Our Triune Pod

"Blessed Lord, who caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning: Grant us so to hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them, that we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of everlasting life, which you have given us in our Savior Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen."

Proper 28

"Heavenly Father, in you we live and move and have our being: We humbly pray you so to guide and govern us by your Holy Spirit, that in all the cares and occupations of our life we may not forget you, but may remember that we are ever walking in your sight; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen."

A Collect for Guidance

“O God, the author of peace and lover of concord, to know you is eternal life and to serve you is perfect freedom: Defend us, your humble servants, in all assaults of our enemies; that we, surely trusting in your defense, may not fear the power of any adversaries; through the might of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.”

A Collect for Peace

“Almighty and everlasting God, increase in us the gifts of faith, hope, and charity; and, that we may obtain what you promise, make us love what you command; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.”

Proper 25

“Almighty God, to you all hearts are open, all desires known, and from you no secrets are hid: Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love you, and worthily magnify your holy Name; through Christ our Lord. Amen.”

Collect for Purity

“Grant, we beseech thee, merciful Lord, to thy faithful people pardon and peace; that they may be cleansed from all their sins, and serve thee with a quiet mind; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.”

Collect for the Twenty-First Sunday After Trinity (1662 BCP)

"Almighty and everlasting God, you are always more ready to hear than we to pray, and to give more than we either desire or deserve: Pour upon us the abundance of your mercy, forgiving us those things of which our conscience is afraid, and giving us those good things for which we are not worthy to ask, except through the merits and mediation of Jesus Christ our Savior; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen."

-Proper 22

• ​Address: "Almighty and everlasting God"
• ​Acknowledgement: "you are always more ready to hear than we to pray, and to give more than we either desire or deserve"
• ​Petition: "Pour upon us the abundance of your mercy, forgiving us those things of which our conscience is afraid, and giving us those good things for which we are not worthy to ask"
• ​Aspiration: None
• ​Pleading: "except through the merits and mediation of Jesus Christ our Savior; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen."

Books mentioned during the episode:

1. ​For a wonderful and edifying look at how prayer is efficacious, check out chapter 4 of Archbishop Rowan Williams' Being Christian. It's literally called "Prayer." (The rest of the little book is just as great too.)
2. ​For an illuminating and accessible look at St. Paul’s many uses of “grace,” check out John Barclay’s Paul and the Power of Grace.

"O God, you declare your almighty power chiefly in showing mercy and pity: Grant us the fullness of your grace, that we, running to obtain your promises, may become partakers of your heavenly treasure; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen."

Proper 21

• ​Address: "O God"
• ​Ascription: "you declare your almighty power chiefly in showing mercy and pity"
• ​Petition: "Grant us the fullness of your grace"
• ​Aspiration: "that we, running to obtain your promises, may become partakers of your heavenly treasure"
• ​Pleading: "through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen."

"Grant us, Lord, not to be anxious about earthly things, but to love things heavenly; and even now, while we are placed among things that are passing away, to hold fast to those that shall endure; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen."

Proper 20 (Contemporary)

• ​Address: “O Lord”
• ​Acknowledgment: None
• ​Petition: “Grant us… not to be anxious about earthly things, but to love things heavenly; and even now, while we are placed among things that are passing away, to hold fast to those that shall endure”
• ​Aspiration: None
• ​Pleading: “through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen."

What is a collect? 

It is a brief prayer with a particular structure that gathers the intentions of the community around the appointed Scripture readings for that Sunday.

What is its form or structure?

It’s made up of 5 parts.

These parts consist of: 

• ​An Address
• ​An Acknowledgment
• ​A Petition
• ​An Aspiration
• ​A Pleading

(That said, not every collect has all 5 parts–some have 4; others just 3. But the 5 part structure is pretty normative.)

So what’s an example?

Taken straight from one of the collects that we’ll pray in Lent:

“Almighty God, you alone can bring into order the unruly wills and affections of sinners: Grant your people grace to love what you command and desire what you promise; that, among the swift and varied changes of the world, our hearts may surely there be fixed where true joys are to be found; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.”

-Fifth Sunday in Lent

1. ​The Address (is always to God: in this case “Almighty God”)
2. ​The Acknowledgment (highlights an aspect about God’s character or human nature: “You alone can bring into order the unruly wills and affections of sinners”)
3. ​The Petition (is our ask: “Grant your people grace to love what you command and desire what you promise”)
4. ​The Aspiration (is the “so that” or the reason for our ask: “that among the swift and varied changes of the world our hearts may surely there be fixed where true joys are to be found”)
5. ​The Pleading (The Trinitarian or Christological “mediating” conclusion: “through Christ our Lord who lives and reigns”)

Today’s collect:

“O God, because without you we are not able to please you, mercifully grant that your Holy Spirit may in all things direct and rule our hearts; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.”

-Proper 17

The form or structure of today’s collect

1. ​The Address: "O God"
2. ​The Acknowledgment: “because without you we are not able to please you”
3. ​The Petition: “mercifully grant that your Holy Spirit may in all things direct and rule our hearts”
4. ​The Aspiration: no aspiration in this collect
5. ​The Pleading: “through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.”