X

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

I do not sit and ponder death most waking moments, but something about remembering mortality enables us to enjoy life, to live life as a thankful response to God’s giving us the opportunity to be here in this time and place. I enjoy Ash Wednesday’s invitation to live in greater awareness of God’s grace at work in our lives and the world.

—Max O. Vincent, Because of This I Rejoice: Reading Philippians During Lent (Upper Room Books, 2018)

Today’s Question

What is God’s invitation to you today? Join the conversation.

Today’s Scripture

Then the LORD God formed man from the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and the man became a living being.
—Genesis 2:7 (NRSV)

Prayer for the Week

God, I give thanks for all you have done, are doing, and will do. Because of this, I rejoice.
Submit your prayer to The Upper Room.

Something More

What is Lent? When is Lent? Why do we set it apart? Learn more about this special season from The Upper Room’s Lent 101 resource.

Lectionary Readings

(Courtesy of Vanderbilt Divinity Library)

Ash Wednesday

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

2 Comments

  • Julie Posted February 17, 2021 8:35 am

    Well, as a Christian I thought that the Lord was inviting me to reach out to h this morning. He awakened me by knocking on my door several minutes before my alarm at 5 am to tell me that he needed in because his mom had died. He began crying as he entered the room. I was moved to comfort him but did not know how it would be received. I asked if there was something I could do to help. He rebuffed me and asked what I could do. I stated that if he wasn’t trying to leave me destitute I could help a lot. He ignored me and closed the door in my face. Even so I asked if he was okay to drive before he left. He even denigrated me for going to the bathroom because he decided he needed to while I was going. This is the man I live with and am dealing with.
    Prayers for Ally and David. I pray for the Lord to relieve David’s pain and that he helps the doctor’s to heal David from not just the effects of the fall but also the lasting unsteadiness following his fight with COVID. Lord, please hold Ally in your arms, stregthen her and calm her nerves.
    Prayers for April and her family, Lou and her family, Marcy and Rick and Scott, may all be safe and warm and have electricity service throughout this unprecedented weather.
    Prayers for Jill, Larry and Betsy. Prayers for Ally and Larry’s safety and that the worst of the storms avoid their area. Prayers of thanks that Betsy and her husband finally arrived in Florida safely despite the weather and accident.
    Prayers for Robert and his church, may they be led be God into the uncertain future.

  • Jill Posted February 17, 2021 5:02 pm

    God’s invitation to me is to rest in Him, seek out the positivity in each situation, and keep looking forward. I believe they are all inter-linked, or can be.
    I need to be ready for changes ahead…returning to the classroom, some students also returning and the cancellation of my program’s exams, yet again this year. The seniors will be receiving the news Friday morning and I fear I will lose many of them. I am sure there will be mixed feelings – some relieved they don’t have to press on to the finish line and others discouraged as they have worked almost 2 years to get to the finish line and some anticipated finishing very well.
    If nothing else, all of our resiliency factors have increased. Whether we wanted them to or not.
    Ally – praying for pain relief for David and good news from the medical team.
    Julie – may God bless you for attempting to comfort h in his distress, despite everything he has done to alienate you.
    A little concerning we have not heard from Robert. Hoping he has power and is ok, following the storm blowing through his neck of the woods.

Add Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *