So as we gather here today,
I invite you,
I invite you to find a comfortable place wherever you are.
Maybe stop what you're doing,
Maybe turn your sight away from a screen just for a few moments and fully arrive in this moment so that you might better hear God's song in your heart and in your life.
If it's comfortable for you and accessible for you,
I invite you to close your eyes as I invite you to then connect with your breath,
Connecting with what is going on within you.
If it's comfortable and accessible to you,
Go ahead and close your eyes or rest your gaze away from the screen and let's connect within.
Connect with this rhythm the rhythm of our life,
The rhythm of the Psalm and song being sung within us.
I invite you now to find your breath.
Maybe it's the first time that you've become aware of your breath,
This involuntary rhythm,
This ever-present hope and help.
This very temporal reminder of God's presence with you,
As inspiration moves through your body and animates your life in new ways.
Find gratitude in this moment for the breath that you're taking for this moment that you're sharing with God and within.
If it's comfortable for you and accessible for you,
Maybe add a half smile to your face,
Relaxing those facial muscles and allowing yourself to just be satisfied in this moment.
Giving God thanks for what we have right here and right now.
Giving God thanks for this moment in time and maybe turning that gratitude inward.
Thanking yourself for being intentional about this time of meditation,
Of worship,
Of focus,
Of well,
Simply being.
And if you still have that smile on your face,
Keep it as long as you can.
And receive this prayer with gratitude.
Oh Creator God,
We are so glad and we rejoice in you forever.
With joy we draw deeply from your well,
Your well of salvation and pray that even as we sing songs of your glory that you may fulfill our story.
Our story of song,
Of love,
Of grace.
And although the world has been gripped by trouble since the early days and life has often been short and tormented,
You have given us a vision of a day beyond the terrors.
A day when the heavens and earth will be new again.
A day when the sound of weeping will give way to delight.
A day when all creation will live in peace and all people will long enjoy the fruits of their labors.
Help us to hold on to that vision.
When our world is shaken,
When our lives are challenging and when our hearts are trembling.
Strengthen us for the telling of your truth and for keeping your path that we might not weary in doing what is right but through endurance we may gain our souls all over again.
Even as you desire us.
Even as you desire our behavior and our strength and our courage to do so.
Oh God,
Hear our prayer.
So we pray for those all over who are in need of help and hope including ourselves.
We pray for all of our siblings on this earth.
We pray for all of those who are carrying a burden.
Help us to seek them out with joy and great hope knowing that your love never fails.
Knowing that your grace is always available.
Oh God,
We come back to our breath recognizing the prayer that is even within us.
The prayer on our hearts.
The prayer on our minds.
We offer them now to you.
These prayers in this silent moment.
And as we offer these prayers to you we now unite our hearts,
Unite our voices,
Unite our lives in the prayer that Jesus taught his disciples to pray saying our Father who art in heaven hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil for thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever.
Amen.
