the open office

Prayer For a Meal on Tired Evening After a Week of Struggles in the City

The congregation gather around a table.

Lord, it is night,
It is night after a long day.
Websites have been tended, Copy written, Ministers ministered to, Festivals organized, lessons given. [The work details of the congregation are entered]

Lord it is night,
It is night after a week in the city.
Gardens have been dug, films seen, music listened to, people engaged with…
People bumped into, sleep disturbed, sirens heard, violations suffered.

Lord we are hungry,
Junk has been eaten, producers forgotten, chemicals swallowed, meals rushed, thanks not given.

Lord we are not as hungry as some,
Forgive us.

Lord we are hungry,
Make this table yours. Make this table just. Make this table gracious.
Make this table thankful.

Lord we are not whole,
We remember those who are not with us.

Lord, we are not whole,
We break this bread and share this wine to re-member your body.
Broken so we may be whole.
Poured out so we may be filled.

Lord it is night,
May this body and blood be strength and refreshment for us.
May it give us energy to forgive, to persevere, to love.
Dear Christ, re-invigorate us, re-plenish us, eat with us tonight.
Amen.

Bread and wine is shared, and a meal is eaten.

CopyLeft Licensed.

Technorati Tags: Cities

Learning to Wait

May we learn how to wait
And not run away

May we discover in the darkness
The uncontrollable truth at the heart of all things

May we let go of our ideas of God
And our ideas about ourselves

May we let go of our precious wounds
And be open to unexpected healing

May we let go of our desire to matter
And stay with ourselves

May we let go of our compulsion to describe God
And stay with the mysterious presence of Christ

May we not be afraid
When nothing is happening

May we not be ground to zero
By the empty ache

May we not be too proud
To receive love when it comes

Like a child's tears falling
On the lonely dryness of a prayer that seems to be going nowhere

(this was initially written for advent, with a couple of phrases stolen from Rowan Williams)

CopyLeft Licensed.

Liturgy for the Celebration of a Birthday

The People are furnished with full glasses.

Infinite God, ageless and timeless,

God who was born and counted time with us,
God who knows each hair on N’s head (an alternate liturgy shall be said for the bald)
Thank you for N’s years that have passed.

The first toast is drunk, remembering joys and sorrows.

Infinite God, ageless and timeless,

God who rose eternal and sees far ahead
God who traces out each step N might tread
Thank you for N’s years still to come.

The second toast is drunk, a prayer of  hope for the future.

A cake may be presented, and a traditional song sung.
A third toast is drunk, a celebration of the present.

CopyLeft Licensed.

Technorati Tags: Birthday Liturgy

Liturgy for the Dedication of a Child

We used this for the dedication of our son, Elias.

CopyLeft Licensed.

Technorati Tags: Dedication of a Child