1 | Gratitude
Lord, we begin with a grateful heart.
We thank you for margin to go for a ride,
however short, however long;
For the people around us
who help make this ride possible;
For friendships where bikes were the initial excuse
to forge deeper connection;
For this route - roads, paths, terrain -
shaped and constructed over time -
a partnership between humans and creation.
We thank you for the bicycle,
this humble yet beautiful instrument,
capable of magnifying
the gifts of bodies that move and breathe -
for bones, muscles, organs, breath, life.
We ask for eyes to see the beauty of your world,
big and small;
For ears to hear your voice today,
and hearts able to take action.
How good is life for the one
who experiences even a taste of these things!
For these good things all come
from
the abundance of your love and generosity for your creation.
2 | Form
Reveal to us, God,
the aspects of this act and sub-culture that are fleeting,
worth little value to ourselves, to others, to You.
Show us the temptations,
the disastrous patterns of doing, thinking, living, being,
That distract us from living the life you have for us.
Uncover the unique habits of thought and action
that occur in the life of a cyclist that change us off of a bike:
Into someone who brings wholeness,
or someone who leaves behind a trail of brokenness,
Into a bright light illuminating the darkness,
or a darkened force using the people, things, and world around us,
Into someone more wonderful, more humble,
or something nearing sub-human, overflowing with self-focus and pride.
Into someone who cultivates and beautifies your garden world,
or someone who undos the good you have for your creation.
3| Counter-form
We want to be strengthened through riding,
In more than just muscular and cardiovascular fitness,
Which means allowing the Holy Spirit to transform us,
To become more like Jesus.
To grow more in character than performance,
In patience rather than speed,
In building up over tearing down,
In friendship over competitiveness,
In equity over exclusion,
In grit over the easy life,
In humility over pride,
and in love above all.
4 | Grace
Lord, transform this humble act into something sacred,
A full-person, image of God action.
Guide us in surrendering
our whole selves to you on this ride and after.
We give all to you,
including this little ride
done by one of your little creatures,
as an act of trust towards your grace.
With each revolution of the pedals
form us into creatures more heavenly.
With each inhale, fill us with your Spirit.
With each exhale, rid us of the ways we go astray.
Ultimately - grow us in our capacity to love,
and guide us to be more loving.
We ask to see the beauty around us more clearly,
to be grateful for what you have for us this time,
to be brought into more discoveries of this mysterious overlap of heaven and earth,
here, now, and forward.
