Morning Prayers
March 3-9, 2024
Third Week of Lent, Year B
Sunday, Third week of Lent
Rest as a Rule of Life
Today is a day for rest and renewal of body, mind, and spirit.
Daily Prayer for a Rule of Life
May our lives be a prayer
May God work through our prayers
May our work be an answer
To God’s will working through us
May we rest in God’s love
May God’s rest feed our souls
May our table be open
May we welcome friends and foes
May the poor be our neighbors
May our neighbors be blessed.
Amen
Lectionary Readings: Exodus 20:1-17; Psalm 19;
1 Corinthians 1:18-25; John 2:13-22
Monday, Third Week of Lent
Table as a Rule of Life
How lovely is your dwelling place,
Lord of heavenly forces!
My very being longs, even yearns,
for the Lord’s courtyards.
My heart and my body
will rejoice out loud to the living God!
Psalm 84:1-2 CEB
Silence
Be still and aware
of God’s presence
within and all around.
Prayers of Gratitude
We offer to you, Creator, our words of praise and thanksgiving.
May we ever be mindful of the plentiful blessings of your world
where there is more than enough for everyone.
May we share in your abundant grace and mercy,
and may the table ever be expanded by the open invitation
to be embraced by your unconditional love.
The Lord’s Prayer
A Reading
1 Corinthians 3:16-23
Reflect on the words of scripture and what it means to build an inclusive
table from which to share the Incarnate Love of God in Christ.
Silence
Intercessions
We recognize there is work yet to be done
to make room at the table for all your people.
We recognize there is brokenness and pain, and
much healing needed for humankind and all of creation.
Hear our prayers, O Lord.
Open our eyes to see, our ears to hear, our hearts to feel,
and our mouths to give voice to the needs we encounter.
Grant us strength and wisdom to be who you have created us to be,
and do what we can do according to your Word in our lives.
In Christ’s name we pray, Amen
Sending Forth Prayer
In our actions and in our words this day, may we offer
radical hospitality through simple acts of kindness.
Daily Lectionary Readings: Psalm 84; 1 Kings 6:1-4, 21-22; 1 Corinthians 3:10-23
Tuesday, Third Week of Lent
Table as a Rule of Life
Yes, the sparrow too has found a home in your dwelling place;
the swallow has found herself a nest
where she can lay her young beside your altars,
Lord of heavenly forces, my king, my God!
Those who live in your house are truly happy;
they praise you constantly.
Psalm 84:3-4 CEB
Silence
Be still and aware
of God’s presence
within and all around.
Prayers of Gratitude
No matter where we go, you are there
offering an abundance of love that knows no end.
No matter who comes to your table,
you welcome with an embrace of
compassionate grace and healing mercy
We lift our prayers of thanksgiving
in awareness of your Presence
in our own lives and in the lives of others.
With deep, abiding gratitude
we raise our voices to reveal the ways
we see you at work in the world.
Lord’s Prayer
A Reading
Psalm 84
Reflect on those who do not have a home and
what it means to be an inclusive, welcoming host.
Intercessions
Gracious Host, Eternal Word,
We know that the table of grace
belongs to you and is open to all.
Forgive us when we forget
and try to save seats next to us
for family and friends,
rather than strangers and foes.
We pray this day for the world in which we live,
May we continue to grow in awareness
of the ways creation is being harmed and
for people that are sorely in need of healing and hope.
Christ in your mercy, hear our prayers.
Sending Forth
May we walk with integrity,
Strength, and courage,
boldly trusting that Spirit leads the way,
as we journey out into the world this day.
Daily Lectionary Readings: Psalm 84; 2 Chronicles 29:1-11, 16-19;
Hebrews 9:23-28
Wednesday, Third Week of Lent
Table as a Rule of Life
The Lord is a sun and shield; God is favor and glory.The Lord gives—doesn’t withhold!—good things to those who walk with integrity.
Lord of heavenly forces, those who trust in you are truly happy!
Psalm 84:11-12 CEB
Silence
Be still and aware
of God’s presence
within and all around.
Prayer of Gratitude
You are cordially invited to a seat at the table
Come as you are
You will be welcomed
The table is open to all
Abundance abounds
No one seeking shelter or hope,
safety, or mercy
will be turned away
God’s love is abundant and liberating!
What prayers of gratitude do you bring today?
Lord’s Prayer
A Reading
Mark 11:15-19
Reflect on the scripture and the sacredness of God’s table of grace.
Intercessions
We have to admit, Generous Host,
there are times we want to post a “no vacancy” sign
on the door of our hearts.
Sometimes we are just too weary
To set another place at the table for one more need.
The demands of the world can be overwhelming
and we can feel so inadequate.
Remind us that we are not alone.
We have community in and through you
from which we can draw strength and courage,
hope and wisdom.
Hear our prayers of concern.
Help us to listen for your Word within and among us.
We lift the prayers of this day…
Sending Forth
Thank you for the opportunities and possibilities before us
as we step out in faith this day
to share in the joys and the sorrows of the world
in which you have placed us.
Daily Lectionary Readings: Psalm 84; Ezra 6:1-16; Mark 11:15-19
Thursday, Third Week of Lent
Table as a Rule of Life
Oh, thank God—he’s so good!
His love never runs out.
All of you set free by God, tell the world!
Tell how he freed you from oppression,
Then rounded you up from all over the place,
from the four winds, from the seven seas.
Psalm 107:1-3 The Message
Silence
Be still and aware
of God’s presence
within and all around.
Prayer of Gratitude
We gather from north, south, east, west
because of your love, Creator of All.
We are grateful that you satisfy hungery souls.
We are ever grateful that you are with us in the ordinary
and the extraordinary experiences of daily living.
We offer our humble prayers of thanksgiving,
Source of Light and Love,
We come to say “Thank You!”
The Lord’s Prayer
A Reading
Ephesians 1:3-6
Reflect on the words of scripture and how God is blessed by humankind.
Intercessions
Gather us in from all the lands, the skies, the seas,
the farthest reaches of all that exists.
Gather all who hunger and thirst for righteousness.
Gather those whose hearts are grieving and broken.
Gather us as community seeking to be present,
breaking down walls of fear and injustice.
Gather us to raise our voices in prayer
Attune our hearts and minds to your Word
So that all may be nourished at your table of grace.
We lift these prayers for hope and healing…
Sending Forth
May these words of Abraham Joshua Heschel influence the way we live our day:
“Just to be is a blessing. Just to live is holy.”
Daily Lectionary Readings: Psalm 107:1-3, 17-22; Genesis 9:8-17; Ephesians 1:3-6
Friday, Third Week of Lent
Table as a Rule of Life
Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love,
for his wonderful works to humankind.
And let them offer thanksgiving sacrifices
and tell of his deeds with songs of joy.
Psalm 107:21-22 CEB
Silence
Be still and aware
of God’s presence
within and all around.
Prayer of Gratitude
Feast Giver,
You prepare a table before us.
Our cups overflow with your merciful love.
How generous you are with the outpouring of
compassionate grace.
Wonder and awe are abundant gifts
Found in the world in which you created.
The riches of your presence exceeds
our wildest hopes and dreams.
Receive these spoken and unspoken prayers
with deep gratitude and joy-filled praise
to you this day.
The Lord’s Prayer
A Reading
Henri J.M. Nouwen writes, “The table is the place of intimacy.
Around the table we discover each other. It’s the place where we pray.
It’s the place where we ask: “How was your day?” It’s the place where we eat and drink together and say: “Come on, take some more!” It is the place of old and new stories. It is the place of smiles and tears. The table, too, is the place where distance is most painfully felt. It is the place where the children feel the tension between the parents, where brothers and sisters express their anger and jealousies, where accusations are made, and where plates and cups become instruments of violence. Around the table, we know whether there is friendship and community or hatred and division. Precisely because the table is the place of intimacy for all the members of the household, it is also the place
where the absence of that intimacy is most painfully revealed.”
Intercessions
The table as a place of intimacy reflects the vulnerability of being in community. Individuals bring joys, sorrows, strengths, and foibles to the table. Sharing can be honest, or reluctant. Trust is something to be built over time. Listening deeply, and being open to learning from each other are important parts of being at table together. Sometimes it is the unspoken words that bare the most powerful witness of Christs presence at the table. What needs and concerns have we heard and or seen this week that we bring to the community for prayer today…
Sending Forth
Be with us as we set out in various directions this day, Grant us wisdom to listen, learn, and know what and when to speak. May the words of our mouths and the messages of our hearts come from you, Infinite Word.
Daily Lectionary Readings : Psalm 107:1-3, 17-22; Daniel 12:5-13; Ephesians 1:7-14
Saturday, Third Week of Lent
Table as a Rule of Life
Erupt with thanks to the Eternal, for God is good and freely gives loyal love that lasts forever.Let all those redeemed by the Eternal— those rescued from times of deep trouble—join in giving thanks…
erupt with praise and give thanks to the Eternal in honor of such loyal loveAnd all the wonders the Eternal One has performed for humankind!
Psalm 107:1-2, 21 The Voice
Silence
Be still and aware
of God’s presence
within and all around.
Prayer of Gratitude
It’s Saturday, often a day spent running errands and doing chores after a busy work week. May we find the time to pause, simply stop with our perceived agendas and look around at the beauty and wonder of your world. May we give thanks for the many ways we have seen you this past week in the simple acts of kindness, in bright smiles, laughter, and in the natural world you have created. May we never be too busy or take life for granted. So right now, we pause and take time to name the things for which we are thankful…
The Lord’s Prayer
A Reading
John 3:1-13
Reflect on these words from the Gospel and imagine the conversation
while sitting around the table with others discussing being born again.
Silence
Intercessions
We come to the end of the week and reflect on the things that have brought us joy and satisfaction. We are also mindful of the brokenness and pain we have seen that is hard to comprehend. We lift our prayers for healing and hope. We lift our prayers for others and for ourselves to be courageous and wise in how to best help to bring justice and peace as you intend for your kin-dom.
Today, we raise our hearts in prayer for…
Sending Forth
Christ Incarnate, today, we will intentionally pause to look around us for visible signs of your presence in the world, in others and in ourselves.
Then, we will stand in awe and give you our grateful praise.
Daily Lectionary Readings: Psalm 107:1-3, 17-22; Numbers 20:22-29; John 3:1-13
Peace be with you.