A Cost of Living Liturgy

Let’s be real: inflation and cost-of-living issues are affecting us all, and some more than others. And though we may speak of policies, or of the actions of rich corporations, or of the spending habits of the average citizen, to a great extent these periods of inflation appear stitched into the fabric of the world’s systems. Not the best of all possible worlds, but the world we find ourselves in.

Thus, a series of centring prayers seems like a worthy daily endeavour.

Morning Prayers

Matchless is the Lord in glory:
Father, Son and Spirit.
So it has always been,
And so it will remain,
From the dawning of this age,
To the rising of the next,
And to all ages to come.

Prayer for Looking Outward

God who sees,
As prices rise and quantities shrink,
As today's earnings lack yesterday's power, 
As bills appear to attack in waves,
As once-cherished security falters,
Let us remember the other, the neighbour, the friend.

Give us your eyes, that we might see beyond ourselves.
Give us your hands, that we might remain generous.
Give us your heart, that we might feel others' needs. 
Give us your resources to meet the needs we can.

May we be to others what you ask us to be,
You who care for the poor, the outcast,
The orphan, the widow, the foreigner.

Give us the strength and the will to look outward.

Personal prayers for others

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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 13 (fitting for this liturgy)
Psalms: Psalms 18 (also fitting for this liturgy)
Gospel: Mark 5:21-43; 6:1-6
Epistle: Galatians 3:1-14

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Prayer for Sustaining

Our Lord, who shoulders our burdens,
Who so often shoulders us,
Shoulder us again through arid landscapes,
Through the troubled waters of life.
Sustain us once more through trial,
You who knows we must eat,
Who knows we must have shelter,
Who knows we must have clothing,
Who knows bills must be paid;
You who knows there are others
We must feed and clothe and shelter.

Let our funds be sufficient,
Let our food be enough,
Let our houses be sturdy,
Let our clothing be durable,
Let our decisions be wise.

Sustain us again, Lord, as you always have.

Personal prayers for today

Our Father

Our Father in the heavens,
Let your name be called holy.
Let your kingdom come to the earth
So that your will is done, just as in heaven.
Support us today with all that we need,
And forgive us our false steps,
As we forgive the false steps of others,
And do not bring us not into the test,
But rescue us from evil.

Evening Prayers

Matchless is the Lord in glory:
Father, Son and Spirit.
So it has always been,
And so it will remain,
From the dawning of this age,
To the rising of the next,
And to all ages to come.

Prayer for a New World

God from whom all goodness emerges,
The world we see is far from the world we want.
Its systems and conventions pale before your radiance –
Systems that reward the rich and condemn the poor,
That turn justice on its head and enable the unethical, 
That empower the power-hungry and disempower the hungry.

We long for a world that is new, 
A world where kindness and justice abound,
Where all eat and are filled,
Where the sick are made well,
Where those in danger are protected,
Where power is no longer usurped by the few,
Where all is made right, all is made good.

It's the world of your kingdom we hunger to see;
Let it come to the earth, and let it come soon.

Personal prayers for others

Prayer for Tomorrow’s Supply

Tomorrow, as we wake,
As we walk,
As we work,
As we meet,
As we converse,
As we shop,
As we seek,
As we eat,
As we rest,
May we find, Lord, 
All we need, given, 
All we must have, supplied,
All we must use, provided,
For ourselves and for others.

Personal prayers for ourselves

Our Father

Our Father in the heavens,
Let your name be called holy.
Let your kingdom come to the earth
So that your will is done, just as in heaven.
Support us today with all that we need,
And forgive us our false steps,
As we forgive the false steps of others,
And do not bring us not into the test,
But rescue us from evil.

Benediction

May God bless you and keep you;
May the face of God shine upon you;
May God be gracious to you;
May God grant you ease of being.

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