Prayer for July 4th
This morning at church I was asked to give the opening prayer–and of course it’s July 4th weekend, one of my least favorite holidays of the year. Thankfully, the service had almost none of the usual Holiday trappings–no patriotic songs, no American flags on display, no sermon reminding us how great this nation is. In fact, I may have given the service the only mention of the holiday–now THAT is ironic! Still, this is my first July 4th at this church, so I didn’t want to launch into a Jeremiah Wright style attack on our nationalist pride and arrogance–not sure how that would go over!
So, here’s the holiday portion of my prayer, as best as I can remember it:
Gracious God, on this 4th of July weekend, we lift up a special prayer for our country. We thank you so much for the freedom you have blessed us with, for the power you have given us to do great good in the world, and for the unbelievable wealth we have in this nation.
God, have mercy on us. Help us to use our wealth and power wisely to do good in the world. Instill in us a spirit of humility, a spirit of charity and a spirit of compassion, so that we might be agents of love, freedom and justice in this world.
In the name of Christ our Savior,
Amen.
Rejecting Charity as a Nation, Postscript
And then today I had this verse in my devotional reading:
Proverbs 17.5a:
Whoever mocks the poor insults his Maker
May God grant that we be a people of compassion, of true charity, of Christlike humility, that we may live out God’s reign here in the midst of the nations.
In Christ,
Amen.
To God Be the Glory
Gracious God,
This life is Yours.
It comes from You,
Your tender gift.
It does not belong to me,
Nor have I any right to it.
I have done nothing to deserve it.
Yet you sustain me in Your Lovingkindness.
Thank You, Father. And
Grant that I
May glorify You in all things,
May testify to Your love in all that I do
And all that I say,
May be a witness to You in this world. And
Grant that I may take no credit
For any good that I do,
For any aid that I give,
For any use that I am.
I have no righteousness of my own;
It comes solely from Christ our LORD.
May He receive the honor He deserves.
Grant that I may decrease that He might increase.
Grant that I would not be in the way of His glory.
Grant that all that people see of me
Is my finger pointing to Him.
Grant that all that people hear from me
Is the testimony of His Love.
Grant that all that people know of me
Is His reflection.
Let me not stand in His way
Nor receive any praise,
But may all glory go to Him
Who lived for us and died for us,
And who lives again on high,
Praying for us before the Father,
Giving Himself to us through all eternity.
To Him alone be all honor and glory and praise
For He alone is worthy.
May it so be according to Your Lovingkindness,
Most gracious God,
In Christ,
Amen.
Prayer
Gracious God,
Giver of Life.
You have created me
and for your purposes.
Show me what you would have me do,
that I may be fruitful for your kingdom,
salt for the earth and a light to the world.
Help me to trust in your Lordship,
that all the world is under your watch
Help me to trust in your provision,
as you have promised us
through your Son, Jesus Christ.
He is your glory and your radiance,
not in worldly splendor,
but in Grace and Truth,
Humility and Love,
Peace and Obedience.
He is the image of what we are to be,
Humanity in fellowship with you,
your Children, your People.
Grant, O God, in the precious name of Christ,
that I may trust in you and in you alone,
that I may abide in you and in you alone,
that I may seek you above all things,
to serve you as a faithful son,
to love others with your love,
and to be known by you.
In Christ my hope,
amen.
Morning Prayer
Lord, here is my heart.
See how small and puny it is.
See how the doors get stuck in the jambs.
See how the hinges have rusted in place.
See how the walls are covered in mold.
See how the floors are stained and cracked.
See how the rooms are cluttered with sin.
How will you get inside, Lord?
Where will you rest?
What room is left for your Spirit to fill?
How can this heart be the reservoir of your love?
Kick down the doors, Lord.
Force your way in to my heart.
Cleanse the grime with your Holy Spirit,
and that you might abide in your temple,
which you have made with your own hands.
Create in me a clean heart, O Lord,
Amen.
The Christ Child Is Here
Today is the 2nd day of Christmas. How has the arrival of the promised savior changed the way we live?
The amazing thing about the Christmas narrative is that God became an infant. We focus a lot on how Jesus willingly gave up his earthly life on the cross, but isn’t the greater miracle that the Eternal Child of God gave up eternity to become a fetus?
There is God, wrapped in blankets, lying in a feeding trough. He can’t walk, he can’t talk, he has no control over his limbs, his bowels, his sight. He is completely dependent upon his parents for everything.
This is God? This is the Creator of the Universe?
Yes.
This is God, the Creator, the Lord, the Father/Mother, the Savior, the Redeemer, the Lover of our souls.
This is God giving himself to us completely–the fullness of God, poured out in human form. God become one of us, to live with us and for us.
It is the second day of Christmas, and God has completely given himself to us. There is nothing that God has held back from us, and so we have all we need. For when God has so fully given himself to us, how can we doubt that he will be faithful to his promises to provide in every situation? How can we remain anxious about material needs, emotional needs, spiritual needs?
Isn’t God’s Grace, seen in his coming amongst us while we were still unworthy, truly sufficient for us?
It is the second day of Christmas. How does the arrival of the Christ Child change the way we live?
