I’ll be brief and to the point today. A playlist, a quote, and a prayer—those are the three things I liked this week.

First, James Quinn’s “No Need to Hurry” playlist is great background music. It’s quiet, contemplative, and peaceful.

Second, while Allen Levi’s novel Theo of Golden is exceptional for a host of reasons, one of my favorite lines is where Theo says: “We go through our entire lives looking for a face, longing for a particular gaze that calms and fills us, that loves and welcomes us, that recognizes and runs to greet us” (319).

It reminds me of Curt Thompson’s beautiful observation that, “We all come into this world looking for someone looking for us.”

Third, lately I’ve been using the 1662 Book of Common Prayer‘s prayer of confession during my quiet time. In my judgment, it’s one of, if not the, best prayers of confession ever written. Here it is:

Almighty God God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Maker of all things, Judge of all men; We acknowledge and bewail our manifold sins and wickedness, which we, from time to time, most grievously have committed, by thought, word, and deed, against thy Divine Majesty, provoking most justly thy wrath and indignation against us. We do earnestly repent, and are heartily sorry for these our misdoings; The remembrance of them is grievous unto us; The burden of them is intolerable. Have mercy upon us, have mercy upon us, most merciful Father; For thy Son our Lord Jesus Christ’s sake, forgive us all that is past; And grant that we may ever hereafter serve and please thee in newness of life, to the honour and glory of thy Name; Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Listen, read, pray.

Slow. Down.