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A Prayer by Karl Barth

Lord, our God!

You give life to us human beings and then you take it back again. For a while you hide it in the secret of death, to bring it back renewed and purified in eternal life. Look at us and hear our prayer! Let our shock, our fear, and our grief be gathered up in your peace. Gather all our thoughts up in understanding the good you will for us. Teach us to consider that we must die and until we do, let us be thankful for the hope that does not come to shame and will never disappoint us. All of this we ask you in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

(I translated this  from the German for Louise Yournin’s Funeral on November 5^th 1980.)

A Grave-side Prayer of mine that dates back to Germany in 1974:

What a gruesome thing is death, which tears us human beings out of the land of the living. Death rules over a mighty kingdom and can send his messengers among us: deadly diseases, violence, persisting stress, famine, war, and pestilence, by which Death wants to destroy God’s marvelous creation.

But thanks be to God, because you, Oh God, have freed and redeemed us from the power of death. Through your resurrection, Oh Jesus, from the dead, you have received all power in heaven and earth, and death itself is not mighty enough to withstand the power of your love. You have forced death itself to serve life. You are Lord of the living and the dead and in your reign of mercy and grace, both the living and the dead are included.

That the dead who have died in Thee, Oh Christ, are not lost, for that we thank you. That we can comfort each other with this Good News, we thank you. Yes, we thank and praise you now and forever. Amen.

A Prayer for Little Children

Ich bin klein, mein Herz ist rein. Soll niemand drin wohnen als Jesus allein. Amen.

Morning Prayer

Wie fröhlich bin ich aufgewacht.

Wie hab ich geschlafen so sanft die Nacht.

Hab dank den Vater im Himmel mein,

dass Du uns wollens bei mir sein.

Bleib bei mir auch diesen Tag,

dass mir kein Leid geschehen mag. Amen.

Evening Prayer

Müde bin ich, geh zu Ruh,

schliesse beide Äuglein zu.

Vater, lass die Augen dein,

über meinem Bette sein.

Hab ich Unrecht Heut getan,

sieh es lieber Gott nicht an.

Aber Christi Gnad und Jesu Blut,

machen allen Schaden gut. Amen.

A short prayer before going to sleep

(I believe it comes from Dostoevsky or

I could also check Les Miserables.)

Dear Jesus,

lay me down like a stone

and raise me up like a loaf. Amen.

Another prayer for bedtime

Now I lay me down to sleep,

I pray the Lord my soul to keep.

Watch over me from heaven above,

Jesus, keep me in your love. Amen.

For a child cranky before bedtime

I’m so tired I want to cry.

Dear Jesus come near by

and hold my hand until  sleep

and your dear watch over me keep. Amen.

Saying Grace at the Table

Herr, Dir sei Dank für Speis und Trank. Amen.

Another Prayer

Vater, segne diese Speise uns zur Kraft und Dir zum Preise.  Amen.

And another

Zwei Dinge, Herr, sind Not, die gib nach deiner Huld:

Gib uns das Täglich Brot, vergib uns unsre Schuld. Amen.

Another Grace as popular in German as in English

Komm, Herr Jesu, sei Du unser Gast

und segne was Du uns bescheret hast. Amen.

In English

Come Lord Jesus, be our guest

and let these gifts to us be blessed. Amen.

Another Table Prayer

For health and strength and daily food,

we praise thy name, dear Lord. Amen.

Another

All eyes look to you,  O Lord, and you give them food in due season.

You open your hand and fill the desires of all living things. Amen.

In German

Aller Augen warten suf Dich, Herr, und Du gibst ihnen ihre Speise zu seiner Zeit,

Du tust deine Hand auf und sättigst alles, was da lebet, mit Wohlgefallen. Amen.

This one is mostly sung:
Speise, Vater, deine Kinder
Speise, Vater, deine Kinder, tröste die betrübten Sünder,

sprich den Segen zu den Gaben, die wir jetzt so vor uns haben,

dass sie uns zu diesem Leben, Stärke, Kraft und Nahrung geben,

bis wir endlich mit den Frommen zu der Himmelsmahlzeit kommen. Amen.

(My father always led the singing of this prayer. As a little child, I would sing:

“Sprich den Segen zu den Gabeln,” and I would wonder why we singled out the forks for the blessing.

I did not know the word “Gaben” back then.)