Blessèd be God who makes us fruitful


 

“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”

John 15:5

 

Litany of Adoration

Blessèd be God, the only God,
three Persons in one eternity of love:
      Blessèd be God.

Blessèd be God, the lover of humankind,
our Creator, Redeemer and Sanctifier:
      Blessèd be God.

Blessèd be God, the Fount of human love,
by whom all our common life is made fruitful:
      Blessèd be God.

Blessèd be God for all that He is:
      Blessèd be God.

Blessèd be God for all that He has done:
      Blessèd be God.

Blessèd in the fellowship of His Church
and blessèd amid the celestial host:
      Blessèd be God.

Blessèd by the chorus of all people,
and blessèd by the whisper of each single soul:
      Blessèd be God.

Blessèd from everlasting,
blessèd now, and blessed for ever.
      Blessèd be God.

 
Ancient ‘Agape’ Liturgy,
from The Book of a Thousand Prayers by Angela Ashwin, #198

From the blog
Blessed assurance
Balm to heal the world
In the school of prayer with Brother Lawrence
 

Fruitful space

A prayer of self-dedication

Lord,
let my life be a space
in which you can work in the world.
Clear away my inner rubbish,
and fill me with your Spirit
of healing, delight and peace,
so that everything I do
may be the fruit of your life in me.

by Angela Ashwin,
from The Book of a Thousand Prayers by Angela Ashwin, #19

From the blog
A Peace Garden
Theme: Breath  [prayer sheet]
In the school of prayer with Angela Ashwin
 

Thank you. For fruit


 

Call to Worship Litany

The world is filled with the glory of God, and we say,
Thank you!
The hills and valleys are filled with colour, and we say,
Thank you!
The vines and trees are filled with fruit, and we say,
Thank you!
Our tables are overflowing with food, and we say,
Thank you!
Our life is filled with love of family and friends, and we say,
Thank you!
We fill this house of God with our voices, saying,
Thank you!

May the words of our mouths and the meditations of our hearts
be acceptable to you, O God, as we enter into this service of thanksgiving and praise.
 

~ written by Carol Penner, and posted on Leading in Worship

Carol’s tip: I asked the congregation to say ‘Thank you!’ whenever I raised my hand. This need not be printed or projected.

From the blog  (by Carol Penner)
In times like these
The work of our hands
Company on the road
 

Deep connection


 

A prayer

O Lord, how hard it is to accept your way. You come to me as a small, powerless child born away from home. You live for me as a stranger in your own land. You die for me as a criminal outside the walls of the city, rejected by your own people, misunderstood by your friends, and feeling abandoned by your God.

I am trying the overcome the feelings of alienation and separation which continue to assail me. But I wonder now if my deep sense of homelessness does not bring me closer to you than my occasional feelings of belonging.

I don’t have to run away from those experiences that are closest to yours. Every time I feel this way I have an occasion to be grateful and to embrace you better and taste more fully your joy and peace.

Come, Lord Jesus, and be with me where I feel poorest. I trust that this is the place where you will find your manger and bring your light. Come, Lord Jesus, come.

 
by Henri Nouwen
from The Book of a Thousand Prayers by Angela Ashwin, #299

From the blog
In the school of prayer with Pádraig Ó Tuama
Theme: Good news  [prayer sheet]
A holy space
 

Go deep

Franciscan blessing

May God bless you with discomfort…
at easy answers, hard hearts,
half-truths, and superficial relationships.
May God bless you so that you may live
from deep within your heart
where God’s Spirit dwells.

May God bless you with anger…
at injustice, oppression,
and exploitation of people.
May God bless you so that you may
work for justice, freedom, and peace.

May God bless you with tears…
to shed for those who suffer from pain,
rejection, starvation and war.
May God bless you so that you
may reach out your hand
to comfort them and turn their pain into joy.

And may God bless you with
enough foolishness
to believe that you can make a difference
in this world, in your neighbourhood,
so that you will courageously try
what you don’t think you can do, but,
in Jesus Christ you’ll have all the strength necessary.

May God bless you to fearlessly
speak out about injustice,
unjust laws, corrupt politicians,
unjust and cruel treatment of prisoners,
and senseless wars,
genocides, starvations, and poverty that is so pervasive.

May God bless you that you remember
we are all called
to continue God’s redemptive work
of love and healing
in God’s place, in and through God’s name,
in God’s Spirit, continually creating
and breathing new life and grace
into everything and everyone we touch.
 
from Troubadour: A Missionary Magazine, posted on re:worship

From the blog
Theme: Change my heart, O God  [prayer sheet]
In the school of prayer with St Francis of Assisi
Sister moon
 

Deep and unfathomable


Sunset on Lake Balaton outside Budapest

Prayer of intercession

O Lord our God,
You are Love, living and dancing through creation;
You are Light, challenging and purifying our hearts;
You are Peace, deep and unfathomable,
working through and beyond all pain and conflict.

We praise you for the gift of life itself;
we praise you for our fragile and beautiful planet;
we praise you for the richness and variety of different races and cultures;
we praise you for human love and laughter;
we praise you for the sheer fun of celebration.

Use us now as channels of blessing for those in need:
for victims of famine, especially in …,
for victims of war, especially in …,
for victims of hatred, prejudice and injustice;
for those who are ill or depressed,
the lonely, and those longing to be alone;
and for those who have lost all hope of finding a home,
or finding work.

Lord, in your mercy,
hear our prayer.

Risen Christ,
breaking the bonds of evil and death,
shine on us, and on those for whom we pray,
with your eyes of compassion and glory.
Let your light flood the darkness in us and in our world,
and make us bearers of
      your healing for people,
      your delight in this planet,
      and your outrageously generous forgiveness,
on which we all depend,
through Christ our Lord,
our Lover and our Saviour.
Amen.
 
by Angela Ashwin,
from The Book of a Thousand Prayers by Angela Ashwin, #391

From the blog
Pilgrims together
Sister moon
In the school of prayer with Ann Lewin
 

Deep and hidden things revealed

 
Searching the Scriptures for a reference to “deep”, I stumbled on Daniel 2 and Daniel’s prayer after God gifted him with knowledge and wisdom and revealed to him “deep and hidden things” that saved many lives and brought God glory.

Prayer in response to answered prayer

During the night the mystery was revealed to Daniel in a vision. Then Daniel praised the God of heaven 20 and said:

“Praise be to the name of God for ever and ever;
      wisdom and power are his.
21 He changes times and seasons;
      he deposes kings and raises up others.
He gives wisdom to the wise
      and knowledge to the discerning.
22 He reveals deep and hidden things;
      he knows what lies in darkness,
      and light dwells with him.”

 
 
May God give you knowledge and wisdom regarding the “deep and hidden things” you face, and may we all be faithful in following Paul’s “urgent” advice in 1 Timothy 2:1-4:

“1 I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people — 2 for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. 3 This is good, and pleases God our Saviour, 4 who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.”
 

From the blog
Stand still for a moment
Consider this
Small talk
 

Open time for pause and restoration


 

On the seventh day — with the canvas of the cosmos completed — God paused from His labor and rested. Thus God blessed day seven and made it special — an open time for pause and restoration, a sacred zone of Sabbath-keeping, because God rested from all the work He had done in creation that day.

 

Morning prayer

Lord God, the source of all good things,
we pause in your presence and hold our day before you.
Still us, calm us, guide us as we enter this day.

~ posted on Third Space.
 

From the blog
More to come
Open ending
3 Prayers while waiting
 

Pause/Pray


 

Let me tell you about …

“Express” prayers to fit into your day

My friends at engageworship.org have this great resource, a podcast they call Pause/Pray. The latest season (Season Three) contains thoughtful reflections around 3 minutes long you can fit into your day.

Currently available from Pause/Pray season Three:
Pause before meal
Daily transition moments
Prayer during stressful moments
Short breather
As I begin to work
Short anxiety prayer
Short morning prayer
 
Also check out Pause/Pray seasons One and Two, and the many other resources Engage Worship has on offer, including a free video series for worship teams in local churches, entitled How Would Jesus Lead Worship.

From the blog
In quietness and trust is your strength
Time together
Quiet near a little stream