Morning Prayer

First draft, a work in progress, very silly…

Hear, Israel, the Lord is our God, the Lord is One.
Blessed be the Name of His glorious kingdom for ever and ever.
And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.
And these words that I command you today shall be in your heart.
And you shall teach them diligently to your children, and you shall speak of them
when you sit at home, and when you walk along the way, and when you lie down and when you rise up.
And you shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be for frontlets between your eyes.
And you shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

 

I believe in one God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible.

And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of the Father before all worlds; God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God; begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father, by whom all things were made.

Who, for us men for our salvation, came down from heaven, and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the virgin Mary, AND WAS MADE MAN; and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate; He suffered and was buried; and the third day He rose again, according to the Scriptures; and ascended into heaven, and sits on the right hand of the Father; and He shall come again, with glory, to judge the quick and the dead; whose kingdom shall have no end.

And I believe in the Holy Spirit, Lord and Giver of Life; who proceeds from the Fathe; who with the Father and the Son together is worshipped and glorified; who spoke by the prophets.

And I believe one holy catholic and apostolic Church. I acknowledge one baptism for the remission of sins; and I look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come.

 

I believe in one God in Trinity, and Trinity in unity, neither confusing the Persons, nor dividing the substance; that each distinct Person is God and Lord and that the deity of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit is One, equal in glory, coequal in majesty.
O God,
You are Yahweh, you are existence itself and Life itself;
You are all Truth, Good, and Beauty;
You are total, perfect and eternal self-giving of Father, Son and Holy Spirit;
You are Love, which means you want the good for the other purely for the sake of the other, both in the intimacy of the Trinitarian Life and in Your good work of Creation;
You are Love, which means you are Creator, you create out of pure generosity, and your Creation is very good;
You are Yahweh, the God of Abraham, of Isaac and of Jacob;
You are the God of Covenant, Covenant which means the self-giving of each other and the self-giving to You, in imitation of Your Trinitarian Life;
And even though we were unfaithful and broke your Covenant, you were ever faithful to us and gave us new Covenants;
You are God Incarnate, God made flesh, who so loved us that even though we were unworthy of you, you became one of us;
You are God Incarnate, God made flesh, who so loved us that you gave everything to us on the Cross, and through your Holy Cross and Resurrection destroyed our bondage to sin and death;
You are God Incarnate, God made flesh, Emmanuel who so loves us that you condescend to be truly present to us today in the humble form of bread and wine which we reverently adore;
You are Jesus;
You are Jesus, the baby in the manger, turned away at the inn;
You are Jesus, the Good Shepherd, who gives us the Good News;
You are Jesus, who came to serve and not be served;
You are humble and meek, respecting our freedom and working through us;
You are the Lord of Hosts, King of Israel, King of Kings;
Just like you freed your people Israel from the bondage of Pharaoh and gave them worship and the Law, you freed your people from the bondage of sin and death and gave them worship and the Gospel;
You sit at the right hand of the Father and all Creation groans in expectation as, through your sinful servants, you bring to us the New Creation inaugurated on Easter morning;
And through your People, you are renewing Creation, until the day of when every knee shall bend, and every mouth shall proclaim that you are Lord, and every tear will be wiped from every eye;
And on that day, all justice will be established, and your children will partake of the Divine Nature;
And I believe with a full heart in your coming, and even though you may tarry, I will wait for you every day.
O Lord,
Because you are Trinity, because you are Love, you created all things visible and invisible out of perfect generosity, and your Creation is good;
Because you are Trinity, because you are Love, you created us, man and woman, in your image, with freedom, and will, and the capacity for love;
You gave us the divine mission to sanctify your Creation in worship to you;
We abandoned you, damaging ourselves and damaging your good Creation, but you did not abandon us;
Instead, ever-determined, ever-faithful, ever-loving, you never stop rescuing us from our own failures;
Our Father Adam broke his Covenant with you, but you established a new Covenant with our Father Noah;
Our Father Noah broke his Covenant with you, but you established a new Covenant with our Father Abraham;
And you, root of Jesse, Son of David, condescended to make us priests in the New Covenant of your blood, so that you may form a new people after you, and gather all nations to your good worship and renew Creation;
O Lord,
By your Holy Cross and Resurrection you have redeemed the world;
All who are saved are saved only by your loving grace;
O Lord,
Make me a priest of your shalom;
O Lord,
By your Spirit, send me your grace, and make me ever aware of it;
O Lord,
Send me your Spirit of Fire, renew me, equip me for good works;
O Lord,
Make me an icon of your love, so that I may sanctify the world for your glory;
Make me an icon of your love, so that I keep your Commandments, not out of pride, not out of expectation of reward or fear of punishment, but simply as a thanksgiving offering to you;
Make me an icon of your love, so that every day I may grow in virtue, not for my sake, but for your sake;
Make me an icon of your love, so that I should pray without ceasing, not by my own performance or to fulfill an obligation, but so that you may form me into a greater likeness of you;
Make me an icon of your love, so that every day I may recognize the blessings you have bestowed upon me, and thereby be filled with joy and thanksgiving;
Make me an icon of your love, so that I may truly be a king, priest and prophet, one who serves instead of being served;
Make me your child.