A PRAYER FOR EPIPHANY

A PRAYER FOR EPIPHANY 6

Deuteronomy 30:15-20

15 See, I have set before you today life and prosperity, death and adversity. 16 If you obey the commandments of the Lord your God that I am commanding you today, by loving the Lord your God, walking in his ways, and observing his commandments, decrees, and ordinances, then you shall live and become numerous, and the Lord your God will bless you in the land that you are entering to possess. 17 But if your heart turns away and you do not hear, but are led astray to bow down to other gods and serve them, 18 I declare to you today that you shall perish; you shall not live long in the land that you are crossing the Jordan to enter and possess. 19 I call heaven and earth to witness against you today that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Choose life so that you and your descendants may live, 20 loving the Lord your God, obeying him, and holding fast to him; for that means life to you and length of days, so that you may live in the land that the Lord swore to give to your ancestors, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.

Choices

That is what is before us

Choices

between right and wrong 

good and evil  

love and hate 

peace and war

life and death

You put them before us

asking us to choose

decide

pick one path

one option

one way to live

We settle for choices 

of selfishness and self-centeredness 

which will bring us

power and riches and glory

We have or seek the means

to use ego and greed

to overcome any one

persons or nations

to get what we want

We confess to you

and all of heaven

that we fall to the temptations

for our own desires

We stand before you

O God

deserving divine judgment 

of curse and death

Forgive us and renew us

that we may choose life

choose to give rather than receive

love rather than hate

make peace rather than war

Teach us the paths of righteousness

so we may walk beside our God

and rejoice in your glory

and receive your promises

of life

prosperity

and blessing

Amen