Prayer
God beyond vision,
God beyond time,
God beyond everything,
yet contained within it all,
may we dream again,
catch the vision,
and let it grow in us.So in our town,
in the places where questions are asked,
may we live those questions,
seek adventures,
that allow the light of hope
to break through.
In our neighbourhood,
in the places of loneliness,
may we be companions
that open up a welcome,
that brings in those
who need compassion.In our world
in the places of poverty,
may we be richness
in our standing with people,
that we hear their story
and let it affect who we are.God of vision
may we dream the vision
that is already waiting to be heard
in our world,
among your people,
all around us
if only we had ears to hear it
and eyes to witness its waiting.Amen
Source: Spill The Beans Issue 36
Readings:
Song: Children of the Earth
Psalm 90: 1-6, 13-17
Lord, in every generation
you have been house and home to us.You are God, and have been from time before time;
even before you brought the mountains to birth;
even before you created the planet or anything on it.You tell us when our time is up,
and return us to the earth from which we came.From where you look,
a thousand years is like the blink of an eye,
and the ancient past like yesterday.Our lives pass as if you had erased them completely;
they are gone like a dream.
Like cut flowers they are fresh and new one day,
and faded memories the next.It’s time for a change, LORD.
Hasn’t this gone on long enough?
For pity’s sake, it’s time to give us a break.Let a new day dawn
and give us our fill of your love and loyalty,
so that our lives may be full of smiles and laughter
till the end of our days.Give us more days of happiness
than the days of suffering you sent.
May the years where evil reigned
be cancelled out by years of joy.Make your actions clear to those of us in your service;
let your children see your strength in all its glory.Put us in your good books, O Lord our God,
©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net
and give us a rich return for all our labour —
may the work of our hands turn to gold!
Sermon – O God, our help in ages past
Ian Bartholomew shares this week’s reflection on Psalm 90.
Access this week’s reflection as a pdf:
Song: O God, Our Help in Ages Past
Prayer For Others
Leaning In: A Prayer of Intention
We pray for the lonely ones
knowing that some of us are lonely
and we pray for the heartbroken ones
knowing that some of us are heartbrokenAll our hearts and minds
are leaning in with clear intention
joining in your way
of love in the worldWe pray for the wounded
knowing that some of us are wounded
and we pray for the regretful ones
knowing that some of us are regretfulAll our hearts and minds
are leaning in with clear intention
joining in your
way of love in the healingWe pray for the starving ones
knowing that some of us are starving
and we pray for the imprisoned ones
knowing that some of us are imprisonedAll our hearts and minds
are leaning in with clear intention
joining in your way
of justice in the worldWe pray for the dying ones
knowing that some of us are dying
and we pray for the newly born ones
knowing that some of us are arrivingAll our hearts and minds
are leaning in with clear intention
joining in your way
of love in the worldAmen.
Words by Christopher Grundy
2013. Hand & Soil Music
Closing Prayer
With thankful hearts,
for Moses and Aaron and Joshua,
for their call to follow God,
for the witness of generations,
for the part we play
in the continuing story of your people, we go encouraged to serve you,
to seek to build your Kingdom,
here,
now,
this week,
for ever.
Song: Psalm 90
Go Deeper
Pray The Psalm:
Try practicing Lectio Divina with the psalm for this week, you can use the instructions here on our website.
Rewrite The Psalm:
Spend some time this week and rewrite the Psalm in your own words, share it with us and we’ll add it to the website.
Art:
Grab some textas, pencils or paint, choose a few lines from the psalm and allow the to inspire you to paint/draw/sketch.
Commentary:
- Psalm 90:1-8 [9-11] 12 Commentary by Rolf Jacobson
- Psalm 90:12-17 Commentary by J. Clinton McCann
- Psalm 90:1-8 [9-11] 12 Commentary by James K. Mead
- Psalm 90:12-17 Commentary by Matthew Stith
Audio:
Check out this week’s Pulpit Fiction Podcast for Richard Bruxvoort-Collligan’s nugget on Psalm 90. It starts at 39:05
