A Concord Pastor Comments: NIGHT PRAYER: Tuesday 10/20

It was over seven months ago (April 2) that I began this series of daily Night Prayers. In announcing this, I wrote, "This will be a trial period. I pledge to provide a daily Night Prayer at least until the 'stay at home' regulations are relaxed. At that point, and with an eye to your response, I'll take stock and decide whether or not to continue."

Well, we're far beyond those initial "stay at home" weeks - but the end of restrictions on our comings and goings and our interactions with each other is certainly yet farther down the road. So these Night Prayers will continue - and I'm happy to continue to provide them since writing them has become as much a part of my prayer life as reading them has become part of yours.

In the beginning, these prayers were much more specifically "night" prayers - but there are only so many ways you can vary that theme! So, while my Night Prayers generally aren't texts I post for each day's morning Pause for Prayer, they've become more thematically general. I think at this point, I can't imagine not writing a night prayer for my blog, for you, my faithful readers...

Lord,

we're here again tonight, all of us,

all of us who come to this cyber chapel each evening,

some just after supper, some much later, just before bed...

We gather together

though we don't see each other,

we pray together

though we don't hear other voices,

we sing together

though we don't know if we're all in tune...

What we do know, Lord, is that every evening

you meet us in our virtual chapel,

you're there waiting for us when we drop in,

you're all ears, listening to hear the story of our day,

you open your arms to gather us in and gather us together,

you hold us close and whisper,

All shall be well, all shall be well,

all manner of things shall be well...

Tonight we pray for one another, Lord,

for all of us gathered by the wi-fi of your Spirit's power,

connected by faith, united in trust, made one in the prayer

we offer you together...

Make us mindful of one another, Lord,

and know that in the heart of each

is a prayer for the needs of all

and love for the many

who are one with us tonight...

Protect us, Lord, while we're awake

and watch over us when we fall asleep

(in different time zones 'round the world!)

that awake, we might keep watch with you

and asleep, rest in your peace...

Amen.

Two options for our musical reflection tonight. First is an instrumental piece by Arvo Part, one of my favorite composers. I offer it with the thought that you might just close your eyes

and imagine in your heart all those who are with you in spirit as you pray this post tonight... And second is John Rutter's "Deep Peace" which I offer as a blessing/lullabye each of us might pray/sing for one another as we gather in the Lord's presence this evening...

Spiegel im Spiegel (Mirror in the Mirror) by Arvo Part

Leonhard Roczek, cello; Herbert Schuch, piano