A Concord Pastor Comments: Monday Morning Offering

Image: George Mendoza

Good morning, good God!

So very many different things, Lord,
filling my schedule, my nights and days;
commanding my attention, focusing my vision;
jamming my thoughts, renting space in my heart...

So many things, Lord - and they're good things:
my day to day work and the people who email, who call,
who come by to chat, to laugh and cry;
the people whose cares and concerns cross my path
by appointment, by grace, by the Spirit's surprise...

There are deadlines for meetings and writing assignments,
work to be done for Lent, for Holy Week and Easter,
for programs this spring that need a share of my time...

All that's on my calendar, Lord,
while in my soul wait my own cares and concerns,
my troubles and trials unknown to most but shared with a few
and with you in my prayer, in the time that we spend, you and I,
in the quiet, in my prayer room, in my car, in the shower,
at any moment, in any of the places where your Spirit
nudges my mind and heart to remember you're with me,
you're by my side, my companion, my mentor, my help...

Help me sort things out, Lord,
to know what's important and what's not so much;
to know where you lead me beyond my own wants;
to know what's mine to do and what's mine to delegate;
to know how you would have me choose apart from my desires;
to know where in the long term you are leading
that I might know how in the short term I should act;
to know your will before my own
and be honest in responding to your call;
to know when I must do what I don't want to do,
to say what I must say when I'd rather just say nothing;
to lead where I must lead when it's not where I want to go...

Help me sort things out, Lord:
give me patience in my response to others;
let my words be gentle, my thoughts well reasoned,
my decisions grounded in your Spirit's counsel;
let me be generous with my time and, at the same time,
a good steward of the time you give me;
let me be generous with any treasure that is mine
for where my treasure is, there also will my heart be;
help me guard the time I spend with you and let nothing
keep me from my prayer and your presence in my life...

When blessed with joy, let my heart be open wide
to receive and to share it, to rejoice in such a gift;
when I find sadness in my day, my own or others',
then let my heart be open wide to healing, to your grace,
to the comfort of your presence
and to any way that I might console the hearts
of others bearing sorrow...

Give me grace, Lord, lest the sorrow of others rob me of my joy,
lest my happiness and joy blind me to others' needs...

When I'm too busy, Lord, then slow me down;
and when I'm lazy, kick my butt;
when I don't know what to do next, show me
and give me the wisdom I need to know
the plans you have for me and the plans I need to make...

So very many different things, Lord,
filling my schedule, my nights and days;
commanding my attention, focusing my vision;
jamming my thoughts, renting space in my heart...

Let me not forget how much I need you:
without your help, Lord, I will fail;
without your inspiration, my words will be empty;
without your grace I will turn in on myself;
without your peaceful presence, I am empty;
without your Spirit, I have no compass;
without your mercy, I have no hope;
without your love I will be lost and all alone...

Let me not forget how much I need you, Lord...

So I offer you this morning my day and the week that lies ahead:
walk ahead of me to show the way;
walk beside me and be my friend;
walk behind me and keep me safe...

Occupy my mind and purify my thoughts;
settle in my heart and make of it your home;
calm me in my soul with the healing and the peace
that only you can give...

I offer you, Lord, my day, my week and my heart:
make of me and my time an instrument of your peace
and keep me faithful to your love...