Wednesday, December 19, 2007

Advent Prayer

O God:
Enlarge my heart
that it may be big enough to receive the greatness of your love.
Stretch my heart
that it may take into it all those who with me around the world
believe in Jesus Christ.
Stretch it
that it may take into all those who do not know him,
but who are my responsibility because I know him.
And stretch it
that it may take in all those who are not lovely in my eyes,
and whose hands I do not want to touch;
through Jesus Christ, my savior. Amen

Prayer of an African Christian
With All God's People, World Council of Churches, 1989
From the book Bread of Tomorrow, ed. Janet Morley, Orbis Books 1992

Right now, it just seems right to ask God to stretch my heart, although the stretching is sometimes painful.

7 comments:

lauraj said...

Bread of Tomorrow is my favorite prayer book. Thanks for sharing from it. Blessings as you stretch.

Diane M. Roth said...

lj, one of my favorite prayer books too. I have a Christmas prayer that I used to use every Christmas eve.

steve said...

Beatiful. Thank you for sharing it.

Rev SS said...

Love it. Thanks for sharing.

Fran said...

Oh, this is great Diane. Thank you.
And prayers your way!

more cows than people said...

Amen.

Paul said...

On you next visit my way you will see that I borrowed it whole hog (with credit, of course). Reminded me of one of my favorite passages from Isaiah (54:1-3). Thanks for bringing this to us at Advent.