Canon Vicki Garvey, Canon for Christian Formation, Episcopal Diocese of Chicago vgarvey@episcopalchicago.org
Morning Prayer In Pentecost
Lord of abundance,
you demand our life, entire and whole;
lead us out from prisons of greed
to a place of riches uncontained and always new;
through Jesus Christ, our common wealth. Amen.
We are too often stuck in the past, nursing old wounds, rehearsing sins of long ago, allowing our visions for today and tomorrow to be stalled.
Lord have mercy, Lord have mercy, Have mercy upon us.
We are gathering into barns (and bank accounts)preparing educationally, spiritually, and emotionally for the future, denying the pleasure of life today with eyes focused on tomorrow.
Christ have mercy, Christ have mercy, Have mercy upon us.
We can be so intent on caring for our nuclear families that we miss the presence of Christ in those who are homeless, those who are aging, those who are vulnerable, who live just outside our doors.
Lord have mercy, Lord have mercy, Have mercy upon us.
Psalm of the Day
Reading of the Day with Reflection
Let us give thanks for the many things that are priceless.
We thank you, delight-full Creator and Redeemer, for the host of things that money cannot buy.
Sunrise on a cold morning and wreaths of mist in valleys.
The pleasure of waking refreshed after a night of uninterrupted rest.
Familiar faces that smile a greeting and share the breakfast rush.
Human curiosity which itches to explore and make sense of things.
Love which spends itself without thought of either comfort or reward.
The Christ who came among us with a zest for abundant life.
The parables that unsettle us and leave us exposed to raw Gospel.
We thank you, delight-full Creator and Redeemer, for joys so freely available, and for the added joy of knowing that they are not just good luck but your gifts to a much-blessed people. Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen!
Loving Friend, continue to bless us day by day. God of both the saints and the fools, please uphold your children by your immense and dependable love.
Bless all health and overcome all disease.
Bless all happiness and overcome all distress.
Bless all faith and overcome all anxiety.
Bless all enlightenment and overcome all ignorance.
Bless all forgiveness and overcome all bitterness.
Bless all compassion and overcome all violence.
Bless the lives you have given us, and overcome all fear and death.
God of saints and also of fools, save your children from everything that diverts and corrupts, and saturate us in the truth of Christ Jesus. In his name we ask it. Amen!
Happy are they who know where the real treasure is to be found.
Happy are they who take from the treasure and share it.
Friends of God, prepare to work today lighter in spirit than when you came in;
Trusting Christ to take an intimate interest in the costly investment he has made.
Invest in others as his love has invested in you;
Rejoicing in the fellowship of his Spirit.
The blessing of the eternal God is upon us:
redeeming grace, enfolding love, enduring fellowship. Now and forever. Amen!
– Drawn and adapted from Steven Shakespeare, Prayers for an Inclusive Church (Church Publishing, 2009), 102; Katherine Hawker, Outside the Box blog; Bruce Prewer, Uniting Church in Australia, his blog for Sunday.
