Gracious and loving God, thank you for your many blessings. Thank you for being with us today. Help us to know you. Help us to join with you in creating, healing, and being. Help us in our observing, deciding, and doing. May we find and stay on the way you intend. When we go another way - wounding others, hurting ourselves, and neglecting you - do not cease to seek our return. May our relationship with others reflect the love and liberty you have given us. We know you are always with us, help us to truly be with you.

This is one form of my common prayer. Before a meal, on a special occasion, as I enter into conflict or potential conflict, something like this is what I will say aloud or silently.

It is based, I hope, on the pattern of the Lord's Prayer. We begin by acknowledging the identity of God. For me the Kingdom of God is revealed and present, but we usually deny it.

We need help in our daily doing. We need help recognizing that what we do in the present moment is how we are co-creators (or not) with God.

We acknowledge our failures. I am especially concerned with how I too often treat others as means to my ends, rather than profound ends in themselves.

I seek to deepen my relationship with God and with others. In these relationships I perceive is the way of ultimate reality.