A Franciscan Benediction

May God bless us with discomfort
At easy answers, half-truths, and superficial relationships
So that we may live from deep within our hearts.

May God bless us with anger
At injustice, oppression, and exploitation of God's creations
So that we may work for justice, freedom, and peace.

May God bless us with tears
To shed for those who suffer pain, rejection, hunger, and war,
So that we may reach out our hands to comfort them and
To turn their pain into joy.

And may God bless us with just enough foolishness
To believe that we can make a difference in the world,
So that we can do what others claim cannot be done:
To bring justice and kindness to all our children and all our neighbors who are poor.
Amen.

Found at the site of Brian McLaren

Psalm 139:23-24

Search me, O God, and know my heart,
Test me and know my thoughts
See if there is any offensive way in me
And lead me in the way everlasting.

Amen

Nicene Creed

I believe in one God the Father Almighty
Maker of heaven and earth
And of all things visible and invisible

And in one Lord Jesus Christ
The only begotten Son of God
Begotten of his Father before all worlds,
God of Gods
Light of Light
Very God of very God
Begotten, not made
Being of one substance with the Father
By whom all things were made
Who for us people and for our salvation came down from heaven
And was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the Virgin Mary
And was made man
And was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate
He suffered and was buried
And the third day he rose again according to the Scriptures
And ascended into heaven
And sits at the right hand of the Father
And will come again, with glory, to judge the living and the dead
Whose kingdom will have no end.

And I believe in the Holy Spirit
The Lord, the giver of life
Who comes from the Father and Son
Who with the Father and Son together is worshipped and glorified
Who spoke through the prophets

And I believe in one holy Catholic and Apostolic Church
I acknowledge one baptism and one remission of sins
And I look for the resurrection of the dead
And the life of the world to come.

Amen.

AD 325

Prayer of Sir Francis Drake

Disturb us, Lord, when we are too well pleased with ourselves,

When our dreams have come true
Because we have dreamed too little,

When we arrived safely
Because we sailed too close to the shore.

Disturb us, Lord, when
With the abundance of things we possess

We have lost our thirst
For the waters of life;

Having fallen in love with life,
We have ceased to dream of eternity

And in our efforts to build a new earth,
We have allowed our vision
Of the new Heaven to dim.

Disturb us, Lord, to dare more boldly,
To venture on wider seas

Where storms will show your mastery;

Where losing sight of land, We shall find the stars.

We ask You to push back The horizons of our hopes;

And to push into the future In strength, courage, hope, and love.

Sir Francis Drake c. 1540-1595
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francis_Drake