Father of all, we pray to you for those we love, but see no longer: Grant them eternal rest; let light perpetual shine upon them; and in your loving wisdom and almighty power, work in them the good purpose of your perfect will; through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Almighty God, Father of all mercies and giver of comfort: Deal graciously, we pray, with all who mourn; that, casting all their care upon you, they may know the consolation of your love; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
The Good Samaritan by Jacob Jordaens, circa 1616. Click to enlarge.
The Parable of the Good Samaritan has been on my mind lately. I offer it here as a text for today, and this Compline prayer with special intention for the people of Ukraine:
Keep watch, dear Lord, with those who work, or watch, or weep this night, and give your angels charge over those who sleep. Tend the sick, Lord Christ; give rest to the weary, bless the dying, soothe the suffering, pity the afflicted, shield the joyous; and all for your love's sake. Amen.
Trump's reign of misrule began with "American Carnage" and it ends with American carnage.
For the benefit of my overseas truckbuddies and any others who care to watch, here are some videos of the filthy, horrific scene at the Capitol - a direct attack on our democracy at its very heart - the culmination of abomination that has been growing for the last four years - continuously cultivated by an evil man and his minions:
Just minutes before the rioters broke into the Capitol, Senate Majority leader Mitch McConnell broke decisively with Trump, urging his Republican colleagues to accept the fact of Biden's electoral victory:
About 3 p.m. Texas time, nearly three hours after the Capitol was invaded, President-Elect Joe Biden addressed the nation with a stirring call to patriotic values:
About half an hour later, the current occupant of the Oval Office hypocritically poured gasoline on the fire he himself started:
What I Say: Your Head Trucker has faith that our Republic will survive this brazen attempt at overthrowing our democracy; but the name of this filthy would-be tyrant will be an execration down all the centuries to come, and his descendants will bear the shame of it to the last generation.
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Aftermath, 1/7/21, 5 a.m.--To their eternal credit, the members of the House and Senate, undaunted by armed attack, reconvened at 7 p.m. last night, Texas time, to continue and complete their Constitutional duty of certifying the vote of the People. In the early hours of the morning, Vice President Mike Pence dutifully announced the result from the chair of the Senate, sealing beyond all doubt or question the election of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris as the next President and Vice President of the United States.
The chaplain of the Senate, the Rev. Barry Black, delivered this prayer from the dais, echoing in large part the prayers of millions, including your Head Trucker, these several months:
Lord of our lives and sovereign of our beloved nation, we deplore the desecration of the United States Capitol building, the shedding of innocent blood, the loss of life, and the quagmire of dysfunction that threaten our democracy.
These tragedies have reminded us that words matter and that the power of life and death is in the tongue. We have been warned that eternal vigilance continues to be freedom's price.
Lord, you have helped us remember that we need to see in each other a common humanity that reflects your image.
You have strengthened our resolve to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies domestic as well as foreign.
Use us to bring healing and unity to our hurting and divided nation and world. Thank you for what you have blessed our lawmakers to accomplish in spite of threats to liberty.
Bless and keep us. Drive far from us all wrong desires, incline our hearts to do your will and guide our feet on the path of peace. And God bless America. We pray in your sovereign name, Amen.
Your Head Trucker would add only, Thanks be to God. Alleluia.
So the election is settled. Now we must somehow wait another two weeks for the life of the Nation to begin anew - with a wild beast, a raving, resentful madman, the enemy of the People, in the White House, manifestly unfit to govern. This is so wrong. In this modern world of instant terror and pushbutton destruction, there should be a quick and simple way to protect the Nation from a rogue President; just how that could be done by legal and constitutional means is the thought of many minds at this time, I am sure.
I was very proud to see that Vice President Pence, after four years of kowtowing to the monster's whims, at last acted the man and the patriot today in fulfilling his Constitutional duty to ensure the peaceful, legitimate continuity of government in our democratic republic. He ought to be Acting President now.
And one more thing: I also like the fact that the Congress publicly certified the votes that each of the fifty states had already certified, in a ceremony that is usually a mere formality. Notice what great legitimacy and certainty it gives to the results. No sane mind can now entertain the slightest doubt that the next President was lawfully elected - a fact endorsed by dozens of courts across the land that have unanimously refused to overturn the will of the People.
Our election system needs an overhaul and tune-up, to be sure, and perhaps a new set of wheels - but keep today's profound scenes in mind as you listen in the coming months and years to the debate about reforming our system of electing a President. Efficiency is important - but even more so is public confidence in the fairness and accuracy of the results. These things are not mutually exclusive.
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Update, 1/7/21, 11 a.m.--The political landscape seems to be shifting by the hour in the wake of yesterday's violent attack on Congress. To show how far minds have changed in just 24 hours, studly Republican Congressman Adam Kinzinger has just posted this video on Twitter calling for Trump to be removed from office by the 25th Amendment:
It’s with a heavy heart I am calling for the sake of our Democracy that the 25th Amendment be invoked. My statement: pic.twitter.com/yVyQrYcjuD
August always seems to me like the Sunday evening of the year, the fleeting pause before the world and its work start up again, for good or ill. So for today this seems a fitting choice: a beloved British hymn, the music of which may possibly have been written by Sir Arthur Sullivan:
My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,
my spirit rejoices in God my Savior; *
for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant.
From this day all generations will call me blessed: *
the Almighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his Name.
He has mercy on those who fear him *
in every generation.
He has shown the strength of his arm, *
he has scattered the proud in their conceit.
He has cast down the mighty from their thrones, *
and has lifted up the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things, *
and the rich he has sent away empty.
He has come to the help of his servant Israel, *
for he has remembered his promise of mercy,
The promise he made to our fathers, *
to Abraham and his children for ever.
V. Show us your mercy, O Lord;
R. And grant us your salvation.
V. Clothe your ministers with righteousness;
R. Let your people sing with joy.
V. Give peace, O Lord, in all the world;
R. For only in you can we live in safety.
V. Lord, keep this nation under your care;
R. And guide us in the way of justice and truth.
V. Let your way be known upon earth;
R. Your saving health among all nations.
V. Let not the needy, O Lord, be forgotten;
R. Nor the hope of the poor be taken away.
V. Create in us clean hearts, O God;
R. And sustain us by your Holy Spirit.
A Collect for Peace
Most holy God, the source of all good desires, all right
judgments, and all just works: Give to us, your servants, that
peace which the world cannot give, so that our minds may be
fixed on the doing of your will, and that we, being delivered
from the fear of all enemies, may live in peace and quietness;
through the mercies of Christ Jesus our Savior. Amen.
A Collect for Aid against Perils
Be our light in the darkness, O Lord, and in your great mercy
defend us from all perils and dangers of this night; for the love
of your only Son, our Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
A Collect for Protection
O God, the life of all who live, the light of the faithful, the
strength of those who labor, and the repose of the dead: We
thank you for the blessings of the day that is past, and
humbly ask for your protection through the coming night.
Bring us in safety to the morning hours; through him who
died and rose again for us, your Son our Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
Keep watch, dear Lord, with those who work, or watch, or
weep this night, and give your angels charge over those who
sleep. Tend the sick, Lord Christ; give rest to the weary, bless
the dying, soothe the suffering, pity the afflicted, shield the
joyous; and all for your love's sake. Amen.
O God, you manifest in your servants the signs of your
presence: Send forth upon us the spirit of love, that in
companionship with one another your abounding grace may
increase among us; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
As always, take what you like and leave the rest. Whatever you do, keep hope alive.
For Joy in God's Creation
O heavenly Father, you have filled the world with beauty: Open our eyes to behold your gracious hand in all your works; that, rejoicing in your whole creation, we may learn to serve you with gladness; for the sake of him through whom all things were made, your Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
For the Human Family
O God, you made us in your own image and redeemed us through Jesus your Son: Look with compassion on the whole human family; take away the arrogance and hatred which infect our hearts; break down the walls that separate us; unite us in bonds of love; and work through our struggle and confusion to accomplish your purposes on earth; that, in your good time, all nations and races may serve you in harmony around your heavenly throne; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
For our Country
Almighty God, you have given us this good land for our heritage: We humbly pray that we may always prove ourselves a people mindful of your favor and glad to do your will. Bless our land with honorable industry, sound learning, and pure manners. Save us from violence, discord, and confusion; from pride and arrogance, and from every evil way. Defend our liberties, and fashion into one united people the multitudes brought hither out of many kindreds and tongues. Endue with the spirit of wisdom those to whom in your Name we entrust the authority of government, that there may be justice and peace at home, and that, through obedience to your law, we may show forth your praise among the nations of the earth. In the time of prosperity, fill our hearts with thankfulness, and in the day of trouble, suffer not our trust in you to fail; all which we ask through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Take what you like and leave the rest. We all need something to uplift and steady us through the perturbations of this unsteady modern world.
A Collect for the Renewal of Life
O God, the King eternal, who dividest the day from the
night and turnest the shadow of death into the morning:
Drive far from us all wrong desires, incline our hearts to keep
thy law, and guide our feet into the way of peace; that,
having done thy will with cheerfulness while it was day, we
may, when night cometh, rejoice to give thee thanks;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
A Collect for Peace
O God, who art the author of peace and lover of concord, in
knowledge of whom standeth our eternal life, whose service
is perfect freedom: Defend us, thy humble servants, in all
assaults of our enemies; that we, surely trusting in thy
defense, may not fear the power of any adversaries; through
the might of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
A Collect for Grace
O Lord, our heavenly Father, almighty and everlasting God,
who hast brought us safely to the beginning of this new day:
Defend us with thy mighty power; and grant that we fall into
no sin, neither run into any kind of danger; but being ordered
by thy governance, may do always what is righteous in thy sight;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
A Collect for Guidance
O heavenly Father, in whom we live and move and have our
being: We humbly pray thee so to guide and govern us by thy
Holy Spirit, that in all the cares and occupations of our life
we may not forget thee, but may remember that we are ever
walking in thy sight; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
A Prayer for Mission
Lord Jesus Christ, who didst stretch out thine arms of love
on the hard wood of the cross that everyone might come
within the reach of thy saving embrace: So clothe us in thy
Spirit that we, reaching forth our hands in love, may bring
those who do not know thee to the knowledge and love of
thee; for the honor of thy Name. Amen.
Regardless or faith or non-faith, we all need something to steady and strengthen the inner man. If any of these prayers help you, I'm glad. Take what you like and leave the rest; take it all merely as poetry, if you please, and feel free to change the pronouns around as you wish.
This short, but comforting little hymn, written by Edward Hopper (not the painter) in 1871, is an old favorite of your Head Trucker's:
And here is another old favorite prayer of your Head Trucker's from Forward Day by Daythat I used to recite daily:
A Morning Resolve
I will try this day to live a simple, sincere and serene life, repelling promptly every thought of discontent, anxiety, discouragement, impurity, and self-seeking;
Cultivating cheerfulness, magnanimity, charity, and the habit of holy silence;
Exercising economy in expenditure, generosity in giving, carefulness in conversation, diligence in appointed service, fidelity to every trust, and a childlike faith in God.
In particular I will try to be faithful in those habits of prayer, work, study, physical exercise, eating, and sleep which I believe the Holy Spirit has shown me to be right.
And as I cannot in my own strength do this, nor even with a hope of success attempt it, I look to thee, O Lord God my Father, in Jesus my Savior, and ask for the gift of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Take what you like and leave the rest. We all need something to keep us sane of mind and stout of heart in this furious modern world.
The well-known hymn by Scottish-born James Montgomery, poet, hymnodist, and anti-slavery writer:
~~~~~ o o O o o ~~~~~
It occurs to me that in the midst of this troubled world full of conflict and controversy, which I am powerless to resolve, I could do worse than to offer to my truckbuddies and drive-by readers some prayers that I have found helpful over the years in keeping my head calm, my heart humble, and my spirit hopeful - well, sometimes anyway.
Regardless of faith or the lack of it, we all need inner strength of some kind - something the roaring mass media and frantic consumer culture cannot give - to steady us amid the frightful changes and chances of this mortal life: if any of these prayers I present in the coming weeks help you, I'm glad.
These are Episcopal prayers, but you need not bother with theology at all; you can take them merely as poetry, if you please. It's the thought that counts. And it's always permissible to keep the parts you like and discard the rest.
I will begin this series with a prayer from Forward Day by Day, an Episcopal publication, that I prayed every morning for years; I still know it by heart.
For Today
O God:
Give me strength to live another day;
Let me not turn coward before its difficulties or prove recreant to its duties;
Let me not lose faith in my fellow men;
Keep me sweet and sound of heart, in spite of ingratitude, treachery, or meanness;
Preserve me from minding little stings or giving them;
Help me to keep my heart clean, and to live so honestly and fearlessly that no outward failure can dishearten me or take away the joy of conscious integrity;
Open wide the eyes of my soul that I may see good in all things;
Grant me this day some new vision of Thy truth;
Inspire me with the spirit of joy and gladness, and make me the cup of strength to suffering souls;
in the name of the strong Deliverer, our only Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.
O God, by whom the meek are guided in judgment, and light rises up in darkness for the godly: Grant us, in all our doubts and uncertainties, the grace to ask what you would have us to do, that the Spirit of wisdom may save us from all false choices, and that in your light we may see light, and in your straight path may not stumble; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
For Quiet Confidence
O God of peace, you have taught us that in returning and rest we shall be saved, in quietness and confidence shall be our strength: By the might of your Spirit lift us, we pray you, to your presence, where we may be still and know that you are God; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
For Protection
Assist us mercifully, O Lord, in these our supplications and prayers, and dispose the way of your servants towards the attainment of everlasting salvation; that, among all the changes and chances of this mortal life, they may ever be defended by your gracious and ready help; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Here is a lovely a cappella rendition, by a Mennonite choir, of the great Isaac Watts hymn, so appropriate for us now, upon the brink of we know not what:
Also called the Prayer of St. Francis. The video itself is mediocre and mawkish in places, but for me, no one can match the moving sincerity of John Michael Talbot's rendition.
Almighty God, whose most dear Son went not up to joy but first he suffered pain, and entered not into glory before he was crucified: Mercifully grant that we, walking in the way of the cross, may find it none other than the way of life and peace; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
The Prayer of St. Francis, exquisitely sung by John Michael Talbot (large screen view is best):
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace. Where there is hatred, let me sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is discord, harmony; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; where there is sadness, joy. Grant that I may seek not so much to be consoled as to console; to be understood as to understand; to be loved as to love. For it is in giving that we receive; it is in pardoning that we are pardoned; and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life. Amen.
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We cannot all do great things, but we can do small things with great love.
and welcome to the Blue Truck, a blog for mature gay men with news and views on gay rights, history, art, humor, and whatever comes to mind. Plus a few hot men. The truck's all washed and gassed up, so hop in buddy, let's go.
CAUTION: For mature gay men only beyond this point. Some posts and links may not be suitable for children or the unco guid. You have been warned.
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My Story
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Churches say that the expression of love in a heterosexual monogamous relationship includes the physical, the touching, embracing, kissing, the genital act - the totality of our love makes each of us grow to become increasingly godlike and compassionate. If this is so for the heterosexual, what earthly reason have we to say that it is not the case with the homosexual?
It is a perversion if you say to me that a person chooses to be homosexual. You must be crazy to choose a way of life that exposes you to a kind of hatred. It's like saying you choose to be black in a race-infected society.
If God, as they say, is homophobic, I wouldn't worship that God.
