Saint Padre Pio stated: “Through the study of books one seeks God; by meditation one finds him”. The Rosary: A Path Into Prayer by Liz Kelly 2004 ISBN 082942024X pages 79 and 86 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to you, O LORD - Psalm 19:14

As John notes, this excerpt is often used by worship leaders at the beginning of a sermon. But I’m more likely to use it privately. It just seems a little … self-centered … for my tastes. Because when we worship as a community of faith, it’s exactly that – a community.

On those occasions when I’ve been privileged to lead worship, whether in a church or any other gathering, I have invariably received more from those gathered than I’ve offered.

So when I’m alone, I pray that whatever words I speak or type will connect with those who hear or read them. And I pray that the meditation of my heart will continue to be a true reflection of my inseverable agapé relationship with God.

And when I’m with a faith community I pray that the words of our mouths and our thoughts, together, and the meditations of our hearts, as one, will help to deepen that relationship as individuals and as a group. Amen