Prayer Repost
I've been coming across prayers. I have some friends who are having bad times, going through disturbances and tribulations. I post this for you, and for myself. For I see myself in the first section of this prayer.
Edit: Apparently, I missed the end of the prayer. Also, I put in a bit of history about it.
When our dreams have come true
Because we have dreamed too little,
When we arrived safely
Because we sailed too close to the shore.
Disturb us, Lord, when
With the abundance of things we possess
We have lost our thirst
For the waters of life;
Having fallen in love with life,
We have ceased to dream of eternity
And in our efforts to build a new earth,
We have allowed our vision
Of the new Heaven to dim.
Disturb us, Lord, to dare more boldly,
To venture on wider seas
Where storms will show your mastery;
Where losing sight of land,
We shall find the stars.
We ask You to push back
The horizons of our hopes;
And to push into the future
In strength, courage, hope, and love.
This we ask in the name of our Captain,
Who is Jesus Christ.
Edit: Apparently, I missed the end of the prayer. Also, I put in a bit of history about it.
Sir Francis Drake Prayer
Disturb us, Lord, when we are too well pleased with ourselves,When our dreams have come true
Because we have dreamed too little,
When we arrived safely
Because we sailed too close to the shore.
Disturb us, Lord, when
With the abundance of things we possess
We have lost our thirst
For the waters of life;
Having fallen in love with life,
We have ceased to dream of eternity
And in our efforts to build a new earth,
We have allowed our vision
Of the new Heaven to dim.
Disturb us, Lord, to dare more boldly,
To venture on wider seas
Where storms will show your mastery;
Where losing sight of land,
We shall find the stars.
We ask You to push back
The horizons of our hopes;
And to push into the future
In strength, courage, hope, and love.
This we ask in the name of our Captain,
Who is Jesus Christ.
Francis Drake, an adventurer and essentially a legal pirate (What else is a second son supposed to do to make a living?), wrote this prayer as he departed Portsmouth on the Golden Hind to raid Spanish gold on the west coast of South America. He ventured at least as far north as the non-Spanish parts of California, claiming it as "New Albion" - New England- and returned to his Queen (the long way - via circumnavigation) with loot worth over a half million pounds sterling, and received his Knighthood for it.
Comments
"For example, Sir Francis Drake is said to have sold his soul to the Devil in order to become a skilled seaman and admiral. The Devil allegedly sent Drake sea witches, who raised a storm that helped him to defeat the Spanish Armada in 1588. The battle occurred near Devil's point, overlooking Davonport, which, by some, is still considered haunted by witches." http://www.themystica.com/mystica/articles/s/sea_witches.htm
There are no references, though.
"As his reputation as a leader and explorer grew, so did the stories about
his rumored pact with the devil and his role as a wizard. The Spanish, for
example, called him El Draque - the devil - believing the hated Englishman
had sold his soul to Satan in exchange for prowess at sea.
Some believed that, before the huge naval battle, Drake had consulted
witches to help him cast spells that raised storms against the Armada.
Drake also reputedly used his magical skill to give Plymouth a new water
supply. This happened after he supposedly commanded a Dartmoor spring to
come forth and follow him to Plymouth.
Another story tells of how Drake sat whittling one day on the cliff of
Plymouth Hoe. Each wood chip that fell into the water sprang into a fully
formed ship. The Spanish believed he also possessed a "magic mirror" that
could show him the exact location of enemy ships at any given time.
Despite his legendary powers, Drake was finally defeated by the Spanish in
the West Indies in 1595. "
http://www.mail-archive.com/rehfans@xenite.org/msg00053.html
Again, no primary sources cited.
Frater EH'e...