Loveliness Prayer

Opening Prayer

 

God whose healing breaks through and blesses

tell us again about how the bud

“stands for all things,

Even for those things that don’t flower

for everything flowers, from within, of self-blessing;

though sometimes it is necessary

to reteach a thing its loveliness

to put a hand on its brow

of the flower

and retell it in words and in touch

it is lovely

until It flowers again from within,

of  self-blessing.”

 

Son of Man

lay your hands gently upon us

re-teach us our loveliness

retell us in words and touch

we are lovely

so we can become your blossoms of

of love and healing.

 

Lord of the Sabbath

lay your hands gently upon us

show us how to transgress

to live beyond borders and limits.

Remind us again how the Sabbath is not

for rest but for time with you

to grow into Oneness with your mission.

 

God of justice

lay your hands gently upon us

show us how to be your outreached hand

your broken body

your resurrected body

determined to resist all

that stands in the way of your love.

 

Confession

We ask for forgiveness for all the ways and times we have forgotten who you have made us to be.  Lay your hands upon us and remind us of our loveliness, our preciousness, your mercy and grace.

 

Assurance

Redeeming God, we thank you for your outstretched hand, your blessings upon us and your call to be a blessing to others.

Mothering God

I wrote this prayer/poem for Mother's Day sunday. This is a difficult day for many women who for a variety of reasons are not mothers. So I decide to write about an image of God that is mothering. I wrote the following.

I paired this with this version of the Lord's prayer translated from the Aramaic.

Mothering God
Source of all living things
It was you who breathed life into us.

In your likeness we were formed.
In the darkness of your sacred womb  

Your creative energy pulsates through us
You birth life within us.

You carry us close to your heart
and sing your lullaby of comfort to us

You cradle us in your arms

Gather us under your wings like a hen

You bathe us in life-giving waters
with the milk of compassion, you nurture us.

 

You call us to together to be

Your love song of joy

Amen.

 

 

O Birther!  Father-Mother of the Cosmos,
Focus your light within us - make it useful:
Create your reign of unity now.
Your one desire then acts with ours,
as in all light, so in all forms.

Grant what we need each day in bread and insight.
Loose the cords of mistakes binding us,
as we release the strands we hold of others' guilt.
Don't let surface things delude us,
But free us from what holds us back.

From you is born all ruling will,
the power and the life to do,
the song that beautifies all, from age to age it renews.

Truly - power to these statements -
may they be the ground from which all
my actions grow. Amen.

 (NDouglas-Klotz/pc)

 

 

 

Through Mud and Water

Son of Man
like Wisdom herself
You seek us out
we who are deaf and blind
to reshape us
in the mud of new creation
to be washed in the waters of the Sent One.


This reckless dispensation of mercy You offer
reconnects us to the Life Source itself
Through mud and water
we are made whole again
able to see again
the uncreated light dwelling within all
even our imperfect selves.


Through mud and water
You send us out on mission
to tell the simple truth
that an injustice to one
is an injustice to all.


So let us ring the bells
that still can ring
forget your perfect offerings
for there is a crack in everything
that's how the light gets in
that's how the light gets out
shines.

Opening Prayer for Transfiguration Sunday

Suffering Love is a Choice

Good people

most royal green redundancy

rooted in the sun

you shine with radiant light.

In this circle of earthly existence

you shine so finely

it surpasses understanding.

God hugs you.

You are encircled by the arms

of the mystery of God.

Hildegard Von Bingen

O Transfiguring God of the cloud and the fire,

we are a people who love and are fearful

                  of the light of your face

the glow of your healing countenance

                  a face so afire

                                             that it blinds

and shines us into wholeness.

We come again this morning to experience your light

your radiance is confirmation that suffering love

is a divine choice

We need to remember this as we approach this time

of ashes

and wilderness

         of the Via Dolorosa

We need to remember this

when we die to old ways of being

are lost and tempted

 in pain

on our own road of suffering

Need to remember suffering love is a choice

we can choose not to drink from the cup

share the broken body, the bread

We are each called to climb the mountain

alone or with friends

The mountaintop is a place of power

it is a “thin place” where the veil is lifted

         where the holy can be glimpsed

                  where you can be changed

                           transformed

so the first question is

can you see it?

If you see it, are you afraid? or

do you want to just stay there?

The second question is

are you ready to be a light bearer yourself?

         become a home for the holy?

The third question is

         are you able to see this light in others?

                  honor and hold it as holy

                           as yourself

                                    of the same divine source?

Transfiguring God of the cloud and the fire

         you have revealed your glory and presence

                  transform us

                           so we can choose a love that suffers

                                    so we can become your radiant presence

                                             so we can honor it in others.

March 2, 2014