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dreamprayact

~ Reflections of a preacher, poet, and contemplative activist

dreamprayact

Tag Archives: praise

The Feast You Spread Before Us

22 Sunday Mar 2020

Posted by mark lloyd richardson in Poems

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

Eucharist, feast, freedom in Christ, Gospel, grace, heavenly banquet, Mystery, praise, Psalm 23, surrender

You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies;
you anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
~ Psalm 23:5 

This is the feast you spread before us, O God,
a sumptuous celebration of freedom in Christ,
sitting down at table not only with those we love,
and with all those who love us in return,
but with the very ones who trouble us.

This is the feast of Eucharist –
profound gratefulness for earth, bread, and breath,
as we dance with joy before the mystery of God,
the One who speaks hope into our troubled hearts,
the One who alone is able to soothe our weary souls.

This is the feast of holy love –
first tasted in a Gethsemane garden
then poured out on Calvary’s hill,
an inexhaustible love that knows no fear
and is undeterred by hate or malice.

This is the feast of surrender –
releasing the anxieties that plague us,
the resentments we nurse over time,
giving us hearts of gladness instead,
hallowing our lives in the sweetness of grace.

This is the gospel feast –
overflowing the small containers of our lives,
bathing us in the font of baptismal blessing,
anointing us with Holy Spirit wind and fire,
bidding us to live forgiven, loved and free.

This is a foretaste of the heavenly banquet –
where lion and lamb lie down together in peace,
where foes watch their bitterness melt away,
where there is neither weeping nor pain nor fear,
rather the sounds of love’s creation praising their God.

~ Mark Lloyd Richardson

God of Still Mornings

20 Wednesday Feb 2019

Posted by mark lloyd richardson in Worship Liturgy

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

God, God's mercy, grace, healing, Holy Spirit, hymns, praise, promise, silence, wholeness, worship

STV_losososca3jpg_crop_1433002852

Early in my pastoral ministry in Los Osos, California, I was already falling in love with the varied topography and weather patterns of coastal living, when I wrote this hymn text inspired by my new physical surroundings. It’s been sung a few times in worship settings since then, but I just this week shared the words with friends who are in a covenant group with me. I told them about this place I loved (and still do, though we don’t currently live here) and what was significant about it in the feeding of my soul. It was only as I searched for the text that I realized I had never shared it here in my blog.

“God of Still Mornings”
(May be sung to the tune of “Be Thou My Vision”)

God of still mornings draped softly in mist,
we sing your praises upon grateful lips.
Heirs of your promise you clothe us in grace.
Call us in silence as we seek your face.

God of flower’d bluffs swept by winds off the sea,
we pray your mercies upon bended knee.
Children of dust to the earth we return.
Call us in beauty your gifts to discern.

God of deep valleys brought forth by your hand,
we share your healing and with you we stand.
Bearers of love by your Spirit made whole.
Call us in witness of grace overflowed.

Words (c) 2001, Mark L. Richardson

To the God of many names

29 Monday Oct 2018

Posted by mark lloyd richardson in Prayers

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

awe, compassion, creation, forgiveness, Future, healing, love, praise, prayer, salvation, wholeness

IMG_5508Prayer to the God of many names

May I reside in your boundless compassion,
and may my soul reach its wholeness in you.

May I feel awe in your generous creation,
and may my heart song rise in praise to you.

May I love with a fearless abandon,
and may I speak with a voice that is true.

May I trust with a heart that is healing,
and may forgiveness abound in me too.

May I hope in a future always open,
and leave the work of salvation to you.

O God of many names, hear my prayer.

(c) 2018 Mark Lloyd Richardson

From the rising of the sun to its setting

05 Wednesday Aug 2015

Posted by mark lloyd richardson in Poems, Reflections

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

giving thanks, hope, justice, peace, praise, prayer, Santa Barbara

Knapp's Castle, Santa Barbara, CA

Knapp’s Castle, Santa Barbara, CA

From the rising of the sun to its setting
the name of the Lord is to be praised.
~ Psalm 113:3

The posture of praise
begins with eyes turned toward the sun.

This glimmering star was there
the day the world was born.
It was there as our first parents walked in the garden
as creatures of all variety came into existence
as nations and peoples were formed.

This star warms us
guides us
keeps us
like the one who placed it there.

From the rising of the sun to its setting
the name of the Lord is to be praised.

Morning praise
awakens us to life’s sweetness
celebrates the gift of being
honors deep relationship.

Noontime praise
walks in the light of love
seeks justice
longs for peace.

Evening praise
gives thanks for a day made holy
surrenders to life’s brief tenderness
drinks from the wellspring of hope that never runs dry.

From the rising of the sun to its setting
the name of the Lord is to be praised.

Words (c) 2015 Mark Lloyd Richardson
Photo credit: Dallis Day Richardson

Like a River Flowing

15 Monday Sep 2014

Posted by mark lloyd richardson in Worship Liturgy

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

baptism, blessing, Christ's peace, grace, hope, humanity, praise, reconciliation, spiritual renewal, worship

WyomingWe sang this song at the close of worship this past Sunday using the familiar tune FINLANDIA. If you wish to use these lyrics in worship sometime, please let me know.

The peace of Christ is like a river flowing
from God’s own heart in healing streams of grace.
In all our comings and in all our goings,
God’s mercies lead us to a holy place.
Peace like a river flowing through our lives
reminds us what it means to be baptized.

This earthly home we share with one another
cannot withstand our hatreds and our fears.
So when we look and see a sister, brother,
we know Christ’s peace is also coming near.
May we now live into this hopeful dream,
a day made new in shared humanity.

This dream for peace seeks out the meek and lowly,
children of God by blessing and design,
created in the image of the holy,
to reconcile this life with life divine.
Peace like a river flowing through our days
renews our hearts in gladness and in praise.

Copyright (c)2010 Mark Lloyd Richardson

Creator, Christ, Spirit

12 Thursday Jun 2014

Posted by mark lloyd richardson in Prayers, Worship Liturgy

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Christ, Creator God, discipleship, Gospel, grace, gratitude, Holy Spirit, hope, Invocation, praise, salvation, Savior, Trinity, worship

DSCN0050_2

A prayer for worship on Trinity Sunday:

Creator God,
in you all of nature sings of heaven.
In this sacred time and space
may our hearts join the chorus of praise
that already resounds in the rocks and trees,
the skies and seas of this amazing world.

Christ our Savior,
in you our eternal inheritance is secure.
In this sacred time and space
may our souls stir with the joy of salvation,
as we surrender to the holy love
at the center of your gospel.

Gentle and powerful Spirit,
you carry us on the generous winds of grace.
In this sacred time and space
may we fully embrace the freedom
that meets us on paths of discipleship
and invites us into faithful and whole lives.

Fill us with hope and gratitude this day,
knowing that wherever we go
there you are with us. Amen.

Words (c) 2014 Mark Lloyd Richardson

God writes the gospel

07 Friday Jun 2013

Posted by mark lloyd richardson in Prayers

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

Bible, creation, Divine Artist, God, God's glory, Gospel, Martin Luther, nature, praise, souls, stars

Arboretum, Harrisonburg VA, Summer 2012

Arboretum, Harrisonburg VA, Spring 2012

“God writes the gospel not in the Bible alone,
but on trees and flowers and clouds and stars.”
~ Martin Luther 1483 –1546

O Divine Artist,
whose brushstrokes splash color across creation,
we receive the gospel in a morning walk,
among the fragrant flowers,
in the shade of sycamore and oak,
in moments of holy amazement.

O Divine Artist,
whose glory sparkles in the night sky,
we receive the gospel in hours of rest,
among the sleeping landscapes of our souls,
beneath the canopy of constellations,
in moments of sacred surprise.

Grant us grace to receive your gospel,
however it is manifested in your world,
that we might live to the praise of your glory. Amen.

Words and photo (c) 2013 Mark Lloyd Richardson

A Rock of Refuge

03 Sunday Feb 2013

Posted by mark lloyd richardson in Poems, Reflections, Sermon portions

≈ 10 Comments

Tags

abundant life, assurance of faith, grace, hope, kingdom of God, lament, mercy, peace, praise, Psalms, refuge, suffering, worship

IMG_4417

I wrote this contemporary psalm based on Psalm 71:1-6 for my sermon today. It is a movement from lament to praise!

In you, O God, I take refuge
from the noisy clamor of this hectic life,
with its ubiquitous social media
and easy access to every imaginable entertainment.

My phone is always by my side
sounding off when texts or emails arrive
teasing me to open them asap!

My annual physical raises the alarm
of slightly elevated blood pressure
and high cholesterol.
The doc says, “Let’s watch ’em for a while,
and see if lifestyle changes make a difference.”
Okay, but I wonder – am I headed for a heart attack?
Is the pressure of meeting work demands
and the expectations of those I love
doing damage to my health?

Loving Creator,
Source of life and Ground of our being,
you are the one I run to in my need.
You are the one who offers peace in the storm.

Do not abandon me, I pray.
Enfold me beneath the wings of your grace,
that I might know the liberating strength
only your Spirit is able to breath into my life.

In your righteousness
you make known your will for my life:
that I walk in your ways
and observe your commandments,
that I choose life –
loving you, obeying you,
and holding fast to you (Deut. 30:16, 19-20).

You want nothing more for me
than that I embrace the person I am meant to be,
the creation of your loving and generous heart,
so that I can offer this world you created in love
the very best of myself,
the very giftedness I discover in you.

You call me to orient my life in your direction,
to strive first for the kingdom of God
and your righteousness (Matt. 6:33).

Deliver me, Lord, from the flashy allure of things.
Remind me often to use things and love people,
not the other way around.

Save me from my stingy self-centeredness –
the times when I think the world revolves around me
and I forget my sister or brother in need.

You have always been like a Rock for me,
a place of refuge where I know I am protected –
from life’s incessant demands, to be sure,
but also from my own inner strivings.

You save me from myself –
from thinking that I must achieve importance
when all the importance I really need
comes from joining you
in the unveiling of your gracious purposes for the world.

You are for me a strong fortress, O God,
and always have been,
shielding me from the harm others seek to do me.

In this world where evil so often flourishes –
where malicious viruses are set loose on computers,
where whole identities are stolen from people,
where those in whom we place our trust betray us
with lies that cheat us out of our life savings
or deceit that destroys our innocence
or violence that robs us of peace of mind –
you remain the one trustworthy place of refuge.

Rescue me, O my God, from all of the voices
that tell me to depend solely on my own strength,
that tell me to create my own life on my own terms,
that tell me I am not meant to be deeply connected to others.

Rescue me from the crass commercializing of life,
always throwing in my face the manufactured images
that falsely promise happiness and fulfillment.

Rescue me from thinking that I am immune to suffering
simply because I come to church
and read the Bible sometimes
and pray almost every day
and try to be a decent human being!

Rescue me from pious platitudes and cheap grace.

Rescue me from the polarizing influences
that pit neighbor against neighbor
in ideological battles
in which no one truly wins
and the fabric of society is torn and trampled.

Rescue me from those who spread misery
by their greed and lack of compassion.

Rescue me from the loss of hope
the loneliness of isolation
the trap of fear.

For you, Lord of life, have walked with me
from the day of my birth
when you took me from my mother’s womb.

You call my name
and seek my companionship each day.

You speak to me in whispers –
through the quiet breathing of a newborn,
the silence of contemplative prayer,
the breeze touching lightly on the trees.

You say that I am one of your own,
that I have always belonged to you.

You give me confidence enough
to trust in your tender mercy and amazing grace.

You, Lord of eternity, are my hope.
You are my refuge.
You are my strength.
I will not be shaken.

Praise wells up in my heart and soul.

Praise that your glory shines upon this world
in spite of our constant fighting
and our shameful willfulness.

Praise that the power of your love
dawns upon us as surely as the morning sun.

Praise that you fully know me,
and the content of my heart,
and still you love me.

Let praise be the language of my being.
Let hope be the attitude I carry into the future.
For just as my past has been lived in you, Lord,
so my future depends on your ever-flowing mercy.

You will comfort me again in my times of need.
You will guide me in right paths.
You will continually offer me abundant life.
You will give me faith’s assurance
even when I come face to face with my own doubt.
You will restore my soul.

You will manifest yourself in the world
through the witness of courageous people,
through the hospitality of strangers,
through the presence of the poor and the needy.

You will not allow me to forget
that ultimately nothing is able to separate us
from your love in Christ Jesus (Rom. 8:39).

You will follow me throughout my life
with your goodness and mercy
so that I am able to dwell with you
my whole life long (Ps. 23:6).

Words (c) 2013 Mark Lloyd Richardson
Photo (c) 2008 Mark Lloyd Richardson

God of wind and wave

23 Saturday Jun 2012

Posted by mark lloyd richardson in Prayers, Worship Liturgy

≈ 9 Comments

Tags

adoration, faith, God's love, God's presence, Gospel of Mark, Opening Prayer, peace, praise, trust

 

Here is an Opening Prayer for use in worship tomorrow on the Fourth Sunday after Pentecost, based on the Gospel reading from Mark 4:35-41.

God of wind and wave,
the seas of life can be rough some days,
tossing us here and there,
threatening our wellbeing,
troubling our minds and testing our hearts.

You are the One whom even the wind and sea obey!
You are the One whose words, “Peace! Be still!”
settle with calm resolve in our hearts today.
You turn our fear into faith, our trembling into trust.

We come in adoration, praise, and thanksgiving,
for your strong and tender presence,
your steadfast and durable love.
Amen.

Words (c) 2012 Mark Lloyd Richardson (Mark 4:35-41)
Photo (c) 2012 Dallis Day Richardson (Pacific Grove, California)
Permission to use the prayer in worship with attribution.

A Psalm for a Spring Day

25 Friday May 2012

Posted by mark lloyd richardson in Uncategorized

≈ 10 Comments

Tags

creation, hope, peace, praise, Psalm, spring

How lovely is your dwelling place,
Lord of heaven and earth.

The flowers bloom in your gracious Light,
The trees spread their branches in praise!
Even the sparrow finds a home
At the altar of your spacious Care.

My heart delights in your Presence!
My soul sings of your eternal Glory!

You are my Guide through each day,
The Fountain of my persistent hope,
The Ever-flowing Stream of peace,
The Source of this amazing life!

How lovely is your dwelling place,
Lord of all that is and ever will be.

Words (c)2012 Mark Lloyd Richardson

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