Posts Tagged ‘wisdom’

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Open Our Ears, That We Might Hear

May 3, 2020

“Break the bread of new creation where the world is still in pain. Tell its grim, demonic chorus “Christ is risen! Get you gone!” God the First and Last is with us. Sing Hosanna everyone.”

Brian Wren, 1986. Christ Is Risen! Shout Hosanna! Chalice Hymnal, #222.

For too long Lord, we have allowed ourselves to be misled by the grim demonic chorus emanating through all of our media and playing to our hates and our fears.

Open our ears that we might hear beyond the shouting, the sneers, the chatter, the dismissals, the deflections.

Help us to hear through the mendacity to find the truths that are aligned with your justice, your wisdom, your mercy.

Open our ears that we might listen for and find the voices of compassion, and knowledge and love.

Help us to hear your hope, your peace. And then help us to follow your word, O Lord.

Amen

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Save Us From Seeking A King

March 1, 2020

The people wanted a king (1 Samuel 8).

A king to rule over them,

to fight their battles,

to direct them, and so

to salve their conscience.

They rejected God. They ignored God’s warning. They demanded a king.

And the king led them astray.

Lord save us from our love of easy answers.

Save us from our love of battle.

And save us from our desire to anoint a king.

Strengthen us O Lord in the hard work of citizenship.

Help us to trust in you, and guide us in your ways.

Amen.

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Past Wisdom

February 22, 2020

The following is a prayer of St. Francis of Assisi, as relevant to us today as in his time (1121-1226).

Most High, Glorious God,

enlighten the darkness of our minds;

give us a right faith, a firm hope, and a perfect charity,

so that we may always and in all things act

according to Your Holy Will.

Amen

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Politics and Wisdom

February 16, 2020

But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. James 3:17

As we move through our elections, O Lord, guide us to wisdom, guard us from folly. (Pr. 3:13-18; 8:1-36)

Turn us from the harsh judgments and words that divide; refocus us instead on the ties that bind — both us to one another and to you.

Help us to be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger (James 1:19-20; 3:13:18). Let us reject the appeals of arrogance and easy answers.

Help us to see the needs and frailties of the real world before us and commit to the actions that might bring us healing, and forgiveness, and peace.

Guide us O Lord.

Amen

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Peace Is In Coming Together

November 24, 2019

United we stand, divided we fall.

Remind us O Lord.

Help us to see things as they are, and not simply as we might want them to be. Do not let us be misled by hate or fear or greed or pride or simple denial.

Give us a spirit of wisdom that we might listen well.

Guide us O Lord, in your ways of  justice and mercy.

Help us find peace O Lord.

Amen

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Finding Our Way, Pursuing Truth

November 17, 2019

Another prayer for our country, adapted from The Book of Common Prayer.

Almighty God, you proclaim your truth in every age by many voices. Direct, in our time, we pray, those who speak where many listen and write where many read, that they may do their part in making the heart of our people wise, its mind sound, and its will righteous. And help the people seek wisdom and reject appeals to hate and fear. Help us to pursue truth, and justice, and mercy, to the honor of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

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Pray For Our Country

July 4, 2015

On this 4th of July as we think about our country’s past struggles, current condition, and future, we invite you to review and add your prayers to the following verses, most of which are adapted from the “Prayer For Our Nation” in the Lutheran Book of Worship:

Bless our land and people with honest industry, and an honorable way of life.

Save us from violence, discord, and confusion; from pride and arrogance, and from every evil course of action.

Make us who come from many nations, with many different languages and cultures, a united people.

Let us provide a truthful education, and informed public discourse.

Give those whom we have entrusted with the authority of government the spirit of wisdom, that there might be justice and peace in our land.

Help us to understand and value our interdependence as much as our freedoms, and help us forgive and care for one another.

We need your help O Lord, and seek your guidance.

Amen

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Heal Our Hates O Lord

June 24, 2015

Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. Romans 12:21

Lord, thank you for the love, forgiveness, and mercy shown by the survivors at Emanuel A.M.E. Church and for the witness they have given in the face of hate. Thank you for the politicians who departed from the usual patterns of division and denial to speak up and out in support of their brothers and sisters in faith.

As James Russell Lowell, observed in 1845*,

To us all, to every nation comes the moment to decide,
in the strife of truth with falsehood, for the good or evil side;

Let us choose good O Lord.

[N]ew occasions teach new duties, time makes ancient good uncouth;  they must upward still and onward, who would keep abreast of truth.

Let us move forward O Lord, guided by your grace.  Help us to learn new ways.

Heal our hates O Lord. Help us live in peace with one another (Romans 12:18).

Amen.

* Quotes from poem printed as the hymn, “To Us All, to Every Nation”,  v. 1 and 2, Chalice Hymnal #634.

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Choosing Hope Over Fear

January 21, 2013

“And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.”  Romans 5:5

On this inaugural day, which is also the anniversary of Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation and the 5oth anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.’s March on Washington, we pray with hope that the divisions caused by factionalism and fear will cease to constrain us and that we will have the courage to take up the work of healing.

Let us seek, as Lincoln urged in his second inaugural, a “just and lasting peace among ourselves” and work together “with malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right as God gives us to see the right”.

Help us O Lord to listen to and to learn from each other, for as  Martin Luther King, Jr. taught us, it is from other points of view that  “. . . we may indeed see the basic weaknesses of our own condition, and if we are mature, we may learn and grow and profit from the wisdom of the brothers who are called the opposition.”

Because wisdom is found in listening (Pr. 1″5), help us attend to your word:  “Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry.”  (James 1:19).

Grant us courage, compassion, and self-control as we move forward, O Lord.

Amen.

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Civility In the New Year

January 20, 2011

But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips.  Do not lie to each other . . . Colossians 3:8-9

At the start of a new year we begin with shots in Tuscon bringing grief, recriminations, calls for reconciliation, and bewilderment.

Lord, help us to be a better people than we are.

Help us to seek wisdom over partisan power, justice over greed, forgiveness over hate.  Help us to be honest with ourselves and with others, both as to what we think we know and what we do not.  Comfort all who grieve for the victims of violence.  And as we mourn, fill us also with compassion for those whose mental illness goes untreated, those who cannot find work, those who struggle to find food and shelter, and those who only fear the future.  Turn us from fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy.  Turn us towards kindness, patience, self-control, and the desire to live together in peace. (Galatians 5:19-23).  Equip us to find new ways of living together and new ways of sharing and service.

Show us your ways, O Lord, teach us your paths; guide us in your truth and teach us, for you are God our Savior and our hope is in you all day long. Ps. 25:4-5

We can be a better people than we have been.  Help us to change O Lord.

Amen

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