Prayers

A Musical Prayer

/ Rev. Eric Anderson / Leave a comment

On November 13, 2016, Church of the Holy Cross UCC celebrated “Sing Praise Sunday,” a service with very little speaking and plenty of music. Children sang, the choirs sang, the people sang (their favorite hymns, so they sang right out!), and the pastor couldn’t quite see speaking a pastoral prayer, so, there was this:

 

Here are the lyrics:

Creator God be with us.
Send us rain and shine upon us all.
In steadfast love incline our hearts to justice.
Raise us when our weary spirits fall.
Raise us when our weary spirits fall.

Savior Christ be with us.
Heal all those suffer, those who sigh.
Forgive us when we serve ourselves, not justice.
Raise us to eternal life on high.
Raise us to eternal life on high.

(Chorus)

God, hear our prayer.
Christ, hear our prayer.
Holy Spirit, hear our prayer.
Bring your grace
To your world.

Holy Spirit be with us.
Guide us as we find our way.
Fill us with the fire of your compassion.
Inspire your children as we pray.
Inspire your children as we pray.

(Chorus, repeat third verse)

A Sliver of Shale

/ Rev. Eric Anderson / Leave a comment
A sliver of shale and Johann Sebastian Bach

A sliver of shale and Johann Sebastian Bach

A sliver of shale
(at least, I think it’s shale),
A ceramic flower,
A vial of sand,
A thank-you plaque,
A pen which bears the likeness
Of Johann Sebastian Bach,
And coffee mugs which range
From “Failte (welcome)”
On to “Pastor”
With scarce a pause
At “Music Dude”;

Photos on the wall,
One hanging in a keychain:

These are
The tributaries
Of memory, O God.

May I ever feel the love
With which they passed
From others’ hands
To mine.

May I ever know the love
They represent
Is echoed, doubled,
Amplified a thousandfold
In You.

Amen.

October Morning

/ Rev. Eric Anderson / Leave a comment

October morning

The rays of light, streaming from the azure dome
Of heaven set aglow the diamond frost
Upon the green or topaz stems of grass,
The pearls of mist that rise above
The sleeping surface of the river,
The scarlets and the saffrons that adorn
The soaring limbs upon the trees:
Invitation to adore the Author of such wonder.

And later, worship’s hymns a-fading,
Lowering clouds release a few brief crystals,
Barely visible descending from the sky,
Argent briefly resting on a surface, then
A luminescent globe for just a moment,
Before the liquid water vanishes
Into the insubstantial air.
The glory of New England in October!

A Tuesday Morning’s Dialogue of Twitter Prayers

/ Rev. Eric Anderson / 1 Comment
 
This series of brief prayers was born on Twitter in an impromptu conversation between the amazing Rachel Hackenberg and myself. When I saw the first one, it sparked the second, and to my delight she replied with the third. For a few minutes, as we each prepared ourselves for the day, we exchanged these poems 140 characters at a time.

She has very kindly given me permission to collect and publish them here. But make sure to visit RachelHackenberg.com regularly and benefit from her words and wisdom!

Rev. Hackenberg’s poems are indented to the left; mine to the right.
 
If a star can shine
beyond its extinction,
surely I can manage
to rise and shine
through my weariness.
 
Help, God.
 
 
 
If the tiny monarch’s
Cloak of salmon and sable
Can float it across the miles
Perhaps even I can fly. 
 
Help me, God.
 
 
 
If a song can sway the air
and pierce the heart until
the trees dream of love,
maybe I too can dance. 
 
Help me, God.
 
 
 
If an insubstantial thought
Can leap the miles
Flutter the heart 
Open the eyes
Maybe even I can hope. 
 
Help me, God.
 
 
 
And if there is hope,
then at last the moon
can sigh and melt, and
the sun can bleed with life.
 
God, help.
 
 
 
And if there is life,
Then sun and moon and tears of clouds
Can rain upon the earth
To call forth wild growth. 
 
God, help.