FCCR-ACE Prayer Blog

Congregationalists Learning to Pray

Hi God,

I guess now I know why Noah
is considered to be a saint.
I’ve had enough of rain
after only two days.
The dogs don’t seem to mind.
They think we should walk anyway.
So Noah, it seems,
had to walk his two dogs…
…‘round and ‘round the ark…
…in the driving rain…
…for forty days.
Sounds saintly to me.

So my prayer today
is that you help us
be forebearant when things
are mildly unpleasant,
and to realize that it is possible, for some,
to enjoy conditions
that others of us
don’t exactly relish.

I also ask you to please
have mercy on my soul
cranky sinner though I be.

Amen

God,

We have been blessed to miss the grat amounts of snow which hit our neighbors.
No back-breaking shoveling in Reading, this time.
This from someone who never minds the white stuff and it’s aftermath.
What’s with that? Aging??? Nah…

It’s great to have a grandchild visiting, hearts games after supper,
reading and talking, laughing……
Bless those who do not have this luxury,
and those who do not have grand parents or grand children.

My efforts at getting control of my eating/exercise are mixed, at best.
I was doing so well before Thanksgiving….
Now it seems impossible to stop putting everything I see into my mouth.
Where is the will power I once had?
My prayers for same seem to go unanswered.
Maybe I am getting an answer, but do not recognize it, or want to listen?
Today, help me enjoy the gift of grandchildren and spend some time listening for your answer to my prayer.

amen

Hi God,

The day is running out,
and I’m not getting this done.
Do you care about
quality in our prayers,
or just that we do it?
That we remain, as they say,
ever mindful of your mercy?

I’m not sure I felt much
sense of divine mercy
when I was running through
ice-cold puddles with Edame.
But perhaps there’s mercy
in being able to feel uncomfortable.
The other option would be
to have no feelings.
That seems somehow unhuman.

So my prayer today
is that you help us remain mindful
of your presence in our lives,
even when we’re not liking what we feel.
I also ask you to please
have mercy on my soul
uncomfortable sinner though I be.

Amen

Today starts a trilogy of birthdays, three friends and my Dad.
He would be 99 on Friday. The others, somewhat younger.
How the world has changed in the spans of these lives.
How it has not…..
I pray that we meer humans,
whithin whom you have created so much potential for good,
will recognize our unique gifts and
strive to make the most of them,
to your glory and the benefit of other meer mortals
which whom we share the journey
be it long or short, of our lives

amen

Hi God,

The Epistle ‘o day says, I am
    “a puff of smoke
    that appears briefly
    and then disappears”.
I understand this idea.
Do dogs understand it too?
Is that why the dogs take
such joy in the daily
gulag death march™?
Do they understand their ephemeral nature,
and therefore take joy where they can?

But what about service?
Sometimes, to be effective in service,
one faces the delayed gratification of preparation.
After all, you can’t be a choirmaster
before you learn music.
I’m confused (big surprise, huh?)

So my prayer today
is that you help us
learn to experience joy
in our preparations,
in our journeys, so to speak,
not just in our destinations.

I also ask you to please
have mercy on my soul,
ephemeral sinner though I be.

Amen

scripture reference
James 4:14