Liturgy For The Restorative Man

Great God of the night
Great God of the morning
Be the Great God of this day.

Though darkness still shrouds the pre-dawn land
And slumber is still a guest in my house
I rise to meet you and welcome you
And be welcomed by you to this day.

I bring to you now the dungeon of my heart
The places in me I have sought to hide from your face
Those parts of me locked away
Kept alive only to remind me of my shame.

I bring to you now those hidden places
And invite your fresh wind
To fill my deepest caverns and renew my breathless soul
Where I expect rejection and disdain
Bring your face of kindness and care.

I bring to you now the weariness of my arms
And lay down for a moment the burdens I carry:
The anxieties that haunt me,
The stress that thins me,
The insecurities that hesitate me,
The fears that scare me.

I lay down for a moment
all expectations placed on me
By others and by my own self.
To rest and receive, From One... 
Bigger,
Stronger, 
Wiser, 
and Kinder.

And to be reminded of my participation
In a story greater than my own.

I return to your home, O Father.
The home where I am known
not as a warrior, but as a Son,
where the man gives way to the boy,
and the boy finds your welcome and your delight.

Where the welcome holds both laughter and tears,
And my presence is overshadowed by Goodness and relief.
And I am, for a moment, home.

I return to your hall, O King.
And receive from you my calling
Your Breath fills my chest 
and gives strength to arm and leg.

The mantle of Fatherhood I receive
And join the company of brother-kings
Entrusted to father your world
With benevolence, intention, and strength.
And I create today, a domain marked by kindness.

I return to your table, O Brother and Friend,
To sit amongst other journeymen -
Who know me and yet love me.
Other men who offer strength and tenderness alike
With whom I celebrate our victories and grieve our losses
Who shape me, 
mold me, and 
remind me of who I am
And call forth your glory in me
As I come home to myself through them.

I have no power over my past...
Beyond celebration or grief.

I have no power over my future...
Beyond hope and intention.

I have no power over my present...
Beyond presence and awareness.

And so with all of my presence,
with all of my awareness,
with all of my curiosity,
with all of my kindness…

I live this day as a Son.
I live this day as a Father.
I live this day as a Brother.
And I live this day awaiting your return.

Great God of the night
Great God of the morning
Be my Great God today.

Chris Bruno
Chief Visionary