Selections of Prayers offered to the Choir of the Cathedral of St. Philip during our Pilgrimage
from August 2-August 18, 2013
With deep gratitude for the opportunity to accompany the choir and share in their journey.
Wednesday Evensong. St. Paul's Cathedral, London
God of light and love, be present with us in this moment. Give us grace to yield to your care, any weariness, distraction, or hardness of heart, so we are free to worship you fully and praise your name. Continue to sustain and guide us in our pilgrimage, so that we may receive the gifts you have prepared for us. We ask this in the name of your Son, Jesus Christ our lord. Amenphoto by Graham Lacdao
Friday Evensong, after a day of rest on Thursday, St. Paul's Cathedral, London
God of the Sabbath, we gather together today after a day of rest.Some of us are still weary. ...
Some of us have had news from home that pulls us away from being truly present in this moment. ...
Some of us feel comfortable in this space. ... some of us are still nervous ...
Others of us feel centered and open to your spirit.
Wherever we may be in this moment ...
Knit us together in your love.
Protect us from any wanderings of mind
and ground us in your peace.
Remind us of your presence within us and in the spaces between us.
Make us so unified in purpose that we may sing as one Body, called to your temple, in praise and thanksgiving.
We ask this through Jesus Chris our Lord. Amen
photo by Graham Lacdao
Saturday Evensong, St. Paul's Cathedral, London
Compassionate God, you bring us to each new day by your grace. As our time in this place begins drawing to a close, sustain us in the work that remains. Continue to ground us in your love that we may touch the hearts of those who come to worship here. Guard those we love and free us to be open to the movements of your Spirit. We give you thanks for the gifts we have already received and look with hope to those that are yet unknown to us. We ask this in the confidence of your Son, Jesus Christ. AmenSunday Matins/Eucharist, St. Paul's Cathedral, London
God of light and love, we gather this morning with a long day in front of us. ...Some of us are preparing to leave for home ,
Others of us are thinking about the next stage in the journey ,
Dispel from our hearts and minds,
All that would rob us of any experience of the holy today.
Guide us through your spirit to be present in each and every moment
Help us to so focus on you through our breathing
That we are able to be free to worship you fully in our song.
Assist us through your sacrament to become one with you and one another.
Remind us of the graces of being in this place
That we might be filled with gratitude and thanksgiving,
We ask this through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen
Sunday, Final Evensong, St. Paul's Cathedral, London
Almighty God, you grace us with the gift of each moment.Fill us with your love as we prepare for this service.
Open our hearts fully to your presence,
That we might end our time here with gratitude.
We hold before you all who have so graciously offered us hospitality ,
Sustain them in their ongoing ministry in this place
Protect us in our travels and bless our leave taking.
We ask this through the mediation of your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen
Monday, Canterbury Cathedral
Gracious god,we thank you for safe travels to this new place.
We pray for those in our group who are traveling home
Give us your grace,
to set aside any anxiety ,
Any tiredness ,
Any confusion ,
And be present to your calling in this time and place
Settle us and make us attentive to your Spirit ,
Strengthen us for your service ,
And give us the gift of joy,
That we may sing your praises in thanksgiving.
We ask this through Jesus Christ your Lord. Amen
Tuesday Evensong, Canterbury Cathedral
God of life, giver of each good gift ,We come before you today ,
Once again gathered in a place of deep history ,
A place where prayers have been offered through the ages.
Give us grace to sense the great cloud witnesses,
Which surrounds us and sustains us in our ministry this week.
Assist us as we add our prayers to the worship of this place,
Thus becoming part of the tapestry of praise and thanksgiving
Woven through time.
May our offerings give strength to those who will follow us,
And bless those who are present with us today.
We ask this in the name of your Son, Jesus the Christ. Amen
Thursday Evensong, after a day of rest, Canterbury Cathedral
God of Love,We are entering into the final days of this pilgrimage ,
We may not be as easily moved as in the early days ,
The concerns of home may be more present ,
Fatigue and frustration may threaten our wonder ,
Protect us from all distraction.
Guard our hearts and minds and so fill us with your presence
That we can only be here ,
That we can only attend to the holiness you offer ,
And that our praise in song may surpass anything
we could control or offer on our own.
Remind us that we are called here as part of you One body
United in Christ our Lord. Amen
I offered a blessing this evening as I was leaving for home the next morning:
Blessing
May the remainder of your time be filled with grace ,May you take the time to honor your pilgrimage ,
May you notice the places your soul has been transformed ,
May you remember each moment of holiness,
May you travel home safely ,
May your homecomings be joyful ,
And, may the Blessing of God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit
Be with you now, and always.
Amen
Friday Evensong, Canterbury Cathedral
Almighty God,Draw near to us in this moment ...
Fill us with you Spirit ...
That we might set aside any doubts or concerns
Which separate us from you.
Give us your grace ...
Remind us of our deep connectedness ,
To you and to one another ,
That we might sing forth your praise in gratitude and joy.
We ask this in the name of your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen
Saturday Evensong. Canterbury Cathedral
God of our beginnings and endings ....
You have been with us on this journey.
You have accompanied us when we noticed your presence. ...
And you have accompanied us when we were unaware.
As we approach our final evening in Canterbury, Gather us in gratitude ...
Ground us in your love ...
Give us an openness to your Spirit...
That we might be renewed in our strength ...
And praise you with our whole hearts.
We ask this in the confidence of your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen
Sunday Morning, Canterbury Cathedral
God of Compassion,You have brought us safely to this new day.
We have prepared so long for this time,
And now we find it coming to an end.
For some of us it has been the trip of a lifetime. ...
For others it may have left us with unfulfilled expectations ...
We may wish the time was longer ,
Or, we may long to be at home ,
Wherever we find ourselves this morning,
Ground us in our purpose. ....
Dispel any thoughts that would distract us from truly worshiping you.
Assist us to see you in each face gathered here
And give us the grace to add our voices to the many voices that have sung here through the ages.
We ask this in Jesus Christ, Amen
Final evensong, Canterbury Cathedral
God of resurrection and new lifeYou promise that when we are open to your love,
We will be transformed and changed.
We trust that this has happened and is happening.
Thank you for the time we have shared.
Thank you for the many signs of your presence we have received ,
Especially in the hospitality and appreciation we have so richly experienced.
Sustain those we leave behind, who create spaces of pilgrimage and journey for so many.
Give us grateful hearts so we might remember the holy moments we have experienced.
Give us your peace that we might release anything which needs releasing.
Guide us and strengthen us for the remainder of our journey.
Bring us safely through the coming hours,
That we might arrive home safely and blessed by your presence.
We ask this through the mediation of your Son, Jesus Christ. Amen