Daily Primer — July 16, Seydisfjördur, Iceland

Someone asked Abba Anthony, ‘What
must one do in order to please God?’ The old
man replied, ‘Pay attention to what I tell you:

† whoever you may be, always have God before
your eyes;

† whatever you do, do it according to
the testimony of the holy Scriptures;

† in whatever place you live, do not easily leave it.

Keep these three precepts and you will be
saved.

Florilegium is the Medieval Latin word for bouquet, or more literally flowers (flos, flor-) which are gathered (legere). The word florilegium was used to refer to a compilation of writings, often religious or philosophical. These florilegium are literary flowers—beautiful words/prayers/thoughts I have gathered.  During my sabbatical they will give me something to ponder each day. — PHL.

Lord God, we pray for the lost.  
We worry for them,
We reach out to them,
We try to be present to their need in all of the simple ways you describe:  water, food, a coat, a visit . . .
We pray for the lost, and every so often when we think of it we reach out to them . . .
reach down to them from our perch of self-sufficiency.
We are glad that you love the lost . . . and we want to love them as you do . . .
But then you surprise us yet again.  You leave us to fend for ourselves in the wilderness while you search for another.
You drop everything and sweep up the dust in search of them.
Your heart swells with compassion and you race out to meet them . . .
And you suggest that their being found causes more rejoicing in heaven than all of us "good" sheep who stayed home and worked hard put together.
You have made them our equals — and now we are the lost ones:
Lost in bitterness
Lost in disillusionment
Lost in confusion that your grace should be such a radical equalizer.
So now that your parables have helped us see our own lost-ness,
Come in search for us . . . brush off  the dust from us . . . find us in the yard outside the great celebration and invite us too to be part of your love at work.
In the name of the Lord of the lost and found — Jesus the Christ — Amen.

I am lying down tonight as beseems
In the fellowship of Christ, son of the Virgin of ringlets.
In the fellowship of the gracious Father of glory,
In the fellowship of the Spirit of powerful aid.

I am lying down tonight with God,
And God tonight will lie down with me,
I will not lie down with sin, nor shall
Sin nor sin’s shadow lie down with me.

I am lying down tonight with the Holy Spirit,
And the Holy Spirit this night will lie down with me,
I will lie down this night with the Three of my love,
And the Three of my love will lie down with me.