The Reluctant Ordained » prayer

Leaving Prayer

admin — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 14:22:16 +0000

Roll out the Vicar… my contribution to our leavers service in the school.

A Leaving Prayer

God we pray:

May you who leave this place:
Take with you every blessing you have received here:

Blessings of friendship
Blessings of memories
Blessings of knowledge

And may you who leave here today to begin a new journey, leave us your blessing; your uniqueness, the mark you leave on this place that is only you.

May you all be refreshed this summer, Teachers, Pupils, Support Staff, and parents,

So when term begins again,
You may all meet new challenges, new places, new people,
with a bright and cheerful heart.

So we pray that all may grow and learn to live with Love.

May God bless you all this day and through all the days to come. Amen.

Off to GB09

stubiedoo — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 11:19:10 +0000

I think Pip Wilson’s prayer sums it all up for this weekend!

A Festival Prayer

Prayer with Pipe cleaners

stubiedoo — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 13:01:52 +0000

How does that work then??? Apparently, according to last nights youth service, you mould the pipe cleaner into the shape of the person you are praying about. Hmmm, reverse voodoo then?

I bent a few into prayer attitudes instead!

pipe cleaner people

no lightening bolts…

stubiedoo — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 07:53:25 +0000

I was jumped upon to lead a little prayer time and impromptu Eucharist last night, fortunately I had my phoneand therefore access to this meditation which I used as a prayer of blessing with a few on the spot changes to include the wine. No lightening bolts as yet – so I’m guessing I’m safe!!

Prayer

stubiedoo — Mon, 12 Feb 2007 12:59:54 +0000

This is it now for me. I have always struggled with it, never seen the point, never been any good at it, whatever it is supposed to be. The nearest I had got before the song lyrics that follow was Scissor Sisters Comfortably Numb. I’ll let you look up the lyrics for that.

There are many ways to look at this song, perhaps it is all ways at once, part of the mystery of God, the tension that is created when trying to explain something that needs no explanation, just the willingness to rest in the presence of. I leave you with these lyrics, they have haunted me for the past few weeks since I wrote about them last.

I picture you in the sun wondering what went wrong
And falling down on your knees asking for sympathy
And being caught in between all you wish for and all you seem
And trying to find anything you can feel that you can believe in

May god’s love be with you
Always
May god’s love be with you

I know I would apologize if I could see your eyes
cause when you showed me myself I became someone else
But I was caught in between all you wish for and all you need
I picture you fast asleep
A nightmare comes
You can’t keep awake

May god’s love be with you
Always
May god’s love be with you

cause if I find
If I find my own way
How much will I find
If I find
If I find my own way
How much will I find
You

I don’t know anymore
What it’s for
I’m not even sure
If there is anyone who is in the sun
Will you help me to understand
cause I been caught in between all I wish for and all I need
Maybe you’re not even sure what it’s for
Any more than me

May god’s love be with you
Always
May god’s love be with you

Joseph Arthur

Praying for the world

stubiedoo — Sat, 29 Apr 2006 18:47:01 +0000

There are many and varied worship styles in the chapel at St. Mikes and they are all from a particular perspective.
However, last Tuesday – praying for the world.
Half an hour of silent prayer, incense, candles, a map, book – operation world and quiet.
Choose a country and pray for it, lighting a candle and placing on the area.
Wonderful, silence and prayer.
I was though slightly more interested at the end of the short committal of prayers to notice the emphasis of prayer on the third world and developing countries or areas in in a time of war.
Now it’s not that these places don’t need praying for, but that, perhaps it is those areas or countries who perpetuate the poverty of the developing countries or those areas or countries who try to dictate to countries in civil war who need our prayers more.
Perhaps what I had thought of most looking at the map, was that our prayers were more along the lines of God please fix this rather than, enable us to stop oppressing others or help us to be more compassionate towards those in need.
The emphasis of prayer for me must be on the self or others for strength to do and act, rather than for others to be simply ‘fixed’.

Still Waiting?

stubiedoo — Mon, 06 Feb 2006 13:39:22 +0000

To be able to wait, and wait patiently is I think a true gift of God.

Yesterday someone said of a prayer to God. ‘God give me patience… But hurry up!

So typical of our prayers, expecting what we want immediately, without looking at what it is we are asking for or how we could perhaps help to achieve that goal.

Is it just me or…

stubiedoo — Thu, 01 Dec 2005 21:29:44 +0000

In church, at intercessions.

Let us pray etc…

We pray for our church (followed by a list of events going on that week)

after each event, (from one or two in the congregation): Yes Lord, oh yes Jesus.

Specific prayers for the alpha course and the topic coming up
response: Yes Lord, oh yes Jesus. or similar

Prayers for the bishop, the Anglican cycle prayers for other countries etc

Silence

prayers for peace workers or some other group, I forget now

Silence

Prayers for the community and people in the area

Silence

Prayers for the event at CIA followed by something about touching peoples hearts with the holy spirit

Yes Lord, oh yes Jesus. Thank you Lord etc

Prayers for the sick etc

Silence.

Is it just me or is there a pattern here?

This was only one or perhaps two individuals, but it was clear where they were coming from.
The ecstatic charismatic orgasmic style of prayer response has no place for me in worship, but that I could put up with had it not been for the complete absence of relation to the world outside the church and the Christian community. All too often it seems that it comes down to a choice between lively charismatic worship, self-centred and introverted worrying about the soul of those in the church and the lack of morality without or boring ‘catholic’ worship, but with a church involved in the community and building the kingdom of God on earth.