Reflection “Give me six hours to chop down a tree, and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe.” –Abraham Lincoln Prayer God of our plans, Perhaps the biggest challenge we face with respect to any big task is the question

Prayer

God of our plans,

Perhaps the biggest challenge we face with respect to any big task is the question of proper preparation. As we take on tasks that sometimes feel so daunting, give us your wisdom and insight to guide us in the planning. Give us patience and deliberation, so that when it comes time for execution, we can be all the more confident that the job will be done and done well, sparing ourselves and our colleagues the undue burden of fatigue and exhaustion. Yes, may we continue thinking creatively together, about how we can better meet the needs of our patients and communities by innovating with the resources you have already given. Amen.

Reflection “The LORD is good to those who wait for him, / a refuge on the day of distress, / Taking care of those who look to him for protection, / when the flood rages.” –Nahum 1:7-8 Prayer God our protection, Our hearts remain c

Prayer

God our protection,

Our hearts remain concerned for all those who continue to suffer from the effects of natural disasters, hurricanes, and flooding. As we continue to pray for their protection, safety, and security, we pray as well that you would show us concrete ways for us to protect and provide for those most in need. Inspire us this day to be good help and to put your compassion and mercy into concrete action. Amen.

Feast of Saint Teresa of Jesus, Doctor of the Church

Feast of Saint Teresa of Jesus, Doctor of the Church

Prayer

Wonder-working God,

Every day we should pause and give thanks that this work we enjoy is more than just work; it is, indeed, ministry. We are collaborators with you and each other, sharing our gifts and talents so that your own good purposes can flourish among us. As we continue to do so, help us remember the wisdom of St. Teresa of Jesus, especially today, as we honor her life and witness. It is right for us to ask great things of you—to expect great things to happen among us and through us as coworkers with you. Give us the courage to dream big and ask for your help! For the life of the world, we pray. Amen.

Reflection “Management is doing things right. Leadership is doing the right things.” –Peter Drucker Prayer God our guide and compass, Just as we are all called to have a ministry mindset in the way we go about our responsibilities

Prayer

God our guide and compass,

Just as we are all called to have a ministry mindset in the way we go about our responsibilities, give us a leadership mindset that goes beyond “management,” strictly speaking. As we strive to be responsible with the resources and people we are positioned to steward, help us also remain committed to lead one another in the right direction. Yes, give us direction and purpose, so that this ministry will thrive and flourish long into the future. Amen.

Reflection “It is impossible to awaken a man who is pretending to be asleep.” –Navajo proverb Prayer God of Encounter, We know the temptation all too well: in times of crisis and challenge, it’s far simpler to pretend that we don’

Prayer

God of Encounter,

We know the temptation all too well: in times of crisis and challenge, it’s far simpler to pretend that we don’t know what’s really going on. To ignore the chaos and play the emu with our heads in the sand. Yet this is no way for us to live out the calling you have given and for which you have empowered us with your very own Spirit. Fill us anew with that Spirit today, that we might avoid the temptation to sleepwalk through challenge, and to embrace instead the encounters that are coming our way. Fill us with grace, endurance, and a persevering spirit that is ready to serve in whatever small way we can. For the life of the world, we pray. Amen.

Reflection “Community exists for the sake of belonging and takes its identity from the gifts, generosity, and accountability of its citizens. It is not defined by its fears, its isolation, or its penchant for retribution.”  –Peter

Prayer

Unifying Spirit,

People are transformed by the genuine experience of community. When we surmount our fears and the forces of isolation, when we insist on truly taking care of each other and becoming responsible for the needs of our neighbors, we are all transformed as a result. For those of us who share this ministry together and are shaping its culture each day, may belonging and generosity and accountability rule and reign in our hearts, so that this ministry of healing might stand as a community of hope to a world in need. Amen.

Reflection “A society in which consumption has to be artificially stimulated in order to keep production going is a society founded on trash and waste, for such a society is a house built upon sand.” –Dorothy Sayers Prayer God of

Prayer

God of Tomorrow,

We seek an economy that supports and sustains the authentic development of the common good long into the future. Yet we also are confronted by the repercussions of undoing the webs of consumption that stimulate the economy we already have. Help us to work creatively, together, so that we can convert the whole of this consumer culture into a more sustainable economy of authentic ecological flourishing. May we find ways to protect the real human needs of everyone involved in the process, especially those who are poor and marginalized. Give us vision and direction for a society built on stable foundations, accommodating the gifts and talents of all. Amen.