A Life of Prayer

At the Sacred Commons we believe that our worship extends into every aspect of our daily lives, including prayer. We recommend The Book of Common Prayer 1979 as a unifying structure for prayer that unites our personal commitment to daily prayer with the unified prayers of other Christians around the world. This means that we are praying WITH our sisters and brothers in Christ, agreeing together all around the globe, in all time zones, continually! While the extemporaneous prayer of the individual believer is still welcomed, there is a unifying and powerfully grounding thing that happens when we approach God collectively, together, not just in the now, but with Christians throughout time and space. Praying common prayers together help us to transcend the wishlist / me, myself and I paradigm. We celebrate the historical reality that Jesus prayed written prayers (the Psalms), even from the cross, and when his disciples asked him to “teach them how to pray” he answered with a form that would go on to bless and center the prayer life of christians throughout the ages, “This, then, is how you should pray” (Matt 6:9). Here at The Sacred Commons we encourage others to explore how the Spirit creatively moves within form.

Here are some prayers and practices that we would like to share with you. Feel free to print them out, hang them up, make bookmarks and get creative!

A Prayer attributed to St. Francis

Lord, make us instruments of your peace. Where there is
hatred, let us sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where
there is discord, union; where there is doubt, faith; where
there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; where
there is sadness, joy. Grant that we may not so much seek to
be consoled as to console; to be understood as to understand;
to be loved as to love. For it is in giving that we receive; it is
in pardoning that we are pardoned; and it is in dying that we
are born to eternal life. Amen.

BCP page 833

My Daily Examen

• I quiet my mind and my heart for prayer. I believe in God’s presence with me…

• I offer gratitude to God for the blessings of the day and begin by savoring my gifts.

• I review the events of the day noticing the feelings that surface: my hopes, fears, regrets, joys, and sorrows.

• I pray from the feelings that surface: talking to God as a friend, listening with my heart for God’s response of love.

• I look forward in hope, asking for the grace to better serve God.

  Conclude by praying, “Our Father…”

Ignatian prayer method, Bellarmine Jesuit Retreat House

The Lord’s Prayer

Our Father, who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy Name.

thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread.

And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil:

For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.

Matthew 6:9-13

We invite you to join us in Common Prayer. While we encourage everyone to practice daily prayer on their own at home, we also host a weekly prayer gathering online via Zoom and would love for you to participate! If this is something you’d like to practice with us, email us at sacredcommons@gmail.com