The Call to be Wise - A Prayer for Worship

It's been a while. Twenty two months, to be exact. Twenty-two months ince I've prayed in public, in a Sunday morning worship service. I am rusty, and I am nervous. Really nervous.

We've been studying the book of James this fall, trying to discover what this small book might teach us about living the life of a disciple, a disciple who makes disciples. This small epistle is part of the lectionary readings as we cycle through the last weeks of Ordinary Time and this week's reading is from chapter 3, verses 13-18 - words on wisdom, true wisdom, godly wisdom. And, of course, the kind of 'wisdom' that is far from godly.

The gospel reading in Matthew 10 includes the words of Jesus, sending the disciples out on their own for the first time, encouraging them to be 'wise as serpents...' Oh  - and we'll be singing, "Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise," just before the prayer. 

Will you join me as we pray together this morning? 

It is good to praise you, Almighty God.

It is good to sing loudly, tapping our feet - at least

on the inside - joining right in with those angels,

the ones who are adoring you,

the ones veiling their sight.

Because even the angels cannot look directly

at you, O Lord of Glory.

They cannot behold your splendid and radiant Being,

because you are just  . . . too much.

Too much for them,

and surely too much for us,

"frail children of dust" that we are. 

It's hard for us to even begin to wrap our minds around 

the Truth that is you,

the Immensity of you.

You are the Wild and Untamable Source

of all that is beautiful,

mysterious,

awe-inspiring,

and powerful -

in this universe;

on our planet;

in these bodies, which we treat with such casual neglect;

this natural world in which we live - 

this world that speaks to us of 

your creative genius and

your overwhelming attention to detail.

And yet . . . you are the very same God who 

guides the likes of us, day by day,

and who invites and encourages us 

to join you in the ongoing renewal of creation. 

So, YES!!

It is good to praise you,

Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

God of Immensity,

Son of Humility,

Spirit of Comfort and Conviction.

Help us to do this always,

to offer our songs,

our words,

our hearts

in joyful thanksgiving for who you are,

and how you are working to revive and restore and refresh

all that you have created,

most especially each and every one of us. 

And some of us truly need to find that refreshment this day, O Lord. 

We're wondering what's coming next -

feeling overloaded at school,

maybe worried about our jobs, or our children, or both.

Some of us are waiting on doctor's diagnoses,

some of us have already heard hard news.

Some of us wonder if we'll have enough money to cover the month,

some of us have plenty of money, but not much joy in it. 

Some of us are young and curious, 

often thinking we know more than we actually do.

And some of us are old and failing, 

not sure if we know anything at all. 

Some of us are worried about a lot of things,

and getting plenty sick of worrying.

And some of us are just plain sick.

Sick and tired of all kinds of things and wondering

where you are. And even there, Lord God,

even there, it is good to praise you.

Maybe even especially there. 

So, Only Wise God,

will you help us to become wise people

who know how to praise you well? 

Because wise people are people who know how to say thank you,

even when we have to stretch pretty hard to do it.

Wise people are people who do good deeds,

even when that's the last thing we feel like doing.

Wise people are people who don't give in to 

bitterness, or cynicism, or sarcasm,

but choose words that honor, and uplift and encourage.

Wise people are naturally generous,

offering what they have to others,

sharing the gifts they've received.

Wise people are people who look like the folks Jesus is

talking about in our Gospel lesson for the morning. 

People who are 'wise as serpents, and innocent as doves.' 

Yes, Lord - that's exactly who we'd like to be. 

But we readily admit that we are not all that wise a lot of the time. 

So, will you remind us to say we're sorry,

to admit our frailties and flaws

and to consistently seek to grow into the people

you have in mind for us to be? 

O Lord, if everyone in this world who says they are a 

follower of yours would do this -

if we would all admit we're far from perfect,

if we would ask for help when we need it,

and if we would seek to be wise -

what a different place this old planet of ours could be! 

So, begin with us, will you, please?

Soften our hearts,

open our wallets,

give us words of peace to offer,

wherever we go, whomever we meet.

And we'll end right where we began,

by praising your Holy Name,

O, God Only Wise.

Amen. 

Joining with Michelle's Sunday invitation and Jennifer's sisterhood:

A Prayer for the End of the Year...

Christ the King Sunday, 2010

written for worship at Montecito Covenant Church

by Diana R.G. Trautwein

You may not be aware of this, but today marks the last Sunday of the year - the church year, that is. Today is the last Sunday in the longest season of our liturgical calendar, a season which is called Ordinary Time. Next Sunday, the New Year begins as we step into the first Sunday in Advent. As each year comes to its close, the church has chosen to remember that the baby whose advent we await is, in fact, our King. So I begin our prayer time today with the collect - or short prayer - for this Sunday in the church year:

“Almighty and merciful God,
 you break the power of evil and make all things new
 in your Son, Jesus Christ, the King of the universe.


May all in heaven and earth 
acclaim your glory and never cease to praise you.


We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
 who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
 one God, for ever and ever.”

We offer heartfelt thanks today, Lord God, that you are indeed almighty and merciful.

We humbly recognize that we desperately need you to be both of those things - mighty to save and merciful to forgive.

Thank you that even in the midst of the most ordinary of our days, you are still and always God, that your son Jesus reigns in heaven with you and the Holy Spirit, and that we - for some miraculous, hard-to-fathom reason - are invited into the fellowship which you enjoy together.

Thank you that we have been born into a life of privilege and of blessing; that we live in a place of beauty and abundance; that by virtue of our birth in this great land, we are granted the grace and the freedom to gather in worship together any time we choose.

Thank you that even our darkest days can be lightened by your presence with us; that the most tangled of our problems do not overwhelm you; that the worst we can do to ourselves or to others is never beyond your willingness to forgive and to redeem.

Thank you that you are God, King of the Universe and King of our lives.

Help us to acknowledge your reign in the daily doings of our lives; to seek your guidance and direction in the making of our decisions, both large and small; to yield to your truth, to trust in your faithfulness, to live in your light.

Forgive the many and various ways in which we sin against you and against one another. Give us eyes to see our own foibles and failings and to offer those places of struggle up to you. For it is in our brokenness that you can bring wholeness, it is through our battle scars that your light can shine, it is by your grace that we can begin to see ourselves as new creatures, those who are slowly but steadily taking steps toward transformation and redemption.

As we celebrate a national holiday built around the idea of giving thanks, help us, O Lord, to truly cultivate grateful hearts. Because it is gratitude which can soften the rough edges, open our hearts to the beauty around us and help us to see one another as reflections of your glorious son, Jesus Christ, whose kingship we celebrate today and always. Amen.

A Prayer for the Faint and Weary...

written for worship on October 17, 2010 by

Diana R.G. Trautwein

“This is the air I breathe…this is my daily bread…”

“Abba, Father…”

“Allelu, alleluia…”

Oh Lord, I am so glad that we can sing our prayers to you.

Because sometimes - actually, a lot of time! - singing

is the only way we can muster up the words,
connect with the emotions,

get in touch with those central pieces

and parts of ourselves

that most need to be opened

to the reviving,

rejuvenating,

encouraging,

challenging work of your Spirit.

So, hear our songs today, Lord, as our earnest and heartfelt prayers to you:

our cry for mercy when life feels overwhelming;

our desire for forgiveness when we’ve gone astray;

our exuberant ‘thank you’ when we’ve seen grace;

our exhausted ‘where are you’ when we’ve lost our

bearings.

We sing these prayers of ours with full hearts,

and also sometimes with tired bodies and

puzzled minds;

with contrite spirits,

and just plain empty gas tanks.

And we sing them to YOU, O Lord, because…

we have no other.

You are the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

You are the God of Deborah, Ruth and Hannah.

You are the God of Peter and Paul and Mary and Elizabeth.

And you are, most of all, the God of Jesus, the incarnate one;

Jesus, the savior and healer;

Jesus, the living water and bread of life;

Jesus, our hope and our redeemer.

How we thank you for Jesus and for the gospel good news he brings us!

How we thank you for the promise of Presence made real

by the indwelling of your Holy Spirit.

How we thank you for loving us in spite of the messes we make and the messes we inherit;

for loving us enough to call us to be better than we know, better than we are.

And we thank you most of all this day,

for the gift of prayer - which is the primary way we experience your presence with us. We thank you…

for prayers with words

and prayers without words;

for prayers of hope and delight

and prayers of discouragement and despair;

for prayers of contrition and repentance

and prayers of thanksgiving and praise;

for all manner of conversation,

interaction,

silent communication,

noisy jubilation,

or unconscious groaning - all of it

welcomed by YOU -

the God who sustains us through all that life throws our way.

Grant us grace and strength to pray without ceasing through all of our days. For Jesus’ sake. Amen.

A Prayer for the Table...

Sunday, October 3, 2010

Diana R.G. Trautwein

It’s table time, again, Lord,

when we come together as your family,

broken and bruised as we are,

and take a little bite

and drink a little sip

and remember who you are

and what you’ve done for us.

Some of us are a little surprised to find ourselves here,

to tell you the truth.

We’re here to see and be seen,

to do the Sunday church-going thing,

and the call to the table is not what we had planned

on, not what we’d planned on at all.

And some of us are here today out of habit -

today is Sunday; on Sunday we go to church;

therefore - we are in church.

And we know enough to track that this is the 1^st

Sunday of the month, so…

it’s time for communion.

And we’ll take the bread and we’ll sip the juice…

because it’s familiar and comfortable

and it’s comforting -

it’s what we do on this day.

But some of us are here today because we just plain have to be here.

Participating in this sacramental meal is not just important,

it’s crucial.

It’s a lifeline that we grab with fierce gratitude and a ready

admission of our deep need for it.

And so the whole motley crew of us gathers around your table, Lord. All of us together,

the looky-loos,

the regulars,

the desperate ones.

And the miracle of this table is this:

we’re all welcome here,

we’re all invited,

we’re all included.

Any one of us who has faith the size of a mustard seed,

our scripture for the morning told us;

anyone with just the tiniest bit of hope and belief

that Jesus’ broken body and shed blood can

change us and shape us and re-make us-

any of us

and all of us

are invited guests at this, the table of the Lord.

Thanks be to God!

So, Lord, we’re all crowding around now,

we all want to be ready.

Will you, then, hear first our prayers of confession and need

as we offer them silently to you?

--Silence--

And then, we want to offer our prayers on behalf of others

who are in trouble, looking for healing and help.

Will you hear our prayers for these dear ones we name

out loud right now?

And finally, Lord, we all want to say a huge ‘thank you,’

for this table and what it means to us.

Thank you for simple gifts that take on sacred meaning.

Thank you for the story that these simple gifts tell.

Thank you for Jesus. For his life, for his death, for his

resurrection from the dead, for the new life he

makes possible for us.

Continue to change us more and more into the image of that

crucified, risen one we worship and in whose name

we pray today and always, even Jesus Christ. Amen.

A Prayer for Disciples Who Struggle

prepared for worship at Montecito Covenant Church

September 6, 2010 by

Diana R.G. Trautwein

That song we've just sung together, Lord -

it's a really great song.

The words are strong and compelling,

and on my best days,

in my better moments -

when I'm feeling well

and hopeful

and grateful -

those words are truly the prayer of my heart:

"Send me out to the world.

I want to be your hands and feet...

I want to give my life away,

all for your kingdom's sake."

All of us who love you want that to be the

deepest desire of our hearts,

to pass along to others the great good news of

your love and mercy.

So, I begin this morning by saying

thank you

for that news,

for that love,

for that mercy.

The good news of Jesus is truly

what gives our lives meaning and purpose,

and we are grateful.

But I also have to admit

that there's another side to me,

and I'm sure to everyone else in this room, too.

There's the side that gets tired,

that gets distracted,

that gets sideswiped instead of sent,

that gets waylaid instead of led,

that gets lost on the way --

mired in the demands of daily life.

We are your fickle people, Lord

too ready to give up the best

for the good enough,

to substitute busyness

for purpose,

to listen to the desires of our own hearts rather

than to the desires of yours.

Forgive us.

Cleanse us.

Help us to turn around and begin again,

with you in the lead this time,

with you in the lead.

And we know that you will lead us

in two distinctly different,

but equally important directions -

you've shown us this in the life of Jesus,

you've taught us this in the words of scripture:

you will lead us out,

and you will lead us in -

out to the world in love and service,

but also,

also,

in to the center of ourselves

where, as the prophet Isaiah reminds us

so beautifully, we discover that,

"In repentance and rest is our salvation,

in quietness and trust is our strength..."

Repentance,

rest,

quietness,

trust...

these are what lead to salvation and strength;

these are what prepare us

and position us to

be sent,

to be led,

to be disciples.

So...help us, one and all, right now, right here -

to repent,

to rest,

to be quiet,

to trust.

To take the heaviest thoughts on our hearts

right this minute -

that person we love who is dying,

that child who is straying,

that marriage that is foundering

that divorce that is looming,

that illness that is threatening,

that paycheck that is missing,

that project that is falling apart

that relationship that is churning,

that school assignment that is overwhelming -

whatever it is that is heavy

and worrisome and scary -

help us to hold it before you

with trembling hands

and say...

"thy will be done."

"Thy will be done."

And help us to open our hands

and let...it...go!

Fill us with your peace,

free us from our chains,

feed us from your word,

empower us to do your work.

For Jesus' sake. Amen.

A Prayer for Father's Day, 2010

In my weekend reading, I was struck by this powerful paragraph written by Ann and Barry Ulanov, in their book, "Primary Speech: a Psychology of Prayer." Please listen carefully as it is a dense bit of writing, but oh! - it offers us such a rich understanding of what prayer is truly all about:

"Prayer articulates our longing for a fullness of being, our reaching out of the mind for what is beyond it, and [prayer] helps us find and love God and grow with our love. It is like the sun warming a seed into life, like the work of clearing away weeds and bringing water to the interior garden of St. Teresa's inspired imagery. Prayer enlarges our desire until it receives God's desire for us. In prayer we grow big enough to house God's desire for us, which is the Holy Spirit."

Let us pray together, articulating our longing as we do:

Great God,

Creator of the universe,

Redeemer of our souls,

you are indeed beyond, far beyond what our minds can grasp.

And we do long for you -

as a lost child longs for a parent,

as a lost sailor longs for land and home,

as those who grieve long for those they have lost.

Help us to grasp that all our longings

are really longings for the same thing -

we long for you, O God.

We long to be known,

to be heard,

to be understood,

to be loved.

And something within us knows that what we long for

cannot truly be found anywhere else but with You.

Sift through the weeds of our lives,

the distractions,

the divided loyalties,

the difficult memories,

the demands we place on ourselves that are

unhealthy and unholy and unnecessary.

Water us generously with grace and forgiveness,

refine and expand our desire for you!

Strengthen our resolve,

empower our wills,

transform our minds,

warm us into life,

as the sun warms the seed - warm us into real, true life.

And help us never to settle for anything less than that,

never to give our ultimate allegiance to anything other than that,

never to shirk from offering that kind of life

to those you put in our way.

Many of us today are celebrating - celebrating the wonderful truth

that we have or had fathers

who helped us to see and value real, true life,

whose desire for you was refined and defined and clarified

over a lifetime of devotion,

and who taught us to pay attention to our heart's desire.

Thank you for loving, believing dads.

Some of us today are missing those dads, those Good Dads,

because they're no longer here with us.

Help us to celebrate anyhow,

'to remember them with joy and with gratitude.

Some of us never really experienced that kind of father

in our lives at all,

and we're still trying to learn how to fill in the blanks

left over from difficult parenting.

Help us to celebrate progress made,

and to recognize the depth of our desire

for you to be our Good Father.

We ask you blessing this day

on all those in our community

who are now dads themselves -

may they feel blessed and valued and affirmed.

May they - and we - seek to

"enlarge our desire for you

until we are able to receive" -

miracle of miracles! -

"your own deep desire for us."

For that is the amazing truth

that is at the heart of our story

as followers of Jesus,

as believers in the God of Israel,

as people of the Book.

For that Book, the Word written,

and your Son Jesus, the Word living,

tell us again and again

that it is your longing for us

that set creation in motion.

It is your magnificent,

mystifying,

life-giving love for us,

your desire for us -

that holds this universe together,

that holds the church together,

that holds our hearts together,

that holds us.

So, Lord God, help us to be people of prayer,

for it is in that heart-to-heart communication,

that sharing of our dreams and desires,

our wishes and wonderings,

that we can,

"grow big enough to house your desire for us,"

to fully embrace and welcome the Holy Spirit,

whose presence in us is life eternal.

In the name of Jesus we pray. Amen.

A Prayer for Ordinary Time...

Wow. Didn't realize it had been so long since I posted anything. Here is the prayer from this morning's worship service - a service which I led, in the absence of our Senior Pastor, who is on a much-needed, long-awaited vacation/study leave in the south of France. (A good friend, John Notehelfer, stepped in to preach as there was no time or energy for either preparation or delivery!) Unfortunately, I'm not in tip-top shape even for worship-leading, as it turns out. Still in recovery mode from a scary bout of blood clots in both lungs, which required hospitalization for a couple of days and a continuing - now 11 day - recovery and recuperation. I marshaled my energies for the morning, and then pretty much crashed all afternoon, more tired than I can just about ever remember being. Our bodies are indeed 'fearfully and wonderfully made,' and when they get out of whack, one needs to pay attention.

Today is the 2nd Sunday in the season of Pentecost on the church calendar - also called Ordinary Time. And that's what about 99% of life is, isn't it? Ordinary time. Here is a prayer for such a time, beginning with a line from our offertory hymn of the morning:

"...his strength shall bear you up, and nerve your heart, and brace your arm."

There are days, Lord,

when we truly need

to have our 'hearts nerved'

and our 'arms braced.'

There are days, Lord,

when it seems as though whatever it is we are carrying

weighs a couple of tons.

There are days, Lord,

when we need to stop on the road a while,

take a deep breath,

and wait;

wait for your sweet,

sometimes subtle,

yet always reliable

strength,

to bear our spirits up.

And for many of us this morning,

today is one of those days.

Some of us have come through

wonderful times of celebration recently -

graduation day,

wedding day,

even a birth-day for beautiful new Isabella Faith.

We're grateful for milestone celebrations such as these,

because they bring us reminders of your good gifts of

grace and goodness,

faith and faithfulness,

connection and commitment.

But because we are frail creatures of dust,

even parties can wear us out,

can cause rough edges in our relationships,

when schedules have to be set,

tasks have to be done,

deadlines have to be met.

So, will you sit with us,

by the side of the road this morning, Lord?

Help us to breathe deeply of your love,

and to wait for your strength to fill us

for whatever comes next.

For others of us today,

celebration has had to be pushed aside to

make way for more urgent concerns:

failing health,

failing bank accounts,

failing relationships,

exhausted resources.

We are truly in need of a roadside rest,

space to wait,

for our hearts to be nerved,

and our arms to be braced,

and our spirits to be borne up by your strength.

And while we're sitting here,

on the side of the roadway of life,

it seems important for us to offer to you

some words of apology and contrition.

Because not one of us can manage to get through a single day,

even a single hour,

without revealing the shadows

of sin and brokenness that mar your image in us.

So, please hear our silent words of confession as we offer them to you:

-- SILENCE --

Amazingly, dear Lord, we must also declare that there are moments,

here and there, once in a while,

when we know that you're with us, at work in us,

reaching through us to others in need,

or simply filling us with deeply joyful gratitude -

because we're alive,

because we're loved,

because we are.

And for these moments, we want to say, 'thank you.'

'Thank you so much."

--SILENCE--

We've brought gifts of love today, Lord God -

money that can be used to bring the gospel good news

of hope and healing into needy hearts and bodies,

both here and around the world.

We set these gifts aside for holy purposes today,

grateful that we can bring them,

grateful that you will use them.

Prepare our hearts to meet you today,

to hear from your word through your servant, John,

to hear your song of love to us,

even as we sing songs together,

to taste and see that that LORD is good

as we share together in bread and cup.

And then send us out,

arms braced,

hearts nerved,

spirits borne up by your strength,

refreshed from our

stopping

and sitting

and waiting,

ready to hit the road again,

with joy that is contagious,

with grace that is generous,

with thanksgiving that is overflowing,

with Jesus himself, alive and well within us.

For it is in his name,

and for his sake that we pray. Amen.

A Prayer for the 1st Sunday in Lent...

written by Diana R.G. Trautwein

for worship at

Montecito Covenant Church

February 21, 2010

Interspersed with words from Psalm 84

"How lovely is your dwelling place, LORD Almighty!

My soul yearns, even faints, for the courts of the LORD;

my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God."

We gather this morning

as your yearning people, O Lord.

We join the psalmist in crying out for you,

the living God.

Beneath everything else we think we want,

below the surface dreams and fantasies,

sitting at bedrock in the center of ourselves,

is a deep longing for you.

You alone can fill the empty spaces

in our spirits,

and you can fill them

with life

and hope

and peace.

How lovely, indeed.

"Even the sparrow has found a home,

and the swallow a nest for herself,

where she may have her young—

a place near your altar,

LORD Almighty, my King and my God."

"Even the sparrow...."

the smallest, most ordinary,

everyday house bird

can find a place of welcome

and rest in your presence.

Your mercy and grace are like that, O Lord,

and we are grateful.

There is room for the likes of us

near your altar,

sparrow or swallow,

young or old,

male or female,

strong or frail -

there is room,

there is welcome,

there is rest,

there is home.

Thank you.

"Blessed are those who dwell in your house;

they are ever praising you.

Blessed are those whose strength is in you,

whose hearts are set on pilgrimage."

And we do praise you this morning, O God.

We praise you that you are our home.

that you are our strength.

And as we this week begin

our annual Lenten pilgrimage -

our journey to the cross of Good Friday,

and the empty tomb of Easter Sunday -

we want to set our hearts to it.

We want to open ourselves to the

refining,

sharpening,

quickening work of your Spirit.

May our souls be formed more and more

into the likeness of Jesus,

even as we place our feet on the Calvary road,

the way that leads through

the reflection and repentance of Lent

to the celebration and feasting

of Resurrection Sunday.

"Hear my prayer, LORD God Almighty;

listen to me, God of Jacob."

The psalmist beseeches you to listen, Lord God,

to hear and answer.

And we offer prayers as well,

prayers for ourselves -

that we might live more fully into

your picture of us as beloved sons and daughters.

And as your children, we offer prayers for our children,

most especially this morning

for those high school students -

who really are all our children -

and their leaders as they play and worship

and learn together this weekend.

Guide, protect, instruct, refresh -

work your way in their lives,

calling each one of them to recognize and to honor

their own deep yearning for you.

We pray for those who are wrestling

with hard stuff today, Lord -

those who have lost a loved one

like Tom Dalton has this week

in the passing of his mother;

those who are facing treatment for cancer,

or surgery of one kind or another,

or who live with a chronic illness,

or long-term pain -

please bring healing and hope

into each of these situations.

We pray for those who live with

or who care for those who live with

mental and emotional distress and illness,

or the slow, lingering loss

of memory and sense of self

that comes with dementia.

Bring refreshment and hope and courage into

each unique situation and relationship.

Strengthen and encourage

your servant and friend, Helen,

as she brings for us your word of blessing this morning.

Thank you for her inspired leadership this past week

and for the truths she has skillfully

and gently guided us toward.

Thank you for the invitation

to bring our requests and concerns

right into your lovely dwelling place, O Lord,

and thank you that you listen with love.

"Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere;

I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God

than dwell in the tents of the wicked."

For the LORD God is a sun and shield;

the LORD bestows favor and honor;

no good thing does he withhold from those

whose walk is blameless.

LORD Almighty, blessed are those who trust in you."

O help us to be counted among those

who trust in you, Lord Almighty,

that our walk might be blameless,

that we might forever be found in your courts,

gifted recipients of your favor and honor.

We pray these things in the name of

the only truly blameless one, even

Jesus Christ,

our good shepherd,

elder brother,

Savior and Lord.

Amen.