Morning Prayers
The kingdoms of the world
Have become the kingdom of our God
And of his Son,
Whose glory will be known
To the ends of the earth,
To the end of the age,
And throughout all ages to come.
Prayer of Allegiance
Jesus, our Lord,
The kingdom and the power and the glory are yours,
And we submit your reign.
We submit to your love, to your justice, to your Way.
We submit to each other in love, as you have called us to do.
We submit to the authorities (whoever they may be)
In the lands we inhabit.
They have our compliance, but not our love.
They have our acquiescence, but not our allegiance.
Let us, today, embrace the challenge
Of living at peace with all,
Whether friend or adversary,
Whether ally or opponent.
If we are blessed, or if we are cursed,
Let us seek your peace
With those to whom you have given life.
Personal prayers for others
Readings:
As many of these scripture readings as you like can be read throughout the week. Since you won’t be tested on them, feel free to skip any if you prefer to read just a few or even one passage slowly and contemplatively.
Old Testament: Genesis 8:15-22; 9:1-17
Psalms: Psalms 12 and 13
Gospel: Mark 4:1-20
Epistle: Galatians 1:1-10
Prayer of Truth to Power
Father in the heavens,
The nations resist your Anointed One
And men of power reject his Way.
They see no power in a humility;
They see no gain in sacrifice;
They see no strength in mercy.
They know little of the overwhelming force of love,
Little of the healing that comes from justice,
Little of the blessing that comes from seeking peace.
Like a saw cutting against the grain of wood,
So the teachings of Jesus provoke them.
As wind cannot be caught in the hand,
So the flow of his Spirit eludes them.
More than the great mysteries of the cosmos,
So his mode of being confuses them.
May the Way of Jesus be realized here, where we stand.
May its power – the power of love, justice, mercy and truth –
Enfold everyone in its embrace.
And may the rulers of the world
Willingly surrender to its coming.
Personal prayers for others
Our Father:
Our Father in the heavens,
May your name be hallowed.
Let your kingdom come to the earth,
So that your will is done as it is in heaven.
Give to us today's bread,
And forgive us our wrongs,
As we forgive those who wrong us,
And do not bring us not into the test,
But rescue us from evil.
Evening Prayers
The kingdoms of the world
Have become the kingdom of our God
And of his Son,
Whose glory will be known
To the ends of the earth,
To the end of the age,
And throughout all ages to come.
Phos Hilaron
Hail, gladdening light of the holy glory of the immortal Father:
The heavenly, holy and blessed Jesus, the Anointed One.
Having come to the setting of the sun,
Having seen the evening light,
We praise Father, Son and Holy Spirit, God.
It is right that you should be praised at all times and with fitting voices,
Son of God, giver of life.
Therefore, the whole earth gives you glory.
Prayer for the Coming Day
Lord, help me to greet the day to come
With eagerness to do your will:
To act with love,
To speak with humility,
To offer mercy,
To walk in grace,
To advocate for justice,
To care for the stranger.
Personal prayers for tomorrow
Prayer of Allegiance
Jesus, our Lord,
The kingdom and the power and the glory are yours,
And we submit your reign.
We submit to your love, to your justice, to your Way.
We submit to each other in love, as you have called us to do.
We submit to the authorities (whoever they may be)
In the lands we inhabit.
They have our compliance, but not our love.
They have our acquiescence, but not our allegiance.
Let us, tomorrow, embrace the challenge
Of living at peace with all,
Whether friend or adversary,
Whether ally or opponent.
If we are blessed, or if we are cursed,
Let us seek your peace
With those to whom you have given life.
Personal prayers for others
Our Father:
Our Father in the heavens,
May your name be hallowed.
Let your kingdom come to the earth,
So that your will is done as it is in heaven.
Give to us today's bread,
And forgive us our wrongs,
As we forgive those who wrong us,
And do not bring us not into the test,
But rescue us from evil.
Benediction:
The age is dark
With raging nations and demagogues,
But the light of God
And of Jesus goes with you,
And all who push against the nationalist tide.
Adam Lee Benner
A teacher and writer born and raised in New Jersey’s Philadelphia suburbs, Adam writes about his former life in American Christian nationalism and the Evangelical right – and (hopefully) better ways to be Christian. He lived for several years with his wife and best friend, Renée, as missionaries in Asia before relocating to her hometown of Melbourne, Australia with their two sons.
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