Midday Prayer
Thursday, July 22, 2021
The liturgy below is for the Midday Prayer gathering (via Zoom) on July 22 at 12 pm (PDT).
If you would like to receive email reminders for further Midday Prayer gatherings this summer, along with Zoom login details, please click the 'Receive Chapel Updates' button on this page.
If you would like to receive email reminders for further Midday Prayer gatherings this summer, along with Zoom login details, please click the 'Receive Chapel Updates' button on this page.
Prayers for Compassion for the Least
Adapted from Seeds of the Kingdom: Common Prayers for Ordinary Time
Gloria
Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son,
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now,
and will be forever.
Amen.
Prayer of Affirmation
Glory be to you,
God of all comfort and compassion,
who longs to gather us
as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings.
No Not One
George C. Hugg, Johnson Jr. Oatman, and Johnson Oatman | Public Domain | Arrangement by Paul Zach.
There's not a friend like the lowly Jesus
No not one no not one
None else could heal all our soul's diseases
No not one no not one
Jesus knows all about our struggles
He will guide till the day is done
There's not a friend like the lowly Jesus
No not one no not one
No friend like Him is so high and holy
No not one no not one
And yet no friend is so meek and lowly
No not one no not one
Jesus knows all about our struggles
He will guide till the day is done
There's not a friend like the lowly Jesus
No not one no not one
There's not an hour that He is not near us
No not one no not one
No night so dark but His love can cheer us
No not one no not one
Jesus knows all about our struggles
He will guide till the day is done
There's not a friend like the lowly Jesus
No not one no not one
Prayer of Orientation
Who is like the Lord,
the One who sits enthroned on high,
Who stoops down
to look on the heavens and the earth?
You see the misery of your people.
You hear them crying out.
You have concern for their suffering.
You come down to bring your people up
to a good and spacious place.
Who is like the Lord our God,
Who stands among the lowly?
You raise the poor from the dust
and lift the needy from the ash heap.
You settle the barren woman in her home
as a happy mother of children.
Who is like the Lord our God,
Who stands among the lowly?
You uphold the cause of the oppressed
and give food to the hungry.
You set the prisoner free
and give sight to the blind.
Who is like the Lord our God,
Who stands among the lowly?
You watch over the foreigner
and sustain the orphan and the widow.
You heal the broken-hearted
and bind up their wounds.
Who is like the Lord our God,
Who stands among the lowly?
Open our eyes to see the misery you see.
Open our ears to hear the cries you hear.
Open our hearts to weep where you are weeping.
Open our lives to love with the love of Christ:
Who, being in the very nature God,
made himself nothing,
taking the very nature of a servant,
and humbled himself to death on a cross.
Who is like the Lord our God,
Who stands among the lowly?
Scripture | Luke 18:9–14 (NRSV)
He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and regarded others with contempt: “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee, standing by himself, was praying thus, ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people: thieves, rogues, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give a tenth of all my income.’ But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even look up to heaven, but was beating his breast and saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ I tell you, this man went down to his home justified rather than the other; for all who exalt themselves will be humbled, but all who humble themselves will be exalted.”
Reflection
Taken from Charles Ringma's Hear the Ancient Wisdom (Wipf & Stock, 2013)
Listening Silence
In silence, we make space to listen to God’s voice, breathe in God’s Spirit, and centre ourselves with God.
Prayer of Gratitude and Confession
You are the Maker and Minder of all beings.
Each one of us you fashioned.
You are mindful of each hair on our heads,
each pain in our lives,
each joy we find,
each sorrow we bear.
You comfort and guide us in all we do.
Forgive us—
for the times we failed
to look after our neighbor,
for the times we failed
to stand with those in need,
choosing instead to distance ourselves.
Overwhelm us with your boundless love
and so collapse the distance we create
between ourselves and our neighbour.
Teach us to love as you love,
without hesitation and with selfless abandon.
Amen.
Kyrie
We come to God
aware of our own sinfulness
and our failure to have compassion on the least;
and so we pray for God’s mercy and forgiveness:
Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me.
Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on my community.
Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on the world.
Absolution
May the God of love and power
forgive us and free us from our sins,
heal and strengthen us by the Holy Spirit,
and raise us to new life in Jesus Christ our Lord.
Prayers of Intercession
Hear the cries of the broken and least
in our midst…
Hear the cries of the broken and least
in our city, our nation, our world…
Hear the groaning of your creation
awaiting new creation…
The Lord's Prayer
Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
Lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For yours is the kingdom
and the power
and the glory,
forever and ever.
Amen.
Prayer of Affirmation
Glory be to you,
God of all comfort and compassion,
who longs to gather us
as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings.
He Is Among Us (The Least of These)
Andy Piercy, Isaac Wardell, John Swinton, Orlando Palmer, and Paul Zach | Common Hymnal Publishing
You'll find Me with the broken and the weak
In the spaces in between
You'll hear My voice cry out with those who weep
Only if you're listening
Whatever you do for the least of these
You do it unto Me
You'll find Me with the ones without a voice
The forgotten and ignored
My blessing is on those who love the poor
Will you open up the door
Hallelujah, hallelujah
He is among us, He is among us
(repeat)
By this the world will know the Father's love
We will know the Father's love
Blessing
God’s blessing be yours,
and well may it befall you.
Christ’s blessing be yours,
and well be you entreated.
The Spirit’s blessing be yours,
and well spend you your lives,
Each day that you rise up,
each night that you lie down.
Amen.
Go in peace
to love and serve the Lord.
