FCCR-ACE Prayer Blog

Congregationalists Learning to Pray

Hi God,

I’m still exercised about
the Lamarie Project performance
and think perhaps I should
say little on the matter.
My problem is the underlying
tacit acceptance by most people
that the Bible clearly says
things that it clearly does not.
The problem is the heretics
read things into the Bible
that they wish it said.
So, I wonder what kinds of things
I read into the Bible that
aren’t really in there.

My prayer today
is you help us realize
that loving God with “all our minds”
involves not claiming
that our own agendas
are part of your teachings,
merely because we can find
some vaguely worded passages
that would appear to support said agendas.

Also, please have mercy on my soul,
sinner though I be.

Amen

Hi God,

Although the psalm o’ day is random,
I thought a part of today’s was somehow apt,
given the situation going on in town tonight.

“ Come, children, listen to me;
I will teach you the fear of the LORD.
Who among you loves life, takes delight in prosperous days?
Keep your tongue from evil, your lips from speaking lies.
Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.
The LORD has eyes for the just and ears for their cry.”

The part that caught my attention especially
was the stuff about keeping our tongues from evil
and our lips from speaking lies;
about seeking peace and pursuing it.

The evil tongues and lies cut both ways,
and if we’re not careful,
we’ll find ourselves not pursuing peace.
The issue, of course, is the special visitation
from the folks of the Westboro Baptist Church.

Surely, they are out to promote discourd,
ironically doing so in your name.
The problem comes when
our frustrations with them
prompt us to counter
with our own false witness.

So my prayer today
is you help us all to be especially wary
regarding what our tongues have to say
—this can be an especial problem for me—
and help us use our lips to pursue peace.

Also, please have mercy on my soul,
sinner though I always be.

Amen

scripture reference:
Psalm 34:12–16

AHHHHH GOD
Am I sick of winter..

yes it is a bright sunny day and for that I am thankful…
but I am ever so ready for a screenporch meal…
you know with ice tea with lemons and lots and lots of ice
so much it makes the glass sweat
and grilled marinated steak tips
with bits of crisp black where the marinade is scorched
but the inside is still pink and tasty
maybe a fresh salad with tomatoes
you know real tomatoes the kind that are juicy and never hard or styrofoam like perhaps a berry dessert…
with whip cream
real cream whipped with a mixer and confectioners sugar
not out of a high pressurized can

I am ever so ready for a lake house vacation
with kayaks and canoes
and sleeping late
or waking up early taking a walk and taking an afternoon nap
playing games lots and lots of board games
Blokus Wizard Carcassonne Settlers of Catan.
Reading a book
Watching the stars in a sky without city lights

I am ever so ready for the summertime visits
Having the boys and Grandma Dot blabbing on and on
missing my eldest as he goes away for a whole summer

The ceiling fan whirling overhead moving the warm air about

Ah Lord thank you for the prospect of a warmer time to come
a time of relaxation and quiet.

Amen

Hi God,

Sometimes I think that
when we leave “things undone
which we ought to have done”,
we’re actually just avoiding doing.
I’m not sure why that is,
but I feel that I’ve been avoiding doing.
You know, just your garden variety procrastination.

So my prayer today is you help us
over come our inclinations to procrastinate,
help us find productive uses of our time.
That isn’t to say we need to do great things,
emptying the dishwasher or folding pajamas
is also important.
But when there is a defined to-do list,
one that sits idle,
we need some help with that.
That’s all I ask today.

Well, one other thing I ask,
please have mercy on my soul,
sinner though I continue to be.

Amen

Dear God,

This morning I heard that the journalist who threw his shoes at the US President was sentenced to three years in prison.

The report went on that he was unperturbed by the sentencing. He had thrown his shoes in frustration and screamed out that it was for the widows and orphans of Iraq that he threw the shoes at the Dog. As the consequences of his actions were being handed down in an Iraqi court the man was at peace with the situation, I suppose because he had the sense of having taken some action even an action as futile as thrown shoes.

A three year sentence

Considering he could have been given the death sentence or 15 years in prison I guess three years might seem mild. Considering the fact that the American troops have been occupying Iraq for 6 years next Friday March 20, I suppose that 3 years is in fact a LIGHT sentence.

Lord
I ask that you be with all the frustrated folks who feel as if any action to oppose the military occupations is futile, that they might take heart and encouragement from the actions of this fellow and find a sense of Peace in whatever small form of protest they settle upon.
I pray that if he does indeed serve 3 years that he emerges from prison to a country long without occupying soldiers, a country where the children are safe to play without worry of encountering IEDs, a country at peace.

Amen