Twenty-Sixth Day of Easter
O God,
While we look forward to the day when we will be raised to be for all time the most whole and complete versions of ourselves that we can be, we acknowledge that we cannot know what that life will be like. We read in your Book that our resurrection bodies will be like that of Christ our Lord—and that is enough for us to know.
Let our anticipation of that coming life inspire us, but keep us from needless and pointless speculation about what it will be like.
Instead, help us to focus our attention and energy on living the life that is ours to live now; help us to remember that we have already been raised to walk in newness of life and help us actually to live as people who have been raised to new life in Christ.
Let us think like people who have been raised to walk in newness of life.
Let us talk like people who have been raised to walk in newness of life.
Let us forgive like people who have been raised to walk in newness of life.
Let us trust like people who have been raised to walk in newness of life.
Let us hope like people who have been raised to walk in newness of life.
Let us act like people who have been raised to walk in newness of life.
Let us help like people who have been raised to walk in newness of life.
Let us live like people who have been raised to walk in newness of life.
Amen.
Thursday, April 30, 2015
Wednesday, April 29, 2015
A Prayer for Wednesday, April 29, 2015
Twenty-Fifth Day of Easter
O God,
Sometimes we get buried.
We get buried under the rubble left in the wake of a natural disaster;
we get buried under the years of tensions and frustrations in our community;
we get buried under layers of fear and disappointment in our lives;
we get buried under the masks that we have donned to hide our true selves;
we get buried under the lies we have told and the corners we have cut;
we get buried under the expectations that we have allowed others to place on us.
Sometimes we get buried.
Help us to come out from under whatever has buried us.
But when we do come out from under whatever has buried us,
help us to come out in ways that befit true resurrection;
help us to come out in ways that reflect the presence of your life and love in us;
help us to come out with a changed perspective on and with an altered approach to life.
Help us to come out embracing others rather than striking out at them.
Help us to come out trusting you rather than depending on ourselves.
Help us to come out ready to help rather than willing to hurt.
Help us to come out with an eternal perspective rather than a temporal mindset.
Help us to come out with new approaches rather than with the same old patterns.
Thank you, O God, for raising us from what has buried us.
Let our lives show our awareness of and gratitude for the new chance you have given us …
Amen.
O God,
Sometimes we get buried.
We get buried under the rubble left in the wake of a natural disaster;
we get buried under the years of tensions and frustrations in our community;
we get buried under layers of fear and disappointment in our lives;
we get buried under the masks that we have donned to hide our true selves;
we get buried under the lies we have told and the corners we have cut;
we get buried under the expectations that we have allowed others to place on us.
Sometimes we get buried.
Help us to come out from under whatever has buried us.
But when we do come out from under whatever has buried us,
help us to come out in ways that befit true resurrection;
help us to come out in ways that reflect the presence of your life and love in us;
help us to come out with a changed perspective on and with an altered approach to life.
Help us to come out embracing others rather than striking out at them.
Help us to come out trusting you rather than depending on ourselves.
Help us to come out ready to help rather than willing to hurt.
Help us to come out with an eternal perspective rather than a temporal mindset.
Help us to come out with new approaches rather than with the same old patterns.
Thank you, O God, for raising us from what has buried us.
Let our lives show our awareness of and gratitude for the new chance you have given us …
Amen.
Tuesday, April 28, 2015
A Prayer for Tuesday, April 28, 2015
Twenty-Fourth Day of Easter
O God,
Since Jesus died and rose again to make it possible for us to have eternal life—a life in which we know you in your selfless and sacrificial love as lived out by your Son Jesus Christ and in which we live in and out of that love—help us to embrace eternal life fully so that we might be witnesses to and conduits for your life and love.
Help us by our attitudes, by our motives, by our words, by our reactions, and by our actions to bring life and hope to bear in a culture that is so beset by, fascinated with, and tormented by death and despair.
Amen.
O God,
Since Jesus died and rose again to make it possible for us to have eternal life—a life in which we know you in your selfless and sacrificial love as lived out by your Son Jesus Christ and in which we live in and out of that love—help us to embrace eternal life fully so that we might be witnesses to and conduits for your life and love.
Help us by our attitudes, by our motives, by our words, by our reactions, and by our actions to bring life and hope to bear in a culture that is so beset by, fascinated with, and tormented by death and despair.
Amen.
Monday, April 27, 2015
A Prayer for Monday, April 27, 2015
Twenty-Third Day of Easter
O God,
When this week is over, let me be more alive than I am here at its beginning.
Help me to put to death today and every day the things that inhibit the development of real life: pride, envy, anger, selfishness, vengeance, fear, despair, hate, and apathy.
Help me to make a little progress today and every day in the things that contribute to real life: grace, mercy, hope, faith, forgiveness, service, and love.
When this week is over, O God, let me be more alive than I have ever been before …
Amen.
O God,
When this week is over, let me be more alive than I am here at its beginning.
Help me to put to death today and every day the things that inhibit the development of real life: pride, envy, anger, selfishness, vengeance, fear, despair, hate, and apathy.
Help me to make a little progress today and every day in the things that contribute to real life: grace, mercy, hope, faith, forgiveness, service, and love.
When this week is over, O God, let me be more alive than I have ever been before …
Amen.
Sunday, April 26, 2015
A Prayer for Sunday, April 26, 2015
Fourth Sunday of Easter
O God,
We praise you today because Jesus Christ has been raised from the dead, because he still lives, and because he will live forever.
We praise you today because through Jesus Christ our resurrected Lord we will be raised from the dead and because in him we have been raised to walk in newness of life.
Let our worship today celebrate the reality of resurrection and anticipate the time when we will be raised.
Let our living every day reflect the reality of resurrection and demonstrate the fact that we have been raised.
Amen.
O God,
We praise you today because Jesus Christ has been raised from the dead, because he still lives, and because he will live forever.
We praise you today because through Jesus Christ our resurrected Lord we will be raised from the dead and because in him we have been raised to walk in newness of life.
Let our worship today celebrate the reality of resurrection and anticipate the time when we will be raised.
Let our living every day reflect the reality of resurrection and demonstrate the fact that we have been raised.
Amen.
Saturday, April 25, 2015
A Prayer for Saturday, April 25, 2015
Twenty-First Day of Easter
O God,
So much goes into making me who I am; genetics, upbringing, location, education, ethnicity, nationality, and experience combine, along with many other factors, to form me into the person that I am and that I am becoming.
Thank you, O God, for the gift of being who I am.
Help me always to remember that you also have a hand in shaping me into me. Thank you for the love and grace that you show me in letting me be me; thank you for the love and grace you show me in helping me to continue to grow in being me.
Help me by your love and grace always to be growing into the best version of me that I can possibly be.
Help me not to reject the good gift of being who I am by trying to be someone I am not.
Thank you that through the presence of the crucified and resurrected Christ in my life I can die to the parts of me—the pride, the selfishness, the apathy—that keep me from being my true self and that I can rise to live in ways—in humility, in grace, in selflessness, in love—that reveal the true self that I am in you.
Help me to be open to the new and real life that is mine in you …
Amen.
O God,
So much goes into making me who I am; genetics, upbringing, location, education, ethnicity, nationality, and experience combine, along with many other factors, to form me into the person that I am and that I am becoming.
Thank you, O God, for the gift of being who I am.
Help me always to remember that you also have a hand in shaping me into me. Thank you for the love and grace that you show me in letting me be me; thank you for the love and grace you show me in helping me to continue to grow in being me.
Help me by your love and grace always to be growing into the best version of me that I can possibly be.
Help me not to reject the good gift of being who I am by trying to be someone I am not.
Thank you that through the presence of the crucified and resurrected Christ in my life I can die to the parts of me—the pride, the selfishness, the apathy—that keep me from being my true self and that I can rise to live in ways—in humility, in grace, in selflessness, in love—that reveal the true self that I am in you.
Help me to be open to the new and real life that is mine in you …
Amen.
Friday, April 24, 2015
A Prayer for Friday, April 24, 2015
Twentieth Day of Easter
O God,
Help us, in the midst of this culture that glorifies death, to bear witness to life.
Help us, in the midst of this culture that seeks control, to bear witness to freedom.
Help us, in the midst of this culture that perpetuates adolescence, to bear witness to maturity.
Help us, in the midst of this culture that encourages division, to bear witness to unity.
Help us, in the midst of this culture that promotes numbness, to bear witness to compassion.
Help us, in the midst of this culture that fosters escapism, to bear witness to involvement.
Help us, in the midst of this culture that cultivates apathy, to bear witness to love.
Amen.
O God,
Help us, in the midst of this culture that glorifies death, to bear witness to life.
Help us, in the midst of this culture that seeks control, to bear witness to freedom.
Help us, in the midst of this culture that perpetuates adolescence, to bear witness to maturity.
Help us, in the midst of this culture that encourages division, to bear witness to unity.
Help us, in the midst of this culture that promotes numbness, to bear witness to compassion.
Help us, in the midst of this culture that fosters escapism, to bear witness to involvement.
Help us, in the midst of this culture that cultivates apathy, to bear witness to love.
Amen.
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