Prayers - Teach Us O Lord

Joseph Beuys, Four Blackboards, 1972 (Tate)

It was a great pleasure to officiate at Choral Evensong at St Stephen Walbrook on Wednesday 8th February. I wrote these prayers in response to the words of part of Psalm 119, sung by the choir during the service. 

The text in the image above reads ‘He who in 1972 can live carefree and sleep peacefully despite knowing that two thirds of humanity are hungry or dying of starvation while a large proportion of the well-fed third must take slimming cures in order to stay alive should ask himself what kind of man one is and whether, moreover, he is a man at all.’

You can watch the service online below or at this link.

From Psalm 119: “Teach me, O Lord, the way of your statutes • and I shall keep it to the end."

Lord,
Teach us to love as you love. 
Totally. Unconditionally. Eternally.
We pray for all those we hold dear;
remembering especially this night those people we find hard to love. 

Lord,
Teach us to strive for peace as you brought peace. 
Justly. Truthfully. Righteously. 
We pray for an end to conflict in the world and in our lives;
remembering especially this night the people of Ukraine. 

Lord,
Teach us us to show compassion as you are compassionate. 
Mercifully. Graciously. Generously.
We pray for relief for those suffering through sickness and as a result of natural disasters;
remembering especially this night the people of Turkey and Syria. 

Lord,
Teach us to be one as you are one. 
Father. Son. Holy Spirt.
We pray that we might live in harmony with each other and with your creation;
remembering especially this night all those adversely affected by climate change. 
 

Lord, 
Teach us to live as you live.
Selflessly. Prayerfully. Faithfully. 
We pray for ourselves and for each other; that we may remain alive to your Word;
remembering especially this night all those  who struggle to hear it. 

 

Lord,

Teach us patience as we await your coming again. 

Humbly. Diligently. Hopefully. 

We pray for the repose of the souls of all the recently departed;

remembering especially this night all those who mourn.  

 

Amen. 

 

 

Image : Joseph Beuys, Four Blackboards, 1972 (Tate)