Sunday Prayer

I recently quoted one of our family favorites, Henri Nouwen. His life and work focused on the meaning of compassion in Christianity - removing the pretension and judgment from his organizations to help them make Christ fully present again. Plus, he's an easy read (and inexpensive)! Here is his prayer:

Dear God,
I am so afraid to open my clenched fists!
Who will I be when I have nothing left to hold on to?
Who will I be when I stand before you with empty hands?
Please help me to gradually open my hands
and to discover that I am not what I own,
but what you want to give me.
And what you want to give me is love,
unconditional, everlasting love.
Amen.

ps: Watch Nouwen's homily. If pastors can be this engaging, this positive and supporting, this loving, they will form communities of love and their organizations will thrive, and the participants in these organizations will also thrive.

Disciplines of the Beloved by Henri Nouwen - 2120 INT from Crystal Cathedral Ministries on Vimeo.