Saturday, August 26, 2023

Today, we invite you to reread, rest and reflect on the prayers of the past week.

Lectionary Readings for Today:
Genesis 45:1-20
Psalm 103:8-13
Matthew 6:7-15

Gracious loving Yahweh, thank you for this time. You speak loving kindness to us. Thank you for giving us your pure, peaceful, and gentle wisdom. We let go of bitterness and selfish ambition and choose peace.

Thank you, Jesus, for revealing to us God’s love for us, and how we are to love one another. We are a part of your community; we are called to love one another. Thank you for your compassion, love, grace, peace, and mercy that encompasses us. May we receive your grace, mercy, and love so we may love ourselves and your creation.

In the safety of your sacred prayer space, you turn your face toward us and expose the filth of the wilderness within us. We betray you in our own ways, by what we think, do, and by what we do not do. Yet, you choose to clean us and give us a new purpose. We try to understand with human logic, but your ways are not our ways. You invite us to listen and learn from you, and to participate in your mystery.

We find relief in your presence, in your sacred prayer space. We bring our spiritual worship to you. We want to prepare and present ourselves to you as a holy sacrifice. We are threatened by human society, which batters and bruises us. Though we may feel unworthy because of our blemishes, you welcome, embrace, and remind us of the gifts you have placed within us.

We gather in your abundant fields and vineyards. We rejoice as we harvest together. Your word to us is clear–to share our abundance with others. We desire to respond to your call with all our being. The Intruder tells us to withhold from those who we would consider our enemies and to lash out in vengeance. But you tell us to extend patience and love.