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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

Once my professor told me it was “okay,” I practiced being angry at God. I was upset, yes, but I was also a product of a conservative, well-behaved upbringing. You didn’t shout in my family; you did not go asking for trouble. Confrontation was not what the Wilsons of Jackson, Mississippi, were about. Instead, we tolerated what we could, put up with more than our fair share, turned the other cheek. So it took me a while to let God know how I really felt about the death of my friend. But eventually I was able to do it, to raise my voice and thrust my anguish heavenward. And it felt good.

—Amy Lyles Wilson, introduction to Anger: Minding Your Passion (Fresh Air Books, 2010)

Today’s Question

How do you feel about expressing your anger to God? Join the conversation.

Today’s Scripture

You, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious,
slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness.
—Psalm 86:15 (NRSVUE)

Prayer for the Week

Almighty God, search me and know me. Shine a light on my innermost thoughts and feelings, even those I try to hide. Give me courage to name the sources of my anger and wisdom to learn from them. Amen.
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Something More

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Lectionary Readings

(Courtesy of Vanderbilt Divinity Library)

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

3 Comments

  • Rusty Posted June 24, 2024 4:59 am

    Robert and Lou, thank you for your posts yesterday. They are both helpful to me this early, early morning.

    Folks, I have been far more absent to NEM lately than I would like to be. Caught up in a snarl of health issues, none of them life threatening, but individually and in the aggregate impacting my day to day functioning in a substantial way. Suffice it to say that I often feel exhausted and not able to devote the focus and time I would wish to commit to my good friends among this UR family and community. Luckily K and I have had a short several week respite from daily taking care of our two dear grandsons, and that will continue for several more weeks while I persist in attempting to see the doctors I need to sort things out.

    Today’s question is about anger toward God, but I’m not feeling anger toward God at all in this season. Grateful to embrace him and my daily Bible reading and prayer as my sources of continuity and peace in this time of uncertainty. I welcome any prayers from you all for clear thinking, for patience, and for embracing God’s will to be done. I hope to be back to being a more regular contributor here soon. Blessings to all of you.

  • Julie Posted June 24, 2024 8:19 am

    Welcome back, Rusty. You have been missed. Prayers for you and K. May God heal you through the doctors you are seeing.

  • robert moeller Posted June 24, 2024 10:21 am

    Posting later than usual, very thankful to read posts from Rusty and Julie Yes, prayers for health and all needs for anyone one here on NEM.
    I’m not angry with God. I wish my son’s behavior was different, have tried to get him professional help, he resists. There are efforts for a solution in the wind, I hope they bring the results needed for ALL,
    Thank You, Lord.

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