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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

“God, you appreciate my efforts even when I fail. Truly, I have to fail and know what it is to lose things in order to be successful in the quality of my living.” —Marguerite, age 92

Failure teaches us about our weaknesses and the limits of our power. Loss bids us value the treasure of the here and now, heightening our awareness of the precious moments in which we live. As Marguerite so wisely reminds us, the quality of our days can be shaped beneficially by how we respond to failure and loss. Some of God’s best work in us is done in the wake of unwelcome events.

—Susan Carol Scott, Still Praying After All These Years: Meditations for Later Life (Upper Room Books, 2019)

Today’s Question

Is there a way to change how you interpret loss and thus change your response? Join the conversation.

Today’s Scripture

So teach us to count our days
that we may gain a wise heart.
—Psalm 90:12, NRSV

Prayer for the Week

Sustainer of all that is, give me faith that hopes in what I cannot see. Thank you for the small miracles that find me each day.
Submit your prayer to The Upper Room.

Something More

Breathe. Join The Upper Room’s newest online retreat, Finding Your Breath: An Introduction to Centering Prayer with Kara Lassen Oliver. Register today.

Lectionary Readings

(Courtesy of Vanderbilt Divinity Library)

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

4 Comments

  • robert moeller Posted April 23, 2021 7:02 am

    Have experienced loss both in terms of human life and financially. Without a doubt the loss of human life was far more impactful, longer lasting, and continuing. Yes. I’ve overcome, with God’s help, the grief, but the impact remains. Without God I have no idea how I would have made it as far as I have. Have good news, the fraudulent withdrawals from my bank have been recovered, corrections to invoices for propane are being made, small but helpful nonetheless improvements to the seating on the Brill car model, and glorious colored photo of my boyhood much visited train station four years after I moved away all came yesterday. Count your blessings. Thank You, Lord.
    ZOOM breakfast with the pastor soon. Condo association outdoor spring clean up tomorrow at 8am. God is with you.

  • Julie Posted April 23, 2021 8:43 am

    I wish I knew how to change my response to loss and the unexpected setbacks of life. I am devestated by both. But I do turn more and more to God as I have matured in both years and faith. Experience has taught me that with God healing of my hearts and soul is possible.
    I started talking to a lonely, older woman yesterday in a store aisle. We parted ways and continued with our respective shopping but I felt God nudging me to befriend her as she had related how very lonely she was. I came to the end of my shopping and I (inwardly) told God that if He did truly want me to befriend this woman He would have us meet again. The next second I spied her in an aisle I was walking past. We exchanged names and number and we will see what happens.
    Prayers for Robert and his pastors both the one retiring and the new one, may both find success in God’s eyes.
    Prayers for Ally and her thumb and job search and David’s recovery through therapy.
    Prayers for Jill and her students, may they connect and grow together and learn anew.
    Prayers for April, Lou, Marcy and Rick, may all be safe and well. Prayers for the UR one and all.

  • April Posted April 23, 2021 10:54 am

    I am loving this week’s theme. A new twist on failure, our response, weakness, God’s faithfulness. Certainly there have been several in my life, yet, here I am. God still has work for me to do. I will keep on keeping on. Getting ready to prepare food for supper with our young neighbors tomorrow night. They love to eat and I love to cook. It has been a long time since we have connected. This is a new relationship for both and from what I can tell, they are very happy together. They are “forgetting the former things and seeing the new thing God is doing.”
    Yesterday I listened to a webinar on Secondary Stress….it is the stress after the first stress…the time of reflecting on the outcome and asking yourself, could I have done something different, did I make a mistake, etc. I went on to talk about self-care and how that is so important for our resilience to continue living. The analogy was of the cyclone by Dominic of Calareuga: the cyclone derives its power from a calm center….so does a person.
    Julie, thank you for the update on your situation and keeping us in the loop. I pray for you and your situation. How nice that you spent time with another shopper….a Blessing for both of you.
    Robert, a friend of ours was a pastor at 3 churches and it worked well. He started at one and then traveled to deliver the sermon at the other 2 with church members filling in the “other” parts of the service. Unless he had difficulties with traveling, it sounds like it was a win-win for everyone!! For Christmas I created Shutterfly books for our kids to share with their kids. I started with our marriage…we will be married 45 years this summer…and then photos of the kids growing up….skipped from high school graduation to our great Christmas get together in 2019. Our whole family (with our grandkids) was together for about 6 days. It was a great time to wake up on Christmas day, gather around the tree to open presents, and have breakfast. We had not all been together for 9 years so the grandkids had not all been together either. We can’t wait to do it again.
    Jill, it is so good to hear about your trips and getting back to school. I am inspired to get our family together as you do.
    Lou, your family get together sounds wonderful!! It does not matter what occasion, anytime together is a blessing. Maybe I need to think of that instead of the holidays.
    Ally and David, I pray that all is moving forward, with job opportunities, healing, strength. Your support system sounds like it is a great help for all aspects.
    Reaching out to all in our UR Family. May the love of God flood your heart and shine in your life that others may be drawn to know the reason.
    For our UR administration and the work they are doing, thank you.

  • Jill Posted April 23, 2021 5:12 pm

    I must trust in the promise of Romans 8:28 – all things work together for good. Things work together…I must remain in the game, remain in the Word, remain near Him – and trust Him. I must seek His refuge in times of struggle, I must seek to live in His strength instead of holding up under my own. I must claim, again and again, His providential sovereignty – knowing that He is God, and I surely am not. I must ask Him to mold my heart – to accept difficult circumstances and to seek whatever level of understanding He allows me. And to take what I have learned and be available to help others.
    Julie – may this potential new relationship be a reward for the both of you. Your heart is to listen well to others – may this person welcome you in.
    I have been dragging coming out of school the past few days. But am very confident I will be able to put this jet lag in the rear view mirror this weekend. Dad and I signed up to golf in my church’s golf outing this Sunday – but the weather looks chilly. We may just make a donation and stay home, waiting for warmer temps to hit the course.
    Hard to believe we are at the last week of April. Hoping all are enjoying the spring blossoms – whatever they happen to look like in your corner of the world. This afternoon, I noticed cute little pansies. How I love them.

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