Check this out. This form of worship expression strikes my chords.
It’s like the meeting place of Scripture reading, public prayer, artistic expression, finely-tuned language, rap, and more.
This first video introduces a woman named Amena Brown and some of her story.
This second video gives you a sampling of what I’m talking about. I hope it blesses you, as it did me.
Here’s one more if this is doing good things for you.
From St. John of Kronstadt…
I just may have needed to read this on this particular morning.
A morning prayer, O God!
Creator and Master of the world! Mercifully protect Thy creature, adorned with Thy Godly image, in these morning hours: Let Thine eyes, millions and millions of times brighter than the rays of the sun, vivify and enlighten my soul, darkened and slain by sin.
Deliver me from despondency and slothfulness, grant me joy and vigour of soul, so that with a glad heart I may praise Thy mercy, Thy holiness, Thy boundless greatness, and Thy infinite perfections, at every hour and in every place.
For Thou, Lord, art my Creator and the Master of my life, and to Thee Thy reasonable creatures every hour ascribe glory and praise, both now and for ever and to ages of ages.
Amen.
So go, my friends, and start your day on those notes.
There’s likely no more famous prayer than the one spoken by Jesus when his disciples asked if he’d teach them how to pray. You likely know the one.
How often do you use it yourself?
N.T. Wright’s words got my attention this week. In speaking of this prayer, he said…
The prayer is therefore a way of saying to the Father: Jesus has (in the image he himself used) caught me in the net of his good news. The prayer says: I want to be part of his kingdom-movement. I find myself drawn into his heaven-on-earth way of living. I want to be part of his bread-for-the-world agenda, for myself and for others. I need forgiveness fro myself–from sin, from debt, from every weight around my neck–and I intend to live with forgiveness in my heart in my own dealings with others. (Notice how remarkable it is that, at the heart of the prayer, we commit ourselves to live in a particular way, a way we find difficult.) And because I live in the real world, where evil is still powerful, I need protecting and rescuing. And, in and through it all, I acknowledge and celebrate the Father’s kingdom, power, and glory.
Yeah, I should use that prayer more often.
A few nights ago, I spent the evening praying with friends. In a quest to stretch ourselves and walk into prayers that we might have no personal ability to voice, we explored some prayers of godly men and women from years gone by.
I’m so grateful that such things have actually been recorded on paper.
Just as an author can sometimes express a thought that I’ve had a million times before, but couldn’t put into words…
Like a song-writer can piece together a tune with lyrics that makes me close my eyes and join in because THAT is what I WANTED to express…
Like a speaker who voices what you felt so clearly that you feel forced to nod your agreement or even (dare I say) shout an “amen”…
Yeah, that’s what some old prayers do for me. They make it easy to say “amen”.
Here’s five beauties…
Old Prayers Made New: Clement of Rome
We beg you, Lord, to help and defend us.
Deliver the oppressed, pity the insignificant, raise the fallen, show yourself to the needy, heal the sick, bring back those of your people who have gone astray, feed the hungry, lift up the weak, take off the prisoners’ chains.
May every nation come to know that you alone are God, that Jesus Christ is your Child, that we are your people, the sheep that you pasture.
Old Prayers Made New: Francis of Assisi
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace;
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
Where there is injury, pardon;
Where there is error, truth;
Where there is doubt, faith;
Where there is despair, hope;
Where there is darkness, light;
And where there is sadness, joy.O Divine Master,
Grant that I may not so much seek
To be consoled, as to console;
To be understood, as to understand;
To be loved, as to love;
For it is in giving that we receive;
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
And it is in dying that we are born to eternal life,Amen.
Old Prayers Made New: Julian of Norwich
God, of your goodness give me yourself, for you are enough for me, and I can ask for nothing which is less which can pay you full worship.
And if I ask anything which is less, I am always in want; but only in you do I have everything.
Old Prayers Made New: Dag Hammarskjold
Before Thee, Father
In righteousness and humility,With Thee, Brother,
In faith and courage,In Thee, Spirit,
In stillness.Thine—for Thy will is my destiny.
Dedicated—for my destiny is to be used and used up according to Thy will.
Old Prayers Made New: Evelyn Underhill
O Blessed Jesus Christ, who did bid all who carry heavy burdens to come unto you, refresh us with your presence and your power.
Quiet our understandings and give ease to our hearts by bringing us close to things infinite and eternal.
Open to us the mind of God, that in his light we may see light. And crown your choice of us to be your servants, by making us springs of strength and joy to all whom we serve.
At the end of his book “Living the Resurrection”, Eugene Peterson words this prayer…
Lord Jesus Christ, we come to you with a deep sense of gratitude, care, concern, devotion, love for you, and desire to live responsively to you.
We sense that we’re with friends in your company of followers–friends who share the life of resurrection and want others to get in on it, notice it, and begin participating at the center of what you’re doing rather than on the periphery. We pray for strength and discernment to understand the culture we are in–the deadening effects, the seductive lures.
We ask your blessing on your church–scattered and dispersed and so much of it in despair. We pray that wherever we are and whatever places–whether pew or pulpit–we may be part of this resurrection life, knowing that you are present and doing your work.
You’re not anxious about what is going to happen or whether this is going to work or not. It’s worked a long, long time and will continue working.
Mostly, keep us faithful, attentive, adorational, sacrificial, and personal. In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, amen.