Responsive Readings and Prayers For The New Year

January 04, 2021 by Brent Thomas in Commendation, Prayer, Responsive Prayer, Responsive Reading

Responsive Prayer:
“Gracious God,
You are Everlasting Love and Forever Faithful.
Grant us so to pass through
the coming year with faithful hearts,
that we may be able in all things
to please Thy loving eyes.
(Mozarabic, 700 A.D.)

Bless us, O Lord,
and bless the time and seasons
yet to come.
Teach us to number our days aright,
that we may gain wisdom of heart.
And fill this new year with your kindness,
that we may be glad and rejoice
all the days of our life.
Amen.
(Fr Victor Hoagland, C.P.)

Responsive Reading:
Let us praise the Lord of days and seasons and years, saying:
Glory to God in the highest!
And peace to his people on earth!

Our lives are made of days and nights, of seasons and years,
for we are part of a universe of suns and moons and planets.
We mark ends and we make beginnings and, in all, we
praise God for the grace and mercy that fill our days.

Responsive Prayer:
Remember us, O God;
from age to age be our comforter.
You have given us the wonder of time,
blessings in days and nights, seasons and years.
Bless your children at the turning of the year
and fill the months ahead with the bright hope
that is ours in the coming of Christ.
You are our God, living and reigning, forever and ever.
Amen.

Adapted from The Prayer Book Guide to Christian Education noting Catholic Household Blessings & Prayers

A Responsive Reading About The Life of Love

October 21, 2020 by Brent Thomas in Responsive Reading, Responsive Prayer, Social Justice, Thanksgiving, Prayer For Peace, Prayer for Social Justice, Prayer

“What is the great and first commandment?
Love the Lord your God
with all your heart and with all your soul
and with all your mind.

What is the second commandment like it?
Love your neighbor as yourself.

What does this mean?
Love is the fulfilling of the law.

To what does this call us?
To a life of faith working through love.
(Based on Matthew 22:37040)

Hear the teaching of Christ:

“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another just as I have loved you.”

(from John 13:34, SRSV)

Found in The Worship Sourcebook published by the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship, 2004)

A Zen Poem

September 29, 2020 by Brent Thomas in Responsive Reading, Prayer, Meditation, Gratitude, Reflective Reading

“How wonderful!
Quite miraculous!
I am fetching water,
and carrying wood!”

(from Interfaith Ministry Handbook: This 8th Century Chinese Zen master has expressed the wonder and joy found in the here-and-now of life.)

Advent Week Four

December 23, 2019 by Brent Thomas in Advent, Responsive Reading, Responsive Prayer, Prayer, Morning Prayer, Lamentation, Gratitude

The Collect

Purify our conscience, Almighty God, by your daily visitation, that your Son Jesus Christ, at his coming, may find in us a mansion prepared for himself; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Old Testament // Isaiah 7:10-16

“Again the LORD spoke to Ahaz, saying, Ask a sign of the LORD your God; let it be deep as Sheol or high as heaven. But Ahaz said, I will not ask, and I will not put the LORD to the test. Then Isaiah said: “Hear then, O house of David! Is it too little for you to weary mortals, that you weary my God also? Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Look, the young woman is with child and shall bear a son, and shall name him Immanuel. He shall eat curds and honey by the time he knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good. For before the child knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good, the land before whose two kings you are in dread will be deserted.”

The Epistle // Romans 1:1-7

“Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, which he promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy scriptures, the gospel concerning his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh and was declared to be Son of God with power according to the spirit of holiness by resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord, through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith among all the Gentiles for the sake of his name, including yourselves who are called to belong to Jesus Christ, To all God's beloved in Rome, who are called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.”

The Gospel // Matthew 1:18-25

“Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to dismiss her quietly. But just when he had resolved to do this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” All this took place to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet: “Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel,” which means, “God is with us.” When Joseph awoke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took her as his wife, but had no marital relations with her until she had borne a son; and he named him Jesus.”

Identity In Christ: A Responsive Prayer

September 24, 2019 by Brent Thomas in Responsive Reading, Responsive Prayer, Prayer

Eternal God,

Uncreated Creator,

Life-giver and Sustainer,

You created us in your image.

From the beginning, you made us to show the world who you are and what you are like.

To find our identity in you.

From the beginning, you blessed so that we would be blessings. (Genesis 12:2)

To find our identity in you.

And yet we stray.

Prone to wander, Lord we feel it.

When Jesus went out to John to be baptized (Matthew 3:13-17),

he did not do so out of repentance.

But to identify with his people.

God dwelt among us.

He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him (John 1:10).

But, you have redeemed a people for yourself.

You have blessed us to be a blessing.

Through the work of You the Holy Spirit, we are united to You the Son

so that what is true of Jesus is true of us.

We find our identity in Jesus.

When Jesus went out to John to be baptized,

the skies parted, the Spirit descended like a dove, and the Father’s voice said:

You are my child and I am well-pleased.

Lord, help us to believe this about ourselves.

We are your children and your are well-pleased with us.

Even when we are not.

If God is for us, who can be against us?

What shall separate us from the love of God in Christ?

Nothing.

Shall trouble?

No.

Hardship?

No.

Persecution?

No.

Famine?

No.

Nakedness?

No.

Danger?

No.

or sword?

Not even swords shall separate us from the love of God in Christ. (Romans 8)

We know that “whoever is united with the Lord is one with him in spirit.” (1 Corinthians 6:17)

After Jesus was baptized, You the Spirit sent him to be tempted, and Satan took the chance to question Jesus’ identity (Matthew 4:1-11).

Satan tested: If you are really are the Son of God . . .

The world asks the same question to us: Are you really loved by God?

Yes.

We are His people and the sheep of His pasture (Psalm 100:3).

We are God’s children and He is well-pleased with us.

We are convinced that nothing will be able to separate us from the Love of God in Christ.

Not death, nor life,

Neither angels, nor demons,

Neither the present, nor the future,

Nor any powers, neither height nor depth,

Nor anything else in all creation

will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ. (Romans 8:38-39)