GREETING (Psalm 42:1)
As a deer longs for flowing streams,
so my soul longs for you, O God.
HYMN 450 “Creator of the Earth and Skies”
PSALM 19
PRAYER
(Consider some of the following concerns for prayers of thanksgiving, intercession, and petition. Follow with your personal prayer list.)
The air we breathe Clear sky
Those who have trouble breathing New horizons
Those working and breathing hard Plants producing oxygen
Crisp winter air Plants removing carbon dioxide
Sunny days Seeds carried in the wind
Foggy days Birds flying in the air
Dark, cloudy days People flying
Rainy or snowy days Satellites and space stations
Gentle breezes Global warming
Wind storms Ozone layer
Tornados, hurricanes and cyclones Air pollution
Electrical storms _____________________________
Shelter from storms _____________________________
Those needing shelter from storms _____________________________
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
Our Father, who art in heaven,
which sounds so far away and removed;
and yet, like the sky up above,
you reach down here and touch our lives.
As sky reaches even to our toes,
and stretches light-years away, so do you.
We climb up high mountains,
to stand in a cloud – and you are there.
We rocket to far-away planets,
to stand on exotic soil – and you are there.
We step out our own front door,
to stand in a breezy day – and you are there.
“Where can we flee from you?”
the psalmist asked. “Who cares?” we reply.
We want to remain in the embrace,
of the God near at hand and far, far away.
Wrap us in your love, holy Creator,
like you wrap the Earth with atmosphere.
Breathe sky into our lungs now,
and your Spirited-airs into our souls forever.
Heaven-Dweller, we delight
in being blanketed with your wonderful sky.
In it we almost see your face:
invisible, and yet always within our reach;
full of unimaginable power,
and yet gentle as a gosling’s downy feather;
sometimes terribly frightening,
yet always offering life and lasting covenant;
sometimes dark and brooding,
and yet beautiful beyond human description.
Sky-maker God from above,
you caress your creatures with lasting love;
and blanket us with protection,
spreading your wings over us day and night.
Our Father who art in heaven,
we love you too, and we love being with 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 107 “La Palabra Del Senor Es Recta”
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.
