Communion, Work, and Rest

ETERNAL God, lead us into the blessedness of the mystery of communion with Thee. Bow our spirits in deepest reverence before Thee, yet uplift us into a sense of kinship. Send the spirit of Thy Son into our hearts, crying "Abba, Father," that all unworthy fear may be banished by the gladness of Thy perfect love. Thy love is like the luminous heaven, receiving only to purify the foulest breath of earth. Thy gentleness is like the sun, seeking to cheer and warm the chilled hearts of men. Touch us, O our Father, with a feeling of Thy great realities, for though our thought about Thee is better than our words, our experience of Thee is better than our thought.

Bestow upon us, we beseech Thee, the grace for which we severally crave. Troubles overwhelm the heart: lead us to the rock that is higher than we. Doubts assail us. Give us a supreme trust that will not let Thee go, until the day break and the shadows flee away. We are unstable, easily moved by external circumstance. Strengthen us that we may play the man, and in Thy might grant us to gain dominion over the world. Our hearts are sad, thinking, as we do, of dear ones, so tenderly loved, but now taken from us, or of living griefs that will not heal. Wipe Thou our tears away. O God of hope! save us from despair. Thou bringest the dead out of the living and the living out of the dead. Come and work Thy wonders in the hearts of those who grieve and wound us and cause us to drink of bitter tears, that sorrow may flee away and our mouth be filled with laughter and our tongue with singing.

We entreat Thee, O Lord, to remember us in our daily work. Let us do it heartily, as unto Thee, and not as unto men. Grant that our tasks may be congenial to us; that we may give ourselves wholly to them. Consecrate all our powers of body and mind to Thy service. Give us enthusiasm, a fervent spirit, a cheerful, hopeful temper, so that we may do our work with ease and self control, not with idle worry, or fruitless fear. Let us not think too much of our rights, but always of our duties, and when we have done all, then let us say, "We are unprofitable servants." And when Thou drawest the curtain of night upon our labour, give us the sweet gift of sleep. All this we ask for Jesus' sake. Amen.