“The word ‘happy’ would lose its meaning if it were not balanced by sadness.”
Attributed to Carl Jung
The beginning of a new day can be filled with hope and possibilities, but for many it will arrive with trepidation.
We might long for the sun to rise, but when it does the struggles of the day ahead feel too much to face. We’d rather roll over and pull the duvet over our heads. We’d rather shut out the world.
These prayers articulate those feelings, affirm that we are not alone, and give us a glimpse of the God who will journey with us, whatever this new day brings.
Sometimes the dark continues beyond the night
Sometimes the dark continues beyond the night,sometimes the fears that kept us from our sleep remain,sometimes a new day doesn’t arrive with hope,but uncertainty and despair.
Christ of the cross,Christ the suffering one,lift our eyes to see you,to find hope in the sun’s rising today.
Amen
As dark makes way for the light
As the dark makes way for the light,as the moon is replaced by the sun,we open our eyes on a new day,hear the stirrings of morning,noticing what is present for us in this moment.
Whether our night has been restless or calm,we breathe deeply with hope and expectation.Whether we have woken alone or in company,we remember the God who is present.
Amen
As the sun rises
As the sun rises,as birdsong fills the air with expectation,as the darkness and silence of night fades,we cling to the truth of new beginnings;of everyday resurrections;of hope.
The light has come.Christ has risen.The dawn always follows the night.
Today, may we know that resurrection power as the slate is wiped clean,as we begin again.
Amen
God of illumination
God of illumination.God who is light and calls us to be light in the world.Reveal our path, guide our footsteps on the journey.
Help us to see ourselves and others with new eyes.
Illuminate our minds in the darkness when we cannot see the way ahead—
God who is present,God who sees.God who hears our prayers.
Amen