GREETING (Psalm 42:1)
As a deer longs for flowing streams,
so my soul longs for you, O God.
HYMN 149 “Cantemos al Senor”
PSALM 148
PRAYER
(Consider some of the following issues for prayers of thanksgiving, intercession, and petition. Follow with your personal prayer list.)
Beauty of night sky Those who live in the light
Warm sunny days Those who live in the dark
Cold wintry days Light for our path
Moonlit romance Dark night of the soul
Sunrises Research into the universe
Sunsets Physical laws of the universe
Heaven Our solar system and galaxy
Solar energy and tidal energy Those traveling beyond Earth
Dependable seasons of days, months and years Space exploration
Our temporal life and our eternal life Future of humans in space
The beginning of the universe Our place in the universe
The end of the universe Life on other planets and moons
Dark, scary nights _____________________________
Seasonal affective disorder sufferers _____________________________
Light pollution _____________________________
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
Into the emptiness you spun our sun, moon and stars,
long before our eyes opened.
And last night the moon and stars reminded us, God,
of your constant watch over us.
And now the sun peeks over the edge of the world,
painting the sky with hope.
After night’s darkest hours, those first morning rays,
assure us that you still reign.
There may be times of thick darkness in our lives,
But you still say “yes” or “no.”
And even when your word is “no,” there is always,
a softening glimmer of grace.
Into the dark night of the soul, you whisper words,
of hope and love to rescue us.
Clouds can hide from us the sun, moon or the stars,
but clouds are fleeting mist.
Your mercy and grace, O God, sometimes veiled,
are as dependable as the dawn.
Thank you for this dawn, God of new beginnings.
We step into it confidently.
Let this day shine with your love, power and grace,
and light the paths we walk;
as well as the dark paths our neighbors may walk.
Keep all of us safe, we pray.
Night and day let your light shine upon us, O God,
so we always look up to you. 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 150 “God, Who Stretched the Spangled Heavens”
CLOSING PRAYER
The waking birds sing your praises, Creating 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 holy presence to all 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.
