C3/CCC Prayer Transcript for August 5, 2007
"Salvation Embraces the Whole Person"
By Ian Lawton

Mary Oliver wrote
"This morning the green fists of the peonies are getting ready
to break my heart as the sun rises, as the sun strokes them with his old, buttery fingers"

Please join me in a spirit of prayer, as we reflect on ourselves and our world, allowing our hearts to break open with compassion.

Transforming Source of Love,

We live in the midst of such a noisy and complex world, and we speed through the days so quickly, not taking notice of the preciousness of our lives.

Now the silence invites our attention- it demands nothing, requires nothing. it just is, and asks for our attention to just be. There are treasures in silence, if we would just listen. May we learn to listen.

It’s so hard to keep up with the pace of jobs and families, to slow down and appreciate what we have.

When there is a crisis, a tragedy, a loss, we so often don’t feel that we have the resources to cope, to keep going, to find our way through the maze of pain and sorrow. The pain of the world often presses in on us. May it break our hearts open, rather than closing us down in fear.

We hold the pain and the joy of the Beyer family as they cherish these last days with Gary together. May we learn from their presence and affection in the face of transitions.

We pause and remember those affected by the bridge collapse in Minneapolis. May we learn from the courage and perseverance of those part of the rescue efforts.

We pray alongside the projected 25 million people who have been displaced by flooding in south Asia in recent weeks. We mourn alongside the more than 230 people have died over the past 11 days in floods in India.

Life breaks my heart
as the sun rises, as the sun strokes me with his old, buttery fingers

May we find the courage to live on the brink, to be fearless in our faith in life, to be dauntless in our devotion to each other and ourselves. May we be steadfast in our belief in the human spirit, and constant in our committment to justice and compassion.

May we be honest with ourselves and others, tender and compassionate in our living, and committed to creating quiet times in the midst of the chaos.

Let us now be quiet enough to know the beating of our hearts, quiet enough to glimpse and be in the only time that is, quiet enough to feel healed and whole.

Amen…

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