Collect for Peace

O God, the author of peace
and lover of concord,
to know you is eternal life,
to serve you is perfect freedom.
Defend us your servants
from all assaults of our enemies;
touch their hearts and minds with your eternal love
that we may trust in your defence,
knowing the love and blessings you provide for all people,
and not fear the power of any adversaries;
as we reveal 'the other' to be a weapon of evil
as we reveal all to be of one family
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

A Quiz for Everyone

What 20th Century Theorist are you?

You are Julia Kristeva! You were a student of Roland Barthes, and came up with such important notions as intertextuality and abjection. You are a semiotician, psychoanalyst, scholar of literature, and dozens more things. You are not dead.
Take this quiz!

Collect for Action against Evil

O God, whose blessed Son Jesus Christ came into the world that he might destroy the works of the devil,
greed and envy, status and pollution
and make us children of God and heirs of eternal life,
respecting the needs of the earth and each other:
grant that, having this hope, we may purify ourselves as he is pure;
choosing actions which promote peace and love,
speaking out against injustice and exploitation,
that, when he comes again with power and great glory,
we may be made like him,
loving and vigiliant for all,
in his eternal and glorious kingdom;
where he lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
Amen.

Martin of Tours

Today's collect relates to the Saint for November 11, St. Martin of Tours and to Rememberance Day here in Canada.

Lord God of hosts, who clothed your servant Martin the soldier
With the spirit of sacrifice, and set him as a bishop in your Church to be a defender of the faith:
Give us grace to follow in his holy steps, that at the last we may be found clothed with righteousness in the dwellings of peace;
Today we remember with thanksgiving those who made the supreme sacrifice for us in time of war.
We pray that the offering of their lives may not have been in vain.
Today we dedicate ourselves to the cause of justice, freedom and peace; and for the wisdom and strength to build a better world.
Through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.
Amen.

New Feature

After my responses from my first article on prayer I've decided to add a feature, hopefully ever day. Each day can have a special prayer called a Collect, which basically collects up the thoughts of the day and sums them up in a short, pithy prayer. Sometimes they relate to the Saint of the day (if there is one) and sometimes a current event, or even secular holiday. Please feel free to use any of them in your personal or group worship!