Based on Book of Common Prayer
Scripture:
“Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on
earth.” — Colossians 3:2
Reflection
This prayer begins with a request that feels as relevant today as it did
when first written: “Grant us, Lord, not to be anxious about earthly
things.”
We live surrounded by pressures, responsibilities, and uncertainties. The
world pulls our attention in a thousand directions. Anxiety becomes the air we
breathe unless God intervenes.
But the prayer does not stop at “take away anxiety.” It moves deeper: “but
to love things heavenly.”
This is the heart of the Christian life — not merely avoiding fear, but
cultivating desire. Not escaping the world, but learning to love what God
loves. Heavenly-mindedness is not detachment; it is reorientation. It is seeing
our lives through the lens of Christ’s kingdom.
Then the prayer names the tension we all feel: “while we are placed among
things that are passing away…” We live in a world of temporary things —
careers, possessions, achievements, even our own bodies. But the prayer teaches
us to hold these things lightly, not fearfully.
And it leads us to the anchor: “to hold fast to those that shall
endure.” What endures?
- The love of God
- The reign of Christ
- The work of the Spirit
- The communion of saints
- The hope of resurrection
- The life of the world to come
To be heavenly minded is not to withdraw from life — it is to live this
life with clarity, courage, and hope.
The prayer ends where all Christian hope rests: through Jesus Christ our
Lord, the One who reigns forever, the One who holds our future, the One who
teaches us what truly matters.
Prayer
Lord, turn our hearts from anxious striving and teach us to love what is
eternal. In a world of passing things, anchor us in Your unshakable kingdom.
Help us hold lightly what fades and cling tightly to what endures, through
Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one
God, forever and ever. Amen.
Rev. Todd Crouch, Pastor
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