Some prayers or possible liturgies...

From this website: http://www.firstpeople.us/html/True_Path_Walkers.html


True Path Walkers

Obligations of the True Path Walkers

To bring back the natural harmony that humans once enjoyed.

To save the planet from present practices of destruction.

To find and re-employ real truth.

To promote true balance between both genders.

To share and be less materialistic.

To become rid of prejudice.

To learn to be related.

To be kind to animals and take no more than we need.

To play with one's children and love each equally and fairly.

To be brave and courageous, enough so,

to take a stand and make a commitment.

To understand what Generations Unborn really means.

To accept the Great Mystery

in order to end foolish argument over religion.

Ojibwa Prayer

Oh Great Spirit, whose voice I hear in the winds

And whose breath gives life to everyone,

Hear me.

I come to you as one of your many children;

I am weak... I am small...I need your wisdom

and your strength.

Let me walk in beauty, and make my eyes ever

behold the red and purple sunsets.

Make my hands respect the things you have made,

and make my ears sharp so I may hear your voice.

Make me wise, so that I may understand what you

have taught my people and

The lessons you have hidden in each leaf and each rock.

I ask for wisdom and strength,

Not to be superior to my brothers, but to be able

to fight my greatest enemy, myself.

Make me ever ready to come before you with

clean hands and a straight eye,

So as life fades away as a fading sunset,

My spirit may come to you without shame.


From this website:

From: http://www.interluderetreat.com/prayers.htm


O God, we are one with you. You have made us one with you. You have taught us that if we are open to one another, you dwell in us. Help us to preserve this openness and to fight for it with all our hearts. Help us to realize that there can be no understanding where there is mutual rejection. O God, in accepting one another wholeheartedly, fully, completely, we accept you, and we thank you, and we adore you, and we love you with our whole being, because our being is your being, our spirit is rooted in your spirit. Fill us then with love, and let us be bound together with love as we go our diverse ways, united in this one spirit which makes you present in the world, and which makes you witness to the ultimate reality that is love. Love has overcome. Love is victorious.

Thomas Merton 1915-1968

Lord, make me an instrument of Your peace.
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
Where there is injury, pardon;
Where there is doubt, faith;
Where there is despair, hope;
Where there is darkness, light; and
Where there is sadness, joy.
O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled, as to console;
To be understood, as to understand;
To be loved, as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive---
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
And it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.

St. Francis of Assisi 1181-1226


For cities and towns, factories and farms, flowers and trees, sea and sky---
Lord we praise You for the world and its beauty.
For family and friends, neighbors and cousins---
Lord, we thank You for friendship and love.
For kind hearts, smiling faces, and helping hands---
Lord, we praise You for those who care for others.
For commandments that teach us how to live---
Lord, we thank You for those who help us to understand your laws.
And for making us one family on earth, the children of One God---
Lord we praise You, who made all people different, yet alike.

Jewish Liturgy


Eternal lover of Thy children,
bring us into Thy life,
make us sharers in Thy love
and transmitters of it.
Help us to become serene and patient
in the midst of our frustrations,
but at the same time
make us heroic adventurers,
brave, gentle, tender,
but without fear
and with radiant faces.

Rufus Jones, Quaker (1863-1948)

O God, Slow Us Down (1983)
George Thomas

O God, slow us down and help us to see that we are put in charge of our lives, but with Thy help. Help us to get in tune with the rhythm that makes for life.

We keep moving, even though we know that we are made to center down, as well as to be actively engaged in the business of life. We compete for things and make those things more important than they ought to be. We eat what we ought not to eat. We neglect and misuse our bodies. We fail to discipline our minds and to be still and know that thou art God and that we are the temple of the Most High. Yet we often complain about our misfortunes and our hard luck, when at times it is we who are guilty of disregard.

Help us to know that we can be broken by life only if we first allow the victory of evil over our spirits.

May our hope and strength and faith be grounded in you; and may we recall the strength of our model, our brother and your Son.

Amen.

Rethinking this Blog

Hopefully this blog has been a tool that has allowed for increased participation and discussion.  It seems that only few people have taken advantage of the blog though....

I am wondering if it makes more sense to setup a ning account---similar to the one used by earth house. it seems to be working very well for the collective.

 this will achieve the same goal of a blog but allow for more conversatons and different types of conversations to go on at the same time.  there is also more of a personal feel to the conversation because everyone has their picture posted and allows for individual communications.

just a thought but check out ning.

October 12 Worship: Smashing Patriarchy and Building the Kingdom of God

first off, i love that we're going to use that video clip. it's hilarious!

secondly, have we thought about readers? it would be really easy to ask someone during the week to read scripture. Perhaps Barb? or even Luke? Maybe Pancho would be willing to read as well. Let's get new faces involved if we can. What about Mike or Ali (parents of baby Shiloh)? Just a thought. That would be one less thing we'd scramble for on Sunday morning.

third...music? i think it would be cool to sing some field songs, but i don't know any off the top of my head. we could sing "as i went down to the river" again, because that sounds so neat when we sing it acapella and everyone joins in. could we tie it into this theme of living as free people? also, what about some kind of contemplative listening piece? a modern song that maybe we don't have the capacity to perform, but still captures the point. didn't chad bring in alanis morissette (sp) once? that kind of thing.
here are some suggestions from our hymnal:
Go Down, Moses #448 - definitely not all the verses!
My Soul Gives Glory to my God #198 - i don't know the melody, but the words seem appropriate.

i know this is all vague, but i hope it helps give some form and direction to our service! Peace!

October 10th Service

I'm starting the conversation for the upcoming October 10th service...

What were the gospel songs we were going to sing?

Can we actively set up a station this time around?

How are we going to implement conversation in the process?

What liturgies are we going to speak together?