Prayer Offered for May 26, 2022

Loving God, in these days of sometimes overwhelming work to meet the needs of our world, we recall the message in Mary Oliver’s poem called “Messenger”:

My work is loving the world…

Am I no longer young, and still not half-perfect?

Let me keep my mind on what matters—my work,

which is mostly standing still and learning to be astonished…

which is mostly rejoicing, since all the ingredients are here,

which is gratitude, to be given a mind and a heart and these body-clothes,

a mouth with which to give shouts of joy to the moth and the wren…

telling them all, over and over,

how it is that we live forever.  

Gracious and loving God, help us to live with patience, persistence, gratitude, and joy.—AMEN.

_{(Thirst by Mary Oliver)}