Practice Good Friday

 
For many years now it’s been my practice and privilege to lead the Good Friday service in our church in Rotterdam. The theme this year is Cross talk.

We will end the service as usual with a Tenebrae liturgy, recalling the 7 ‘words’ of Jesus from the cross. I’ve written a refrain to sing after each ‘word’, as a candle is snuffed out:

This is God’s Son, the chosen one
Listen to him, listen
He has the words of eternal life
Listen to him

A prayer

Oh God, we thank you for the gift of years; for the opportunity to see the pattern of our lives and to have experienced the deaths from which we have risen over and over again. As we continue our journey, give us lightness of step and lightness of heart that we may grace our world with a spirit of joy and gratitude. We ask this in the name of Jesus who has gone before and continues to walk the way with us.

The woman’s prayer companion, from The Book of a Thousand Prayers by Angela Ashwin, #984

From the blog
In the school of prayer with Terry Hinks
Asking and answers
Thank you. For life
 

Practice paying attention

 
This photograph was taken on the walled path leading up to Voltaire’s chateau in Ferney-Voltaire, France, close to Geneva.

I was amply rewarded as I slowed down and took the trouble to pay closer attention to the local ‘wall-life’ – including various varieties of moss, petite ferns and little lizards. It made the afternoon excursion to Ferney-Voltaire a true delight. And now I get to share it with you …
 

Call to Worship

inspired by Psalm 23

In the darkest valley,
at the banquet table;
in the hard work of life,
at the moments of ease;
in our day-to-day reality,
at times set aside –
like this time, now –
for worship, for listening, for paying attention;
with every step we take:
goodness and mercy follow us;
our cups overflow.

~ written by Joanna Harader and posted on Spacious Faith. https://spaciousfaith.com/

From the blog
All my longings
All my days and forever
Plant us, root us, grow us
 

Prayer as a practice


 

It will pass

from Prayer: Forty days of practice by Justin McRoberts and Scott Erickson
 

The young woman sat in a wooden chair across from her mentor and grieved, “I am so easily distracted. My mind buzzes with noise and I cannot pray. Please help me.”

Her mentor nodded slowly and smiled, saying, “It will pass. Keep practicing.”

One week later the young woman sat across from her mentor again. This time, sliding slightly lower into the chair, she stared at the empty table. “Nothing works. I sit in silence. I journal. I read the Scriptures. Still, my mind is too noisy. I cannot pray. Please help me.”

Her mentor nodded slowly and smiled, saying, “It will pass. Keep practicing.”

Many weeks went by, during which the young woman did not visit her mentor – until one day, she bounded into the room and stood at the table, beaming. “You were right! I kept practicing. I sat in silence. I journaled. I read the Scriptures. And eventually the busyness of my mind settled like dust and I could pray! I can pray!”

Her mentor rose from the table, set her hand on the young woman’s shoulder, and smiled. “It will pass,” she said. “Keep practicing.”

 

A poem

Let Your God Love You

Be silent.
Be still.
Alone.
Empty
Before your God.
Say nothing.
Ask nothing.
Be silent.
Be still.
Let your God look upon you.
That is all.
God knows.
God understands.
God loves you
With an enormous love,
And only wants
To look upon you
With that love.
Quiet.
Still.
Be.

Let your God —
Love you.

 
~ written by Edwina Gateley, posted on www.journeywithjesus.net

From the blog
In the quiet of God’s smile
3 Prayers while waiting
Thank you. For making me
 

Daily practice rewards


I encounter this willow tree regularly to and from Rotterdam Central Station.

 
Reflecting on the story of the Samaritan woman who meets Jesus while making her daily visit to the well (John 4:1-30, 39-42), Jan Richardson writes,

The encounter between Jesus and the unnamed woman offers something of an icon of the Lenten season and the invitation it extends to us. If we give ourselves to a daily practice, if we keep taking our vessel to the source even when we feel uninspired or the well seems empty or the journey is boring, if we walk with an openness to what might be waiting for us in the repetition and rhythm of our routines, we may suddenly find ourselves swimming in the grace and love of God that goes deeper than we ever imagined. …

Are your habits and practices drawing you closer to the sustenance you need or pulling you farther away from it? What are you thirsty for?

 
from www.paintedprayerbook.com

Opening prayer

O God, we gather at your waters,
as a hot and bothered crowd gathers on the beach
on a sweltering, summer day.
O God, we drink at your fountain,
as a parched dog laps at the fresh,
running water of a bush creek.
O God, we await your refreshment,
as a tired worker watches for the change of shift.
Quench our thirst, satisfy our longings.
May we be refreshed and restored in you;
and teach us where to find the bucket and how to carry it
so that we might draw that water for those who most need it.

~ written by Anita Monro and posted on re:Worship

From the blog
The wells of salvation
Settle yourself into the quiet
In the school of prayer with Angela Ashwin
 

Daily practice

 
In the book, Basic Christian: The Inside Story of John Stott, Anglican cleric John Stott shared this prayer. It was his practice to pray it every morning.

 
Good morning heavenly Father,
good morning Lord Jesus,
good morning Holy Spirit.

Heavenly Father, I worship you as the creator and sustainer of the universe.
Lord Jesus, I worship you, Saviour and Lord of the world.
Holy Spirit, I worship you, sanctifier of the people of God.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.

Heavenly Father,
I pray that I may live this day in your presence
and please you more and more.

Lord Jesus,
I pray that this day I may take up my cross and follow you.

Holy Spirit,
I pray that this day you will fill me with yourself
and cause your fruit to ripen in my life:
love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness,
faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.

Holy, blessed and glorious Trinity,
three persons in one God,
have mercy upon me.
Amen.
 

~ posted on re:Worship

From the blog
Walking the labyrinth
The empty cup
In the school of prayer with Brother Lawrence
 

The path of Christ

 

Prayer of confession

Almighty God,
Creator of the heavens and earth,
we confess that we do not always live into
the message of hope and salvation,
the promise of eternal life.

We live in ways that make the here and now
more important than the future.

We live in ways that put ourselves and our own success first
over the needs of others and the long-term needs of the world.

Forgive us for our selfish ways and call us into the path of Christ,
who humbled himself and gave himself up for us on the cross,
so that death might be no more
and that all can share in the joy of salvation and eternal life,
through Christ Jesus our Lord.
Amen.

 
~ written by Rev. Mindi, posted on re:Worship

From the blog
Prayer poem: Not unless
On the road affirmation
In the school of prayer with Michael Mayne
 

Path to wholeness

Prayer

inspired by Matthew 11:28-30

In times of weakness and hour of need,
yours is the strength by which we carry on,
the shoulder we rest our head upon.
When our load is heavy and too much to bear,
yours are the arms stretched out to help us
the grace that we depend on.
In times of weakness and hour of need,
your voice is heard,
‘Come… find rest.’
This is grace divine,
the path we tread to wholeness
of body and spirit,
the path that leads to you,
and for which we offer our offering of praise.

~ written by John Birch, and posted on Faith and Worship. http://www.faithandworship.com/

From the blog
In the school of prayer with Tish Harrison Warren
Inspired by trees
“A Good Night’s Sleep” inspirations
 

Return to the path

Prayer of confession

Almighty God,
You have set before us the path
but we have wandered on our own
to try to find our way.

Sometimes we are like toddlers
and we hear Your call and come back.

Other times, we are children testing boundaries,
ignoring Your call until fear finally makes us look back.

And still other times we are full of youthful rebellion,
demanding to be cut loose and set free,
not knowing how much we still need
to seek Your wisdom and guidance.

But most of all, too often we think we are adults
and have figured it all our and know our own way,
only to stumble and stray so far.

Remind us, parental God,
that we are always Your children,
that we are never fully grown up in Your sight,
that we always have much to learn.

Help us to seek You every day,
to acknowledge that we need Your wisdom and guidance,
and help us to return to the path and walk with You.
In the name of Christ,
who is our companion on this journey of faith, we pray.
Amen.

~ written by Rev Mindi, and posted on re:Worship

From the blog
On the road affirmation
Turn to the light
In the school of prayer with Ignatius of Loyola
 

Thank you. For work


View of the sunrise on my commute to work

 
REFLECTION
The kingdom of heaven came near to Peter and Andrew at their place of work, fishing in the Sea of Galilee (Matt 4:18-20).  Pray for the kingdom of heaven to come near to us at our place of work too.

Litany of Labor

Let us pray to the Lord of all creation,
from whom comes life and work and purpose.

Almighty God,
when you formed us lovingly out of the dust of the earth,
you breathed into us the breath of life
and gave us work and purpose for living.
You placed Adam in the garden of Eden to till and keep it.
Through our work, you made us co-creators with you,
shaping the world in which we live.
You gave dignity to our labor by sending your Son to labor with us.
By our labor, you enrich the world.
By our labor, we enjoy the fruits of creation.
By our labor, we find direction and purpose.
By our labor, our families are made secure.

For providing varieties of work and for blessing us by our labor:
We give you thanks, O Lord.

For those who plow the field and those who make the plow;
for farmers and farm workers, for steelworkers and machinists;
for those who work with their hands and those who move the earth:
We give you thanks, O Lord.

For those who tend the sick and those who seek new cures;
for doctors and nurses, for scientists and technicians;
for those who keep notes and those who transcribe:
We give you thanks, O Lord.

For those who think and those who create;
for inventors and explorers, for artists and musicians;
for those who write books and those who entertain:
We give you thanks, O Lord.

For those who work in offices and those who work in warehouses;
for secretaries and receptionists, for stockers and bookkeepers;
for those who market products and for those who move them:
We give you thanks, O Lord.

For those who inspire our minds and those who motivate us;
for teachers and preachers, for public servants and religious servants;
those who help the poor and those who work with our children:
We give you thanks, O Lord.

For those whose labor is tidiness and cleanliness;
for janitors and sanitary workers, for drycleaners and maids;
for those who produce cleaning products and those who use them:
We give you thanks, O Lord.

For those who sail the waves and those who fly the skies;
for captains and attendants, for astronauts and deep sea divers;
for those who chart and those who navigate:
We give you thanks, O Lord.

You bless us all with skills and gifts for labor.
You provide us opportunities to use them,
for the benefit of others as well as ourselves.

Guard and protect those who labor in the world.
Bless the work of our hands, O Lord.

Look kindly upon the unemployed and the disabled.
Give health to the sick, hope to the bereaved.

Keep us from laboring only for greed.
Make us loving and responsible in all that we do.

Creator Lord, you are the source of all wisdom and purpose,
you are the blessing of those who labor.
Be with us in our labor to guide and govern our world.
Give all men and women work that enhances human dignity
and bonds us to one another.
Give us pride in our work,
a fair return for our labor,
and joy in knowing that our work finds its source in you;
through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen

— written by Rev. Thomas L. Weitzel, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, and posted on Liturgy by TLW.
 

From the blog
Circle me, Lord
Work as an offering
In the school of prayer with Brother Lawrence