Come to Stillness: Take a few minutes to allow your mind and heart to
be still before God.
Opening Prayer: O Lord my God, how I long to recapture the
purity and joy of the Garden—when I was able to stand before you (and others)
naked and unashamed. That, indeed, is
what I was made for. But this side of
heaven that is not my reality. My reality
is filled with fear and shame; hiding and covering—terrified that I will be
exposed, found out, not enough. How I
genuinely long for true communion with you; total vulnerability; deep trust—to
be fully known and fully loved. Have
mercy on me! Amen.
Scripture Reading for the Day: Hebrews 4:13-16
Reading for Reflection:
Lord, I am stripped bare
of all things, as you alone can strip us bare, whose fearful care nothing
escapes, nor your terrible love. (A Diary of a Country Priest by
Georges Bernanos)
To God obscenity is not
uncovered flesh. It is exposed
intention. Nakedness is just a state of
heart. Was Adam any more unclothed when
he discovered shame? Yes. (The
Singer by Calvin Miller)
Reflection and Listening: silent and written
Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself
Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself
Closing Prayer: Jesus, your prayers were drenched with sweat
and blood, and throbbed with glory and pain.
My prayers are so often soaked in perfume, decorated with nothing more
than stock phrases and catchy clichés—carefully varnished pieces of furniture
for you to admire. Unpeel my pretenses,
masks, and facades, and stare beneath my whitewashed life. Shake off the rust, and the dust, and the
tired repetition. Here, now, Jesus, I
will break the trend, I will speak prayers raw with the realities of life,
tender with the realization of grace; prayers with flesh and blood, born of
both marvel and pain. Prayers like
yours. (A Heart Exposed by Steven James)
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