As a child, I learned about teaspoon prayers, based on the abbreviation tsp... Thank you, Sorry, Please.  I've used the idea countless times over the years.

Today I wanted something just a little bit more grown up.

So I thought about how we used teaspoons to measure small amounts of substances that have the potential to transform in a good way...

To measure sugar, to bring sweetness to food/drink... and God's love to bring sweetness to life

To measure salt, to draw out the flavour of food... and God's love to bring savour to life

To measure medicine, to aid healing... and God's healing love

And we thought about teaspoons as agents of activity, mixing or stirring... and prayed that we be stirred to act in response to our prayers, bringing sweetness, savour and healing to the world around us.

People were then invited to take home their teaspoons, on which I had written the Biblical text that accompanied the prayers... to be filled to the fullness of the measure of God (or as I expressed it, God's love)

Click 'read more' to see the words I used...

Incomprehensible God, that we, and others, may be filled to the measure of the fulness of your love, we now pray…

A teaspoon, used by some to add sugar to drinks, adding sweetness, bringing pleasure.

We pray for those whose lives are arduous, who struggle to keep going and for whom there is little pleasure or joy…

We pray for those whose lives not only lack sweetness but are actively sour or bitter, for whatever reason…

Fill them with the measure of your sweet love, we pray.

~

A teaspoon, just right to measure a small quantity of salt, bringing out the flavour of food.

We pray for those whose lives lack savour, for whom the hum-drum grind of work or home is wearying…

We pray for those whose who have cannot discover their true potential, because they lack access to education or opportunity…

Fill them with the measure of your cherishing love, we pray.

~

A teaspoon, 5ml, to measure medicine, to ease suffering and promote healing. 

We pray for those who are unwell, in body, mind or spirit, naming in our hearts those known to us…

We pray for all employed in healthcare and medical research, bringing hope and healing to others…

Fill them with the measure of your healing love, we pray.

~

Not only for measuring, but also for mixing, stirring, feeding, a teaspoon is not merely passive.

We pray for ourselves, that we will find nourishment for our souls are worship together.

And that we will be stirred by the Holy Spirit to live the words we pray.

Fill us with the measure of your enabling love, we pray.  Amen.