O come, let us sing to the Lord; let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation!

Psalm 95:1

Sonnet for Morning Prayer

O come, my friends, let us sing to the Lord,
Giving thanks to our God for this new day!
With grateful hearts, let us praise our savior,
Who died and rose that we might rise today!
This day, full of things that have never been,
Joys and trials, surprises and sorrows,
We travel this road, not knowing its end,
Trusting our guide, who bids us to follow.
Oh that today we would listen to you!
Not harden our hearts, or tune out your voice,
But turn to your word to seek what is true,
To hear your whisper beneath this world’s noise.
We rise to kneel at the dawn of this day,
To seek first your Light who shows us your Way.

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Psalm 95, which is traditionally prayed at the beginning of a Matins Service as a morning prayer, is the inspiration for this sonnet. We wake up hearing this invitation to sing to the Lord and give thanks for this new day, even as we are reminded not to harden our hearts, but instead, truly listen to God’s voice, which is often best heard through the gift of God’s word.

Here, then, is a passage from Psalm 95, followed by the other scripture passages I had in mind when I wrote the sonnet, along with the sonnet again, followed by a closing prayer, which is a morning prayer written by Dietrich Bonhoeffer.

Psalm 95:1-7

O come, let us sing to the Lord;
let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation!
Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving;
   let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise!
For the Lord is a great God,
   and a great King above all gods.
In his hand are the depths of the earth;
   the heights of the mountains are his also.
The sea is his, for he made it,
   and the dry land, which his hands have formed.
O come, let us worship and bow down,
   let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker!
For he is our God,
   and we are the people of his pasture,
   and the sheep of his hand.
O that today you would listen to his voice!

Scripture Readings

After the earthquake, there was a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. After the fire, there was a soft whisper. – 1 Kings 19:12 (NET)

Jesus replied, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” – John 14:6 (NET)

Sonnet for Morning Prayer

O come, my friends, let us sing to the Lord,
Giving thanks to our God for this new day!
With grateful hearts, let us praise our savior,
Who died and rose that we might rise today!
This day, full of things that have never been,
Joys and trials, surprises and sorrows,
We travel this road, not knowing its end,
Trusting our guide, who bids us to follow.
Oh that today we would listen to you!
Not harden our hearts, or tune out your voice,
But turn to your word to seek what is true,
To hear your whisper beneath this world’s noise.
We rise to kneel at the dawn of this day,
To seek first your Light who shows us your Way.

Closing Prayer (Morning Prayer of Dietrich Bonhoeffer)

God, I call to you early in the morning, help me pray and collect my thoughts, I cannot do this alone.
In me it is dark, but with you there is light.
I am lonely, but you do not abandon me.
I am faint-hearted, but from you comes my help.
I am restless, but with you is peace.
In me is bitterness, but with you is patience.
I do not understand your ways, but you know the right way for me. Amen