and give thanks to him
and serve him with great humility.
O our most holy Father:
Our Creator, Redeemer, Consoler, and Savior,
You are in heaven:
And in the angels and saints,
Inflaming us to love, because You, Lord, are love,
And filling us with happiness as our Supreme and Eternal Good.
Glorious is Your name:
May our knowledge of You become ever clearer
That we may know Your blessings and Your majesty.
Your Kingdom come:
Give us unclouded vision to let you rule in us through Your grace,
And so we enjoy a blessed companionship with You forever.
Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven:
That we may love You with our whole heart,
Desire You with our whole soul,
Always think of You with affection,
Spend all our energies in serving You,
And that we may love our neighbours with Your love.
Give us this day our daily Bread:
Which is our Beloved Son, our Lord Jesus Christ.
And forgive us our trespasses:
Through Your indescribable mercy to us in Christ,
Which we see in the faith and prayers of the blessed virgin Mary.
Help us to forgive those who trespass against us:
You, Lord, enable us to forgive to the full
So that we may truly love our enemies and intercede for them.
Lead us not into temptation:
Keep us from all sin, hidden or obvious.
Deliver us from evil:
Keep us from all that’s bad in the past, present, and to come.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit;
As it was in the beginning, it is now, and will be forever.
Amen.
First printed in France in 1912, this much-loved prayer may not have been written by St Francis, but it certainly embodies what he stood for.
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
where there is sadness, joy.
O divine Master,
grant that I may not so much seek
to be consoled, as to console,
to be understood, as to understand,
to be loved, as to love;
for it is in giving that we receive;
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.
How can I tell of such love to me?
You made me in your image
and hold me in the palm of your hand,
your cords of love, strong and fragile as silk,
bind me and hold me.
Rich cords, to family and friends,
music and laughter echoing in memories,
light dancing on the water, hills rejoicing.
Cords that found me hiding behind carefully built walls
and led me out,
love that heard my heart break and despair and rescued me,
love that overcame my fears and doubts and released me.
The questions and burdens I carry you take,
to leave my hands free – to hold yours, and others,
free to follow your cords as they move
and swirl in the breeze,
free to be caught up in the dance of your love,
finding myself in surrendering to you.
How can I tell of such love?
How can I give to such love?
I am, here am I.
Mural in a side street close to the Scots International Church Rottedam (Photo: Irene Bom)
Did you know? Last Sunday – the first Sunday after Easter – was celebrated in some churches as Holy Humour Sunday (also known as Bright Sunday, or Laughter Sunday).
Here is a prayer to the God of merriment by Bruce Prewer to launch the theme for May:
JOYFUL!
Prayer
God of merriment,
for whom the morning stars sing together
and all the children of God shout for joy,
help us keep our sense of humour.
When those around us get hyped-up
about the latest scientific discovery or technological wizardry,
help us to see the comical side of human self importance.
When we take ourselves too seriously,
as if the church were built on our devout efforts,
enable us to chuckle at our folly.
When evil parades itself in finery and thinks it owns the world,
or when untimely death appears to cut off saints in their prime,
fill us with the robust joy of Easter.
God of ‘solid joys and lasting pleasures’,
because of all your victories in Christ Jesus,
liberate us to share in the song of the morning stars
and the joyful shouts of the children of God.
Today and forever more. Amen!
God, we call out to you!
From the depths of our hearts, we cry,
“Lord, hear our prayer!”
We are consumed by grief.
The events of the past few days have overwhelmed us —
it’s hard to sleep,
it’s hard to eat,
it’s even hard to pray.
Where are you, God?
Deep down, we know that you love us —
we’ve experienced your mercy and your faithfulness in the past,
and it has sustained us through many difficult times.
We refuse to believe that you have deserted us,
or that you are unaware of the pain that we’re feeling.
And so we turn to you again,
longing for your presence,
looking for your comfort and peace.
Surround us with your unfailing love.
Remind us that you alone are God,
and that you hold us in the palm of your hand.
Give us courage and strength to face the days ahead,
and strengthen us in the knowledge that we do not face them alone.
In the name of Jesus Christ, our Saviour and Lord, we pray.
Lent is a time to get real and take stock. Here are 3 prayers that you might find helpful in your Lenten journey this year.
#1
God of the desert,
as we follow Jesus into the unknown,
may we recognize the tempter when he comes;
let it be your bread we eat,
your world we serve
and you alone we worship.
“Lord, hear my prayer; do not hide your face from me in the day of my trouble; my heart is scorched and withered like grass; I have become like an owl in the wilderness; I have eaten ashes for bread, and mingled my drink with my tears.” (Psalm 102:1, 2, 4, 6)
Lord,
take my small offering of self-denial this Lent,
as a sign of my great longing for you.
I hunger for your presence in my life,
and I thirst for your love.
I hunger for justice for those who are wronged and oppressed,
and I thirst for your peace.
I hunger for a glimpse of your glory,
and I thirst for your stillness in my heart.
God of giving, God of longing, God of pain,
I hunger for you.
