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New every morning is your love, great God of light, and all day long you are working for good in the world. Stir up in us desire to serve you, to live peacefully with our neighbors and all your creation, and to devote each day to your Son, our Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

"A Liturgy for Morning Prayer," Upper Room Worshipbook

Used by permission from the Book of Common Worship, © 2018 Westminster John Knox Press. All rights reserved. This prayer appears in “A Liturgy for Morning Prayer” in Upper Room Worshipbook.

 

Today’s Reflection

The ammas understood that the book of Psalms, perhaps more than any other book of the Bible, carries our collective memory as people who have sought the presence of God in every circumstance. The psalms give voice to the full range of human emotion. Desire, rage, hope, vindictiveness, love, despair: nearly everything we are capable of, both exalted and base, is at play in their pages. The psalmists incorporate it all, with no visible fear of judgment for bringing their emotions into God’s presence. It reminds me of one of the desert fathers, Abba Poemen, who wisely counseled us, “Teach your mouth to say that which you have in your heart.” The psalmists did. A lot.

—Jan L. Richardson, In the Sanctuary of Women: A Companion for Reflection and Prayer (Upper Room Books, 2010)

Today’s Question

What insights about human emotion do you gain from reading the Psalms?
Join the conversation.

Today’s Scripture

In the day of my trouble I seek the Lord;
in the night my hand is stretched out without wearying;
my soul refuses to be comforted.
—Psalm 77:2 (NRSV)

Prayer for the Week

We are waking, God.
We are waking,
and we pray
that we may know you
as manna in the desert,
wellsprings in the wilderness,
honey from the rock,
O God our habitation
and our way.
Jan L. Richardson, “Prayer for the Morning,” In the Sanctuary of Women
Submit your prayer to The Upper Room.

Something More

Aren’t sure if spiritual direction is for you? Sacred Conversation, the latest release from Upper Room Books, explains what spiritual direction is and what it isn’t. Author Marsha Crockett invites you to experience the possibility of transformation as you ponder the gifts offered by the grace of God with the help of a spiritual director. Learn more here.

Lectionary Readings

(Courtesy of Vanderbilt Divinity Library)

Looking for lectionary-based resources? Learn more about The Upper Room Disciplines.

3 Comments

  • robert moeller Posted March 26, 2022 6:17 am

    Posted a comment, but it’s vanished.

  • Julie Posted March 26, 2022 9:00 am

    I have learned that all emotions can be brought to the Lord and that he accepts them all. He does not judge our emotions as we do.
    Still rehabing my knees. I tried the elliptical machine yesterday and will increase the time a tiny bit each day. My balance is still very shaky and I am prone to losing it easily. It is snowing here and we seem to have gotten more than they were calliing for.
    Prayers for Ally and David, for health and improved finances through disability benefits. I am thankful that the counseling went well. Prayers for Robert, I have had that same comment issue many times and it is frustrating! Prayers for safe travel and smooth transitions. Prayers for Jill to find times of rest during her busy weekend. Prayers for our world.

  • Jill Posted March 26, 2022 5:17 pm

    God created us to have emotions and to have the emotional bents that we each uniquely have. Tempering what needs to be tempered and utilizing what is beneficial is up to us. The Psalms encourage truthfulness, in expressing praises, joys, struggles and frustration. They are beloved by me.
    My sister called me early. Dad and Don have been on the phone. Each is fairly frugal. The taxes were higher than dad expected – as the house was more expensive than the first one they were initially interested in. Also, dad is a neat-nik and, according to my sister, Don is practically a horder. So, dad is uptight about how many tools Don is planning on having in the garage. Ay yay yay. So – Becky calls me, I try to talk carefully to dad. I told Becky she can move in here with me and Roger and the two men can figure things out. So – I talked to dad today – I think he has very selective hearing. We had lunch out and tried a new ice cream place and ran a few errands. Pretty unpleasant weather-wise as it was snowing sideways for most of the time we were out…the wind just blowing like crazy.
    One more week of Saturday morning basketball for the boys – it has gone fast and it will be nice to have my Saturday mornings back. Probably just in time for the weather to (hopefully) improve and maybe dad and I will golf.

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