Monday Morning Prayer

Oh Lord, open my eyes, to see you everywhere

Psalm 105:1-2

O give thanks to the Lord, call on his name,
    make known his deeds among the peoples.
Sing to him, sing praises to him;
    tell of all his wonderful works.

Silence for reflection

Poem by Chelan Harkin from her book Susceptible to Light

The worst thing we ever did
was put God in the sky
out of reach

pulling the divinity
from the leaf,
sifting out the holy from our bones,
insisting God isn’t bursting dazzlement
through everything we’ve made
a hard commitment to see as ordinary,
stripping the sacred from everywhere
to put in a cloud man elsewhere,
prying closeness from your heart.

The worst thing we ever did
was take the dance and the song
out of prayer
made it sit up straight
and cross its legs
removed it of rejoicing
wiped clean its hip sway,
its questions,
its ecstatic yowl,
its tears.

The worst thing we ever did is pretend
God isn’t the easiest thing
in this Universe
available to every soul
in every breath.

Personal petitions

Silence for reflection

Closing prayer

Holy father, nurturing mother, creator and sustainer of all things: you breathed life into this world and continue to sustain it. Open my eyes to the wonders of your creation and the interconnectedness of all things. Help me to do my part to sustain the balance of plants, animals, and resources, preserving and nurturing life all around me. Amen.