Meditation: My Shepherd Is The Lord
Proposed Antiphon: 'How wonderful and encouraging that you can serve God as an Angel'
The King Awoke;
And the over-servant shouted; ‘The King Awakens! The Great and Powerful King! We Worship the King!’
And the under-servant arose from tending the fire and brought him a steaming cup of spiced wine.
The King put on his riding cloak;
And the over-servant shouted; ‘The King Rides Forth! Praise the King! We Worship the King!’
And the under-servant arose from his seat at the doorway and brought forth the King’s horse.
The King rode out into the city;
And the over-servant shouted; ‘Way! Way! Make Way for the Great and Powerful King! Praise the King!’
And the under-servant steadied the King’s horse as the King rode out into the crowded streets.
An old seamstress fell as she tried to make way for the King, and a young boy ran out from the crowd to help her up.
And the over-servant shouted at them; ‘Praise the King! Make Way for the Great and Powerful King!’
And the under-servant lifted the old woman to her feet.
And the King stopped;
And he said to the over-servant: “I believe that this seamstress needs your help more than I do. Go and serve her from this day forward.”
And he said to the under-servant: “Good and faithful servant, you have served me well. Please continue to do so as my over-servant.”
And he said to the boy: “You have shown yourself worthy of my service. Please join me as an under-servant.”
And the boy bowed in assent.
And the King rode on;
And the old over-servant was silent.
And the new over-servant ran beside the King to steady his horse, with the new under-servant beside him.
And for a moment everyone was silent, and you could hear the clip-clopping of the horse's hooves;
And then the people all shouted:
‘Make Way! Make Way for the Glorious King! Praise the Beloved King!’
Dearest God And Holy Father Of All,
Who Surrounds Us With Love,
Glorify Your Sacred Name,
Complete Your Holy Kingdom Here On Earth,
And Establish Your Will On Earth, As It Is In Heaven.
Increase Our Faith And Bless Us With The Holy Spirit,
Satisfy Our True Needs,
And Forgive Us Our Sins;
As We Forgive Those Who Have Harmed Us.
Shield Us From Temptation
And Save Us From Evil,
For All Power And Glory Descend From You,
Who Is Deserving Of Eternal Praise.
Amen
-LE
Slightly revised from a version written and published online by me in 2001
Antiphon: God knows the fish of the sea, and the stars of the sky, every one by its own name.
God’s sheep are confused;
Stubbornly, we have wandered astray;
We wander in the wilderness;
And know not where we go.
Where is our Lord?
Where is His staff, that keeps harm at bay?
Where is His hand, that comforts us?
We follow His footsteps, and we find food.
We listen for His voice, and it leads us to fresh water.
But the food here is strange and sparse.
And the times of plenty have gone.
At night we lie down where we may,
We are grateful to be able to sleep,
And are grateful to be able to rise to follow the Lord again.
Will the hard times end?
Will we see the land joyful again?
Will we drink the wine of plenty,
And be anointed with blessings once more?
Help us to repent our stubbornness;
Help us to find wisdom, and remember your lessons;
Help us to follow you more closely;
And live within the warmth of your bosom.
God’s sheep are confused;
Stubbornly, we have wandered astray;
We wander in the wilderness;
And know not where we go.
What do we do when we bless the Lord?
In times of need, when times are hard?
What do we do when we bless the Lord?
Why does the Lord need us to pray?
Where is the Lord when we suffer today?
Why does the Lord need us to pray?
Bless the Lord and for God Pray;
That God would share with us this day.
Pray in the dark when all seems Ill;
And life seems vile and warmth seems chill.
The Creator made you; With God be;
Through life and death your God will see;
Pray for your God, your life and soul;
Pray that you grow and become whole.
Have faith and wait and God will come;
And over time, God’s will be done.
We have only a moment
Not an hour
Or a day
Or a week
Or a month
Or years, decades, centuries, millennia
We have only a moment to trust
A moment to love
A moment to care
A moment to believe
Who that was who came before
- you cannot know
And who comes after
- you cannot see
But you have now
Use it to believe the best
To do the best
And be as much
As fun
As awesome
As inspired
As you can
You are given now
Use it
When we pray,
God doesn't come near;
God doesn't drop in,
God is already here.
When we pray,
God doesn't say 'Oh!'
'So that's what they need!'
God already knows.
So when we pray-
What happens then?
If God knows, is close,
What is prayer then?
Perhaps prayer is
Something WE do
To walk with Love;
And each other, too.
O Lord of Life and Death
We thank you for the saints
Who left to us the word
And sang and taught and gave
And bled and suffered much
O Lord of Life and Death
Preserve the gifts they gave
Tend the light of the saints
For those yet to be born
Who will have much to learn
O Lord of Life and Death
Help us to remember
Those who went before us
All that they did for us
And all that they were and are
LE
Rain comes down
Not every day
But it does come
Sometimes more often than I might like
And under my downspout
I have a watering can
Because when it isn't raining
A very small person likes to wander the yard
Blessing the flowers with water
And in this way
I keep water handy for her
To help her in her mission
And help make the world more beautiful
One drop at a time
May all of our dark rainy days
And all of our sadness
Be similarly transformed into moments
Of sharing and joy
Blessings
LE
This Good Friday, I had the pleasure to contribute a blessing for a wedding feast.
Somehow that feels particularly appropriate for the day when we commemorate the sacrifice of a man who often referred to himself as a groom.
The Prayer:
God, we thank you for bringing us here at this time, to share with friends and family the joyful wedding of N and M. May God continue to bless them, and work through their lives to make them, and the world a better and more loving place. God bless this meal before us, bless us as we share it, and continue to bless us as we travel and as we return to our individual lives. May the strength of N and M’s love inspire us each to a renewed commitment to each other – to live more kindly, to share more fully, and to love more passionately.
In God’s name we pray;
Peace,
LE
A fantastic frosty filigree has silently decorated my window while I slept.
Now the sun catches the twisting tiny twirls of tinsel that have grown there, sparkling and glinting as if dotted with diamonds.
I am glad that I am inside to enjoy the beauty in a warm place.
May you have a warm place to shelter in your cold days also.
Hear my cry, O Lord
May my sighs arouse your mercy
Hear me, help me Lord
Let my morning prayer incite you
Evil is not of you
You overturn all it's schemes
You expose it's lies
It cannot abide your judgement
Killers you bring down
Decievers are reduced to shame
Their sins are exposed
You abhor them and bring them down
But the good you love
And the repentant they are blessed
Welcomed to your house
Worshiping you in your temple
Lead me O my Lord
Lead me in your great righteousness
Straightly in your paths
Help me to walk in your favor
My foes surround me
They lie constantly against me
Declare them guilty
Let their intrigues be their downfall.
Against you they rebel
But let your servants find great joy
All your faithful, bless
Let those who love you sing for joy
God blesses the good
God sheilds them within his strong wings
They pray not in vain
Their souls lie safe within his hand
God of my strength
Answer my call!
You sheltered me
When I was hurt
Be kind to me
And hear my prayer
I am Ashamed
Held in contempt
Truth matters not
When men seek lies
Raise me back up
Save me from shame
My God has set
His folk apart
He hears our cry
When we suffer
Hard times should not
Cause us to sin
Stop, pray and think
Pause and reflect
Do what is right
Before the Lord
These times are hard
And long and cruel
O that we might
See better times!
But shine upon
Us Lord and God
And we will be
Glad beyond cause
I will lie down
And sleep in peace
God guards my soul
God gives me peace
Many are against me
Many rise to harm me
They mock my faith
They tease and taunt:
Where is your Savior now?
They ask where is my help.
But it is with me still.
God stands by me
In good and bad
My sheild and advocate
My God lifts up my head
Assures me of His love
God honors me
And comforts me
And answers all my prayers
God watches when I sleep
Sustains me so I wake
How should I fear
Ten thousand men
When my God holds me dear
Arise my Lord I pray
Deliver me from woe
Unseat my foes
And save my life
And wipe away my tears
God, bless the saints with love
Restore them by your hand
Show all the world
Your saving love
So they can understand
'Good Grief' seems to be a catchword for me lately. This piece is inspired by the passing of a great man, who we mourn. Certainly this is 'good grief'; to remember and miss those who have gone on to their reward, to honor their place with us, and share our memories:
They push off from here most every day
And for the farther shore
The saints sail onward to the place
Where head those Christ adores
The journey there is not so long
The river is not wide
They do not suffer on the trip
To Jordan’s other side
We wish them peace
And pray their souls
Into our Maker’s care
We will miss their presence here
And the all they used to share
A goodly crew sets off each day
From ports around the globe
To take up crowns and find their place
Beneath God’s mighty robe
We miss them all, so very much
And this grief is good.
Our lives are short and worth a lot
In death it’s understood.
So shed your tears and hold your friends
As tightly as you may
Because this world is not a place
That we may always stay.
And wait for joy, for it will come
Least on the other side
When all our hard day’s work is done
And we with the saints abide.
And there with our beloved saints
We’ll see the Lamb upraised
And cast our crowns upon the ground
May Jesus Christ be praised!
For Frank, and the great company of all the saints,
LE
Listen and compare to our Judeo-Christian stories of Jacob and Christ's resurrection in this, the legend of how Hiawatha obtained Maize (corn) to ease the hunger of humankind.
"From the Master of Life descending, I, the friend of man, Mondamin, Come to warn you and instruct you, How by struggle and by labor You shall gain what you have prayed for. Rise up from your bed of branches, Rise, O youth, and wrestle with me!"
Faint with famine, Hiawatha Started from his bed of branches, From the twilight of his wigwam Forth into the flush of sunset Came, and wrestled with Mondamin; At his touch he felt new courage Throbbing in his brain and bosom, Felt new life and hope and vigor Run through every nerve and fibre.
So they wrestled there together In the glory of the sunset, And the more they strove and struggled, Stronger still grew Hiawatha; Till the darkness fell around them, And the heron, the Shuh-shuh-gah, From her nest among the pine-trees, Gave a cry of lamentation, Gave a scream of pain and famine.
"'T Is enough!" then said Mondamin, Smiling upon Hiawatha, "But tomorrow, when the sun sets, I will come again to try you." And he vanished, and was seen not; Whether sinking as the rain sinks, Whether rising as the mists rise, Hiawatha saw not, knew not, Only saw that he had vanished, Leaving him alone and fainting, With the misty lake below him, And the reeling stars above him.
On the morrow and the next day, When the sun through heaven descending, Like a red and burning cinder From the hearth of the Great Spirit, Fell into the western waters, Came Mondamin for the trial, For the strife with Hiawatha; Came as silent as the dew comes, From the empty air appearing, Into empty air returning, Taking shape when earth it touches, But invisible to all men In its coming and its going.
Thrice they wrestled there together In the glory of the sunset, Till the darkness fell around them, Till the heron, the Shuh-shuh-gah, From her nest among the pine-trees, Uttered her loud cry of famine, And Mondamin paused to listen.
Tall and beautiful he stood there, In his garments green and yellow; To and fro his plumes above him, Waved and nodded with his breathing, And the sweat of the encounter Stood like drops of dew upon him.
And he cried, "O Hiawatha! Bravely have you wrestled with me, Thrice have wrestled stoutly with me, And the Master of Life, who sees us, He will give to you the triumph!"
Then he smiled, and said: "To-morrow Is the last day of your conflict, Is the last day of your fasting. You will conquer and o'ercome me; Make a bed for me to lie in, Where the rain may fall upon me, Where the sun may come and warm me; Strip these garments, green and yellow, Strip this nodding plumage from me, Lay me in the earth, and make it Soft and loose and light above me.
"Let no hand disturb my slumber, Let no weed nor worm molest me, Let not Kahgahgee, the raven, Come to haunt me and molest me, Only come yourself to watch me, Till I wake, and start, and quicken, Till I leap into the sunshine"
From Hiawatha; by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, 1856
Bless our Maker
Bless our Caretaker
Forgive our sin
Forgive we the sinner
Feed us what we need
Lead us in your love
Guide us in right
Guide us with might
Guide us with your light
Praying nightly
Praying forthrightly
Sharing fully
Seeking carefully
Caring for each kind
Caring for each one
Always loving
Always caring
Anger forbearing
When you wake in the night
Think to greet your God
Who is there in the quiet
To ignore him seems odd
Perhaps in the dim
Is a good time to pray
When the loud and the din
Are all put away
Raise a word to the Lord
With the small and the meek
With the chirping of crickets
With the little bat's squeak
Perhaps God will hear you
A bit better at night
And bless you, and heal you
And make things all right
And I pray that each person
Who finds they awake
Is blessed and healed
From trouble and ache
And I thank you, dear Lord
For answering my prayers
In the few minutes I sat up
And told you my cares
And now to my nest
I retire again
Bid Adeu to the night
And turn off my brain
Peace and Love to You who Know the Wee Hours as Well as Those who Greet the Day
LE
