Prayer For the Night Shift.

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Original Prayer and Liturgy, Prayer

Most of my working life I’ve worked swing shift or night shift. I’ll tell you what, it can mess with you. It sure has messed with me after 20+ years of going to work when everybody else is going home or going to bed. Your natural cycles get tossed this way and that, you eat at really weird times or skip meals altogether, and at times it’s almost impossible to have a social or spiritual life.

I mean, can I pray the morning office at 11:30 AM? Is that cool?

Anyway, recently I got the book “Common Prayer: A Liturgy For Ordinary Radicals” by Shane Claiborne and others. I really appreciate the work that they put into it, and I was inspired to write a prayer for folks like me, who often work those hours when everyone else is at home relaxing, even in bed. Remember, for you to get up and get your food on the way to work at 7 AM, somebody had to be there before you to prep it. Often times these folks go unnoticed and unappreciated by the rest of us as we go throughout our day. Many of them will be doing even more going into the Holiday and Christmas season. So I’d be tickled pink if you took a moment to remember us in your prayers. I’ve got an opening and a closing, and a verse each for 4 types of jobs that tend to work nights: Medical personnel, Emergency Responders, retail service workers, and food service workers.

“Bless Them With Rest”

Dear God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
Remember those who labor and toil while I eat and rest.
Bless those go unseen during night hours.
Strengthen those who ply their trade after the setting of the sun.

LORD, HEAR OUR PRAYER.

Oh Great Physician,
We ask that you abide with those who care for the sick during evening hours.
Sharpen their senses and minds to meet the challenges of their charges
And bless them with rest when their watch has ended.

LORD, HEAR OUR PRAYER

Oh Prince of Peace,
We ask that you give peace to those who keep calm after twilight.
Bless them with Solomon’s wisdom and David’s heart as they serve
And bless them with rest when their watch has ended.

LORD, HEAR OUR PRAYER

Oh Gentle Comforter,
We ask that you watch over those who replenish our stores and markets.
Grant them the strength and energy to complete their tasks quickly and safely
And bless them with rest when their watch has ended.

LORD, HEAR OUR PRAYER

Oh Breaker of Bread,
We ask that you enrich those who we depend upon for our food.
Bestow upon them rich blessings for doing holy work, feeding your children
And bless them with rest when their watch has ended.

LORD, HEAR OUR PRAYER

Oh glorious Son of God,
You felt loneliness when your disciples slept in the garden
and left you alone to keep watch the night before your death on the cross.
Energize and comfort those who also keep the lonely nights
And bless them with rest when their watch has ended.

OUR FATHER WHO ART IN HEAVEN
HALLOWED BE THY NAME
THY KINGDOM COME
THY WILL BE DONE
ON EARTH AS IT IS IN HEAVEN
GIVE US THIS DAY OUR DAILY BREAD
AND FORGIVE US OUR TRESPASSES 
AS WE FORGIVE THOSE WHO TRESPASS AGAINST US
AND LEAD US, NOT INTO TEMPTATION
BUT DELIVER US FROM EVIL
FOR THINE IS THE KINGDOM
THE POWER
AND THE GLORY FOREVER.

MAY THE LORD JESUS CHRIST GRANT US A PEACEFUL NIGHT AND A PERFECT END.

A-MEN.

 

 

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A New Thing

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Prayer, Revelation

And the one who was seated on the throne said, “See, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this, for these words are trustworthy and true.” (Revelation 21:5 NRSV)

Something different happened this morning during my morning prayers. My mind conjured some different images. I’ve been teaching a class on Francis Chan’s book “Crazy Love” at church, and in this book Chan is all about feeling the awesome power of God, King of the Universe. He talks about picturing yourself in the throne room of God as you pray and experience His presence.

Now this is all fine and good, and I think it can be a great practice to remind us that we do serve an awesome, holy, ever-living God. I’ve been picturing this often when I have prayed lately, but as I said, something different happened this morning, not even consciously.

Instead of walking into God’s throne room I find myself walking toward a small wooden building on some back street somewhere (no I’m not talking about the Shack and I don’t expect God to make me pancakes.) Anyway, I opened the door and entered a small woodworking shop. Jesus was standing at a table working some wood with a lathe.

He saw me enter and smiled.  He motioned for me to sit and joined me in a chair next to mine. I told him some of things I’ve been struggling with, and some of the things that have been frustrating me the most. He sat, listened and nodded along next to me. When I was done, I just felt so tired that I just buried my head in my hands. Then I felt his arm around me, and I could feel the nail scar as he patted me on the back.

Then he spoke. He said, “It’s ok. Look around my shop. As you can see, I make things new. In fact, I make all things new. You and I are going to work through all of this, and we’re done, I think you’ll like the result. Just remember, I’m always here for you.”

I don’t normally have these kind of tangible spiritual experiences, but this was powerful. It was such a gift to know that no matter what, Christ is always there and always working through his grace and love. I sat and enjoyed a bit of peace in His presence, and then as suddenly as it came on, it was gone.

You see, I think God knew that what I needed this morning wasn’t an amazing, holy King, but a warm, sympathetic friend. I am so immensely thankful for that.

I do believe that Christ is making something new in me. It’s not an easy process. Sometimes it’s going to be painful. Oftentimes there are going to be sharp edges and rough spots that need to be sanded down. In the end though, the final product will be great.

I pray for his continuing work in me, and ask that he will work in each of us to help make all things new.

What Would Be Your First Words to God?

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Francis Chan, Hebrews, Isaiah, Nature of God, Prayer, Revelation

Around the throne are twenty-four thrones, and seated on the thrones are twenty-four elders, dressed in white robes, with golden crowns on their heads. Coming from the throne are flashes of lightning, and rumblings and peals of thunder, and in front of the throne burn seven flaming torches, which are the seven spirits of God; and in front of the throne there is something like a sea of glass, like crystal. (Revelation 4: 4-6a NRSV)

What would be the first words out of your mouth to God if you met him?  I’m not talking about bumping into him on the street or having dinner with him at a restaurant. I’m talking about meeting him on HIS TURF, in his abode, in front of his throne?

Today I picked up the book “Crazy Love: Overwhelmed by a Relentless God” by Francis Chan.  It’s about coming to meet God, to be in a relationship with God, to literally fall in love with God.  The first chapter is entitled “Stop Praying!” In it, Pastor Chan wonders if we really have the appropriate sense of awe when we approach God, when we think about him, when we talk to him.

I mean, really.  Think about your prayer life.  Think about your walk with God.  I have to admit that often when I sit down to pray it comes across as a cranky teenager asking for a raise in his allowance or submitting a Christmas list full of things I know I’m probably not going to get, but I’ll ask for anyway.

Huh.

Prayer becomes…so routine, and I bet it’s not just me who feels that way.  It just becomes something we do because it’s what Christians do. We have our daily prayer times.  For some of us, it’s in the morning.  For others, like me, it’s often late at night before I go to bed because that is about the only time I can be in a quiet place by myself consistently.

At the appointed time we assume the position.  We sit at a table, maybe get on our knees, lay in bed, or I often sit at my desk.  We’re in, we’re comfortable, and we start to prattle on.  Maybe we give some lip service to the glory of God, but all too often I find myself just drifting into the wish list.

And you know what?  Most of us wouldn’t talk to a friend or family member that way.  Most of us don’t just walk up to someone important to us and just start asking them to give us what we want.  Even when we do want something from the person, we very rarely lead with that.

What if our prayer life was different?  What if instead of just yapping to the invisible man in the sky with a big white beard we acted like we were talking to a person?  What if we acted like we were talking to the Lord GOD, King of the Universe, the Being who made this:

Heck, that’s not even our galaxy, that’s Andromeda.  Look at all the stars around it.  You and I get to talk personally to the Being that brought that into existence.

Imagine being in His throne room.  The passage above is part of John’s vision of the throne of God from Revelation 4.  Isaiah had a similar vision in Isaiah 6.  Check out the picture I put at the first of this post and imagine yourself walking into that. Imagine the heat, the light, the continuous sound of thunder and constant chants of :

“HOLY, HOLY, HOLY IS THE LORD GOD ALMIGHTY.  WHO WAS, AND IS, AND IS TO COME.”

Imagine yourself in that context.  What would be the first words out of your mouth?  Do you really think it would be “Hey look, God, I really need you to fill me in on why you haven’t given me a raise at work or healed the issues in my relationship?”

I doubt it.

What did Isaiah say when he saw his vision of God?

And I said: “Woe is me! I am lost, for I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips; yet my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!” (Isaiah 6:5 NRSV)

Not exactly the start of a wishlist is it?

I’ve thought about it a bit over the last few hours and I think my first words would probably be: “Dear God, have mercy on me, even though I have not been merciful and deserve no mercy.”  I can’t even begin to comprehend being in the presence of that kind of power.  I don’t think any of us can really.

Pastor Chan uses an interesting illustration in the chapter.  He says that we should think of our mind and everything that we can possibly comprehend as a single soda can.  Now, think about God and all of his being as all the water in all the oceans of the world.  Is it really fair to take just the water that we could fit into the soda can of our minds and declare that we truly know and understand God?  Of course not.

It’s awe-inspiring, isn’t it?

As Christians we know that through Christ we can “approach the throne of grace with confidence” (Hebrews 4:16), but does that mean that we should dispense with that sense of awe and wonder?  I don’t think so.

Imagine the most beautiful thing or scene that you have ever witnessed. For me, I remember standing on a mountain in the Yukon region of Alaska and Canada and looking at the other mountains and forests around me. Green everywhere, mist clinging to mountains and surrounding the large pines like the most elaborate priestly robes…

Think of the awe you had in that moment.  Think of the beauty, think about how maybe trying to describe it defied words.  Now think of how that is a drop in the bucket compared to awesomeness and beauty of the Creator of All Things.

We get to talk to Him and know Him.  He wants to know us and love us. Join me this week in pondering this, and injecting a little more awe and worship into your prayers.

What would your first words be?