7th February 2016 – Transfiguration Sunday

THE PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE
We gather in the spirit of prayer,
to seek the intimate presence
of the Source of life
whose wonder we see in morning light
and cosmic radiance…
and ponder in the surrounding cloud-topped hills …

Yet mixed with that celebration
is an awareness of the times
when our desires or expectations
have blinded us
to signs
of the ancient yet living promises,
and closed our ears
to the murmurs of the faithfulness
of the holy mystery we name God;
whose glory was envisaged on a mountain,
clothed in mystery.

We yearn to have the Breath of life
open our lives
to the sacred,
to the stirring of the Spirit of grace;
open to horizons wider than our landscape …
a vision beyond the turmoil of our world,
to open our mouths to sing the praise
and speak the compassion, justice and hope
of the Word of life
in the midst of that turmoil …
to speak, unknowing, a healing word
to those whose troubles are known only
to the Holy One …
and in our living
encourage and sustain
those who we name in our silence and on our lips…

As followers of Jesus
we express our concern for others …
and for ourselves …

We remember moments in the past week
when cloud capped the mountains …
and moments that we wanted to hang onto …

In listening for the voice of the divine Spirit of grace
heard in Jesus,
bridging the chasms of our fears and insecurities,
may our deepest yearning be met
in the love, mercy and compassion of the Holy One …
that our living,
down on the plain,
might be more fruitful …
as we follow in the way of Jesus …
and pray as he taught his friends:

Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done, on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins,
as we forgive those who sin against us.
Save us in the time of trial and deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power and the glory are yours
now and for ever. Amen
         © Jeff Shrowder, 2016.
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