GREETING (Psalm 42:1)
As a deer longs for flowing streams,
so my soul longs for you, O God.
HYMN 147 “All Things Bright and Beautiful”
PSALM 145
PRAYER
(Consider some of the following issues for prayers of thanksgiving, intercession, and petition. Follow with your personal prayer list.)
Variety of sea creatures and birds Pollution and toxic waste
Beauty of birds, fish and sea creatures Climate change
Beauty of bird song Diversity of species
Joy of bird, fish and aquatic pets Endangered species
Wonders of flight Recreational fishing
Protection of breeding areas Commercial fishing
Protection of nest sites Hunting of game birds
Bird watchers, swimmers, snorkelers, and divers Natural predators
Farming of fish and other sea creatures Diseases spread by fish and fowl
Chicken, turkey and duck farming Safety for those traveling in the air
Sea creatures and birds on our tables Safety for those traveling on the seas
Feeding impoverished and hungry people ______________________________
Stewardship of birds and their habitats ______________________________
Stewardship of sea creatures and their habitats ______________________________
THE LORD'S PRAYER
SCRIPTURE LESSON
(Choose a passage of scripture to read. It can be a chapter, a paragraph, or a particular story. Daily lectionaries are available online or in print that assign a lesson each day from the gospels, epistles, Old Testament and psalms on a three-year cycle. Or you can create a plan to read a book of the Bible, or the whole Bible. Then follow the steps below.)
Read a passage of scripture. Read it out loud, very slowly and carefully as if for the first time. Continue reading until a word, phrase or sentence captures your attention. Stop there to repeat the word, phrase or sentence over and over, listening to it deeply in your heart.
Reflect on why the passage got your attention. Consider the area of your life to which this may apply. Is God saying something to you in this passage? Take time to listen carefully to whatever God may be saying to you.
Respond to God in prayer (or with journaling, music, art or whatever you choose) about what you have heard. Ask questions. Open yourself to God’s will for you.
Rest in God’s company. Be still and quiet. Move beyond thinking, practicing interior silence. Let yourself be open to God’s presence. Savor this moment with God.
PRAYER
We call them bird-brains, God,
as if they were stupid and unknowing,
but the birds at least know to thank you,
for the new day that we take for granted.
Their cacophony of morning song
instructs us in daily praise to you, God.
The amphibian-brains of frogs learned,
and they echo the birds’ praise in evening.
The songs of whales fill the deep.
The hawks’ cries echo in rocky crags.
The splashing trout awaken summer days,
and the call of loons haunt the cool nights.
Dumb animals know gratitude.
They know the dawn means life
in the grand company of the Creator.
Their rejoicing calls us to wake up now.
But we drag out of our beds,
with sour pusses and crabby attitudes.
We throw on clothes and wolf breakfast,
with nary a nod nor a hurried, “Thank you.”
We race through busy days
oblivious to your company, God,
We establish grand and glorious plans,
and attend to the most minute of details.
But unlike the bird-brains,
we haven’t the sense to enjoy you.
We think and live like we are alone,
and dare to complain of your absence.
Let us this new day, God,
be like our fellow creatures.
Let us see you everywhere we go,
and praise you with all of our being.
And if we forget you, God,
if only for a single moment,
send another of those bird-brains
to awaken us with their beautiful song. Amen.
SILENCE AND COMMITMENT
(Pause to reflect and listen. Work to push out of your mind any distracting or irrelevant thoughts. Concentrate your thoughts on the words of the hymns and choruses you have sung, the prayers you have spoken and the scriptures you have read. Be aware of what you are feeling. Listen for anything that God might be saying to you in this time you have spent together. As God responds to your prayer-time, seek guidance for how you can best respond to God’s will. Then commit to serving God’s will for you.)
HYMN 144 “This Is My Father’s World”
CLOSING PRAYER
The waking birds praise you with their songs, Father.
The dew dripping from the grasses speaks of your care.
The magenta sunrise writes your wisdom and passion.
The awaking dawn trumpets your delight in resurrection.
The stone underfoot murmurs of your great strength,
The breeze whispers of your presence to all your creation.
In this new day, I pray my life will shout your love,
and reflect a tiny glimmer of the kingdom that is coming.
Amen.
Copyright 2020. Robert D. Ingram, 32746 Jourden Rd., Albany, Ohio 45710 (dr.bobingram@gmail.com). Used by permission.
