Wednesday in Holy Week - Prayer

A Prayer for Holy Week, from Real Prayers by Wendell Frerichs

Lord, is your door open? Can we come in? Do you have some time to listen? We have some things to talk about. Troublesome things. Difficult issues. This time of year is somber, especially this week. How would you like us to enter into your sufferings? We don't want to make them worse, and we probably could. Do you have flashbacks? We do. It's hard to forget the times we've hurt you, disappointed you, denied you. And yet you're still our friend, the friend who gave your life for us. Do you want us to dwell on that? Is that a healthy way for us to live? To be preoccupied with your pain, your blood, your death? Lord, you know how we'd much rather dwell on Easter. Help us to get through this week and to meet you outside the tomb. Amen

Tuesday in Holy Week - Prayer

Passover began at sundown last night - making today the first day of the celebration.

Here's a reading from Exodus to remind you a bit of the story.

And from the Passover Haggadah:
Not only our ancestors alone did the Holy One redeem but us as well, along with them, as it is written: "And God freed us from Egypt so as to take us and give us the land which had been sworn to our ancestors."
Therefore, let us rejoice at the wonder of our deliverance: from bondage to freedom, from agony to joy, from mourning to festivity, from darkness to light, from servitude to redemption. Before God let us ever sing a new song.

A prayer of Julian of Norwich, 14th Century
God, of your goodness give me yourself for you are sufficient for me. I cannot properly ask anything less, to be worthy of you. If I were to ask less, I should always be in want. In you alone do I have all. Amen

Monday of Holy Week - Prayer

From an Italian sacramentary

Lord our God,
holy is your name!
Incline our hearts to your commandments,
and give us the wisdom of the cross,
so that, freed from sin,
which imprisons us in our own self-centeredness,
we may be open to the gift of your Spirit,
and so become living temples of your love.
Amen

Palm Sunday - Prayer

A prayer for Palm Sunday from

Lutheran World Relief

God of grace and mercy,
We take up this Holy Week,
As a donkey-borne man approaches.
We lift our palms in greeting,

As Christ Jesus now draws near.

With palms in hand we are formed,
To help those who strive against hunger.
With cross in view we are fitted,

To reach those who cry out for mercy.

May the palms we wave,
And the cross toward which You travel,
Elevate our hearts for lives of love,
And animate our hands
for lives of service.

We pray in the name of the One
For who palms were lifted,
In whom our sins were carried,
Through whom we are raised anew.

Amen

Saturday after the Fifth Sunday in Lent - Prayer

A Prayer of St. Benedict

O gracious and Holy Father, give us wisdom to perceive you, intellect to understand you, diligence to seek you, patience to wait for you, eyes to behold you, a heart to meditate upon you, and a life to proclaim you; through the power of the Spirit of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen

Friday after the Fifth Sunday in Lent - Prayer

A prayer for the journey

Lord God, you have called your servants to ventures of which we cannot see the ending, by paths as yet untrodden, through perils unknown. Give us faith to go out with good courage, not knowing where we go, but only that your hand is leading us and your love supporting us, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen

Thursday after the Fifth Sunday in Lent - Prayer

A Prayer for Mercy

Lord, remember Christ your son who is peace itself
and who has washed away our hatred with his blood.
Because you love all people,
look with mercy on us.
Banish the violence and evil within us,
and in answer to our prayers restore tranquility and peace.
Amen

Wednesday after the Fifth Sunday in Lent - Prayer

A prayer of Julian of Norwich

In you, Father all-mighty, we have our preservation and our bliss. In you, Christ, we have our restoring and our saving. You are our mother, brother, and savior. In you, our Lord the Holy Spirit, is marvelous and plenteous grace. You are our clothing; for love you wrap us and embrace us. You are our maker, our lover, our keeper. Teach us to believe that by your grace all shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of things shall be well. Amen

World Water Day - a day late

Yesterday was World Water Day. It's amazing how many people in the world do not have access to clean, safe drinking water, and how many of us spend WAY more than we have to on bottled water, when the stuff coming out of the tap is perfectly good.
Check out this video-



And then check out this site: http://www.storyofbottledwater.org/.

Tuesday after the Fifth Sunday in Lent - Prayer

A prayer of Martin Luther

Behold, Lord, an empty vessel that needs to be filled. My Lord, fill it. I am weak in the faith; strengthen me. I am cold in love; warm me and make me fervent, that my love may go out to my neighbor. I do not have a strong and firm faith; at times I doubt and am unable to trust you altogether. O Lord, help me. Strengthen my faith and trust in you. In you I have sealed the treasure of all I have. I am poor; you are rich and came to be merciful to the poor. I am a sinner; you are upright. With me, there is an abundance of sin; in you is the fullness of righteousness. Therefore I will remain with you, of whom I can receive, but to whom I may not give. Amen

Fifth Sunday in Lent - Prayer

From Real Prayers by Wendell Frerichs

Lord, you know us better than we know ourselves. You know our needs, our hopes, our fears, our likes, our dislikes, our loves, our frustrations, all our ways. Continue to watch over us as we walk on this daily pilgrimage with each other. Teach us to help each other, to care for one another, and above all to tend each other's faith. Amen

Saturday after the Fourth Sunday in Lent - Prayer

A Prayer of St. Ignatius of Loyola

Teach us, good Lord, to serve you as you deserve;
to give and not to count the cost,
to fight and not to heed the wound,
to toil and not to seek for rest,
to labour and not to ask for any reward,
save that of knowing that we do your will.
Amen

Friday after the Fourth Sunday in Lent - Prayer

A Prayer for those Worried about Debt

Father, we pray for the many who are trapped by growing burdens of debt,
who see no way out, and who despair for their future.
Give them courage to tackle the problems they face,
clarity in taking decisions which will turn their situation around,
and faith that, as they cry to you in their trouble,
you will deliver them from their distress,
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.

Soup Supper and Prayer around the Cross

Yes, it's spring break in Bozeman, so there will be no confirmation class tonight. But there WILL be our regular Lenten Soup Supper at 6pm followed by Prayer around the Cross at 7pm, with Celtic prayers and music, in honor of St. Patrick's Day.
Invite your friends and neighbors and come!

Wednesday after the Fourth Sunday in Lent - Prayer

From St. Patrick's Breastplate

I bind unto myself today
The strong name of the Trinity,
By invocation of the same,
The Three in One and One in Three.

I bind this day to me for ever,
By power of faith, Christ's Incarnation;
His baptism in the Jordan River;
His death on the cross for my salvation;
His bursting from the spicèd tomb;
His riding up the heavenly way;
His coming at the day of doom;
I bind unto myself today.

I bind unto myself today
The virtues of the starlit heaven,
The glorious sun's life-giving ray,
The whiteness of the moon at even,
The flashing of the lightning free,
The whirling wind's tempestuous shocks,
The stable earth, the deep salt sea,
Around the old eternal rocks.

I bind unto myself today
The power of God to hold and lead,
His eye to watch, His might to stay,
His ear to hearken to my need.
The wisdom of my God to teach,
His hand to guide, his shield to ward,
The word of God to give me speech,
His heavenly host to be my guard.

Against the demon snares of sin,
The vice that gives temptation force,
The natural lusts that war within,
The hostile men that mar my course;
Or few or many, far or nigh,
In every place and in all hours
Against their fierce hostility,
I bind to me these holy powers.

Against all Satan's spells and wiles,
Against false words of heresy,
Against the knowledge that defiles,
Against the heart's idolatry,
Against the wizard's evil craft,
Against the death-wound and the burning
The choking wave and the poisoned shaft,
Protect me, Christ, till thy returning.

Christ be with me, Christ within me,
Christ behind me, Christ before me,
Christ beside me, Christ to win me,
Christ to comfort and restore me,
Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ in quiet, Christ in danger,
Christ in hearts of all that love me,
Christ in mouth of friend and stranger.

I bind unto myself the name,
The strong name of the Trinity;
By invocation of the same.
The Three in One, and One in Three,
Of whom all nature hath creation,
Eternal Father, Spirit, Word:
Praise to the Lord of my salvation,salvation is of Christ the Lord.

Tuesday after the Fourth Sunday in Lent - Prayer

Sorry I missed posting all last week - I was in Washington, helping out my parents following my dad's shoulder surgery. I spent plenty of time praying (he's not the world's best patient...) but not blogging. My bad! I'll try to keep on schedule from now on...

A prayer of Catherine of Siena

Power of the eternal Father, help me. Wisdom of the Son, enlighten the eye of my understanding. Tender mercy of the Holy Spirit, unite my heart to yourself. Eternal God, restore health to the sick and life to the dead. Give us a voice, your own voice, to cry out to you for mercy for the world. You, light, give us light. You, wisdom, give us wisdom. You, supreme strength, strengthen us. Amen.

Saturday of the Second Week in Lent - Prayer

A prayer for Lent and other times of penitence, from The Book of Common Prayer

Almighty and most merciful God, kindle within us the fire of love, that by its cleansing flame we may be purged of all our sins and made worthy to worship you in spirit and in truth; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen

BOWLING NITE at CtK!

ALL AGES are invited to Bowling Nite at CtK tomorrow evening - Saturday, March 6th, 6:30-8:30pm.

There will be a Wii bowling tournament, a Couch Potato bowling tournament, kiddie bowling, and games galore - not to mention tasty snacks and a Crazy Bowling Shirt Contest.

Come one and all for a fabulous time! And fabulous prizes!

Latest Issue of "Cafe" now online

The newest issue of "Cafe" - the Women of the ELCA zine, is now available at this website. This issue's topic is fertility and motherhood - choosing to be a mom and choosing not to be a mom.
Enjoy!

Friday of the Second Week in Lent - Prayer

A prayer for Lent, from Guerillas of Grace by Ted Loder

Catch Me in My Scurrying
Catch me in my anxious scurrying, Lord,
and hold me in this Lenten season:
hold my feet to the fire of your grace
and make me attentive to my mortality
that I may begin to die now
to those things that keep me from living with you
and with my neighbors on this earth;
to grudges and indifference,
to certainties that smother possibilities,
to my fascination with false securities,
to my addiction to sweatless dreams,
to my arrogant insistence on how it has to be;
to my corrosive fear of dying someday
which eats away the wonder of living this day,
and the adventure of losing my life
in order to find it in you.

Catch me in my aimless scurrying, Lord,
and hold me in this Lenten season:
hold my heart to the beat of your grace
and create in me a resting place,
a kneeling place,
A tip-toe place
where I can recover from the dis-ease of my grandiosities
which fill my mind and calendar with busy self-importance,
that I may become vulnerable enough
to dare intimacy with the familiar,
to listen cup-eared for your summons,
and to watch squint-eyed for your crooked finger
in the crying of a child,
in the hunger of the street people,
in the fear of nuclear holocaust in all people,
in the rage of those oppressed because of sex or race,
in the smoldering resentments of exploited third world nations,
in the sullen apathy of the poor and ghetto-strangled people,
in my lonely doubt and limping ambivalence.
and somehow,
during this season of sacrifice,
enable me to sacrifice time
and possessions
and securities,
to do something...
something about what I see,
something to turn the water of my words
into the wine of will and risk,
into the bread of blood and blisters,
into the blessedness of deed,
of a cross picked up,
a saviour followed.

Catch me in my mindless scurrying, Lord,
and hold me in this Lenten season:
hold my spirit to the beacon of your grace
and grant me light enough to walk boldly,
to feel passionately,
to love aggressively;
to work for more
and to submit to nothing less,
and to fear only you...
only you!
Bequeath me not becalmed seas,
slack sails and premature benedictions,
but breathe into me a torment,
storm enough to make within myself
and from myself,
something...

something new,
something saving,
something true,
a gladness of heart,
a pitch for a song in the storm,
a word of praise lived,
a gratitude shared,
a cross dared,
a joy received.

Thursday of the Second Week in Lent - Prayer

A prayer by Wendell Frerichs in More Real Prayers

At the Start of the Day
Lord, it is morning. We are finding our way and setting our course for the day. And you in your wisdom have beckoned to us to come to you for sound advice, for direction into the right paths. Lord, we welcome that. We turn our faces to your light. We open our ears for your word. We come to be enlightened. We come to gain insight into your gracious dealings with us, so we may help others to find your ways too. Guide our thinking, our speaking the truth, our witness to your ways. We presume to know so much, but we confess that we know too little. Lord, give us wisdom sufficient to meet our today's needs.

Wednesday of the Second Week in Lent - Prayer

From the Book of Common Prayer

O God, whose glory it is always to have mercy: Be gracious to all who have gone astray from your ways, and bring them again with penitent hearts and steadfast faith to embrace and hold fast the unchangeable truth of yoru Word, Jesus Christ your Son. Amen

Tuesday of the Second Week of Lent

Latin Hymn - Seventeenth Century

Benign Creator of the spheres!
Hear thou the prayers, behold the tears,
That in this holy season we
With lenten fastings, pour to thee.

Searcher of hearts, we seek thy throne,
Our feeble will to thee is known.
We bow in grief and pardon crave,
From error, Lord, thy suppliants save.

Much have we sinned in deed and word,
We bare our hearts before thee, Lord;
Thy tender clemency we seek,
Oh, heal our wounded souls and weak.

Grant that we may the body cleanse
Of sinful stain through abstinence,
May lift our fasting hearts to thee,
From all defiling evils free.

O tender Godhead, three in one!
Be ours the will all crime to shun,
To know and keep thy laws divine,
And be thr fruits of fasting thine.