Hear my cry, O God; listen to my prayer

Hear my cry, O God; listen to my prayer. From the ends of the earth I call to you, when my heart is faint. Lead me to the rock that is higher than I; for you are my refuge, a strong tower against the enemy.

Psalm 61:1-3 NRSV

May the power of your love, Lord Christ

May the power of your love, Lord Christ, fiery and sweet, so absorb our hearts as to withdraw them from all that is under heaven; grant that we may be ready to die for love of your love, as you died for love of our love. Amen.

Francis of Assisi (1181-1226)

I love thy kingdom, Lord

I love thy kingdom, Lord, the house of thine abode,
The church our blest Redeemer saved with his own precious blood.

I love thy church, O God! Her walls before thee stand
Dear as the apple of thine eye, and graven on thy hand.

For her my tears shall fall, for her my prayers ascend,
To her my cares and toils be given, till toils and cares shall end.

Beyond my highest joy I prize her heavenly ways,
Her sweet communion, solemn vows, her hymns of love and praise.

Sure as thy truth shall last, to Zion shall be given
The brightest glories earth can yield, and brighter bliss of heaven.

Timothy Dwight, 1801

The Telephone

The Telephone

I have just hung up; why did he telephone?
I don't know . . . O! I get it . . .
I talked a lot and listened very little.

Forgive me, Lord, it was a monologue and not a dialogue.
I explained my idea and did not get his;
Since I didn't listen, I learned nothing,
Since I didn't listen, I didn't help,
Since I didn't listen, we didn't communicate.

Forgive me, Lord, for we were connected,
And now we are cut off.

Michael Quoist (1921 - )

Good Jesus, Father of the fatherless, God of the lonely

Good Jesus, Father of the fatherless, God of the lonely;
Teach me through loneliness to be alone with thee.

Good Jesus, who speakest to the secret heart;
Let loneliness be thy presence in my soul.

E.B. Pusey (1800-1882)

Help me, O Lord, to be more loving

Help me, O Lord, to be more loving. Help me, O Lord, not to be afraid to love the outcast, the leper, the unmarried pregnant woman, the traitor to the State, the man out of prison. Help me by my love to restore the faith of the disillusioned, the disappointed, the early bereaved. Help me by my love to be the witness of your love. And may I this coming day be able to do some work of peace for you.

Alan Paton (1903-88)

Word of God, come down on earth

Word of God, come down on earth,

living rain from heaven descending;

Touch our hearts and bring to birth

faith and hope and love unending.

Word almighty, we revere you;

Word made flesh, we long to hear you.



Word eternal, throned on high,

Word that brought to life creation,

Word that came from heaven to die,

crucified for our salvation,

saving Word, the world restoring,

speak to us, your love outpouring.



Word that caused blind eyes to see,

speak and heal our mortal blindness;

Deaf we are: our healer be;

Loose our tongues to tell your kindness.

Be our Word in pity spoken;

heal the world, by our sin broken.



Word that speaks your Father’s love,

One with God beyond all telling,

Word that sends us from above

God the Spirit, with us dwelling,

Word of truth, to all truth lead us;

Word of life, with one Bread feed us.



James Quinn, 1969 (from the United Methodist Hymnal)

Jesus . . . you know how often in my wretched imperfection

Jesus . . . you know how often in my wretched imperfection I allow myself to be distracted, when I should be looking steadily at the sun which claims all my attention. I am like a bird, picking up a piece of grain first on this side, then on that side, running off to catch a worm, coming across a pond and wetting its feathers there, and even having a look at some pretty flowers it passes. Since I cannot compete with the eagles, I am more ready to occupy my mind with the trifles of earth.



But, dear Jesus, after all these infidelities, I don’t rush away into a corner and weep. I turn back to the sun which is the center of my love and dry my bedraggled wings in its rays . . . I throw myself recklessly on the Father . . . After all, haven’t you told us that you came to call sinners, not the righteous?



Therese of Lisieux (1873-1897)

A Circle and a Line

O eternal and most gracious God, who, considered in thyself, art a circle, first and last, and altogether; but, considered in thy working upon us, art a direct line, and leadest us from our beginning, through all our ways, to our end, enable me by thy grace to look forward to mine end, and to look backward too, to the considerations of thy mercies afforded me from the beginning; that so by that practice of considering thy mercy, in my beginning in this world . . . and thy mercy in the beginning in the other world, when thou writest me in the book of life . .. I may come to a holy consideration of thy mercy in the beginning of all my actions here.



John Donne (1572-1631)

O, my sweet Savior Christ, who in your undeserved love towards humankind

O my sweet Savior Christ, who in your undeserved love towards humankind so kindly suffered the painful death of the cross, do not allow me to be cold or lukewarm in love again towards you.



Sir Thomas More (1478-1535)

In times of doubts and questionings

In times of doubts and questionings, when our belief is perplexed by new learning, new thought, when our faith is strained by creeds, by doctrines, by mysteries beyond our understanding, give us the faithfulness of learners and the courage of believers in thee . . . save us and help us, we humbly beseech thee, O Lord.



Chiefly, O Lord, we beseech thee, give us knowledge of thee, to see thee in all thy works, always to feel thy presence near, to hear and know thy call. May thy Spirit be our spirit, our words thy words, and thy will our will, and in all shortcomings and infirmities may we have sure faith in thee, save us and help us, we humbly beseech thee, O Lord.



From the Southwell Litany

Give us knowledge of ourselves, our powers and weaknesses

Give us knowledge of ourselves, our powers and weaknesses, our spirit, our sympathy, our imagination, our knowledge, our truth; teach us by the standard of thy Word, by the judgments of others, by examinations of ourselves. . . from all fancies, delusions, and prejudices of habit, or temper, or society, save us and help us, we humbly beseech thee, O Lord.



Give us true knowledge of other people in their differences from us and in their likenesses to us, that we may deal with their real selves, measuring their feelings by our own, but patiently considering their varied lives and thoughts and circumstances; and in all our relations to them, from false judgments of our own, from misplaced trust and distrust, from misplaced giving and refusing, from misplaced praise and rebuke, save us and help us, we humbly beseech thee, O Lord.



From the Southwell Litany

From weariness in continuing struggles

From weariness in continuing struggles; from despondency in failure and disappointment; from overburdened sense of unworthiness . . . raise us to a lively hope and trust in thy presence and mercy, in the power of faith and prayer; and from all exaggerated fears and vexations, save us and help us, we humbly beseech thee, O Lord.



In all times of ignorance and perplexity as to what is right and best to do, direct us, O Lord, with wisdom to judge aright, order our ways and overrule our circumstances as thou canst in thy good Providence; and in our mistakes and misunderstandings, save us and help us, we humbly beseech thee, O Lord.



From the Southwell Litany

From weakness of judgment

From weakness of judgment; from the indecision that can make no choice and the irresolution that carries no choice to act; and from losing opportunities to serve thee; save us and help us we humbly beseech thee, O Lord.



From infirmity of purpose; from want of earnest care and interest; from the sluggishness of indolence, and the slackness of indifference; and from all spiritual deadness of heart; save us and help us, we humbly beseech thee, O Lord.



From dullness of conscience; from feeble sense of duty; from thoughtless disregard of consequences to others; from a low idea of the obligations of our Christian calling; and from all half-heartedness in our service for thee; save us and help us, we humbly beseech thee, O Lord.



From the Southwell Litany

O Lord, open our minds to see ourselves as thou

O Lord, open our minds to see ourselves as thou seest us, or even as others see us and we see others, and from all unwillingness to know our infirmities, save us and help us, we humbly beseech thee, O Lord.



From moral weakness of spirit; from timidity; from hesitation; from fear of others and dread of responsibility, strengthen us with the courage to speak the truth in love and self-control; and alike from the weakness of hasty violence and weakness of moral cowardice, save and help us, we humbly beseech thee, O Lord.



From the Southwell Litany by George Ridding (1828-1904)

A Psalm of David

A Psalm of David.

1 O LORD, our Lord,
how majestic is your name in all the earth!
You have set your glory
above the heavens.

2 From the lips of children and infants
you have ordained praise
because of your enemies,
to silence the foe and the avenger.

3 When I consider your heavens,
the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars,
which you have set in place,

4 what is man that you are mindful of him,
the son of man that you care for him?

5 You made him a little lower than the heavenly beings
and crowned him with glory and honor.

6 You made him ruler over the works of your hands;
you put everything under his feet:

7 all flocks and herds,
and the beasts of the field,

8 the birds of the air,
and the fish of the sea,
all that swim the paths of the seas.

9 O LORD, our Lord,
how majestic is your name in all the earth!

May God the Father and the eternal High Priest Jesus Christ

May God the Father and the eternal High Priest Jesus Christ, build us up in faith and truth and love, and grant to us our portion among the saints with all those who believe on our Lord Jesus Christ. We pray for all saints, for kings and rulers, for the enemies of the Cross of Christ, and for ourselves we pray that our fruit may abound and we be made perfect in Christ Jesus our Lord.



Bishop Polycarp, 69-155

Prosper the labors of all churches bearing the name of Christ

Prosper the labors of all churches bearing the name of Christ and striving to further righteousness and faith in Him. Help us to place thy truth above our conception of it and joyfully to recognize the presence of thy Holy Spirit wherever he may choose to dwell among men. Teach us wherein we are sectarian in our intentions and give us grace humbly to confess our fault . . . that we may become worthy and competent to bind up in the church the wounds of which we are guilty, and hasten the day when there shall be one fold under one Shepherd, Jesus Christ our Lord.

Charles Henry Brent (1862-1929)

African Canticle - All you big things, bless the Lord

All you big things, bless the Lord
Mount Kilimanjaro and Lake Victoria
The Rift Valley and the Serengeti Plain
Fat baobabs and shady mango trees
All eucalyptus and tamarind trees
Bless the Lord
Praise and extol him for ever and ever.
All you tiny things, bless the Lord
Busy black ants and hopping fleas
Wriggling tadpoles and mosquito larvae
Flying locusts and water drops
Pollen dust and tsetse flies
Millet seeds and dried dagaa
Bless the Lord
Praise and extol him for ever and ever.

An African canticle

And shall I pray Thee change They will, my Father

And shall I pray Thee change Thy will, my Father,
Until it be according unto mine?
But, no, Lord, no, that never shall be, rather
I pray Thee blend my human will with Thine.

I pray Thee hush the hurrying, eager longing,
I pray Thee soothe the pangs of keen desire --
See in my quiet places, wishes thronging --
Forbid them, Lord, purge, though it be with fire.

And work in me to will and do Thy pleasure
Let all within me, peaceful, reconciled,
Tarry content my Well-Beloved's leisure,
At last, at last, even as a weaned child.

Amy Carmichael (1867-1951) -- an Irish missionary to India