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2010_35 For those who never get started, fearing scorn or doubting their blessings; For those with too many enthusiasms, all of them short lived; For those struggling in a thorny place, uncertain where to turn; That they may find fertile ground, grow, blossom, and inspire others. (Photo of Stow Creek, south of Canton, New Jersey.)

2010_34 What can we expect of machines and institutions? of friends and families? of our bodies and our minds? Imperfect as they are, they and we are Yours. (Photo of woman wearing pearls and soup kettle.)

2010_33 The rocks are sufficient in their praise. You don't need our hymns and prayers, our good works and patient learning, our joyous adoration and happy fellowship, yet it is Your pleasure to welcome us. Hallelujah! (Photo of cooled lava in Volcanoes National Park, Hawaii.)

2010_32 I heard the crash, and then the screams. "Help me! Help me! My leg is broken!" I wasn't going to move her but then I saw the flames. After the ambulances arrived I thought to pray. You answer before we ask. (Photo of head-on car crash after the fire was extinguished.)

2010_31 What was, is, and will be: what is past, to honor it; what is real, to accept it; what is next, to pursue it. Teach us, good Lord, time's dance, You, the one who simply is. (Photo of man on cell phone ignoring death.)

2010_30 Those who lovingly work are blessed more so than those who love their work. May we, too, work with what's given. May we, like them, see the promise and accept the limitations. (Photo of water delivery man in New York City.)

2010_29 Were Andrew, Peter, James, and John really qualified to be disciples of Jesus? They were only fishermen, yet when called, they eagerly followed. May we be as eager, even if less qualified, to follow where love leads us. (Photo of girl fishing at Bellevue State Park, Delaware.)

2010_28 Wonder is not ignorance but like it. Every lesson learned deepens the mystery, every light lit reveals further infinities. Reality stretches the imagination and truth increases our love. Show us, Wise Teacher! Tell us! (Photo of bare summer trees silhouetted against thunderheads.)

2010_27 To love You is to forgive all and to be forgiven. You caress every flaw and blemish, every scar and hidden crime. We see the world alive and whole. We see your kingdom come. (Photo of leaves in sunlight in a graveyard.)

2010_26 Hooray for all that's right and good in this so promising land! Hooray for those who set the stage and those who do Your work today! May we, so ready to doubt ourselves, be counted in their number. (Photo of fireworks at Hagley Museum and Library in Wilmington, Delaware.)

2010_25 May every challenge make us stronger, every fall deepen our humility, every victory increase our gratitude. When our laughter returns, let it be unreserved and pure, showing forth Your kingdom. (Photo of woman in hospital.)

2010_24 The colors call, but who will interpret? My neighbor talks and finds my ear. Our enemies rail and find an echo, but not from us, God willing. (Photo of Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge.)

2010_23 Give us what we need, give us what we want, give us what we think we need and what we think we want, but above all give us love, for the universe we share, for friends, enemies, and You. (Photo of day lilies.)

2010_22 Face down, feet up, those around us laugh. It is funny, our careful lives up-ended, and terrifying, so little we can do. All mighty, all powerful, all loving God, make of this something good, a story worth telling years from now. (Photo from a neighbor's party years ago, with no story, yet.)

2010_21 The right way is always there, waiting at our feet. Take as many wrong turns as you want. Get yourself dizzy. The right way is always there, waiting at our feet. (Photo of frightened girl at Charles De Gaulle Airport, Paris, France.)

2010_20 Three pair of geese and their comical children (five, seven, and eleven goslings) cross the road in front of me, my truck idling, my camera clicking. What highways will we cross today? Bump, jostle, push and prod us, Lord, so that, safe and together, we may reach the welcoming waters where we belong. (Photo of two geese and eleven goslings.)

2010_19 Hard truths are truths half seen, cold logic a form of deception. Let our thinking be soft and warm, that we may walk in your sunny realms, seeing what is. (Photo of girl swinging at the 2004 Arden Fair.)

2010_18 You, good Lord, love us, and we love you, yet too often our love is a distant thing of theory and theology, of written word and tradition, even though You are closer than our skins. (Photo of people entering the Grace Building in New York City.)

2010_17 Rather than wait for the tree to fall, we take it down and plant another. When those we love die too early, the future has a hole in it. There are others to love, but there is no replacement, only redemption, which is what's best, but not what we want. (Photo of tree trimmer 50 feet up a diseased sweet gum.)

2010_16 This is not a mountain but something like a mountain. What are you like, good Lord? Elijah looked for you on the mountain. He saw hurricanes! earthquakes! volcanoes! but he found you in a whisper. (Photo of dented sheet metal.)

2010_15 O, Lord, how long shall we be divided within ourselves and from one another? If they would change, we could easily love them. If we can change, we might be happy. Yet Your love, in our hearts or outside waiting, undermines every false division. (Photo of colorful spools of thread.)

2010_14 When something goes missing, a sock, the car keys, or our joy, sooner or later we suspect others of negligence, theft, or malice. May we instead give thanks for what we've had, pray and search again, and if we find, give thanks again, and, if not, search for something better. (Photo of Bleeding Hearts in bloom.)

2010_13 When the world goes dark, when all beauty seems false and every truth seems ugly, remind us we might be wrong, that if the world is not right, it is a place of redemption. (Photo of Jackson Mill Bridge and nearby farm, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.)

2010_12 A warm spring day in Amish farming country. Everyone works except us. Twelve-year-old boys till the fields pulled by teams of six and eight. Driving home, our visitor from Texas curls up in the back seat of our car and sleeps peacefully. (Photo of Amish boy behind six horses.)

2010_11 Let us put our lives in order that we might not be distracted. Let us simplify our lives that we might dwell on the eternal. Or let us instead embrace life's hurly-burly cacophony, fly along this day's pinball paths, and let You rack up the points. (Photo of blue bicycle rider in Manhattan, New York City.)

2010_10 We welcome spring but the receding snow reveals recriminating reminders of unfinished tasks and unrealized ambitions. Inspire us to do what we start and the wisdom to start what we can do. (Photo of split rails waiting to be put in place.)

2010_09 We so want to think well of ourselves, that we are clever, smart, good-looking, successful, lovable, or simply good. We are pitiful, Lord, and they are even worse! Yet teach us to delight, not fix; to love, not condescend; to celebrate every flawed dimension. (Photo of funny snowman with hat, scarf and gloves.)

2010_08 For those who help us: their hands and brains, their sinews and synapses, every protein and enzyme, every molecule and atom, their tiny leptons, bosons, and quarks, and that multi-dimensional quantum string You pull to bring us home. (Photo of rain beading on a red car.)

2010_07 Someone somewhere will if no one here does now. That's faith. But someone does and you are someone's someone. That's not a story, that's the truth. (Photo of young man confronting a red light in a snow storm.)

2010_06 When computers crash or cars collide, when leaders slip, or markets slide, remind us who it is we trust. Then wrap us all in stardust and give us each a kiss. Send us out to play again and show us what we've missed. (Photo of the Renzetti dogs playing fetch in the snow.)

2010_05 For me and mine, for us and ours, for everyone everywhere who ever lived, or will live, or who might have lived. For all of creation, real and imagined, and never imagined, through all the conjugations of "is" to the great I AM. (Photo of light on thin ice with tiny bubbles trapped inside.)

2010_04 Are we the doctors to cure the world of its ills or a burning fever the earth will soon extinguish? If we are not that important, or even if we are, let us end this day grateful we've had our daily bread, and if we've been led into temptation, thankful You have found us again. (Photo of small wind-blown bush on a lava bed in Volcanoes National Park, Hawaii.)

2010_03 I am me, and we are us. That is perfectly obvious. I'm not you, yet we are us. Is that so very dangerous? You're not me, still we are us, a world to share, and our great God's love. (Photo of the Milky Way Path, Arden, Delaware.)

2010_02 You have blessed us with humor that we might laugh at ourselves yet try all the harder. When we take ourselves too seriously, put a banana peel under our feet and, when we fall, bring us to our senses. (Photo of a cold mannequin in New York City, an homage to Saul Leiter.)

2010_01 Your eye has been on us since the beginning of time and carries us beyond time's ending. Give us courage to be bold, to create what seems to slip away, to create with love. (Photo of young boys admiring someone's miniature Mesopotamian ruins at Rehoboth Beach, Delaware.)

2009_49 If the unexamined life is not worth living, why do we so eagerly welcome escape? Is it possible to laugh at our mistakes, to reassess assumptions gladly, and to happily repent and apologize? Inspire us, dear Lord, as we reflect and reconsider. (Photo of onions and garlic on display at a botanical garden in Devon, England.)

2009_48 Shepherds, keep your watch. Stand before the angel of the Lord. Terror stricken, listen: A heavenly host sings praises of God and tells you what to seek. Go, see this thing that has happened. Go with all speed. (Photo of a partially-completed jigsaw puzzle. Prayer based on the Christmas story found in Luke 2:8-20.)

2009_47 Are we not sheep who belong with the herd? But when we find ourselves alone where the wild things are, who shall look over us? The creator of every tooth and claw shall restore us, You, our shepherd, who no one has tamed. (Stray sheep in Cornwall, England.)

2009_46 Water falls without ceasing; stubborn rocks grudgingly surrender; hidden tectonics delight in our song. Let us bubble and froth, let us give way in grace, while You shake continents. (Beaver Run, a tributary of Brandywine Creek, Delaware.)

2009_45 On the days we are easily offended, take back our angry words. On the days we seem to attract selfish, egotistical imbeciles, take back our fantasies of justice. Let us dwell on what is excellent. Take us back into your fold. (A clever, yapping dog in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.)

2009_44 Our lives seem to radiate outwards with us at the center, yet none of us is the center of anything except our inventive illusions. Show us reality, not as we'd like it to be nor as we fear it might be, but as you see it, dear Lord, in truth and love. (Bouldin Creek in Austin, Texas, 2006.)

2009_43 How much land does a man need to see? Last Sunday, miles from my car, exploring unfamiliar trails, I kept choosing new directions even though the sun, not waiting for me, moved towards the horizon. In the bare woods, the sunset caught me, stopped me in wonder, the sky ablaze. (The Brandywine Valley, Delaware, near Hy-Point Dairy.)

2009_42 New technology has us all atwitter. In our pockets and purses, and on our belts, 4G networks tempt our thumbs. Above our spinning lives, stationary satellites hover. Lord of the nanodrive, Lord of the noosphere, let all things praise your unchanging name. (Horse-drawn reaper still in use in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.)

2009_41 Here is a house, perfect in every way except for the lack of electricity, plumbing, and heat. Plywood covers the broken windows. Life has gone out of it, yet someone still paints it, keeps the roof in good repair, and may yet bring it back to life. (Old farm house, Woodlawn Trust, Brandywine Valley, Delaware.)

2009_40 So many things to do, why even try? Thinking of them empties me. Sleep does not refresh. I awake neck deep and inch forward. But then I think of You and suddenly or slowly burdens become again bright possibilities. You make all things new. (Photo of traffic crossing the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal Bridge.)

2009_39 Bright yellow peelings from a ripe butternut squash fall in wild patterns on the cutting board's deep red. With a little re-arranging, a sea creature appears, swimming above a bed of onions, and I escape work's petty tyranny. Whatever the task at hand, remind us, Lord, to play. (Photo of butternut squash peelings and chopped onions.)

2009_38 Love comes easily if we see what's good: puppies and babies, if they are cute; children, if they are bright and playful; friends, if they are funny or listen; sometimes, even ourselves, if . . . . Good Lord, fill our hearts with a love free of ifs, not a love blind to faults, but a love that sees what yearns to be. (Photo of black Labrador puppy.)

2009_37 Heir of all things, creator of worlds, reflection of God's glory, sustainer of all things, imprint of God's being, purifier of sins, sufferer of death, pioneer of our salvation, pinnacle of our praise, how is it then that you call us sisters and brothers? (Bathers at Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. Prayer based on Hebrews 1:1-4, 2:5-12)

2009_36 When they found themselves here, what did others do? Did they find someone to point the way, or move on trusting only in prayer? Some, I believe, succeeded, and may have something to teach us, that this unlikely place is where we will find ourselves close to you, our lord and maker. (Bird and sunflowers at Fox Point State Park, Delaware.)

2009_35 Even though we may again choose foolishly things that only seem good, even though we may again abandon the best for the false promise of better, even though we may lose our way again, nothing can separate us from the love of God. So let us put aside our dear familiar fears. Let us gather and rejoice! (Sunrise at Rehoboth Beach Delaware.)

2009_34 Perfectly rational people are capable of believing anything, and doubting everything. May we, the perfectly loved, act with determined confidence, and reflect in willing wonder. (Photo of boy about to jump and his older sister ready to catch him.)

2009_33 Let's celebrate! Births, birthdays, and lives now finished. First teeth, glasses, hearing aids, and dentures. A night's sleep successfully concluded. Old problems engaged again. A sentence spoken clearly and another understood. A friend who stops to talk. A God who loves us dearly. (A mother and daughter selling balloons at the Arden Fair.)

2009_32 Good Lord, teach us to love all who drive: the red-light runners and the slow pokes, the madly dashing last-minute heroes hoping to save seconds, hopelessly distracted cell-phone callers, the drunk, the stoned, and the merely oblivious, the nearly blind, and the over-confident. Teach us to see ourselves in them. (Bumper-car drivers at FunLand in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware.)

2009_31 The wind of the Spirit lifts us; Christ, the string, connects us to our Father, the steady ground. How high shall we glide before we are gathered in? (Kite near thunderstorm.)

2009_30 The soft drone of sleepy cicadas, birds wake in the bamboo, call and coo. Tires hiss along the road tirelessly, and truck throttles assert their passing mastery. Jet engines push for altitude. My pen whispers across the page. (Bumblebee on a cone flower.)

2009_29 Water races down the heights and on its way carves a valley. Our lives are like that river, or like one drop with many companions, or like proud mountains, humbled by rain. How do you see us, good Lord, that you should love us? (Photo of cruise-ship tourists in old Quebec City, Canada, in rain slickers and holding umbrellas.)

2009_28 Thank God we sometimes see ourselves, each one perfect and the whole one. May we live with open hearts, however wounded. Give us an eagerness to discover new friends, and a genuine curiosity about those you commanded us to love, our many enemies. (Sunflowers near Augustine Beach, Delaware.)

2009_27 Our enemies pursue us and so does God. We, the ignorant, often cannot tell the difference. Both will teach us to recognize our faces, we who long for the fair and good. (Photo of a very hungry young fox with a gnawed ear and wounded eye at Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge. I had two slices of pizza in the truck but the signs said, "Don't feed the fox.")

2009_26 We ponder what is fair and good, what's best, and what we should. Not forgetting the just and right, remind us always what is easy and light. (Photo of tropical tree with yellow flowers in Waimea, Hawaii.)

2009_25 Your easy yoke, your burden of light, yet how our pride rebels at the slightest thought of servitude, we who would be free. If the only freedom is in love's service, may we serve in your house forever. (Man carrying fence panel.)

2009_24 May we serve in your house forever mowing the yard, weeding the flowers, mailing the invitations, greeting the guests, singing new songs, rejoicing! (Guests at Danny Nelson's Fourth of July Picnic.)

2009_23 Hooray for pigs and chickens, for all that's hoofed and clawed! Hooray for horses, cats and dogs, for those who entertain! All are in our humble care, and we, in turn, in yours; yet you don't call us food or pets, you call us dearest friends. (Photo of a Vietnamese pig at Marini's Produce, north of Wilmington, Delaware.)

2009_21 Knowing we must die is somehow balanced by our ignorance of its date. But when death's a sudden certainty, her claims served on us or friends, we remember your promise, and marvel at your plan. (Photo of waves coming ashore on the island of Kauai, in Waimea, Hawaii. Click here to see all 49 photos.)

2009_20 Walls do no a prison make nor the open sky a song. If love is freedom's only key, then Lord please set us free. (Photo of a maze tender at the J. Paul Getty Museum.)

2009_19 The pattern of the stars may be accidental but the spinning earth makes one star north. If our spinning lives are to have direction, give us a clear night, Lord, and your guiding light, and the good sense to look up. (Photo of flowers imitating the Big Dipper.)

2009_18 Shadows, Plato tells us, are real signs of something solid and of a defining light behind. Thank you, Lord, for open eyes for straining ears and curious minds, for accurate maps and experienced guides. (Photo of breastworks surrounding Quebec City, Canada and the shadow of the photographer's patient wife.)

2009_17 I am the dried stalk of last summer's weed in this year's spring rain. You cover me in pearls.

2009_16 People are saying, "Oh, for better times!" Ridiculous doubts trouble our thoughts, ferocious fears have escaped their cages. Be with us, Lord, who fail and fall; with those untouched, the oblivious; and with us who wander, the comical crowd. (Photo of blooming tulips.)

2009_15 Pride and false humility, fear nothing! Perfection and contempt, be at ease. Pretense and folly, forget your precious problems. We know the odds against change, but also our maker's love. Joy is in the fortress. Happy are the toppled walls. (Photo of boys playing on a cannon at Fort McHenry in Baltimore, Maryland.)

2009_14 People are saying Yogi Berra was right: “The future ain't what it used to be.” We know better, even if what we know is not how we live. The decade before us, this coming month, this day, are unwritten, new, and want to be explored. Preserve, Good Lord, my sense of wonder. (Young boy making tracks at Fox Point State Park, Delaware. His delighted father is watching.)

2009_13 My neighbor's excuses are transparently false. Who can believe them? He does! He believes these lies he tells himself. What, then, do you think of my excuses, Lord? Am I like my neighbor? Show me! (Girl at the fishing booth at the 2008 Arden Fair.)

2009_12 Open our eyes, our ears, our hands, to receive all Your gifts: friends, family, and strangers, yearning and experience, celebrations, lessons, and regrets. Let us not miss a thing! (Late afternoon near the Brandywine River in Pennsylvania.)

2009_11 We are not constant nor pretend to be. We can be thankful and full of praise; or begging for mercy and swift release. We are at times comforted, estranged, or indifferent. We forget all about You and then remember, yet Your love for us is constant, enduring, and sweet. In whose eyes, in whose voice, will we find it today? (Photo of some early morning zydeco on a New Orleans squeeze-box in a friend's kitchen.)

2009_10 Warm sunlight and deep shadows, rippling surfaces and dancing reflections, greens, yellows, reds and blues: In the dazzling cycle of death and regeneration, comfort us in our fear and doubt, not as we give comfort to others, and not as we deserve, but in Your grace and mercy. (Photo of Perkins Run in Sherwood Forest, Arden, Delaware)

2009_09 It's not quiet we need to hear inspiration's whisper, or dark to see that life-giving spark. You, good Lord, know what we need. You give all good things. You forgive all that's bad. May we, in our turn, give and forgive. (Photo of a barn being raised Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.)

2009_08 Both my sister's kidneys are working, the one she still has and the one she gave her husband. Thank you, thank you, thank you -- for the surgeons' capable hands and dedication, for all the nurses, aides, and chaplains, the health insurers and the administrators, the secretaries, janitors, regulators, cooks, launderers, and instrument sterilizers. Thank you, Lord! (Photo of a recent plumbing project by the photographer.)

2009_07 Jill runs into the barn, looking for a missing horse. All the other horses, safe in their stalls, poke out their heads, hoping for food. They know Jill's voice, even her footsteps, just as we know your voice, Gentle Keeper. Is that a cookie hidden in your pocket? Some special treat? Is it for us? (Photo of the horse stables at Bellevue State Park, Delaware. Sundancer loves to be groomed.)

2009_06 We believe we are loved, that we are part of a magnificent story that ties together the surprising universe from one edge to the other, from the beginning to the end. Caught up in that sweeping vision, may we still remember to brush our teeth. (Composite photo of my often-used toothbrush and Star Cluster NGC346 borrowed from NASA.)

2009_05 We get weary of our wanting. We want more food and less weight, longer years and sharper wits. For what then shall we pray? Contentment? Thankful hearts? Teach us first to love you, creator of all things, giver of all things; to see the giver behind the gift. (Photo of flower stalks with a second bloom of snow.)

2009_04 This moment seems ordinary enough: opening email from Donna and Mike, sitting comfortably, sipping a hot drink, surrounded by protecting walls and familiar things, we don't expect anything extraordinary yet You are with us always. (Photo of winter sky above a shopping mall.)

2009_03 Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away. For lo, the winter is here, and the Lord's handiwork is everywhere to be seen. Why huddle longing for spring? Wonders await! (Bubbles caught in the ice and patterns of repeated freezing, Naamans Creek, Arden, Delaware)

2009_02 Take anything like a pencil — how it was manufactured, the trees, the people who made it, the teachers who taught them, the mothers and fathers who raised them, villages and civilizations — it is all quite beyond us, we who put our trust in You, author of galaxies.

2009_01 Somewhere towels dry in the sun and horses graze in an open field. Somewhere else a hand is on a mouse and the bright clever pixels dance. Wherever we are, Lord, show us what's good, show us what's real, and give us dreams. (Laundry in Quarryville, Pennsylvania)

2008_43 When the final credits roll -- "A LIVING GOD PRODUCTION" -- let our names be there below Doris the waitress, Gus and Ralph; below the stunt doubles, stand-ins and clowns, the hair stylists and re-recording mixers; far above the cutting room floor. (Photo of roses that have lost their petals: "The Queen Rejects Her Suitors")

2008_42 God, we've been expecting you, but we are not quite ready. The floors of our souls need sweeping. The guest towels aren't out, and the frig needs stocking. All the same, please hurry. There's room for you at this inn. (Photo of eggshells in the compost bowl waiting to go out.)

2008-41 All of us are fooled some of the time. Lord, let us not be among those fooled all of the time. Teach us wisdom and discernment, and, every once in awhile, let our guesses be inspired.

2008-40 Make a place in our turning hearts for all the gifts this day brings. In moments that seem ordinary, let us seek the extraordinary. Where we expect to find one thing, Lord, let us look for more, and be satisfied with less.

2008-39 Forgive us our debts, Lord, as we forgive our debtors. Let us remember what we owe you, and love those who owe us. Banks, corporations, small businesses, nations: let all remember our foundation in you.

2008-38 All things are redeemed in love and made new. Our grateful hearts see the world and hear heaven announced. Your kingdom is near. Here's my hand.

2008-37 For all the saints honored in procession. For all the saints known to you alone. By your grace, we too are saints. May we be bold in spirit, eager to hope, and thankful of heart!

2008-36 Bright lights and red ribbon. Twisted steel and shattered bone. Green trees and a gentle rain. We, life’s seasoned veterans, say, “How foolish!” Life’s raw recruits laugh at us, so cautious. Good Lord, redeem all our follies.

2008-35 “Be yourself,” people say, as though that were liberating. We know our treacherous hearts, our love of comfort and ease, how we pretend to be good. God, your redemption is at work in us. Your loving Spirit leads us. You teach us to live, free and unfettered.

2008-34 Holy Spirit, my companion, welcome to my world. Let me see it through your eyes, the infinite possibilities and happy limitations, and eagerly share the bounty.

2008-33 Once you catch sight of it, who can give up the pursuit? “It's an illusion!” the critics cry. A glimpse of heaven has undone us, or made us. Even now, in the simplest things, God's kingdom seems near.

2008-32 Leaves, once green, turn yellow and red. Trees tower and fall like civilizations. Black holes, those gluttonous celestial vacuum cleaners, gobble up galaxies. Even light, we are told, cannot escape. We know better. Death is not the master here.

2008-31 The good life is just outside the door, sunlit and green. In this darkened room, candles burning, we wait a bit longer. What are we waiting for? Patience, child.

2008-30 No one was maimed, paralyzed or killed, not that we can take credit for that. An unfamiliar road at night in the rain — Were we going too fast? Did our attention wander? You have our attention now, good Lord. What would you teach us?

2008-29 Psalm 149 calls the faithful to take up swords, to execute vengeance on the nations and punishment on the peoples. May those full of vengeance hear us, the sinful: Put away your swords. God himself has spared us. The kingdom of heaven is at hand.

2008-28 Sometimes, no possibilities seem good. But even when they all appear bright and shining, we can get flummoxed. Whatever our possibilities, whenever we get perplexed, let us not forget you, Lord. Teach us to be bold.

2008-27 When we are chewed up, cast aside and adrift, then our prayers are fervent, heart-felt, desperate. Remember us in our need, good Lord, and, when all seems well, let us remember you.

2008-26 A sneeze begins and we cannot stop it. How then will we stop a war? We will pray harder, work harder, and wait patiently for the Spirit's whisper. So we tell ourselves, we who can do so little, while you, spinner of galaxies, set us free.

2008-25 We know this, that all things work together for good for those who love you, according to your purpose. Even though we do not know how to pray as we ought, we are confident, for you send the Spirit. Nothing, not even our comical ignorance, can come between us. Are we not children of your promise?

2008-24 Not prayers for glory and accomplishment, Nor hopes of power and skill, Nor fear of those things. Call and let our hearts answer. Mover of continents, move us, and welcome us home.

2008-23 We pray for miraculous signs, visible healing, immediate results, absence of fear, and the courage to act. In all our prayers, Lord, may we look for your will to be done, not ours, on earth as it is in heaven.

2008-22 Lord, give wisdom to our slippery hearts. We strive to be singled out, special, separate from the swarming multitude. Give us instead a yearning to swim with our fellow fish. School us in your love.

2008-21 Lord, teach us to love. Having taught us, remind us. Your reminders are everywhere: When we are deaf, you show us; When we are blind, you touch us. Lord, unfold our hearts.

2008-20 Lord, remind us who we are: stars in your heaven beyond counting and offspring of your promise.

2008-19 God, meet us where we are, blown about by doubt or fixed in unwavering certainty. May our neighbors find in us Your love visible and tangible. And may we see You in them.

2008-18 Lord, give us courage to yearn for what is beyond us, to see your great salvation changed from glory into glory, and to cast our crowns before you, lost in wonder, love, and praise.

2008-17 Troubled souls spoil my journey. They block my path; distract me from beauty. Am I like them? Teach us to love. Teach us all. Teach us joy. Show us the way. (Our brake pedals are depressed. So are we. Cherry blossom petals sing. So can we.)

The text of the following prayers were adapted or taken whole from worship services at Westminster Presbyterian Church, Wilmington, Delaware. That is where these Photo Prayers got their start, and where they continue to be seen. The comments in parentheses are mine.

2008-16 What does the Lord require of us, but to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with our God. (Micah 6:8)

2008-15 All stars rejoice in your glory. Noonday splendor tells of your blessings. Your peace blows over the earth and the breath of your mouth fills all space. Your voice comes in the thunder and the wind sings of your majesty. Bend over us, Eternal Love, and bless us.

2008-14 In the first born of all creation, all things in heaven and on earth were created. In him all things hold together, things visible and invisible. In him all the fullness of God is pleased to dwell, and through him God reconciles all things. (May we be reconciled today to ourselves, to our fellow creatures, and to God.)

2008-13 How glorious is this day of new life! Come among us now, dear God, to raise us up from our fears and doubts. Touch us today with a spirit of hope. Amen. (Sometimes, even the most mundane things hold the promise of God's kingdom.)

2008-12 In every birth, blessed is the wonder. In every child, blessed is life. In every existence, blessed are the possibilities. (What's possible? Can everything, even this moment, be made well and whole?)

2008-11 O God, an ever flowing stream, flow into us today. Heal us again with your cooling waters. Refresh us with your love. Flow like a river into us today.

2008-10 Eternal God, in our times of gloom, you send your light. When we are weary and discouraged, you lift us up. Open our eyes to the joy of discovery in order that we may catch a glimpse of the possibilities you put before us. Amen.

2008-9 When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child. But when I became an adult, I put away childish things. For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known. (1 Corinthians 13, verse 11)

2008-8 Day by day, dear Lord, of Thee three things I pray: to see thee more clearly, to love thee more dearly, to follow thee more nearly. (We usually know when our vision is blurred, but seeing God depends little on the eyes.)

2008-7 Gracious God, grant us the fullness of your promises. Where we have been weak, grant us your strength. Where we have been confused, grant us your guidance. Where we have been distraught, grant us your comfort. Where we have been dead, grant us your life. Apart from you, O Lord, we are lacking. In and with you we can do all things. (Turning around is always an option.)

2008-6 Fasting is not the same as dieting: the focus is on the soul, not the body. But fast even a little while and you discover how close the one is to the other.

2008-5 Ever-present God, stir in us an expectancy to hear your voice. May our spirit be open to the call of your Spirit, that in listening for you we might hear you, that in searching for you we might meet you, that in meeting you we might follow you. Amen. (Others have gone before us. Others, following behind, may not find our footprints, or know our prayers. May we all trust what we cannot see or hear.)

2008-4 When clouds shadow the land, the sunlight dims. We slip into earth's shadow and call it night. Dark as it may be, we know the sun shines still.

2008-3 Water is refreshing, cleansing and life-giving. Water is dangerous, powerful and life-threatening. The waters of baptism unite us with Christ’s church and call us to ministry. In baptism we are chosen by God for loving service in the world.

2008-2 May we be faithful in our pursuit of Christ and open to discovering his truth for our lives. Where will the Spirit surprise us today and what will we learn from our encounter? May our eyes be open and our ears hear.

2008-1 We are not alone, we live in God’s world. We believe in God: who has created and is creating, who has come in Jesus, the Word made flesh, to reconcile and make new, who works in us and others by the Spirit.

2007-49 The messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the Lord of hosts. But who may abide the day of his coming and who shall stand when he appeareth? For he is like a refiner’s fire. (Text from G.F. Handel's Messiah. Except for God's mercy, no one shall stand. So become like a child and enter into heaven. But first, each your greens.)

2007-48 Jesus was born some 2,000 years ago in the humblest of places. May we welcome Christ anew into our lives each day, searching the derelict places in our souls that seem to hold no promise. (We've boarded up windows, locked the door and removed the door knob. Open the door! Open the windows! Let in the sunshine!)

2007-47 In the grace we have come to know in Jesus Christ, God has turned our sorrow into dancing, stripped away our gloom and clothed us with gladness. We can no longer remain silent; we must sing praises to God! Raise your voices and lift your hearts. Let all the earth rejoice!

2007-46 Eternal God, in our times of gloom, you send your light. When we are weary and discouraged, you lift us up. Open our eyes to the joy of discovery in order that we may catch a glimpse of the possibilities you put before us. Amen.

2007-45 Mighty God, by your power Christ was raised from death to rule this world with love. We confess that we fall into doubt and fear and fail to trust your promise of new life in Christ. Forgive our dread of dying and bolster our belief in the resurrection so that we may live our lives in joy and with hope for everlasting life in your kingdom.

2007-44 Peace is not the product of terror or fear. Peace is not the silence of cemeteries. Peace is not the silent revolt of violent repression. Peace is the generous, tranquil contribution of all to the good of all. Peace is vitality. Peace is generosity. It is right and it is duty. (Text from Óscar Romero, martyred archbishop of San Salvador.)

2007-43 What must we do to inherit eternal life? We must love God with our heart, mind and soul and our neighbors as ourselves. (When we think about loving our neighbors, we wonder how that might be possible when they are so different, so foreign, not like us at all, or so it seems.)

2007-42 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, and in their eagerness to be rich some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pains. Be rich in good works, generous, and ready to share, thus storing up for yourselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future, so that you may take hold of the life that really is life. (1 Timothy 6:10,18) (Sometimes all we want to do is curl up with a good book, ignoring others who may want their share of our attention, especially if their bowl is empty.)

2007-41 Praise be to you, O Lord, for life and for my intense desire to live; Praise be to you for the mystery of love and for my intense desire to be a lover; Praise be to you for this day and another chance to live and love. Undamn me Lord, that praise may flow more easily from me than wants, thanks more readily than complaints. Praise be to you, Lord, for life; praise be to you for another chance to live. (Text from Ted Loder's book, Guerillas of Faith.)

2007-40 Eternal God, you have called us to be members of one body. Join us with those who in all times and places have praised your name, that, with one heart and mind, we may show the unity of your church, and bring honor to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.

2007-39 Open thou mine eyes and I shall see: Incline my heart and I shall desire: Order my steps and I shall walk in the ways of Thy Commandments. O Lord my God, be Thou to me a God, And beside Thee let there be none else, No other, nought else with Thee. Vouchsafe to me to worship Thee and serve Thee According to Thy commandments, in truth of spirit, In rev’rence of body, In blessing of lips, In private and public. (Text from "Open Thou Mine Eyes" by Michael Cox.)

2007-38 Here in this place new light is streaming, now is the darkness vanished away; see in this space our fears and our dreamings, brought here to you in the light of this day. Not in the dark of buildings confining, not in some heaven, light years away; here in this place the new light is shining, now is the kingdom, and now is the day. (Text from hymn "Gather Us In" by Marty Haugen.)

2007-37 Gracious God, we thank you for the glimpses of your glory, and the whispered words of your promise, which help us to continue from day to day. Help us to press onward in the journey of faith, trusting your grace for today and tomorrow, accepting the cost and joy of following Christ, our faithful guide. Amen. (Text from Flames of the Spirit by Ruth C. Duck. A spark in the dark, a hint in the hurricane, that's all we need.)

2007-36 God, full of compassion, I commit myself to you, in whom I am, and live and know. Be the goal of my pilgrimage and my rest by the way. Let my soul take refuge from the crowding turmoil of worldly thought beneath the shadow of your wings. Let my heart, this sea of restless waves, find peace in you, O God. Amen.

2007-35 Lord, we thank you for our circle of friends. In their company we feel safe, secure and content. We can rest and reflect. Give us grace, when the time is right, to venture beyond our safety and security to discover the blessings waiting for us outside our comfortable boundaries.

2007-34 Look at the world, everything all around us Look at the world and marvel every day. Look at the world: so many joys and wonders, So many miracles along our way. Praise to thee, O lord for all creation. Give us thankful hearts that we may see All the gifts we share, and every blessing, All things come of thee. (Text from John Rutter's anthem, "Look at the World." Sometimes we must first be thankful, then we can see.)

2007-33 Come, Lord Jesus, startle me with your presence, life-sustaining as water, to open my heart to praise you, to open my mind to attend you, to open my spirit to worship you, to open me to live my life as authentically and boldly as you lived yours. (Text edited from Ted Loder's book, Guerrillas of Grace.)

2007-32 Jesus said, "I say to you listen: love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you." Jesus said, "There is still one thing lacking. Sell all that you own and distribute the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me." How might God be trying to break into your life and turn everything upside down? (After you give every thing away, you still have most of what God has given you: body, mind, soul, spirit, family, friends, nation, the universe and God's love. Perhaps you gained something, too: your freedom.)

2007-31 God of all blessings and source of all life, we thank you for setting us in communities: for families who nurture our becoming, for friends who love us by choice, for companions at work who share our burdens and daily tasks, for strangers who welcome us into their midst, for people from other lands who call us to grow in understanding, and for children who lighten our moments with delight. For these, and all blessings, we give you thanks, loving God, through Jesus Christ we pray. Amen.

2007-30 Mighty God, thank you for the job of this day. May we find gladness in all its toil and difficulty, its pleasure and success, and even in its failure and sorrow. We would look always away from ourselves, and behold the glory and the need of the world that we may have the will and the strength to bring the gift of gladness to others; that with them we stand to bear the burden and heat of the day and offer you the praise of work well done. Amen. (Text by Bishop Charles Lewis Slattery, early 20th century.)

2007-29 Let us seek God, to know the ways of truth and salvation. Let us learn to love God better, with heart, soul and mind. And may we learn to love your neighbors as ourselves, Or better yet, as God loves us. (When God carries us, like a father carries his daughter, our faith isn't tested. But when our neighbor wants us to carry them...)

2007-28 Feeling strong and strongly feeling. Being glad and glad of being. Care for need and needing caring. Sharing self and selfless sharing. Full of spirit, spirit filling. Will is warm and warmly willing. Giving joy, enjoy the giving. Life is love and love is living.

2007-27 Gracious God, you have made us one with all your people in heaven and earth. You have fed us with the bread of life and renewed us for your service. Help us who have shared Christ’s body and received his cup, to become his faithful disciples. May our daily living be part of the life of your kingdom and may our love be your love reaching out into the life of the world. Amen. (And who are God's people? This is like asking, "Who is my neighbor?" There are so many...)

2007-26 I will bless the LORD who gives me counsel; my heart teaches me, night after night. I have set the LORD always before me; because God is at my right hand I shall not fall. My heart, therefore, is glad, and my spirit rejoices; my body also shall rest in hope. Psalm 16:7-9.

2007-25 The man from whom the demons had gone begged that he might be with Jesus; but Jesus sent him away, saying, "Return to your home, and declare how much God has done for you." So he went away, proclaiming throughout the city how much Jesus had done for him. (Luke 8:38-39. We want to be with Jesus but He tells us our place is at home.)

2007-24 Jesus called the Lord, "Daddy," and his disciples, friends. He told his friends to be like children before God. Children love their parents, even the worst parents. My silly, suspicious heart guards itself. Thank God it is sometimes free!

2007-23 In the beginning, O God, when the firm earth emerged from the waters of life, you saw that it was good. The fertile ground was moist, the seed was strong and earth's profusion of color and scent was born. Awaken my senses this day to the goodness that still stems from Eden. Awaken my senses to the goodness that can still spring forth in me and in all that has life. (A Celtic benediction by J. Philip Newell.)

2007-22 By God’s Spirit we were baptized into one body and chosen by God for loving service to the world. Let us sing praises to God for making us partners in mission. Let us worship God in wonder and joy!

2007-21 We gather to remember the ancient stories of revelation. We read from our ancient texts. We gather to interpret the meaning these stories reveal in our lives. We hear from our traditions. We gather to share the revelation of the risen Christ. We experience in ritual and story. The Word of God for the people of God. Thanks be to God.

2007-20 Sent from heaven, thy rays were given on great and small to shine. O light Divine! May each soul in sorrow's night see the heavenly light! Thou blessing to all creation, lead us to our salvation! All those whose feet may falter, lead unto the sacred altar! Oh shine from above, Divine Light of love! Show us the way unto our God, we pray! Thou our beacon and guide shalt be! Light Divine, we praise Thee! (Text from the choral postlude, "Heavenly Light" by Alexander Kopylov.)

2007-19 Those who trust in the Lord for help will find their strength renewed. They will rise on wings like eagles! They will run and not become weary; They will walk and not grow weak! Thanks be to God! The Lord's name be praised!

2007-18 Welcoming God, you open your arms to everyone and your joyful embrace wraps the whole creation into one circle of love. As we come together today, teach us to welcome others as joyfully as you have welcomed us. Open our eyes to see those who are waiting for an invitation and nudge us to be the welcome you promise them. Amen.

2007-17 Great is Jehovah, the Lord, for heaven and earth testify to His great pow'r! 'Tis heard in the fierce raging storm, In the torrent's loud thundering roar; 'Tis heard in the rustling of leaves in the forest, Seen in the waving of golden fields, In loveliest flowers' gaudy array, 'Tis seen in myriad stars of heaven. Fierce it sounds in the thunder's loud roll, and flames in the lightning's brightly quivering flash. Yet clearer thy throbbing heart to thee proclaims Jehovah's pow'r, The Lord God Almighty. Look thou praying to Heav'n, and hope for grace and for mercy. Great is Jehovah, the Lord!

2007-16 Out of death came life and God defeated evil. An empty cross and an empty tomb, A nail mark shown and a presence known. Out of sorrow came joy, and God sent the Spirit And filled the people with power and with peace.

2007-15 God of mercy, we no longer look for Jesus among the dead, for he is alive and has become the Lord of life. From the waters of death you raise us with him and renew your gift of life within us. Increase in our minds and hearts the risen life we share with Christ, and help us to grow as your people toward the fullness of eternal life with you, through Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen. (An Easter prayer from the PC(USA) Book of Common Worship.)

2007-14 Shed upon us heavenly grace, Rain and dew and gleams of glory from the brightness of thy face; that, with hearts in heaven dwelling, we on earth may fruitful be, and by angel hands be gathered, and be ever, Lord, with thee. (Christopher Wordsworth, 1872, words to Hymn 92 in the 1940 Episcopal Hymnal.)

2007-13 In every birth, blessed is the wonder. In every creation, blessed is new being. In every child, blessed is life. In every hope, blessed is the potential. In every existence, blessed are the possibilities. In every life, blessed is the love. (Opening words of the Presbyterian Church USA baptismal service.)

2007-12 We come to be given life, and made wise, to have our hearts stirred and our eyes opened wide. Let the words of our mouths and the whispering of our hearts be in harmony with God's will. (Sometimes we notice our tools are not only useful but beautiful.)

2007-11 As the light of dawn awakens earth's creatures and stirs into song the birds of the morning so may I be brought to life this day. Rising to see the light ... to hear the wind ... to smell the fragrance of what grows from the ground ... to taste its fruit and touch its textures: so may my inner senses be awakened to you, O God. (A Celtic benediction by J. Philip Newell)

2007-10 Our Lord is a great God, Who says: "I am the Alpha and the Omega;" God is the first and the last, the beginning and the end. Holy, holy, holy is the Creator of heaven and earth. The whole universe is full of God's glory. (Photo of a mock orange, a coriander seed, sea salt and table salt on a black background. It looks like outer space, but is something else. Our everyday lives may look ordinary enough, but...)

2007-9 As a shepherd seeks a lost sheep, so God seeks and saves the lost. Like a woman who searches for a lost coin until it is found, so God rejoices over one soul restored to wholeness. As a father receives a returning wayward child, so God welcomes us, and lets the past be the past. Therefore let us praise God with thanksgiving that we are accepted. And let us receive and welcome one another in the name of Christ.

2007-8 As the acolyte lights the candle, we remember that Christ is the Light of the world. As the Bible is placed on the lectern, we acknowledge our dependence on God's Word in Scripture.

2007-7 O God, light of the minds that know you, life of the souls that love you, strength of the thoughts that seek you: Help us to know you that we may truly love you, to love you that we may fully serve you, whose service is perfect freedom; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (In one of his songs, Bob Dylan tells us, "You are going to serve somebody: it may be the devil, or it may be the Lord, but you're going to serve somebody." Yet here again we hear that serving the Lord is perfect freedom.)

2007-6 God of justice and mercy, we pray that your Spirit may enlighten our hearts and minds as we seek a deeper communion with you. Enable us to understand your Word for our lives, and grant us the courage to make your ways, our ways. Many voices clamor for our attention, may we hear your voice above the many competing sounds, and may we commit ourselves to following your guidance for the path we must walk each day. In the name of Christ we pray. Amen. (The easy path and a place of thorns. Not all sacrifices are pleasing to God. Which way is God's way?)

2007-5 Be still, my soul, and rest upon the Lord in quiet certainty. For He has come to rescue you from doubt. And now you stand in blazing glory of a risen sun that cannot set. It will forever be exactly as it is. You stand with Him within a radiance prepared for you before time was and far beyond its reach. Be still and know. And knowing, be you sure your Lord has come to you. There is no doubt that stands before His countenance, nor can conceal from you what He would have you see. The sun has risen. He has come at last. Where stands His presence there can be no past. Be still, my soul, and rest upon the Lord Who comes to keep the promise of His word. When our souls are still, sometimes we can feel the breath of God moving across the surface. When our souls are turbulent, sometimes our souls are touched by God's grace in a quarter-second flash.

2007-4 Mighty God, we pray for your blessing on the church in this place. Here may the faithful find salvation, and the careless be awakened. Here may the doubting find faith, and the anxious be encouraged. Here may the tempted find help, and the sorrowful comfort. Here may the weary find rest, and the strong be renewed. Here may the aged find consolation and the young be inspired; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. If churches seem like sad places at times, its because the people who would make them happy places cannot be found.

2007-3 In the grace we have come to know in Jesus Christ, God has turned our sorrow into dancing, stripped away our gloom and clothed us with gladness. We can no longer remain silent; we must sing praises to God! Raise your voices and lift your hearts. Let all the earth rejoice!

2007-2 "Epiphany" is derived from a Greek word that means "appearance" or "manifestation" (and has roots in the word for dawn). This is one of the oldest religious festivals in the Christian church (second century), originating prior to the celebration of Christmas. The significance of Epiphany for the Western church was the visit of the Magi and the "manifestation" of Christ to the Gentiles; for the Eastern church it recalled the baptism of Jesus which some believe was the real moment when Jesus became the Son of God.

2007-1 In the beginning, before time, before people, before the world began, God was. Here and now among us, beside us, enlisting the people of earth for the purposes of heaven, God is. In the future, when we have turned to dust and all we know has found fulfillment, God will be. Not denying the world, but delighting in it, not condemning the world, but redeeming it, through Jesus Christ, by the power of the Holy Spirit, God was, God is, God will be.