O God, from whom all good proceeds:
Grant that by your inspiration we may think those things that are right,
and by your merciful guiding may do them;
through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
(BCP 229)
Historical introduction
This Collect had been used for the Fifth Sunday after Easter as early as the 8th century and this practice continued into early Prayer Books; those who selected the Collects for BCP 1979 thought that this Collect better serves the Church in this Season.[1]
The Preamble
The Preamble, “O God,” does not provide us with additional information.
The Acknowledgement
The Acknowledgement, “from whom all good proceeds,” when read through the lens of Mark 10:18 with Matthew 7:7-11, reminds us that God, who is good, provides us with everything that is good. Knowing that all good proceeds from God provides us with another source of confidence about how God will answer our petitions.
The Petition
The Petition, “Grant that by your inspiration we may think those things that are right, and by your merciful guiding may do them,” can be read as a prayer for grace to live into Romans 12:1-2: “I [Paul] appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritualworship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God—what is good and acceptable and perfect.” (NRSV).
The first half of the Petition, “Grant that by your inspiration we may think those things that are right,” is a request that God graciously breathe into our minds ideas, ways of thinking, and even thoughts themselves that are in agreement with God’s way of thinking.
The second half of the Petition, “and by your merciful guiding may do them,” asks for the grace to discern how to live according to the good thoughts that God has given us. Through God’s grace, living in harmony with God by intentionally applying God’s gifts of good thoughts, words, and deeds, we live into our baptism.
The Pleading
The Pleading, “through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen,” reminds us that our prayers are mediated to the Holy Trinity through Jesus Christ, and that all good gifts are worked into our lives through the Holy Spirit.
For your consideration:
How do we recognize those inspirations that are from God?
What new ideas for how we might live, worship, and serve others as a parish have come to you since we prayed this prayer last year? How have we as a parish experienced God’s guidance in the past? What do you think we will experience as God guides us in our discernment of how we are called to live in this coming year?
O God, from whom all good proceeds:
Grant that by your inspiration we may think those things that are right,
and by your merciful guiding may do them;
through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
(BCP 229)
[1] Marion J. Hatchett, Commentary on the American Prayer Book (New York: Harper Collins, 1995), 187
© 2021 and 2023 Donna Hawk-Reinhard, edited by Kate McCormick
Want to know more about the Collect format or the underlying spiritual formation goal of this series of meditations? You can find that information here.