Sarum Prayer
God be in my head—and in my understanding
God be in my eyes—and in my looking
God be in my mouth—and in my speaking
God be in my heart—and in my thinking
God be at my end—and at my departing
Cloud of Witnesses Meditation
As we move into prayer, call to mind the ancestors—loved or admired ones whose memory brings you strength. You may want to include figures of the past whose inspiration could lift you up today. Over the next half minute.
Refrain for the Reading and Psalm
Psalm 31: 24
Be strong and let your heart take courage, all you who wait for the Lord.
Reading
Luke 12: 32
Jesus said, “Have no fear, little flock, for your Father has chosen to give you the kingdom.”
Refrain
Be strong and let your heart take courage, all you who wait for the Lord.
Psalm 100
Be joyful in the Lord, all you lands;
serve the Lord with gladness
and come into the divine presence with a song.
Know this: the Lord, the Lord, is God;
the One made us and to whom we belong;
we are God’s people, the sheep of God’s pasture.
Enter the gates of the Lord with thanksgiving;
go into these courts with praise;
give thanks to God and call upon the name of the Lord.
For the Lord is good, whose steadfast love is everlasting;
and whose faithfulness endures from age to age.
Refrain
Be strong and let your heart take courage, all you who wait for the Lord.
Petition from the Lord’s Prayer
May your good realm come!
Amen.
Prayer for Loved Ones
Over the next minute simply name your loved ones, calling each to mind in love, lifting each in the embrace of remembered love, to the God who is the source of all love.
Prayer to Face the Frustrations of the Day
God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,
courage to change the things I can,
and wisdom to know the difference.
A Pause for Appreciation
Let your awareness rest on someone or something you appreciate, whatever comes to mind over the next half minute.
A Closing Petition
Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, have mercy on us.
Lord, have mercy on us.
Benediction
Let us go in peace, wash our hands, love our neighbor—we are not alone.