One who never turned his back, but marched breast forward,Never doubted clouds would break,Never dreamed, though right were worsted,—wrong would triumph,Held we fall to rise, are baffled to fight better,Sleep to wake.Robert Browning.
One who never turned his back, but marched breast forward,Never doubted clouds would break,Never dreamed, though right were worsted,—wrong would triumph,Held we fall to rise, are baffled to fight better,Sleep to wake.
Robert Browning.
Our Father, in the heaven, we thank Thee for the birth of a new day. May we be full of gladness during its golden hours, may our hearts be tranquil with God's peace. A day is a part of Thy eternity. Thou hast set us in the battle, Thou art watching us in the fight; Thou art training us by well-accepted controversy. May nothing of Thy purpose be lost because of the blinding details of the conflict. Strengthen our hearts to do the work of this day. Help us to be as grateful as we are dependent upon God. Inspire our whole life; help us quickly to learn why we are here, what we are to do while here, and the path that leads home when the work-day is over. In the name of the Christ! Amen.
W. A. Wood.
May 8
Then sing, ye birds, sing, sing a joyous song!And let the young lambs boundAs to the tabor's sound!We in thought will join your throng,Ye that pipe and ye that play,Ye that through your hearts todayFeel the gladness of the May!William Wordsworth.
Then sing, ye birds, sing, sing a joyous song!And let the young lambs boundAs to the tabor's sound!We in thought will join your throng,Ye that pipe and ye that play,Ye that through your hearts todayFeel the gladness of the May!
William Wordsworth.
God of the morning, Father of the Soul, we bless Thee for the light, for it is pleasant to behold the world made beautiful by the King of day, and sweet with the melody of the song of bird, and cheerful with the promise of hope in the swelling buds of spring. We join with Thy faithful ones in ascriptions of praise to Thee for the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and the knowledge of God. Help us to look upon our every faculty of soul, and power of body, as gifts from Thee, to be used for the advancement of love, truth and beauty, in our own hearts, and in the world. Give us Thine own help to bear every burden cheerfully, to stand erect before every responsibility, and if in our efforts to do much good for this day we seem to fail, may we look to Jesus and learn of Him that in a conscience void of offence there is no such thing as failure. Help us to strive with the evil of the world and sin not, that at the close of the day we may look back and say, we have kept ourselves unspotted from the world. Amen.
L. L. Greene.
May 9
Fairer grows the earth each morningTo the eyes that watch aright;Every dew-drop sparkles warningOf a miracle in sight;Of some unexpected gloryWaiting in the old and plain;Poet's dream nor traveller's storyWords such wonders as remain.William C. Gannett.
Fairer grows the earth each morningTo the eyes that watch aright;Every dew-drop sparkles warningOf a miracle in sight;Of some unexpected gloryWaiting in the old and plain;Poet's dream nor traveller's storyWords such wonders as remain.
William C. Gannett.
O Thou, who makest things seen and temporal quiver and flash with Thine own informing spirit, so illumine our pathways that the Luz where we meet our duties may become the Bethel where we meet our God. As Thou dost clothe the lily with beauty and inspire the bird with song help us to grow into the beauty of holiness, and to know the joy of Thy salvation. Whatever our past, open our eyes this day to some better thing which Thou hast always in reserve. Teach us what hinders our attainment and help us burst through the barrier. Make us so conscious of Thy indwelling spirit that we may yield to its gracious impellings toward righteousness and peace and joy. Amen.
Thomas D. Anderson.
May 10
Listen to the exhortation of the dawn!Look to this day!For it is life, the very life of life.In its brief course lie all theVarieties and realities of your existence;The bliss of growth,The glory of action,The splendor of beauty:For yesterday is but a dream,And tomorrow is only a vision,But to-day well-lived makesEvery yesterday a dream of happiness,And every tomorrow a vision of hope.Look well, therefore to this day!Such is the salutation of the dawn.From the Sanskrit.
Listen to the exhortation of the dawn!
Listen to the exhortation of the dawn!
Look to this day!For it is life, the very life of life.In its brief course lie all theVarieties and realities of your existence;The bliss of growth,The glory of action,The splendor of beauty:For yesterday is but a dream,And tomorrow is only a vision,But to-day well-lived makesEvery yesterday a dream of happiness,And every tomorrow a vision of hope.Look well, therefore to this day!
Such is the salutation of the dawn.
Such is the salutation of the dawn.
From the Sanskrit.
Dear God, in Thy loving kindness, Thou hast brought us to the opening of another day; from darkness to light, from sleep to wakefulness, from rest to labor. We thank Thee for its opening glory and its coming opportunities; but above all, for the new strength we feel within ourselves to do its work and live its life. As radiant dawn climbs to full-orbed day and glides to setting sun, may we come to this day's close with the consciousness that we have lived a little closer to the great heart of the Eternal in every thought, word and deed, that we have woven into the texture of our lives, and gently as twilight enfolds the fruitful earth, shall "peace that passeth understanding" enfold our souls. Amen.
Thomas B. Payne.
May 11
As the insect from the rockTakes the color of its wing;As the boulder from the shockOf the ocean's rhythmic swingMakes itself a perfect form,Learns a calmer front to raise;As the shell, enameled warmWith the prism's mystic rays,Praises wind and wave that makeAll its chambers fair and strong;As the mighty poets takeGrief and pain to build their song;Even so for every soul,Whatsoe'er its lot may be—Building, as the heavens roll,Something large and strong and free—Things that hurt and things that marShape the man for perfect praise;Shock and strain and ruin areFriendlier than the smiling days.John White Chadwick.
As the insect from the rockTakes the color of its wing;As the boulder from the shockOf the ocean's rhythmic swingMakes itself a perfect form,Learns a calmer front to raise;As the shell, enameled warmWith the prism's mystic rays,Praises wind and wave that makeAll its chambers fair and strong;As the mighty poets takeGrief and pain to build their song;Even so for every soul,Whatsoe'er its lot may be—Building, as the heavens roll,Something large and strong and free—Things that hurt and things that marShape the man for perfect praise;Shock and strain and ruin areFriendlier than the smiling days.
John White Chadwick.
Dear Father, as the light of this morning follows the darkness of the night, may we devoutly believe that the light of Thy love shall dispel all darkness and bring us into the morning of eternal peace. May we learn each day that our trials and sorrows are but stepping-stones in Thy divine economy, to bring us up into the clearer atmosphere of heavenly thought and life. Help us to live closer to Jesus, to understand how even He was made glorious through suffering, and ever learn to conquer in His name. Amen.
Elmer F. Pember.
May 12
I live for those that love meFor those that know me true,For the heaven that smiles above me,And waits my coming, too;For the cause that lacks assistance,For the wrongs that need resistance,For the future in the distance,For the good that I can do.G. L. Banks.
I live for those that love meFor those that know me true,For the heaven that smiles above me,And waits my coming, too;For the cause that lacks assistance,For the wrongs that need resistance,For the future in the distance,For the good that I can do.
G. L. Banks.
Father, we bless Thee for such as love us and those whom we love in the varying forms of affection, thanking Thee for the sacramental cup of joy in which Thou givest the wine of life to all of Thy children, humble or high. We thank thee for that love which setteth the solitary in families at the beginning, and then reaches wide arms all around, and will not stay its hold till it joins all nations and kindreds and tongues and people into one great family of love. We bless Thee for the noble men and women whose generous heart has lit the altar fire of philanthropy in many a dark and else benighted place. We thank Thee for the unbidden faith which springs up in our hearts, impelling us to trust Thee and love Thee and keep every commandment of Thine, and that while we know not what a day shall bring forth, we are sure of everlasting life. Amen.
Theodore Parker.
May 13
Gladness of morning—To hear the lark begin his flight,And singing, startle the dull NightFrom his watch-tower in the skies,Till the dappled Dawn doth rise;Then to come in spite of sorrow,And at my window bid good-morrowThrough the sweetbrier, or the vine,Or the twisted eglantine.John Milton.
Gladness of morning—To hear the lark begin his flight,And singing, startle the dull NightFrom his watch-tower in the skies,Till the dappled Dawn doth rise;Then to come in spite of sorrow,And at my window bid good-morrowThrough the sweetbrier, or the vine,Or the twisted eglantine.
John Milton.
O Thou, in whose light we see light, who hast lifted the shadows of night from our dwellings, complete now in our behalf Thy ministry of light, we beseech Thee, and let the day star arise in our hearts. Make clear Thy face unto us. Rise with Thy morning upon our souls. May the light which envelops us throughout the day be the radiance of Thy presence. May our eyes behold only what Thou revealest and our lives be warmed with the glow of Thy love. O, that we may be new-born like the day and live a new life in Thy mercies which are new every morning; that our love may rise fresh as the dawn and our obedience be as sure as the path of the law. Let no shadow from the past dim the joy of Thy presence. Scatter the darkness of sense and self within us. As the morning reveals, interprets and fulfils the beauties of a world which was wrapped in night, may the mystery of our lives unfold, our latent forces be summoned to service, and our hearts find fulness of joy because we live in Thee. Amen.
Everett D. Burr.
May 14
It may be truly said that no man does any work perfectly who does not enjoy his work. Joy in one's work is the consummate tool without which the work may be done indeed, but without its finest perfectness. Men who do their work without enjoying it are like men carving statues with hatchets. A man who does his work with thorough enjoyment of it is like an artist who holds an exquisite tool which is almost as obedient to him as his own hand, and almost works intelligently with him.
It may be truly said that no man does any work perfectly who does not enjoy his work. Joy in one's work is the consummate tool without which the work may be done indeed, but without its finest perfectness. Men who do their work without enjoying it are like men carving statues with hatchets. A man who does his work with thorough enjoyment of it is like an artist who holds an exquisite tool which is almost as obedient to him as his own hand, and almost works intelligently with him.
Phillips Brooks.
O Heavenly Father, we thank Thee that Thou hast placed us where we are and hast given us the work we have to do. We would not seek far and wide for some better place or more honourable task. We pray today for the spirit that shall make us glad in our common toil. We need not to fly away to find enjoyment; we have only to feel that in the duties of this day we are in partnership with Thee,—then shall we be happy that Thou hast called us to so divine a fellowship. Make us strong and earnest and brave—that when the evening shadows fall we shall not look regretfully back because we have been unfaithful,—but that we may be satisfied and happy in the memory that we have been serving with Thee. Amen.
Anonymous.
May 15
I love the flowers that come about with spring,And whether they be scarlet, white or blue,It mattereth to me not anything,For when I see them full of sun and dew,My heart doth get so full with its delight,I know not blue from red, nor red from white.Alice Cary.
I love the flowers that come about with spring,And whether they be scarlet, white or blue,It mattereth to me not anything,For when I see them full of sun and dew,My heart doth get so full with its delight,I know not blue from red, nor red from white.
Alice Cary.
Father Divine, we remember Thee at the beginning of another day, and the obedience to Thy laws of life which Thou dost require. About us is Thy beautiful world, thrilling with new life. We would that our lives today may be likewise beautiful, restrained from sin against body and spirit. As there is now in the earth, so there is always in human souls a springtide ready to burst forth into beautiful living. In our hearts there is always the stirring energy of a spiritual spring that needs but the warmth of Thy heavenly sunshine. Let that warmth now stream into our hearts that our lives today may show forth Thy praise. Amen.
Minot O. Simons.
May 16
Violet: "Well, but surely at least one ought to be afraid of displeasing God; and one's desire to please Him should be one's first motive."Lecturer: "He never would be pleased with us, if it were, my dear. When a father sends his son out into the world—suppose as an apprentice—fancy the boy's coming home at night, and saying, 'Father, I could have robbed the till to-day; but I didn't because I thought you wouldn't like it.' Do you think the father would be particularly pleased?" (Violet is silent). "He would answer, would he not, if he were wise and good, 'My boy, though you had no father, you must not rob tills.' And nothing is ever done so as really to please our Great Father, unless we would also have done it, though we had had no Father to know of it."
Violet: "Well, but surely at least one ought to be afraid of displeasing God; and one's desire to please Him should be one's first motive."
Lecturer: "He never would be pleased with us, if it were, my dear. When a father sends his son out into the world—suppose as an apprentice—fancy the boy's coming home at night, and saying, 'Father, I could have robbed the till to-day; but I didn't because I thought you wouldn't like it.' Do you think the father would be particularly pleased?" (Violet is silent). "He would answer, would he not, if he were wise and good, 'My boy, though you had no father, you must not rob tills.' And nothing is ever done so as really to please our Great Father, unless we would also have done it, though we had had no Father to know of it."
John Ruskin.
Father of Life, Thy children raise their thoughts in prayer to Thee at the dawning of each day. Their prayer asserts love, trust and conformity to Thy will. May the spirit of prayer abide with us the day through, that we may be dutiful and worthy. The moral law is Thy way of life, may we make it our way by intelligent obedience. To know Thee aright and to find our joy in Thy life is to have fullness of being through purity and strength. O Father, may we be as those who broaden and deepen and purify life by word and deed that none may suffer loss through us, but find aid to reach the perfect life in Thee. Amen.
Wilson M. Backus.
May 17
Through the harsh noises of our dayA low sweet prelude finds its way:Through clouds of doubt and creeds of fearA light is breaking, calm and clear.Henceforth my heart shall sigh no moreFor olden time and holier shore:God's love and blessing, then and thereAre now and here and everywhere.John Greenleaf Whittier.
Through the harsh noises of our dayA low sweet prelude finds its way:Through clouds of doubt and creeds of fearA light is breaking, calm and clear.Henceforth my heart shall sigh no moreFor olden time and holier shore:God's love and blessing, then and thereAre now and here and everywhere.
John Greenleaf Whittier.
Our Father, as we enter upon the duties of this new day, incline our minds and hearts unto Thee. May we feel, amid its harsh noises, the assurance of Thy love and care. If doubt or fear assail us may we turn unto Thee who art the source of life, love and light, and find calm and peace. We would forget the things behind and make the most of the present. We rejoice that today is better than yesterday and that tomorrow will be better than today. Thou art here now, as Thou art everywhere always, to bless us with Thy love and care. Direct us through the hours of this day and may its close find us better children of Thine. Amen.
John B. Reardon.
May 18
The sun does not shine for a few trees and flowers, but for the wide world's joy. The lonely pine of the mountain top waves its sombre boughs, and cries, "Thou art my sun!" And the little meadow violet lifts its cup of blue, and whispers with its perfumed breath, "Thou art my sun!" And the grain in a thousand fields rustles in the wind, and makes answer, "Thou art my sun!" So God sits, effulgent, in heaven, not for a favored few, but for the universe of life; and there is no creature so poor or so low that he may not look up with child-like confidence, and say, "My Father, Thou art mine!"
The sun does not shine for a few trees and flowers, but for the wide world's joy. The lonely pine of the mountain top waves its sombre boughs, and cries, "Thou art my sun!" And the little meadow violet lifts its cup of blue, and whispers with its perfumed breath, "Thou art my sun!" And the grain in a thousand fields rustles in the wind, and makes answer, "Thou art my sun!" So God sits, effulgent, in heaven, not for a favored few, but for the universe of life; and there is no creature so poor or so low that he may not look up with child-like confidence, and say, "My Father, Thou art mine!"
Henry Ward Beecher.
O God, the Eternal Source of all life, we rejoice that there are no bounds to Thy love. We thank Thee that Thou givest us all things richly to enjoy. May we learn that Thy bounties are for all human beings. Make the hearts of men eager that the ignorant, the lowly, the poor, the wayward, may come into the full estate of knowing that they are children of God. Let them in no way be denied the joy of unfolding the divinity within them. Lead us all into those fields of labor where we can be our best selves and develop our lives by what we do to meet the growing demands of truth and love and goodness. Wherever the morning breaks and the sunshine falls upon human faces, may its cheer make homes happy and true, men and women good, and little children joyous. Amen.
Alva Roy Scott.
May 19
Hear the Master's risen word!Delving spades have set it free,Wake! the world has need of thee,Rise and let thy voice be heard,Like a fountain disinterred,Upward springing, singing, sparkling;Through the doubtful shadows darkling;Till the clouds of pain and rageBrooding o'er the toiling age,As with rifts of light are stirredBy the music of the Word;Gospel for the heavy-laden, answer to the labourer's cry;"Raise the stone, and thou shalt find Me: cleave the wood, and there am I."Henry Van Dyke.
Hear the Master's risen word!Delving spades have set it free,Wake! the world has need of thee,Rise and let thy voice be heard,Like a fountain disinterred,Upward springing, singing, sparkling;Through the doubtful shadows darkling;Till the clouds of pain and rageBrooding o'er the toiling age,As with rifts of light are stirredBy the music of the Word;Gospel for the heavy-laden, answer to the labourer's cry;"Raise the stone, and thou shalt find Me: cleave the wood, and there am I."
Henry Van Dyke.
God of light and strength and beauty, for this day we thank Thee. The morning hours come to us freighted with messages of gladness. Thou, our Father, art refreshing our spirits, and home seems dearer, love more sacred and the way of duty clearer before our waiting feet. We thank Thee for life as it is given us, day by day. Help us to fill it with honest, cheerful, fruitful service. May we realize and rejoice in the nobility of labor, and may we learn how it is that a child of Thine, standing in his own place, giving himself to the tasks of the hour, imparts strength and courage to his fellow-worker, and helps the world forward in the path of righteousness and peace. So may Thy will be done in and through us. Amen.
John P. Forbes.
May 20
O the green things growing, the green things growingThe faint sweet smell of the green things growing!I should like to live, whether I smile or grieve,Just to watch the happy life of my green things growing.Dinah Mulock Craig.Not all these sweets, these sounds, this vernal blaze,Is but one joy, express'd a thousand ways;And honey from the flowers, and song of birds,Are from the poet's pen, his overflowing words.Leigh Hunt.
O the green things growing, the green things growingThe faint sweet smell of the green things growing!I should like to live, whether I smile or grieve,Just to watch the happy life of my green things growing.
Dinah Mulock Craig.
Not all these sweets, these sounds, this vernal blaze,Is but one joy, express'd a thousand ways;And honey from the flowers, and song of birds,Are from the poet's pen, his overflowing words.
Leigh Hunt.
O Thou who art the Creator of life in every form in which it is expressed in the earth, we thank Thee for the grass and the flowers, the trees and the shrubs, the music of the streams and the melody of the birds. As nature is ever vocal with Thy praise, so may our hearts be attuned to deepest joy that we are a part of Thy creation and made capable of constant exultation in the beauty and the beneficence of Thy purpose therein displayed. In this spirit may we rejoice and be glad in this new day which Thou hast made for us. Amen.
I. J. Mead.
May 21
As one familiar with the sonatas and the symphonies of Beethoven, while passing along the street in summer, gets, from out of the open window, a snatch of a song or a piece that is being played, catching a strain here and another there—and says to himself, "Ah, that is Beethoven. I recognize that: it is from such and such a movement of the Pastoral" or whatever it may be;—so men in life catch strains of God in the mother's disinterested and self-denying love, in the lover's glow, in the little child's innocent affections. Where did this thing come from? No plant ever brought out such fruit as this?
As one familiar with the sonatas and the symphonies of Beethoven, while passing along the street in summer, gets, from out of the open window, a snatch of a song or a piece that is being played, catching a strain here and another there—and says to himself, "Ah, that is Beethoven. I recognize that: it is from such and such a movement of the Pastoral" or whatever it may be;—so men in life catch strains of God in the mother's disinterested and self-denying love, in the lover's glow, in the little child's innocent affections. Where did this thing come from? No plant ever brought out such fruit as this?
Henry Ward Beecher.
Father of all and giver of every good thing, to Thee we pray; to Thee we look for light, for truth, for beauty. In the travail of thought may there come only the highest and best good. Where there is division we ask for unity; where there is confusion we ask for serenity; where there is discord, we ask for harmony. May divergent paths lead to the larger way of widening vision, distinctive service, unstinted love. Hasten the day when Thy purpose shall be accomplished in us, and when that which is now imperfect shall become the perfected whole. Grant to us wisdom to pursue noble ends with intelligent zeal, and patient effort, and in a charitable and hopeful spirit. Amen.
C. C. Clark.
May 22
It is very interesting to watch a plant grow, it is like taking part in creation. When all outside is cold and white, when the little children of the woodland are gone to their nurseries in the warm earth and the empty nests on the bare trees filled with snow, my window-garden glows and smiles, making summer within while it is winter without. It is wonderful to see flowers bloom in the midst of a snow-storm! I have felt a bud "shyly doff her green hood and blossom with a silken burst of sound," while the icy fingers of the snow beat against the window panes. What secret power, I wonder, caused this blossoming miracle? What mysterious force guided the seedling from the dark earth up to the light, through leaf and stem and bud, to glorious fulfilment in the perfect flower? Who could have dreamed that such beauty lurked in the dark earth, was latent in the tiny seed we planted? Beautiful flower, you have taught me to see a little way into the hidden heart of things. Now I understand that the darkness everywhere may hold possibilities better than even my hopes.
It is very interesting to watch a plant grow, it is like taking part in creation. When all outside is cold and white, when the little children of the woodland are gone to their nurseries in the warm earth and the empty nests on the bare trees filled with snow, my window-garden glows and smiles, making summer within while it is winter without. It is wonderful to see flowers bloom in the midst of a snow-storm! I have felt a bud "shyly doff her green hood and blossom with a silken burst of sound," while the icy fingers of the snow beat against the window panes. What secret power, I wonder, caused this blossoming miracle? What mysterious force guided the seedling from the dark earth up to the light, through leaf and stem and bud, to glorious fulfilment in the perfect flower? Who could have dreamed that such beauty lurked in the dark earth, was latent in the tiny seed we planted? Beautiful flower, you have taught me to see a little way into the hidden heart of things. Now I understand that the darkness everywhere may hold possibilities better than even my hopes.
Helen Keller.
Grant us, O God, this day, vitality of brain and heart, to lay hold on the ordinary events and experiences of life, and transmute them into beautiful and permanent values for ourselves and others. May we have courage, love and faithfulness, to conquer adversities and fulfil our duties. And should the winter of discontent and disappointment beat without against our souls, even so may Thy Kingdom come. Amen.
Julius P. West.
May 23
Brother—there is no payment in the world!We work and pour our labor at the feetOf those who are around us and to come.We live and take our living at the handsOf those who are around us and have been.No one is paid. No person can have moreThan he can hold. And none can do beyondThe power that's in him. To each child that's bornBelongs as much of all our human goodAs he can take and use to make him strong.And from each man, debtor to all the world,Is due the fullest fruit of all his powers,His whole life's labor, proudly rendered up,Not as return—can moments pay an age?But as the simple duty of a man.Can he do less—receiving everything?Charlotte Perkins Gilman.
Brother—there is no payment in the world!We work and pour our labor at the feetOf those who are around us and to come.We live and take our living at the handsOf those who are around us and have been.No one is paid. No person can have moreThan he can hold. And none can do beyondThe power that's in him. To each child that's bornBelongs as much of all our human goodAs he can take and use to make him strong.And from each man, debtor to all the world,Is due the fullest fruit of all his powers,His whole life's labor, proudly rendered up,Not as return—can moments pay an age?But as the simple duty of a man.Can he do less—receiving everything?
Charlotte Perkins Gilman.
O, Thou Most Bountiful Giver! We thank Thee this morning for all the conveniences and comforts, the stored knowledge and acquired wisdom, the inspirations and encouragements of our daily life. Truly others have lived as Thy children and labored as Thy servants, by mind and hand and heart, and we are wondrously permitted to enter into the fruits of their labours. Grant unto us this day, O Father, so to strive and so to live that some other life may be cheered and blessed by the spirit and by the fruit of our day's service. May our thoughts and words and deeds somehow express our gratitude for the blessings which we are constantly receiving. Amen.
William H. Gould.
May 24
What a wonderful thing it is to meet a man or woman whose manners are instantly open and free—opening up a direct road between him or her and yourself!
What a wonderful thing it is to meet a man or woman whose manners are instantly open and free—opening up a direct road between him or her and yourself!
Edward Carpenter.
There is a world in us that God keeps to himself, except when He calls some few souls, with special errand for us, to receive a glimpse. It is full of life, and growths, and wonders, that are to be developed and revealed. We ourselves know not what we shall be; but He knows that we shall be like Him.... It is the world of the spiritual microscope.
There is a world in us that God keeps to himself, except when He calls some few souls, with special errand for us, to receive a glimpse. It is full of life, and growths, and wonders, that are to be developed and revealed. We ourselves know not what we shall be; but He knows that we shall be like Him.... It is the world of the spiritual microscope.
Mrs. A. D. T. Whitney.
Our Father and Mother God,—we have cried for Thee as little children cry for parental love to wait upon their wants, and, like babes that cry, we have looked for Thee in nothing else. We would be now Thy sons and daughters of a larger growth, who learn to find Thee in a more complete and blessed fellowship of service and sacrifice with Thee, of united thought and will with Thine, of such living as shares in Thy perfect and eternal life. Help us so to be and so to live that even in ourselves we may get glimpses of Thine infinite good will and faithfulness, and show in our human lives, that God is in His world and all is well. Amen.
George W. Kent.
May 25
What are we set on earth for? Say to toil:Nor to seek to leave the tending of thy vines,For all the heat of the day, till it declines,And death's mild curfew shall from work assoil.God did anoint thee with His odorous oilTo wrestle, not to reign; and he assignsAll thy tears over, like pure crystallines,For younger fellow-workers of the soilTo wear for amulets. So others shallTake patience, labor, to their heart and hand,From thy hand, and thy heart, and thy brave cheer,And God's grace fructify through thee to all.The least flower with a brimming cup may stand,And share its dewdrop with another near.Elizabeth Barrett Browning.
What are we set on earth for? Say to toil:Nor to seek to leave the tending of thy vines,For all the heat of the day, till it declines,And death's mild curfew shall from work assoil.God did anoint thee with His odorous oilTo wrestle, not to reign; and he assignsAll thy tears over, like pure crystallines,For younger fellow-workers of the soilTo wear for amulets. So others shallTake patience, labor, to their heart and hand,From thy hand, and thy heart, and thy brave cheer,And God's grace fructify through thee to all.The least flower with a brimming cup may stand,And share its dewdrop with another near.
Elizabeth Barrett Browning.
Our Father In Heaven, we devoutly thank Thee for that ceaseless and refreshing tide of blessing that, from the reservoir of Thine exhaustless goodness, flows into our hearts and lives. And we further thank Thee that among the choicest of those blessings, is the one of being, not merely the receptacles of this inflow, but also co-workers with Thee, and with Thy Son, our Saviour, Jesus Christ, in carrying forward to successful issue Thy beneficent purposes of grace and salvation. Grant us, we beseech Thee, day by day, such an infusion of Thy Holy Spirit as shall fittingly equip us for the gladsome and effective discharge of the duties of this divine relation, and its exalted privileges. All of which grant for Thy mercy's sake. Amen.
Charles P. Nash.
May 26
The deepest secret of life is love. Without love there is no enthusiasm, and without ideals there is no enthusiasm. We freeze our hearts by selfishness, and stifle them by sordidness. We fix our eyes upon the little field circumscribed by our day's activities and ends. With no wide-reaching affection and no uplifting ideal, we make of our life a treadmill and of our duty an unwelcome drudgery. We disclaim the highest endowment of the soul and deny our sonship to God. Narrow faiths and narrow hopes put fetters on the spirit, and small affections keep small the heart.
The deepest secret of life is love. Without love there is no enthusiasm, and without ideals there is no enthusiasm. We freeze our hearts by selfishness, and stifle them by sordidness. We fix our eyes upon the little field circumscribed by our day's activities and ends. With no wide-reaching affection and no uplifting ideal, we make of our life a treadmill and of our duty an unwelcome drudgery. We disclaim the highest endowment of the soul and deny our sonship to God. Narrow faiths and narrow hopes put fetters on the spirit, and small affections keep small the heart.
Philip S. Moxom.
Our Father, every morning is a fresh witness of Thy loving kindness. When we sleep the vigils of Thy love are round about us. At the threshold of this new day, may it please Thee to inspire us with lofty aims, so that we may rise out of our selfish selves into conscious kinship with Thee. Help us to know the mystery of love, how limitless and all-conquering it is. Animated by its sweet law, may we go out into this great, needy world with hearts to sympathize and words to cheer and hands to minister. Then we shall know the divine sweetness of our Christian faith, the joy of Christlike living; we shall know that love is the fulfilling of the law. Amen.
Q. H. Shinn.
May 27
Every day is a fresh beginning,Every morn is the world made new.You who are weary of sorrow and sinning,Here is a beautiful hope for you,A hope for me and a hope for you.Every day is a fresh beginning;Listen, my soul, to the glad refrain,And, spite of old sorrow and older sinning,And puzzles forecasted and possible pain,Take heart with the day, and begin again.Susan Coolidge.
Every day is a fresh beginning,Every morn is the world made new.You who are weary of sorrow and sinning,Here is a beautiful hope for you,A hope for me and a hope for you.Every day is a fresh beginning;Listen, my soul, to the glad refrain,And, spite of old sorrow and older sinning,And puzzles forecasted and possible pain,Take heart with the day, and begin again.
Susan Coolidge.
O Thou, who makest all things new, we are glad each day is not only a new day but one unlike any before it. Everything breathes freshness and newness of life; a new heaven is over our heads, a new earth beneath our feet. We know this day will be full of new opportunities for work, new scenes for pleasure, new chances to make better our lives. If yesterday was not all we could wish, if there were failures in duty, or loss of faith in ourselves, and Thy great love, may this be filled with larger faith, greater hope, complete love. May we so take heart in this quiet morning hour, that we may be brave and faithful all the day, so that in spite of old sorrows and older sins, the memory of which may now and then shadow our way, we may find ourselves when the evening shall come, nearer heaven in heart and life, and more worthy to be called Thy children. Amen.
William F. Potter.
May 28
O friend, never strike sail to a fear! Come into port greatly, or sail with God the seas.... He has not learned the lesson of life who does not every day surmount a fear.
O friend, never strike sail to a fear! Come into port greatly, or sail with God the seas.... He has not learned the lesson of life who does not every day surmount a fear.
Ralph Waldo Emerson.
There is no storm but thisOf your own cowardiceThat braves you out;You are the storm that mocksYourself; you are the rocksOf your own doubt;Besides this fear of danger there's no danger hereAnd he that here fears danger does deserve his fear.Richard Crashaw.
There is no storm but thisOf your own cowardiceThat braves you out;You are the storm that mocksYourself; you are the rocksOf your own doubt;Besides this fear of danger there's no danger hereAnd he that here fears danger does deserve his fear.
Richard Crashaw.
Thou knowest, O Lord, the weakness of our human nature, and how prone we are not only to shrink from the difficulties and to tremble at the dangers which lie in our way, but to allow imaginary difficulties and dangers to hinder us from living as Thy children should. Help us, we pray Thee, to be free from all such fear today. Be Thou our refuge from whatsoever may threaten us, either without or within. Deliver us from faint-heartedness and enable us to stand fast in the glorious liberty of those who fear nothing but to offend against Thee and to wrong their own immortal souls. We ask it as disciples of Christ. Amen.
Edwin C. Sweetser.
May 29
Whichever way the wind doth blow,Some heart is glad to have it so;Then blow it east or blow it west,The wind that blows, that wind is best.My little craft sails not alone:A thousand fleets from every zoneAre out upon a thousand seas;And what for me were favoring breezeMight dash another, with the shockOf doom, upon some hidden rock.And so I do not dare to prayFor winds to waft me on my way,But leave it to a Higher WillTo stay or speed me; trusting stillThat all is well, and sure that HeWho launched my bark will sail with meThrough storm and calm, and will not fail,Whatever breezes may prevail,To land me, every peril past,Within His sheltering heaven at last.Caroline Atwater Mason.
Whichever way the wind doth blow,Some heart is glad to have it so;Then blow it east or blow it west,The wind that blows, that wind is best.My little craft sails not alone:A thousand fleets from every zoneAre out upon a thousand seas;And what for me were favoring breezeMight dash another, with the shockOf doom, upon some hidden rock.And so I do not dare to prayFor winds to waft me on my way,But leave it to a Higher WillTo stay or speed me; trusting stillThat all is well, and sure that HeWho launched my bark will sail with meThrough storm and calm, and will not fail,Whatever breezes may prevail,To land me, every peril past,Within His sheltering heaven at last.
Caroline Atwater Mason.
O Lord let us know that we do not sail life's seas alone. Thou art the God of the storms. Thou goest with us whithersoever we go. Grant us, our Heavenly Father, that we may not suffer shipwreck of our faith. Grant us that the voyage of our lives may be prosperous, and that at last, whether soon or late we shall find some harbor of rest and peace. Amen.
George L. Perin.
May 30
Our Memorial Day celebrations will be but a hypocritical play-acting unless they shall remind us of the cause and the country for which our brave soldiers gave their lives. It is not enough for us to recall their names and sing their praises. We must love the country they loved and in our turn be ready to do the hero's part.
Our Memorial Day celebrations will be but a hypocritical play-acting unless they shall remind us of the cause and the country for which our brave soldiers gave their lives. It is not enough for us to recall their names and sing their praises. We must love the country they loved and in our turn be ready to do the hero's part.
George L. Perin.
But what is it to love one's country? Is it to carry a banner in a procession? Is it to shout as we see the flag? Is it to fling bunting from the tops of the buildings, and send off sky-rockets in the evenings? Vastly deeper than that is love of country, deeper than any soldier's uniform, deeper than any pictures of battleships with which we adorn our walls.
But what is it to love one's country? Is it to carry a banner in a procession? Is it to shout as we see the flag? Is it to fling bunting from the tops of the buildings, and send off sky-rockets in the evenings? Vastly deeper than that is love of country, deeper than any soldier's uniform, deeper than any pictures of battleships with which we adorn our walls.
W. H. P. Faunce.
God of the Nations, we thank Thee today for every heroic deed of every heroic soul. We rejoice that in every hour of real emergency there have ever been men who were ready to die for their country. O Lord, may the memory of their sacrifice ever remain to us and to the children of coming generations a sacred heritage. Yet, O Lord, let us not be satisfied to glorify their deeds with a memory. Let us do them the higher honor of consecrating our lives to the service of the country they loved. So shall we, in the honor we render them find the title to our honor. Thus inourland and inourtime may Thy Kingdom come and Thy will be done. Amen.
George L. Perin.
May 31
To be glad of life because it gives you the chance to love and to work and to play and to look up at the stars; to be satisfied with your possessions, but not contented with yourself until you have made the best of them; to despise nothing in the world except falsehood and meanness, and to fear nothing except cowardice; to be governed by your admirations rather than your dislikes; to covet nothing that is your neighbor's except his kindness of heart and gentleness of manners; to think seldom of your enemies, often of your friends, and every day of Christ; and to spend as much time as you can, with body and with spirit in God's out-of-doors—these are little guide-posts on the footpath to peace.
To be glad of life because it gives you the chance to love and to work and to play and to look up at the stars; to be satisfied with your possessions, but not contented with yourself until you have made the best of them; to despise nothing in the world except falsehood and meanness, and to fear nothing except cowardice; to be governed by your admirations rather than your dislikes; to covet nothing that is your neighbor's except his kindness of heart and gentleness of manners; to think seldom of your enemies, often of your friends, and every day of Christ; and to spend as much time as you can, with body and with spirit in God's out-of-doors—these are little guide-posts on the footpath to peace.
Henry Van Dyke.
O Thou God of peace and of love. How shall we come to Thee? How shall we share Thy strength and know Thy life? Let us commune with Thy gracious spirit and so learn Thy way. How beautiful the vision which prayer unfolds to us when we worship in spirit and truth! We see the virtues which ennoble and sanctify other lives. Sweet and tender patience appears and in her light ruffled and distorted tempers are subdued and clothed in their right mind. Faith is seen and as irresolution and doubt take their flight, confident trust and cherished conviction appear in magnetic power. So, O Lord, would we read the signs which other lives present. So would we strengthen our own aspirations and make real the vision. So, O Father, would we find Thy peace. Amen.
Augustine N. Foster.
June 1
A season for simple living with the kindly sun and the blue sky, days of keen delight in little things, of joyous questing after beauty, days for the making of true friends by being a true friend to others, days when we may enlarge our little lives by excursions to strange places, by friendly association, by the companionship of great thoughts, days that may teach us to live nobly, to work joyously, to play harder, to do our labor better. So should each June bring us indeed a golden summer.
A season for simple living with the kindly sun and the blue sky, days of keen delight in little things, of joyous questing after beauty, days for the making of true friends by being a true friend to others, days when we may enlarge our little lives by excursions to strange places, by friendly association, by the companionship of great thoughts, days that may teach us to live nobly, to work joyously, to play harder, to do our labor better. So should each June bring us indeed a golden summer.
Edwin Osgood Grover.
Heavenly Father, Thou givest all good things. We thank Thee for life and hope and cheer. In gratitude we consecrate this day to blessing Thy children, and so to serving Thee who hast said, "Inasmuch as ye have done it unto these, ye have done it unto Me." Teach us the gladness of a life responsive to Thy messages through Nature. Grant us the joy of making friends by being friendly with our fellow men. Whatsoever we may do, at work or at play, may it be in the spirit of the Saviour. We begin this day with Thee. By its ministries may our comrades be helped and our lives together be made nobler, stronger, and well-pleasing in Thy sight. Amen.
Maurice A. Levy.
June 2
Over the shoulders and slopes of the dune,I saw the white daisies go down to the sea,A host in the sunshine, an army in June,The people God sends us to set our hearts free.The bobolinks rallied them up from the dell,The orioles whistled them out of the wood,And all of their singing was "Earth, it is well,"And all of their dancing was, "Life, Thou art good!"Bliss Carman.
Over the shoulders and slopes of the dune,I saw the white daisies go down to the sea,A host in the sunshine, an army in June,The people God sends us to set our hearts free.The bobolinks rallied them up from the dell,The orioles whistled them out of the wood,And all of their singing was "Earth, it is well,"And all of their dancing was, "Life, Thou art good!"
Bliss Carman.
O Thou, who art the Father of Light and Love, from whom cometh down every good and perfect gift, we thank Thee for this new born day, which Thou sendest us, for the splendor of Thy presence in the sunlit sky above us and the blossoming earth beneath; for spring-time flowers that border our paths with loveliness and happy bird song, lifting our hearts to responsive joy and praise. We thank Thee for life and health, for home and friends, for opportunities and duties, for temptations and trials, yea, for the very sorrows and bereavements which bring us to ourselves in penitence, to others in sympathy, and to Thee in faith and adoration. Thy will be done! Thy kingdom come! Amen.
Charles W. Wendte.
June 3
One small life in God's great plan,How futile it seems as the ages roll,Do what it may, or strive how it can,To alter the sweep of the infinite whole!A single stitch in an endless web,A drop in the ocean's flow and ebb!But the pattern is rent where the stitch is lost,Or marred where the tangled threads have crossed;And each life that fails of its true intentMars the perfect plan that its Maker meant.Susan Coolidge.
One small life in God's great plan,How futile it seems as the ages roll,Do what it may, or strive how it can,To alter the sweep of the infinite whole!A single stitch in an endless web,A drop in the ocean's flow and ebb!But the pattern is rent where the stitch is lost,Or marred where the tangled threads have crossed;And each life that fails of its true intentMars the perfect plan that its Maker meant.
Susan Coolidge.
O Thou, the heavenly Father, in whom we live and move, whose life-giving spirit is ever around us like the air we breathe,—we lift our thoughts to Thee in reverence and gladness at the coming of the new day. We are glad for the quiet hours of the night, while the stars shine over us. May we be ready now, with willing and obedient hearts, for the work, the cares, the joys and the friendly converse of the day. We know how small our lives are; may we share the thoughts of Thy infinite mind, may Thy power and beauty, Thy justice and goodness possess us. May our feeble wills be strong to carry the current of the one Good Will that sways the universe. Amen.
Charles F. Dole.
June 4
I have lived, sir, a long time; and the longer I live, the more convincing proofs I see of this truth, that God governs in the affairs of men.
I have lived, sir, a long time; and the longer I live, the more convincing proofs I see of this truth, that God governs in the affairs of men.
Benjamin Franklin.
All I have seen teaches me to trust the Creator for all I have not seen. Whatever it be which the great Providence prepares for us, it must be something large and generous; and in the great style of His works. The future must be up to the style of our faculties, of memory, of hope, of imagination, of reason.
All I have seen teaches me to trust the Creator for all I have not seen. Whatever it be which the great Providence prepares for us, it must be something large and generous; and in the great style of His works. The future must be up to the style of our faculties, of memory, of hope, of imagination, of reason.
Ralph Waldo Emerson.
O Thou, who in Thy greatness holds the planets on their way, and in Thy providence guides the sparrow's flight, and in Thy tenderness marks the sparrow's fall, may we not be blind to Thy foot-prints in the events of every day, but see them guiding our way and feel more and more Thy love. Father, we ask not for great things, but we ask Thee to help us in the little needs and longings that fill our every day, to be the strength of our every endeavor, that in our daily walk, we may feel that the earth is warm with life and joy, that the air is full of strength, that there comes to us from every side some message, sweet and tender, if only we can be patient, trustful, believing that all things work together for good to them who seek to do Thy will Amen.
Joshua Young.
June 5