A PRAYER FOR THE FIFTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST

Galatians 3:23-29

23 Now before faith came, we were imprisoned and guarded under the law until faith would be revealed. 24 Therefore the law was our disciplinarian until Christ came, so that we might be justified by faith. 25 But now that faith has come, we are no longer subject to a disciplinarian, 26 for in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith. 27 As many of you as were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. 28 There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s offspring,[a] heirs according to the promise.

Let us be one in Christ

Too often we work hard to separate

Us from Them, Lord

Just look at Them

They smell

dress funny

drive rust buckets

take up a whole pew

To be honest

We are not sure They belong here

Just listen to Them

They pray too loud

They are always swaying and clapping

talking and chattering

hugging and back slapping

To be honest

We are not sure They belong here

Just hear what They believe

They think creation took only six days

believe only They are going to heaven

Their Bible is the only Bible

interpreted their way

To be honest

We are not sure They belong here

Forgive us, Lord Jesus

for wanting Your church

to just be our church

Forgive us, Lord Jesus

For wanting all Christians

to be our kind of Christians

worship as we worship

believe what we believe

pray as we pray

Forgive us, Lord Jesus

Give us grace to know

Everyone who follows you

Everyone who loves you

Everyone who believes in you

are yours

are your church

Amen