Banish Self and Follow Christ

 
Keith Simon recently sent this Augustinian prayer to me. I have found it to be one I need to come back to often for humility and dependance.

Lord Jesus, let me know myself and know You,
  and desire nothing but You.
Let me hate myself and love You.
Let me do everything for the sake of You.
Let me humble myself and exalt You.
Let me think of nothing except You.
Let me die to myself and live in You.
Let me accept whatever happens as from You.
Let me banish self and follow You,
and ever desire to follow You.
Let me fly from myself and take refuge in You,
  that I may deserve to be defended by You.
Let me fear for myself.
Let me fear You,
  and let me be among those who are chosen by You.
Let me distrust myself and put my trust in You.
Let me be willing to obey for the sake of You.
Let me cling to nothing save only to You,
  and let me be poor because of You.
Look upon me, that I may love You.
Call me that I may see You, and for ever enjoy You.

I Cannot Do This Alone

A prayer by Deitrich Bonhoeffer.

 O God, early in the morning I cry to you.
Help me to pray
And to concentrate my thoughts on you;
I cannot do this alone.

In me there is darkness.
But with you there is light;
I am lonely,
but you do not leave me;
I am feeble in heart,
but with you there is help;
I am restless,
but with you there is peace.
In me there is bitterness,
but with you there is patience;
I do not understand your ways,
But you know the way for me….

Restore me to liberty,
And enable me to live now
That I may answer before you and before men.
Lord whatever this day may bring,
Your name be praised.

Amen

Regeneration

A prayer from The Valley of Vision.

O God of the highest heaven,
Occupy the throne of my heart,
take full possession and reign supreme,
lay low every rebel lust,
let no vile passion resist thy holy war;
manifest thy mighty power,
and make me thine for ever.

Thou art worthy to be
praised with my every breath,
loved with my every faculty of soul,
served with my every act of life.

Thou hast loved me, espoused me, received me,
purchased, washed, favoured, clothed, adorned me,
when I was worthless, vile, soiled, polluted.

I was dead in iniquities,
having no eyes to see thee,
no ears to hear thee,
no taste to relish thy joys,
no intelligence to know thee;

But thy Spirit has quickened me,
has brought me into a new world as a new creature,
has given me spiritual perception,
has opened to me thy Word as light, guide, solace, joy.

Thy presence is to me a treasure of unending peace;
No provocation can part me from thy sympathy,
for thou hast drawn me with cords of love,
and dost forgive me daily, hourly.

O help me then to walk worthy of thy love,
of my hopes, and my vocation.
Keep me, for I cannot keep myself;
Protect me that no evil befall me;
Let me lay aside every sin admired of many;
Help me to walk by thy side, lean on thy arm,
hold converse with thee,
That henceforth I may be salt of the earth
and a blessing to all.

Scott Myers: Photographer

Scott Myers, a photographer at The Crossing, recently took some time to share his story of faith and reflect on how his journey from atheism to Christianity has revealed itself in his photography. He and I produced the following video together.

Please note there are short passages of the video that do not have visuals.

You can also discover more about his art here.

Scott Myers: Photographer from The Crossing on Vimeo.

Yeah!

101 Yeahs - directed and animated by Ryan Junell and Phillip Niemeyer using traditional stop-motion camera techniques.

Upular

Video remix artist Nick Bertke (aka Pogo) created this piece of music using chords, bass notes and vocal samples from the animated film Up (directed by Pete Docter). The result is inventive, winsomely listenable and definitively post-modern. What boggles my mind is how Pogo is able to conceptualize and actualize a piece of music from so many disparate musical and (traditionally) non-musical elements. However he does it, I can't get enough of it.



Pogo's take on Mary Poppins titles "Expialidocious."



and Alice and Wonderland.

Saint Patrick's Lorica

Last Sunday The Crossing used an excerpted version of Saint Patrick's Lorica as a corporate prayer. The Lorica is powerful reminder of our dependance God for all things and allows us to humble express a desire to submit ourselves more and more to his care. I thought it would be good to post the Lorica in the blog for use as an ongoing prayer throughout the month.

St Patrick’s Lorica
(St Patrick, ca. 377)

I arise today through a mighty strength,
    the invocation of the Trinity,
through a belief in the Threeness,
through confession of the Oneness
    of the Creator of creation.

I arise today through
    God’s strength to pilot me;
    God’s might to uphold me,
    God’s wisdom to guide me,
    God’s eye to look before me,
    God’s ear to hear me,
    God’s word to speak for me,
    God’s hand to guard me,
    God’s way to lie before me,
    God’s shield to protect me,
    God’s hosts to save me
    from snares of the devil,
    from temptations of vices,
    from every one who desires me ill,
    afar or anear,
    alone or in a multitude.

Christ with me,
    Christ before me,
        Christ behind me
Christ in me,
    Christ beneath me,
        Christ above me

Christ on my right,
    Christ on my left,
Christ when I lie down,
    Christ when I sit down,
Christ when I arise

Christ in the heart
    of every man who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth
    of every man who speaks of me,
Christ in the eye
    that sees me,
Christ in the ear
    that hears me.

I arise today through a mighty strength,
    the invocation of the Trinity,
through a belief in the Threeness,
through confession of the Oneness
    of the Creator of creation.