The Proper of Great Matins
(slightly updated)
O GOD, the God of spirits and of all flesh,
you who are beyond compare
and who stands in need of nothing,
who has given the sun to rule over the day,
and the moon and the stars to rule over the night;
do now please also look down upon us with gracious eyes,
and receive our morning prayer, and have mercy upon us.
For you, the eternal God,
who are without end,
has given us our being and our well-being
through Jesus Christ, Thy Son.
Do please also through Him entrust to us eternal life.
And to you with your only begotten Son
and your living Holy Spirit, One God,
be glory, honor and worship in both worlds unto the aeon of aeons. Amen.
O GOD, the God of spirits and of all flesh,
you who are beyond compare
and who stands in need of nothing,
who has given the sun to rule over the day,
and the moon and the stars to rule over the night;
do now please also look down upon us with gracious eyes,
and receive our morning prayer, and have mercy upon us.
For you, the eternal God,
who are without end,
has given us our being and our well-being
through Jesus Christ, Thy Son.
Do please also through Him entrust to us eternal life.
And to you with your only begotten Son
and your living Holy Spirit, One God,
be glory, honor and worship in both worlds unto the aeon of aeons. Amen.
My Psalm 51
Have mercy on me, O God,
not according to what I deserve,
not according to anything I have to offer,
but according to your unfailing love;
and your great compassion
wipe away all my sins.
Cleanse me from every stain
and root out the tiniest impurity.
For I know my sinfulness;
I can’t escape my fallenness.
I have sinned against you,
I have offended your holiness
and betrayed your grace toward me;
you are right in showing me my fault
and totally justified in your righteous judgment.
I’m a sinner by birth
and a sinner by habit.
But you’ve been with me from the beginning,
and you’ve taught me better all along.
Scrub me clean, Lord God;
scour me until I sparkle, by your grace.
I’m sick of myself;
lead me into joy and gladness once more.
I’m tired of being tired;
renew me, Lord.
Give me a pure heart once more, O God,
and rekindle the flame within me.
Don’t reject me;
don’t disappoint me.
Restore to me the joy of your great salvation
and send winds of refreshing into my soul again.
Ordain me again to teach fellow sinners your ways,
and show lost souls the way home.
You have delivered me, my God, my Salvation;
I will sing my praise to you.
Set my praises free, Lord;
loose my lips once again.
Save me from going through the motions;
deliver me from empty ministry.
I’ve been your slave from my youth,
when you laid me low with your love;
now I come to you, broken again,
and ask you to look on me with favor once more.
Make my heart, my life, my body, like Zion—
the place you delight in.
Repair my shattered spirit
the way you built up Jerusalem
and made her the joy of the whole earth.
Draw from my life the worship you deserve,
may my offerings
and my sacrifices
be pleasing to you in every way,
O Lord, my Strength and my Redeemer. Amen.
not according to what I deserve,
not according to anything I have to offer,
but according to your unfailing love;
and your great compassion
wipe away all my sins.
Cleanse me from every stain
and root out the tiniest impurity.
For I know my sinfulness;
I can’t escape my fallenness.
I have sinned against you,
I have offended your holiness
and betrayed your grace toward me;
you are right in showing me my fault
and totally justified in your righteous judgment.
I’m a sinner by birth
and a sinner by habit.
But you’ve been with me from the beginning,
and you’ve taught me better all along.
Scrub me clean, Lord God;
scour me until I sparkle, by your grace.
I’m sick of myself;
lead me into joy and gladness once more.
I’m tired of being tired;
renew me, Lord.
Give me a pure heart once more, O God,
and rekindle the flame within me.
Don’t reject me;
don’t disappoint me.
Restore to me the joy of your great salvation
and send winds of refreshing into my soul again.
Ordain me again to teach fellow sinners your ways,
and show lost souls the way home.
You have delivered me, my God, my Salvation;
I will sing my praise to you.
Set my praises free, Lord;
loose my lips once again.
Save me from going through the motions;
deliver me from empty ministry.
I’ve been your slave from my youth,
when you laid me low with your love;
now I come to you, broken again,
and ask you to look on me with favor once more.
Make my heart, my life, my body, like Zion—
the place you delight in.
Repair my shattered spirit
the way you built up Jerusalem
and made her the joy of the whole earth.
Draw from my life the worship you deserve,
may my offerings
and my sacrifices
be pleasing to you in every way,
O Lord, my Strength and my Redeemer. Amen.
Into Your Lap
Abba, I climb into your lap today
and in my childish prattle
ask for your favor.
In your infinite wisdom,
feed me what I need,
and help me to recognize
even the sourest spoonfuls
as your good gifts to me,
in Jesus' name, amen.
and in my childish prattle
ask for your favor.
In your infinite wisdom,
feed me what I need,
and help me to recognize
even the sourest spoonfuls
as your good gifts to me,
in Jesus' name, amen.
My Psalm 131
O Lord, my heart is not proud,
my eyes are not haughty;
I do not pretend to understand great matters,
and do not aspire to great feats.
But I have stilled and quieted my soul;
like a weaned child wanting only its mother's presence,
that is how my soul reposes on you.
I put my hope in you, Lord,
both now and forevermore. Amen.
Jesus, Tender Lover of My Soul
Jesus, tender Lover of my soul,
Pardoner of my sins and friend indeed,
Keeper of the garden of my heart,
Jesus, Thou art everything to me.
Jesus, Thou art everything to me.
Jesus, Thou art everything to me.
All my lasting joys are found in Thee,
Jesus, Thou art everything to me.
Pardoner of my sins and friend indeed,
Keeper of the garden of my heart,
Jesus, Thou art everything to me.
Jesus, Thou art everything to me.
Jesus, Thou art everything to me.
All my lasting joys are found in Thee,
Jesus, Thou art everything to me.
Powerless
Abba, I confess that I do not have--
nor have I ever had--
power to help myself.
You alone are my help,
my strength,
my shield.
Amen.
nor have I ever had--
power to help myself.
You alone are my help,
my strength,
my shield.
Amen.
The Speed of Sane
Help me to slow down to the speed of sane, Lord.
I want to live in that place my reading talked about today,
where I can listen to you,
and speak to you with a calm mind,
and spring into action from a position of rest and readiness,
like the harpoonist who is more effective
because he was at rest until the time came to act.
But I am always in action, it seems,
always racing,
never resting.
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of David, have mercy on me, a sinner.
Save me from haste.
Lead me to peace.
Amen.
I want to live in that place my reading talked about today,
where I can listen to you,
and speak to you with a calm mind,
and spring into action from a position of rest and readiness,
like the harpoonist who is more effective
because he was at rest until the time came to act.
But I am always in action, it seems,
always racing,
never resting.
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of David, have mercy on me, a sinner.
Save me from haste.
Lead me to peace.
Amen.
Deliver
Deliver me from arrogance, Lord.
Deliver me from spiritual blindness.
Deliver me from ungrace:
Mine, and that of others,
In Jesus' name, amen.
Deliver me from spiritual blindness.
Deliver me from ungrace:
Mine, and that of others,
In Jesus' name, amen.
Thanks for Humble Offerings
God, I give you thanks for humble offerings.
I remember that Mary and Joseph brought doves,
a humble gift, to worship you in the Temple.
I thank you that you take my humble offerings.
I thank you for so many of my friends, my loved ones,
who bring their offerings week after week,
a song, a truck,
a hand passing out programs,
an ear for sound or eye for projection,
an hour, a few hours, a morning,
a swing by Starbucks,
a smile for a stranger,
and on and on.
I'm grateful, Lord,
especially as I'm reminded that ALL our offerings,
compared to your great love and grace and kindness,
are humble offerings.
Every one.
I remember that Mary and Joseph brought doves,
a humble gift, to worship you in the Temple.
I thank you that you take my humble offerings.
I thank you for so many of my friends, my loved ones,
who bring their offerings week after week,
a song, a truck,
a hand passing out programs,
an ear for sound or eye for projection,
an hour, a few hours, a morning,
a swing by Starbucks,
a smile for a stranger,
and on and on.
I'm grateful, Lord,
especially as I'm reminded that ALL our offerings,
compared to your great love and grace and kindness,
are humble offerings.
Every one.
Pastor Praise
I praise you, Lord, for a church that loves you.
I praise you for a staff that loves each other and works well together.
I praise you for a leadership team that is intent on obeying you, bringing your kingdom, and caring for the flock.
I praise you for volunteers who sweat for your church.
I praise you for people who care for each other, instead of waiting for the pastor.
I praise you for thick-skinned servants, who don't need to protect or promote themselves.
I praise you for gracious people who cut their pastors some slack.
I praise you for wise leaders who use what they know and know what they don't know.
I praise you for a church that doesn't begrudge their pastors a working wage, or time off.
I praise you for people who are "tender with sinners, but not soft on sin" (Jude 23b, The Message).
I praise you for members that are learning to give sacrificially.
I praise you for teachers who are passionate about ministry to kids.
I praise you for a church that values creativity and innovation.
I praise you for a church with a sense of humor.
I praise you for a church that wants to reach out.
I praise you for a legacy of sacrificial leaders, already, in this young church.
I praise you for the hope you give me that greater things than these we will see and do, as we trust in you, in Jesus' name, amen.
I praise you for a staff that loves each other and works well together.
I praise you for a leadership team that is intent on obeying you, bringing your kingdom, and caring for the flock.
I praise you for volunteers who sweat for your church.
I praise you for people who care for each other, instead of waiting for the pastor.
I praise you for thick-skinned servants, who don't need to protect or promote themselves.
I praise you for gracious people who cut their pastors some slack.
I praise you for wise leaders who use what they know and know what they don't know.
I praise you for a church that doesn't begrudge their pastors a working wage, or time off.
I praise you for people who are "tender with sinners, but not soft on sin" (Jude 23b, The Message).
I praise you for members that are learning to give sacrificially.
I praise you for teachers who are passionate about ministry to kids.
I praise you for a church that values creativity and innovation.
I praise you for a church with a sense of humor.
I praise you for a church that wants to reach out.
I praise you for a legacy of sacrificial leaders, already, in this young church.
I praise you for the hope you give me that greater things than these we will see and do, as we trust in you, in Jesus' name, amen.