Sibling Rivalry, Prayer and The Diner Table

My friend J- shared this story with me. This is what happens to kids growing up in a home where both parents are pastors.

Bobby grabs Susie's dessert fork away for the third time at the dinner table, and she coyly responds by folding her hands, bowing her head, and saying a little prayer:

"Dear God...please help Jonathan...he is such a bad boy...and we both know, God, that you love me, but not him...and he is a turkey...so, God, please help him...because he just needs you so much in his life....amen."*


* Names have been changed

Blessing of The Bikes

A Prayer For Cyclists
reprinted from here

Present in a world groaning under the excesses of consumption, we acknowledge the inherent goodness of non-motorized human powered transportation and give thanks for the simple beauty of the bicycle. God of life,

Hear our prayer.

Present in a community filled with children, we pray for those learning to ride. Keep them smart, safe, and visible on their neighborhood roads. God of life,

Hear our prayer.

Present in a community filled with strife, we pray for the victims of road rage and bike theft. And we ask for the strength to forgive mean people. God of life,

Hear our prayer.

Present in a world of work, we pray for those who build, repair, and clean our bikes and those who rely on bicycles to earn their living. Bless those who choose to not drive to work and those for whom driving isn’t even an option. God of life,

Hear our prayer.

Present in a community of beautiful diversity, we ask your protection and blessing on all who ride: pedi-cabbies, weekend warriors, athletes, homeless folks, students, children, eco-warriors, bike co-op anarchists, messengers, and all the others who take to the Denver streets, bike paths, parks, and mountains. Keep us safe as we ride. God of life,

Hear our prayer.

We now observe a moment of silence for all who have died while riding …

God of life,

Hear our prayer.

AMEN

Prayer of St. Patrick

Christ be with me, Christ within me,
Christ behind me, Christ before me,
Christ beside me, Christ to win me,
Christ to comfort and restore me,
Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ in quiet, Christ in danger,
Christ in hearts of all that love me,
Christ in 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.

Prayer

It's popular in Christian circles to say prayer works. Yet, no one knows how prayer works or what exactly constitutes an answer to the many requests we make of God on behalf of our families, friends, and loved ones. It's a matter of faith. We pray because we trust that God precedes us in caring about all aspects of life. We pray because we know prayer changes how we think, feel, and act. And sometimes we pray because we don't know what else to do - we've exhausted all human action on behalf of the one we are praying for. We have no choice but to leave the concern in God's hands. Praying for others not only involves petitions for our loved ones, but also prayers for the larger human community - our neighborhoods, churches, nation, national leaders, and the world.

Teresa A. Blythe

Quote of The Day

Help us then, now, Lord, to work for that day when nation shall not lift up sword against nation, when tanks will be beaten into tractors, when every man and every woman shall sit under his or her own vine and fig tree, and none shall be afraid; when justice will roll down like waters and righteousness as a mighty stream.

- Civil rights veteran Rev. Joseph Lowery, in his benediction to close the inauguration ceremony of President Barack Obama.

The Benediction

Civil rights veteran Rev. Joseph Lowery, in his benediction to close the inauguration ceremony of President Barack Obama.

Benediction

Go forth into the world in peace;
be of good courage,
hold fast that which is good;
render to no one evil for evil;
strengthen the fainthearted;
support the week;
help the afflicted;
honour all people;
love and serve the Lord,
rejoicing in the power of the Holy Spirit.
And the blessing of God Almighty,
the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,
be upon you, and remain with you forever.
Amen.

From the 1928 Book of Common Prayer

Prayer

Come, O God, in your Holy Spirit and help create a holy silence within, that we may be able to listen to you and to one another. Create in us the language of love which is first the capacity to hear without judgment and without the need to fix, or heal or correct because we trust You for that. And make, O God, our differences our delight that we may grow in unity.

A Blessing

May the Lord bless you and keep you.
May the Lord make his face to shine upon you
and be gracious unto you.
May the Lord lift up his countenance upon you
and give you peace.
May God give us grace never to sell ourselves short.
Grace to risk something big for something good.
Grace to remember that the world
is now too dangerous for anything but truth
and too small for anything but love.
May God take our minds and think through them.
May God take our lips and speak through them.
May God take our hearts and set them on fire with
passion for peace and justice and truth and love.
Amen

Prayer

Give us, O God, the vision which can see Your love
in the world in spite of human failure.
Give us the faith to trust Your goodness
in spite of our ignorance and weakness.
Give us the knowledge that we
may continue to pray with understanding hearts.
And show us what each one of us can do
to set forward the coming of the day of universal peace.

Christmas Eve Prayer 1968
By Frank Borman, Apollo 8 Space Mission

A Blessing

May the Lord bless you and keep you.
May the Lord make his face to shine upon you
and be gracious unto you.
May the Lord lift up his countenance upon you
and give you peace.
May God give us grace never to sell ourselves short.
Grace to risk something big for something good.
Grace to remember that the world
is now too dangerous for anything but truth
and too small for anything but love.
May God take our minds and think through them.
May God take our lips and speak through them.
May God take our hearts and set them on fire with
passion for peace and justice and truth and love.
Amen