This poem/prayer came out of some work I’ve been doing with Andy Flanagan, a singer-songwriter who we’ve commissioned to write a range of songs that help congregations integrate a whole-life perspective into gathered worship. We’d been talking about the theology of work and I gave him a potted version of the Executive Toolbox session ‘Towards a Deeper Theology of Work’ with the five outcomes we highlight: God’s work brings order, provision, joy, beauty, and release of potential. We can aim to reflect these outcomes in our own work to create contexts for human flourishing.

Andy asked me for a few concrete examples of what I meant, and this was the result. Andy has used some of the phrases in his songs and we’ve turned it into a prayer. You can also see that someone (@OllieLansdowne) tweeted some emojis to go along with these five themes, in response to a sermon I gave. One thing leads to another, and we build together. I hope this prayer encourages and inspires you to see the potential of your own work afresh.

O God who creates beauty in a leaping gazelle,
In the pink-tinged pearl of a seashore shell,
In the silken strength of a spider’s thread,
And the turquoise plumes on a peacock’s head,
Help us bring beauty to the things we do
That all we do be done for you.

O Lord who creates order through gravity’s power,
The gift of time to measure year and hour,
Sets the flaming stars in their prescribed place
And quark by quark in subatomic space,
Help us bring your order in all we do
That all we do might speak of you.

O Lord who gives water for the whale, berries for the bird,
Soil for the cedar, barley for the herd,
Fashions rivers for the carp, caves for the bear,
Rains bounty upon us that all might share,
Help us provide through all we do,
That all on earth give thanks to you.

O Father who creates so that our joy may abound
Through colours endless, and rich waves of sound,
Through textures’ touch and aromas’ delight,
And a score of flavours in a single bite,
Help us bring your joy to all we do
That all may sing with joy to you.
Help us bring your joy to all we do
That all may sing with joy to you.

Mark Greene

Tweet by Ollie Lansdowne