Opening Prayer: I
bind unto myself today the power of God to hold and lead, His eye to watch, His
might to stay, His ear to hearken to my need: the wisdom of my God to teach,
His hand to guide, His shield to ward; the Word of God to give me speech, His
heavenly host to be my guard.
Christ be with me, Christ within me,
Christ behind me, Christ before me, Christ beside me, Christ to win me, Christ
to comfort me and restore me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me, Christ in the
hearts of all that love me, Christ in the mouth of friend and stranger.
I bind unto myself the Name, the strong
Name of the Trinity, by invocation of the same, the Three in One, and One in
Three, of Whom all nature hath creation; Eternal Father, Spirit, Word: praise
to the Lord of my salvation, salvation is of Christ the Lord. Amen. ~St.
Patrick
Scripture: Colossians 2:6-7
Journal: What is God growing in you these days? How well is it taking root within you? What does it look like to continue to “walk
in” it?
Reflection:
Everything is gestation and then bringing
forth. To let each impression and each
germ of a feeling come to completion wholly in itself, in the dark, in the
inexpressible, the unconscious, beyond the reach of one’s own intelligence, and
await with deep humility and patience the birth-hour of a new clarity: that
alone is living the artist’s life: in understanding as in creating.
There is here no measuring with time, no
year matters, and ten years are nothing.
Being an artist means, not reckoning and counting, but ripening like the
tree which does not force its sap and stands confident in the storms of spring
without the fear that after them may come no summer. It does come.
But it comes only to the patient, who are there as though eternity lay
before them, so unconcernedly still and wide, I learn it daily, learn it with
pain to which I am grateful: patience is everything! (Letters to a Young
Poet by Rainer Maria Rilke)
Prayers
Closing Prayer: God, go with us. Help us to be an honor to the church. Give us the grace to follow Christ’s word, to
be clear in our task and careful in our speech.
Give us open hands and joyful hearts.
Let Christ be on our lips. May
our lives reflect a love of truth and compassion. Let no one come to us and go away sad. May we offer hope to the poor, and solace to
the disheartened. Let us so walk before
God’s people, that those who follow us might come into his kingdom. Let us sow living seeds, words that are quick
with life, that faith may be the harvest in people’s hearts. In word and in example let your light shine
in the dark like the morning star. Do
not allow the wealth of the world or its enchantment flatter us into silence as
to your truth. Do not permit the
powerful, or judges, or our dearest friends to keep us from professing what is
right. Amen. (Searching for Sunday by
Rachel Held Evans)
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