St Giles Prayer Booklet - 3 fold

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---------- S ATURDAY ---------- Dear Lord, Sll my heart’s stormy seas, Quiet my mind’s wild crowds, Be the silence between my sighs. Make me sll so that I may be filled with your peace, amazed by your grace and deeply aware of your presence in my life… and in the world. Amen. Is your heart stormy? Is your mind noisy? Listen to God between your sighs. What happens? O God, Since there is no disncon of race or origin, In you we are all one. Empower us to break down the barriers that sll divide us, So that we may work in harmony With each other and with you. With whom do you already work in harmony? How could we learn to make music with people we do not yet know? “God, lead us, that we may stand firm in faith for jusce. Teach us love. Teach us compassion. Above all, out of love and compassion, Teach us to act. Amen.” What does “standing firm” look like? Where are you sensing God’s call “to act”? ---------- F RIDAY ---------- Lord, Lead me into the valley of your protecon. May I feel safe and secure sheltered there. Lead me to drink from streams of life. May I find hope and healing in the waters. Lead me to fields of green meadows. May I rest in quiet places on the soſtness of your grass. Lead me into the light of your eternal truth. May I bathe in the promise of heaven. Amen. Read Psalm 23. What, if anything, would you add to this prayer? To what “promise of heaven” are you most looking forward? “Grant unto thy church the unity of saints in the bond of peace, that in the midst of the world it may be the authenc messenger of the grace and pardon. Abolish all the walls of separaon which sll divide thy children. Hasten the day, O Lord, when all…shall unite in a single song of praise to the glory of thy name.” Am I – are you – an “authenc messenger” of God’s grace and pardon? Are we – you and I – more intent on abolishing walls or building walls? What is one thing you can do to tear down a wall or build a relaonship? Peace S EVEN D AYS OF The Prayer Attributed to Saint Francis Lord, make me an instrument of thy peace. Where there is hatred, let me sow love; Where there is injury, pardon; Where there is doubt, faith; Where there is despair, hope; Where there is darkness, light; 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; It is in dying to self that we are born to eternal life. A Book of Reformed Prayers, Howard L.Rice & Lamar Williamson, Jr, editors. Westminster John Knox Press. 1998. Iona Abbey worship book; The Iona Community. Wild Goose Publicaons. www.lords-prayer-words.com; accessed 5/28/15. 2000 Years of Prayer (compiled by Michael Counsell). Morehouse Publishing. 1999. A publicaon of St. Giles Presbyterian Church 5101 Oak Park Rd, Raleigh, NC 27612 (919) 787-4790 - www.saintgiles.org

Transcript of St Giles Prayer Booklet - 3 fold

Page 1: St Giles Prayer Booklet - 3 fold

---------- SATURDAY ----------

Dear Lord, Still my heart’s stormy seas, Quiet my mind’s wild crowds, Be the silence between my sighs. Make me still so that I may be filled with your peace, amazed by your grace and deeply aware of your presence in my life… and in the world. Amen.

Is your heart stormy? Is your mind noisy? Listen to God between your sighs. What happens?

O God, Since there is no distinction of race or origin, In you we are all one. Empower us to break down the barriers that still divide us, So that we may work in harmony With each other and with you.

With whom do you already work in harmony? How could we learn to make music with people we do not yet know?

“God, lead us, that we may stand firm in faith for justice. Teach us love. Teach us compassion. Above all, out of love and compassion, Teach us to act. Amen.”

What does “standing firm” look like? Where are you sensing God’s call “to act”?

---------- FRIDAY ----------

Lord, Lead me into the valley of your protection. May I feel safe and secure sheltered there.

Lead me to drink from streams of life. May I find hope and healing in the waters.

Lead me to fields of green meadows. May I rest in quiet places on the softness of your grass.

Lead me into the light of your eternal truth. May I bathe in the promise of heaven.

Amen.

Read Psalm 23. What, if anything, would you add to this prayer? To what “promise of heaven” are you most looking forward?

“Grant unto thy church the unity of saints in the bond of peace, that in the midst of the world it may be the authentic messenger of the grace and pardon. Abolish all the walls of separation which still divide thy children. Hasten the day, O Lord, when all…shall unite in a single song of praise to the glory of thy name.”

Am I – are you – an “authentic messenger” of God’s grace and pardon? Are we – you and I – more intent on abolishing walls or building walls? What is one thing you can do to tear down a wall or build a relationship?

Peace

SEVEN DAYS OF

The Prayer Attributed to Saint Francis

Lord, make me an instrument of thy peace.

Where there is hatred, let me sow love;

Where there is injury, pardon;

Where there is doubt, faith;

Where there is despair, hope;

Where there is darkness, light;

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;

It is in dying to self that we are born to eternal life. A Book of Reformed Prayers, Howard L.Rice & Lamar Williamson, Jr, editors.

Westminster John Knox Press. 1998.

Iona Abbey worship book; The Iona Community. Wild Goose Publications.

www.lords-prayer-words.com; accessed 5/28/15.

2000 Years of Prayer (compiled by Michael Counsell). Morehouse Publishing. 1999.

A publication of St. Giles Presbyterian Church 5101 Oak Park Rd, Raleigh, NC 27612 (919) 787-4790 - www.saintgiles.org

Page 2: St Giles Prayer Booklet - 3 fold

INTRODUCTION

Seven Days of Peace: Praying, Knowing and Sowing

For the summer months at Saint Giles, worship will focus on words attributed to Saint Francis: “Make me an instrument of Thy peace.” Through Hebrew Scripture, Gospels and Acts/Epistles, we will seek out God’s way of peace – of our being peacemakers – of our sowing peace – in the world. We will engage God’s word in corporate worship and shared action. We hope you will continue this engagement through your own prayer, reflection and embodied commitment.

What follows is a weekly guide for Praying, Knowing and Sowing peace: there are two prayers for each day (one fo-cused on knowing peace; the other on sowing peace) as well as reflection questions () for each day of the week. We have tried to provide prayers in a range of styles from different time periods. Notice which prayers are more comfortable to you than others.

THE SEVEN DAYS

---------- SUNDAY ----------

“Blessed are you, Creator and giver of peace. Peace be upon us; peace be upon this place; peace be upon this day. The deep, deep peace of God, which the world cannot give, be upon us and remain with us always.”

Where have you sensed peace today? Where would you like to sense peace today?

“Let there be respect for the earth peace for its people love in our lives delight in the good forgiveness for past wrongs and from now on a new start.”

Choose one of the five “inner” lines of this prayer; How will you show or express this line today? What does “from now on a new start” mean for you today?

---------- MONDAY ----------

O God, you are peace everlasting, whose chosen reward is the gift of peace, and you have taught us that the peace-makers are your children. Pour your peace into our souls, that everything discordant may utterly vanish, and all that makes for peace be sweet to us for ever; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

If peace fills a pitcher, where would you most like to pour it? What does it mean for peace to be “sweet”? What other flavors could peace be?

“Let not our souls be busy inns that have no room for you and yours, but quiet homes of prayer and praise where you may find fit company; where the needful cares of life are wisely ordered and put away; and wide sweet spaces kept for you, where holy thoughts pass up and down, and fervent longings watch and wait your coming. Amen.”

Are you feeling more like a “busy inn” or a “quiet home” today? How will you create “wide…spaces” for holy thoughts?

---------- TUESDAY ----------

“Teach us to number our days that we may apply our hearts to wisdom. Lighten, if it be your will, the pressure of this world’s care, and, above all, reconcile us to your will, and give us a peace which the world cannot take away; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.”

What days (or hours or weeks) are you counting or numbering? What pressures of the world are you experiencing?

“This day, Lord, may I dream your dreams, this day, Lord, may I reflect your love, this day, Lord, may I do your work, this day, Lord, may I taste your peace.”

What is important about “this day”? How will you finish the sentence: “This day, Lord, may I _______________.”

---------- WEDNESDAY ----------

When I feel stressed, help me to lift my eyes heavenwards and breathe in your peace. When I feel tried, help me to allow you to be strength to me. When I feel irritable, help me to draw near to you and fill up my heart with love. When I feel inadequate, help me to live in your grace and rest in the knowledge that you are with me. When I feel down, help me to hear your voice bringing new inspiration and insight into my life. Amen.

Which of these feeling have you felt today? Which of these feeling have you seen in someone else today? How could you pray for her/him?

“God, you are doing a new thing in our world, leading us along new paths of mutual discovery, joint learning, exchange and encounter, calling us to cross barriers of prejudice, fear, anxiety. Lead us on into your new world as the new people of God, with Jesus Christ, our partner and our pioneer. Amen.”

What “new thing” is happening in your world? In God’s world? What do you need to “do” to be part of that “new thing”? How is God (Creator, Redeemer and Sustainer) your partner and your pioneer?

---------- THURSDAY ----------

“Come to us, God of peace. Come with your healing and your reconciling power. Come, that fear may be cast out by love; that weapons may be replaced by trust; that violence may give way to gentleness; Come to us, God of peace.”

How does fear impact your life? Where would you most like to experience trust, gentleness and peace?