Saturday Morning Prayer from Daily Prayer for All Seasons
Opening
We are called in the morning
to turn our hearts to you.
Prayer
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. Living one day at a time; enjoying one moment at a time; accepting hardships as the pathway to peace; taking, as Jesus did, this sinful world as it is, not as I would have it; trusting, O God, that you will make all things right if I surrender to your will; that I may be reasonably happy in this life and supremely happy with you for ever in the next. Amen.
Praise
Rejoice, people of God!
Celebrate the life within you,
and Christ’s presence in your midst!
Our eyes shall be opened!
The presence will have new meaning,
and the future will be bright with hope.
Rejoice, people of God!
Bow your heads before the One
who is our wisdom and our strength.
We place ourselves before our God,
that we may be touched and cleansed
by the power of God’s Spirit.
Scripture: Luke 9:46-48
An argument arose among them as to which one of them was the greatest. But Jesus, aware of their inner thoughts, took a little child and put it by his side, and said to them, ‘Whoever welcomes this child in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me; for the least among all of you is the greatest.’
Meditation:
The final fruitfulness of work is actually found by choosing and living its exact opposite — the cessation of work — or the Sabbath rest. Unless approximately one-seventh of life is also ceasing from work, putting spaces, paragraphs, and parentheses around my efforts, work always becomes compulsive, addictive, driven, unconscious, and actually counter-productive for the self and for those around us. We also need not to work.
–Richard Rohr
Today, how will we cease from work?
Affirmation:
We believe in God, who loves us
and wants us to love each other.
This is our God.
We believe in Jesus, who cared for children
and held them in his arms.
He wanted a world where everyone
could live together in peace.
This is Jesus Christ.
We believe in the Holy Spirit,
who keeps working with us
until everything is good and true.
This is the Holy Spirit.
We can be the church,
which reminds people of God
because we love each other.
This we believe. Amen.
Litany
As we begin our day,
Give us your peace.
As we pause this morning,
Give us your peace.
As we do the work you have given us to do,
Give us your peace.
For all places of need in this world,
Give us your peace.
In trusting you, O God, to care for your children,
Give us your peace.
As we seek wholeness,
Give us your peace.
Here, the people may add particular intercessions or thanksgivings.
As we reflect on your presence,
Let us be peace for others.
The Lord’s Prayer
Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your Name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins
as we forgive those
who sin against us.
Save us from the time of trial,
and deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power,
and the glory are yours,
now and for ever. Amen.
Closing Prayer
Holy One, we are too often blinded by trivial matters. Lord, may our attention be diverted now from these things, and may we become as little children, trusting and seeking with love to cross bridges that we have not crossed in the past. Amen.
Going Out
We are called in the morning
to turn our hearts to you.
Virtual Chapel of St. Phoebe 