Thursday, March 27, 2014

A PRAYER FOR THE FOURTH SUNDAY OF LENT

A PRAYER FOR LENT 4

Ephesians 5:8-16
The Message


8-10 You groped your way through that murk once, but no longer. You’re out in the open now. The bright light of Christ makes your way plain. So no more stumbling around. Get on with it! The good, the right, the true—these are the actions appropriate for daylight hours. Figure out what will please Christ, and then do it.

11-16 Don’t waste your time on useless work, mere busywork, the barren pursuits of darkness. Expose these things for the sham they are. It’s a scandal when people waste their lives on things they must do in the darkness where no one will see. Rip the cover off those frauds and see how attractive they look in the light of Christ.

Wake up from your sleep,
Climb out of your coffins;
Christ will show you the light!
So watch your step. Use your head. Make the most of every chance you get. These are desperate times!


Where is the light?
When will be able to find our way
O God
Where is the light?

We have wandered around 
in darkness
Looking everywhere 
for what would make us happy
and fulfilled

We have grasped in the gloom
of night
Reaching for things
that would protect us and keep 
us safe

Where is the light?
When will be able to find our way
O God
Where is the light?

We move in the shadows
so no one will see us
Moving stealthily
alone in our pursuit
of things we desire

We live in gloom
wanting to be happy
Trying to find purpose
and meaning
some sense of achievement 

Where is the light?
When will be able to find our way
O God
Where is the light?

Praise you, O Christ
that you have come 
to shatter the darkness
and give us light

Praise to you, O Christ
that your words of life
lift the veil of sin
and bathe us in forgiveness

Praise to you, O Christ
that lifted upon the cross
you take our burdens
and lighten our load

Praise to you, O Christ
that rising from the grave
you defeat the powers of death
and shine eternal life upon us

Praise to you, O Christ
Light and Life and Love
Forevermore

Amen



Wednesday, March 19, 2014

A PRAYER FOR THE THIRD SUNDAY OF LENT



LENT 3

Romans 5:6-11
 (NRSV)

6 For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 Indeed, rarely will anyone die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person someone might actually dare to die. 8 But God proves his love for us in that while we still were sinners Christ died for us. 9 Much more surely then, now that we have been justified by his blood, will we be saved through him from the wrath of God.[e] 10 For if while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son, much more surely, having been reconciled, will we be saved by his life. 11 But more than that, we even boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.


O God
We are weak
and need your strength

We are made weak
by our sins and shortcomings
words spoken in anger
hurtful acts against those we love

We are made weak 
by our selfishness
our wanting and grabbing and hoarding 
things and more and more things

Strengthen us
Lord Jesus
for life and love

We are made weak
by our arrogance
believing our way, our truth
is The Way and The Truth

We are made weak 
by our pettiness
wanting to strike back
gaining the advantage over others

Strengthen us
Lord Jesus
for life and love

We are made weak
by worshipping the idols
of weapons and war
conquering and enslaving and destroying

We are made weak
by our blindness
to the pain around us
the hungry and homeless

Strengthen us
Lord Jesus
for life and love

By your cross we are saved
By your death we are cleansed
By your sacrifice we are reconciled
By your rising we are eternal

Strengthen us
Lord Jesus
for life and love

Amen



Thursday, March 13, 2014

A PRAYER FOR THE SECOND SUNDAY OF LENT

LENT 2

Genesis 12:1-9
 (NRSV)

12 Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. 2 I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”[a]

4 So Abram went, as the Lord had told him; and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran. 5 Abram took his wife Sarai and his brother’s son Lot, and all the possessions that they had gathered, and the persons whom they had acquired in Haran; and they set forth to go to the land of Canaan.


Just like that
Right God
Drop everything and follow you
to wherever you lead

Quit our job
cancel our appointments
clear our schedule
so we can go where you send us

Just like that
Tell our family and friends
that you have somewhere for us to go
some new adventure to take on 

Some ill defined quest
without a clear mission statement
A new ministry to which you are calling us 
to strange people in a strange place

Just like that
Go charging off toward some Canaan land
where you will direct us 
show us the way

Arrive unannounced 
Hoping you know what the heck 
you have gotten us into
and considered all the risks

Just like that
Go where you send us
Do what you ask 
Sacrifice all 

Rely of faith and grace
Trusting that you will work it all out
Pick us up when we mess us
Rejoice when we do the right thing

Just like that 
Right God
Just go
and leave everything up to you

Ok 
Ready or not 
Here we go
Off to follow where you lead

Ok
We are putting our trust in you Lord
Relying on your strength 
purpose and vision

Ok
We are yours Lord
Send us where you will
Show us the way

Ok  
Just like that

Amen 

Wednesday, March 5, 2014

A PRAYER FOR THE FIRST SUNDAY OF LENT

Lent 1

NT
Romans 5:12-21
The Message

18-19 Here it is in a nutshell: Just as one person did it wrong and got us in all this trouble with sin and death, another person did it right and got us out of it. But more than just getting us out of trouble, he got us into life! One man said no to God and put many people in the wrong; one man said yes to God and put many in the right.

20-21 All that passing laws against sin did was produce more lawbreakers. But sin didn’t, and doesn’t, have a chance in competition with the aggressive forgiveness we call grace. When it’s sin versus grace, grace wins hands down. All sin can do is threaten us with death, and that’s the end of it. Grace, because God is putting everything together again through the Messiah, invites us into life—a life that goes on and on and on, world without end.


Adam
We would like to blame him
for the mess we are in
all the ways we have 
messed up our life

Would be nice if we could
pass on the responsibility for
hurting the people we love  
manipulating and scheming 
to get what we want

More convenient to find somebody else at fault
for all the apathy and carelessness we exhibit 
not involving ourselves in the pain of the world
or caring for its hungry 
and homeless and helpless 

Adam
Would be nice for him to shoulder all the blame
Take our place at the defendant' stable
Accept our sentence 
for all our sins and wrongs 

We can't
We can't blame someone else
for what we have only ourselves 
to blame

We will face the sentence 
of the Divine Court
Stand in the dock
and take punishment for our sins

Glory to you, O God
We are pardoned
our sentence set aside
our guilty verdict overturned

Glory to you, O God
Jesus has taken our place 
on the lonely hill
on a brutal and lonely cross 

Glory to you, O God
Jesus conquered sin and death 
rose from the depths of hell
to bring us life, eternal life

Glory to you, O God
for the gift of grace
freedom from sin
and the joy of forgiveness

Amen