Cantica Gaudia

Ordinary Time, Early Summer: Thursday Morning Prayer

Opening: When anyone is united to Christ, there is a new world; the old order has gone, and a new order has already begun.

Canticle: Surely, it is God who saves me;
I will trust in God and not be afraid.
For the Lord is my stronghold and my sure defense,
and will be my Savior.
Therefore you shall draw water with rejoicing
from the springs of salvation.
And on that day you shall say,
Give thanks to the Lord and call upon the holy Name;
Make God's deeds known among the peoples;
see that they remember that the Lord's Name is exalted.
Sing the praises of the Lord, for God has done great things
and this is known in all the world.
Cry aloud, inhabitants of Zion, ring out your joy,
for the great one in the midst of you is the Holy One of Israel.

Psalm: Be committed to life
Trust what is
And all will be as it must be
And your rightness will shine forth as the dawn
And your goodness as the sun at high noon

Be quiet before what is
Wait patiently and simply
Don’t worry about those who easily prosper
The manipulators and seducers

Give up anger, give up hatred
Don’t think to take revenge or subvert
For the heedless will be cut off

As for those who wait for you—
The world will be theirs to love

Glory be to God, who made us, who bears our pain, and who loves us
As it was in the beginning, is now and will be always.  Amen.

Reading: It doesn’t have to be
The blue iris, it could be
Weeds in a vacant lot, or a few
Small stones, just
Pay attention, then patch

A few words together and don’t try
To make them elaborate, this isn’t
A contest but the doorway

Into thanks, and a silence in which
Another voice may speak.

The Lord’s Prayer: Abba our God,
Whom the heavens disclose,
May your name be held holy,
Your authority come.
May your longing be fulfilled
As in heaven, so on earth.
Give us today the bread of tomorrow,
And cancel our debts
As we have already forgiven our debtors.
Do not draw us in
To sinful enticement,
But set us free
From the grip of evil;
For authority and power and glory
Are yours alone, for ever.  Amen.

Prayer: God of life, by the power of the Holy Spirit come to us now. Plow our hearts with your living Word until we who are broken become fertile with your love, for we long to bear fruit in a world that is wasting. We pray in the name of Jesus, whose charge we bear. Amen.

Collect:  Holy Spirit, mighty wind of God, inhabit our darkness, brood over our abyss and speak to our chaos; that we may breathe with your life and share your creation in the power of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Going Forth: Bless us, God of all loving: you come to make our lives a living sign of your Christ.