Monday Morning Offering - 64

Image: George Mendoza

Good morning, good God!

It's September in your parish, Lord,
and everything is starting up,
beginning again, getting in gear,
cranking up to running speed...

That means that life is exciting,
challenging, stressful, promising,
annoying, moving much too slowly,
moving much to quickly and sometimes,
it seems, not moving anywhere at all!

So I offer you this morning, Lord, my anticipation
of work to be done in your name,
for the good of your people
and for the sake of the gospel..

I offer you my worry
that what I do is not enough
and my surety
that I never do enough
and the insecurity
that makes me do more than I need
and my trust
that my mistakes can never shorten
the reach of your arm...

I offer you the frustrations of these days
and ask for patience, gentleness,
a smile on my face and a welcome in my voice
especially when I want to pout or whine or scream...

I offer you my weaknesses,
the ones others see and the ones only you see,
and I ask for your strength to fill in
the gaps, the errors, the mistakes in my work
lest any be harmed or cheated by my carelessness...

I offer you the busyness of these days
and ask you to slow me down
to rest, to pray, to praise you for all you do...

Slow me down, Lord,
that I might see your face in those around me,
hear your voice in other's pleas,
sense your presence in every place I go...

I offer you the best of what my work might yield:
let me not forget that you are the source
of all my words, ideas and gifts,
that your Spirit is the font from where flows
the grace that graces our parish life...

Make me mindful, Lord,
of all who make their way through these September days
and help me to walk with care among the many
whose paths cross mine...

Good God of Monday mornings,
I offer you these days and nights of new beginnings
and pray you bring to fulfillment
the holy work you have begun
in the hearts of all your people...

Amen.

-ConcordPastor