Monday Daily Prayer

May 11, 2020

Gracious God,

Throughout time, your people have been paying homage to your presence in their lives.

These markers of sacred ground; these monuments to the everlasting presence of God, called to the people of ancient time, begging them to stop and to remember.

To remember the God of the past, and to rest in the God of the present.

To embrace holy moments in ordinary time, sanctified by the divine presence that cradled them in love.

Holy God,

As your people, we follow their example today, taking our cue from the prophets of old. We bring to you those things which are easily accessible to us: sand, brick, stone, glass; things that easily turn in our fingers over and over, like an anthem waiting to be sung.

Things that for our own reasons remind us of God with us.

Humbled by your goodness and captivated by your presence, we build a rugged mound. Sand, brick, stone, glass: tangible reminders of God in our stories, are built into an altar.

A holy meeting place where we, together, can share our stories, feel our pain, and express our joy.

Hear us, God, as we come to the altar; beaten and bruised from falls on the journey. Weary and thirsty from days in the wilderness, hands chafed and bloody from clinging to these talismans; representations of holy comfort to place on the altar as we kneed in prayer.

Merciful God,

For your good gifts, for your love, for you grace; we give thanks.

For your presence in our pasts, and for your promises of future, we give you thanks.

We lift praise and honor and glory to you; remove that which separates us from you. Draw us close as your people, to the altar of God with us.

Amen.

—
Submitted by:
Sara Robb-Scott, Pastor for Senior Adults and Pastoral Care, First Baptist Decatur