Holy Mystery, who is actively releasing energy into the work of this day.
Use this time of silence as a mirror for our souls. Soften the light around the fissures and imperfections so that we realize how often those cracks are the very places of our hidden joy. Help us remain confined long enough to see what new color emerges from the shadows of our stories. As the sun heads toward the horizon, fill our tables with the fruit of these blessings to sustain us through the night ahead. Amen.
Peaceful Presence, who deepens the promise found in our hearts,
As the day draws to a close, we take a moment of solitude to let our minds rest. Rather than increasing our anxiety to find what we perceive is missing, help us to learn that we cannot seek outside ourselves what is waiting to be found within. Open us to accept and befriend even any interior negativity we notice. Soften our hardened places and give us the kind of flexibility that moves us to new understanding. As the layers of our souls unfold and emerge, reveal this new growth in our relationships with you and one another. Amen.
Nurturing Maker of Earth, whose creative work is revealed in each season,
Send us outdoors this day to be immersed by your loving Presence. Refill us with breaths of sunshine and color. Our hearts fling open to take in the beautify of your fields and sky. Our bodies are sustained by your summer fruit. Return our thoughts to your constancy and your bounty. Everywhere you recreate us with a goodness that is real right now, and forever. Amen.
Sculptor of Creation, whose hands shape our lives,
Touch us in this time of silence. Remind us before we sweep away the unwanted, shake away the useless, and throw away the filth that once you fashioned us by the dust of the earth. Maybe we too quickly discard the dirt that could heal us. Hold us until we give way to your creative power. Reshape us by your love. Help us to experience what we once thought was death, become new life. Amen.
Giver of Life, who is as close as our breath,
We begin this day in your Presence, slowly finding the true source of our energy. Help us to simply be still in these moments; renew our vitality through resting in your peace. Give us a glimpse of your deep riches found in unexpected times and places. Increase our trust in all that you provide. Fill our soul’s with compassion, like your overflowing rivers, reaching beyond ourselves to satisfy the world’s people who are desperate for recovery in their lives. Amen.
Hovering Spirit, who often touches our lives while we are unaware,
As we wake to activity, we pause to attend to your Presence, finding rich blessing in the depths of silence. Expand our ability to carry the peace of this moment wherever the day takes us. Rather than personal striving, guide us to new understandings of our connectedness. Remind us that gentleness is an expression of your power and strength. Make our every encounter, a gathering of love for the benefit of another.
Whispering Wind, whose language unifies us across boundaries and borders,
As this morning begins with the tending of kitchen fires, we pause to listen for the gift of softly cooing hens or the quiet rush or river water, any sound that creates a desire in our hearts to turn toward your Presence. Make it our intent to be open to new learning in our work and play. Use the voices of others to help us to see the poverty of our ways. Transform our experience to encounter your many riches in place we thought poor. Amen.
Gentle Restorer, who provides the rhythm for activity and for rest,
As darkness deepens, we pause to abide more fully in your Presence. Help us to become aware of how much is happening below the surface of our vision. Sometimes things are not as they appear at all. Sometimes the night is where our creativity emerges. Give us the sense to trust your wisdom even when our understanding is dim. Remind us of the promise of light that arrives when the new day dawns. Amen.
Lover of Life, who awakens us with the light of day,
Breathe into us anew as we attend to your holy Presence. Hold us in this moment, carrying us in the fullness of your love. Give to all who are in pain or grief, a sense of comfort through the monotony of hours. Remind us that even as Spring blooms fade into yesterday, you renew us with strength to persevere in difficult places. Provide all that is needed for your peace to shine in places of conflict. Most of all, give us clarity to know that sometimes even when we suffer, you use us to be part of your plan to relieve another’s burden. Amen.
Creator of Love, who inspires passion for living and serving,
Use this silent moment, giving us pause to consider the canvas of this new day. With each breath, fill us with promise for the fullness that is ahead. Thank you for providing for us and inviting us to live creatively. Use our words, like paint on the palate, to create light and shadow naming the reality in front of us. Give us courage to see truth and express ourselves in life giving ways, each a paintbrush that illuminates the need for one another in community. If one brushstroke goes beyond alignment, use it to become the foundation for an element of focus and beauty in our midst. Remind us there is no failure in love. Amen.
Janet Salbert 