A Liturgy For Dadurday

We were reading out of Every Moment Holy this morning and the kids wanted to write one of our own. So here it is!

A Liturgy For Dadurday

Dad
Divine Father of all, You who have set us in families and sanctified the seventh day for rest, bless this day to our use.

Kids
Thank You for this day, and thank You that Dad is home to enjoy it with us.

Mom
O Christ, who prepared breakfast for Your beloved disciples after being raised from the dead, thank You for the smell of pancake syrup and the taste of cheesy eggs that remind us of Your perfect provision.

Dad
I confess I tend to take these days for granted or turn them into never-ending to-do lists. Deliver me, O all-sufficient One, from my consuming desires for control and productivity. I give you my plans, my agenda, and my whiteboard. I fully submit to Your will for this day.

Kids
Be present in our activities and in our relaxation today.

Mom
May the Holy Spirit inhabit everything we do, whether it be donuts at the top of Burnett’s Mound, raking leaves, sweeping out the garage, or listening to Dad read aloud as we drive down a country road.

Dad
As we snuggle in bed watching the sunrise or sit on the porch in our pajamas to hear the midmorning birdsong, let us remember that You, O burden-bearing Christ, are the true source of our rest.

Kids
Grant us good health and good attitudes as we enjoy this day together, and may we be a blessing to all we meet today.

Mom
Whether we’re running around the block or reading comics on the living room floor, fill us with thanksgiving for Your many good gifts and help us to rely more and more on You.

Dad
May we listen to Your leading, O Holy Spirit. Let us find rest and refreshment in these sweet moments together.

Kids
As we lie on Dad’s back while he reads, teach us to trust and rely on You even more than we do on him.

Mom
Bless this good Dadurday and use it as You desire, to make us more like our Savior Jesus.

All
Amen

daaaaad

sometimes i am a referee
trying to get small children
or arcane, byzantine tech stacks
to play together
nicely

Leviticus 2

 O Bread of life,
Free from sin's leaven,

My memorial portion

Burnt up by divine wrath,

A soothing aroma,

As my adequate sin-offering!

And mercy upon mercy,

For I am not only 

The impoverished supplicant

With no bread of my own,

But I am the priest as well.

Naked, poor, and hungry I come,

And You provide the offering,

Clothe me in priestly robes,

And give me to eat of the excess

As my rightful portion.

O Christ, be my very bread,

Life of my life,

True sustenance,

And the offering

I could not make.

breakme

On those all-too-short,
All-too-infrequent afternoons
When I find myself
Surfing waves of insight,
Drenched in sweet splashes
Of clean, steadily flowing code,
When I encounter distractions,
I drop this breadcrumb
Reminding myself to handle
A mundane or difficult detail
At some later point:

breakme

It has neither decorator nor punctuation,
No class, no ancestors, no descendants,
Nor, indeed,
any
syntactic
validity
whatsoever.

It is a placeholder chosen
For the express purpose
Of forcing my poor compiler to its knees.

It is the rusty length of rebar
Thrown into the gears
Of my carefully maintained machine,
The mandatory full stop
Designed to keep me
from forgetting.

Prayer of Consecration

 O Ruler of hosts, on earth and in the heavenlies,
Be the Captain and Caretaker of my soul.

Consecrate me unto Your good use,

As You consecrated the Tabernacle and its utensils,

And even the sons of that repentant idol-crafter Aaron.

Father, make me see and remember

That You care how my days are spent.

Let them flow in ceaseless praise,

Whether I am reading Your word,

Writing code,

Nurturing the sweet children You've given me,

Or commenting on student papers.

May I keep fresh in my heart

The reminder that this flesh must die

And that these moments are all too limited. 

May I take seriously

Your calls to serve and make beautiful things.

I'm all yours. 

Use me.

I'm Your soldier.