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From “Common Prayer: A Liturgy For Ordinary Radicals” (June 28th p.335-336)

Irenaeus of Lyon (130-200)
The first systematic theologian of the church, Irenaeus lived in a time when Christianity was young and fragile.  He was appointed bishop of Lyon and combated the dualistic notion that matter and spirit are entirely separate, with matter being wholly corrupt. Irenaeus insisted that there is nothing inherently corrupt in creation but that humans lost their “likeness to God” through the distortion of sin.  That likeness was restored, Irenaeus proclaimed, through Christ, the “second Adam” who corrected the story of the first Adam.  In a time when so much of Christianity has been reduced to disembodied doctrine and otherworldly sentiment, Irenaeus’ voice rings out like a prophet’s.

O Lord, let my soul rise up to meet you
as the day rises to meet the sun.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever.  Amen.

Come let us sing to the Lord: let us shout for joy to the Rock of our salvation.

Make us fully alive, O God: that our lives might shine like the sun.

Psalm 134
Behold now, bless the Lord, all you servants of the Lord: you that stand by night in the house of the Lord.
Lift up your ands in the holy place and bless the Lord: the Lord who made heaven and earth bless you out of Zion.

Make us fully alive, O God: that our lives might shine like the sun.

Ezekiel 37:15-28        Acts 13:1-12

Make us fully alive, O God: that our lives might shine like the sun.

Irenaeus of Lyon wrote, “For the glory of God is the human person fully alive; and life consists in beholding God. For if the vision of God which is made by means of the creation, gives life to all the living in the earth, much more does the revelation of the Father, which comes through the Word, give life to those who see God.”

Prayers for Others

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, the power and the glory, forever and ever. Amen.

Taking on our flesh, you have made flesh holy, Lord.  Help us die to our selfish ways and our faithless habits that we might know the fullness of your new creation in our communities as it is in your resurrected body.  Amen.

May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you, 
 wherever he may send you. 
May he guide you through the wilderness, 
 protect you through the storm.
May he bring you home rejoicing,
 at the wonders he has shown you.
May he bring you home rejoicing,
 once again into our doors.  Amen

Photo by Igor Kasalovic on Unsplash