Some beautiful music...

 

A few days ago I posted a link (also at the top of the sidebar here) to the homily I preached on Sunday, March 27, at West Concord Union Church in Concord, MA.  It was Special Music Sunday at WCUC and so there was an abundance of musical prayer. I was pleased to serve as cantor as well as homilist.

Here's a link to the musical elements of that service.  The choir is under the direction of my friend, Jim Barkovic.  You'll find the two psalms I canted amid the videos at the link.

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Pause for Prayer: FRIDAY 4/1

As I come to you this Lent, Lord,

help me ease the burdens 

of those I meet and know,

walking by my side...

Open up my heart to see
how my troubles shrink
when I reach to help my neighbors
carry what they bear...

Open wide my eyes 

that I not miss my neighbor's spirit, bent

beneath the weight of worry

hidden from plain view...

 

Open up my ears to others' silent cries
when they can't find the breath,
the words they need, 

to ask me for my help...

And open, Lord, my timid lips 

to speak what words might help and heal

- and let me know when just my silence 

whispers all that needs be said...

Open wide my arms to catch the falling:
lifting up, embracing them
with strength and prayer and hope
to help them face another day...

Open wide the hearts of all

in loving sacrifice

for when we give our hearts away, 

Lord, we give them back to you...

 

Amen.

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NIGHT PRAYER: Thursday

The later sunsets and longer days,

the sunshine and the warmer temps

and all the ways nature's waking, rising,

from her frigid wintry sleep:

    it's all so good for my soul, Lord!

The planets turn us 'round to spring;

the universe cooperates;

the earth around us buds and greens

    with hints and hues of what's to come;

the nations of the world all wait for

    Passover's full and shining moon

and a peaceful Paschal victory

    of light over darkness, life over death,

        mercy over sin, peace over war,

    and a deep abiding joy

        to heal our wounded hearts...

 

Keep it coming, Lord!   Keep it coming!

 

We need all the grace you have to give,

    to fill our empty hearts

and refresh our hope and trust 

    in the promises you made so long ago...

 

Protect us, Lord while we're awake

and watch over us while we sleep

that awake, we might keep watch with you

and asleep, rest in your peace...

Amen. 

 

A note about tonight's music...

This song picks up on the nature references in tonight's prayer,

especially "Passover's full and shining moon." The Jewish festival 

of Passover is celebrated each year on the 15th day of the Hebrew 

month of Nisan, a lunar month determined by the moon's phases, so 

Passover is always on a full moon day.  The Christian feast of 

Easter is celebrated every year on the Sunday following the full 

moon after the spring equinox. The Jewish calendar is lunar and the 

Christian calendar solar, so Passover and Easter are sometimes close 

to each each other and sometimes not.  In 2022, Passover will be 

celebrated on April 16 and Easter on April 17! 

 

Maker of the Moon by Bright City

  

If a video doesn't appear below, click here!

 

 

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Pause for Prayer: THURSDAY 3/31

 

Sometimes, Lord,

    we think we don't know how to pray,

    we can't find the words to say,

    we wonder if we pray "the right way..."

How did we become so misinformed

    about something so important, Lord?

When did we begin to think of prayer

    as a rare gift? a specialized skill?

    an art we've not yet mastered?

How did we come to forget 

    that every thought, sigh, hope and cry, 

    every grunt and gasp and word of ours
    sounds in your heart as soon, as surely,
    and as purely

    as any saint's more studied prayer?

Help us remember, Lord,

that simply sitting in your presence,

... in silence...
... in total silence...
... in awkward silence...
... in numbed silence...

is a prayer, a silent prayer,
whose eloquence delights you...

Our very wanting to pray, Lord,

is a sign you're already with us,

nudging our hearts to trust that you're near:
    our desire to pray
    is already a prayer,
    before our prayer takes shape or speech...

You invite us to voice our joys and hopes

    and to vent our hurts and sorrows -

though all of them are known to you
    long before we even think to pray...

Before infants have a word to say,

they pray:

    their cooing, mumbling and crying

    all sputter forth their wordless pleas

    of wonder, hunger, fear and joy,

    of their desire to be held
    by those who hear in every sound they make

    the beauty of a prayer that has no words...

Be mother and father to us all Lord,

    and hear our every prayer

    - with or without words...

Receive the prayers that spill out from our souls:

    prayers with no words

        and prayers with too many words;

    prayers we sob upon your breast

        and prayers we sing from happy hearts;

    prayers that rise from our profound confusion

        which, in your wisdom, Lord,
        you completely understand...

We offer you each thought, sigh,

    hope, cry and word of ours

    that pulses and pleads from deep within...

Let the prayer of beating hearts be heard

    and held in your eternal heart -

and in your mercy, Lord,

    answer us, we pray...

 

Hear and answer every prayer we make

    - prayers with words and prayers without...

Amen.

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NIGHT PRAYER: Wednesday 3/30

Deliver us, Lord, from every evil, 
grant us peace in our own day,
keep us free from sin
and safe from all distress...

We pray these words

every time we gather at your table, Lord,

and we ask a lot:

    - deliverance from every evil

    - peace - right now 

    - freedom from sin 

    - and a place safe from all distress 

Those four petitions sum up so well
so much of what we need from you, Lord,
so much of what we long for:
    the deliverance, peace, freedom and safety
    that only you can offer, only you can give...

So, tonight, Lord, I pray that you deliver us from evil:
   - the evil of racism, poverty and war
   - the evil of consumerism, greed and selfishness,
   - the evil of assaults on the dignity of human life
Deliver us, Lord, from every evil...

Tonight I pray for peace in our own times, Lord,
the peace that only you can give:
   - peace in our world, in our nation,
        in our communities, streets and neighborhoods 
   - peace in our families, and sooner than later
   - peace in our minds and hearts, in our souls,
      peace with you, Lord, peace with our selves
Graciously grant us peace, Lord, in our own day...

Tonight I pray that you keep us free from sin, Lord:
   - free of temptation and its wily ways
   - free of sin that's become a habit
   - free of the sins of omission and silence
   - free of the sins we find hardest to admit 
   - freedom from anything and everything 
        that separates us from you and our neighbor
Keep us free from sin, Lord...

And tonight, Lord, I pray that you keep us safe from all distress:
   - the distress of worry, doubt and fear
   - the distress of disease, illness and pain
   - the distress of tyranny, terrorism and war
   - the distress of anxiety, depression and grief
   - the distress of hunger, homelessness and want
   - the distress of discouragement, loneliness and despair
Keep us safe from all distress, Lord...

I know I'm  asking for a lot, Lord!
But this is what we need, and you are all we have:
    you're our best and only hope...

With humble hearts we pray for these gifts, Lord,

and we pray for the grace:

   - to help us turn away from evil

         whenever, wherever we encounter it;

   - to work for peace now,

         peace in the world, in our cities and in our homes

   - to turn away from sin

        and to follow the path of your wisdom, word and truth

   - to turn to you when we're in distress  

          and to offer safe harbor

             to all who come to us in need...

Deliver us, Lord, from every evil, 
grant us peace in our own day,
keep us free from sin
and safe from all distress... 

Protect us, Lord while we're still awake
and watch over us as we sleep
that awake, we will keep watch with you
and asleep, rest in your peace...

Amen.

Psalm 16 - The Path of Life by Scott Soper

If a video doesn't appear below, click here!




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POCKET CROSSES!

I've mailed out about 300 pocket crosses to those who requested them.  Last week one envelope was returned to me for insufficient postage, indicating that over $3 more postage was required(for an envelope with only two crosses in it!  I simply remailed it with first class postage and as far as I know, it went through.

Then today I received another envelope returned for the same reason. I inquired at the local post office and was told that because there was more than a flat letter in the envelope, it was considered a parcel and thus the postage due.  I told the postal clerk I'd sent out many similar envelopes over the past month with no problem and he said the folks receiving them might have been dunned for the extra charge.  Oh, no!  I hope that's not the case!

If received your cross(es) with postage due, please let me know.  I'm not in a position to reimburse you but I do want to know if this was a widespread problem.

Apology in advance, if warranted - and thank you!

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