Beloved Friends-
Over the course of these remaining Fridays of Lent leading up to Holy Week I am going to offer a series of prayers for you to use during the week in any way that feels “good.” As you know we have been thinking and talking Goodness as our Lenten theme this year using the inspiring writings of former Archbishop Desmond Tutu and his daughter the Rev. Mpho Tutu. These prayers come from another wonderful resource that I commend to you as well, Calling on God: Inclusive Christian Prayers for Three Years of Sundays by Peter Bankson & Deborah Sokolove.
For each Sunday of our 3-year Lectionary cycle of readings, the collection offers 3 prayers: an Opening Prayer, a Thanksgiving and Praise Prayer and a Petition and Intercessory Prayer. I will be sharing one of those prayers for each week over these coming weeks as an offering to be used in your personal devotions.
May it help you slow down for a few minutes each week, open yourself to the immensity of God’s goodness inside of you and connect you deeply to those places in need of tender care.
And may you never forget that you are loved,
Lisa
For the Third Sunday in Lent:
Opening Prayer:
Ineffable Mystery of life, cosmic Jeweler,
who crafts those brazen daffodil and royal crocus gems
and sets them in a spiked emerald crown;
Holy Source of life and fresh new growth, we gather here like ants
drawn to some damp sweetness on the earth.
Our hearts leap up as we experience the stirring of this season.
Holy Maker of this lively reality,
we come to drink the cold, clear water of life
from the ever-flowing spring of your love.
Help us tend the stream and keep the water clear for others,
even as we celebrate the goodness of your nourishing love,
for we would let the world know that we are your people,
gathered in the name of Jesus, who is the Christ. Amen.