If you ever prayed to God out loud where others could hear, you probably know how hard it is to let others hear your words to God. And if you ever wrote a prayer to God and let someone see it, you probably also know how hard it is to share it.
Stanely Hauerwas published a book of his prayers and lamented in the preface about how difficult it was to make these prayers so public. I understand his plight. I write out my prayers quite often but I rarely share them except on Sunday morning during Pastoral Prayer time or on the occasion when I pray out loud with my dear and close friends.
But this particular prayer, the one I have written here, is a pastoral prayer for Nov 30, I believe others may want (or perhaps even need) to read. Although it is hard for me to hit "publish post" on a prayer, I am doing it because I care more about you and God's plan to draw all of creation towards redemption than I do how I feel about making it public.
So disclaimer, lament, and whatever else aside... Here is the pastoral prayer I wrote to God, to be prayed out loud during the pastoral prayer time, for the First Sunday in Advent, 2008.
Lord of all hope- hope that shines like light in darkness. We come before you, thankful for the hope you bring us- in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
If you are powerful enough to overcome death, to raise Jesus from the dead, certainly we can have hope in any situation we face. Certainly we can hope you have the power to breathe life into our painful moments, into our trauma, and into our suffering.
It is you, Lord, who gives hope in suffering.
And we pray for those in our community who may be suffering- who need your breath of hope this First Sunday of Advent.
* Prayers for my people and their loved ones *
Lord God, give us hope, even in suffering. Help us to see your tears, your love for us- in the midst of our suffering.
Help us to feel your arms around us when we cry, and when we hurt.
Change our misconceptions of a God who wills our suffering.
Change our misunderstandings that see you as a strict and angry God who might care about others-- but certainly not me.
Transform our false beliefs of you... that we might see you for who you really are- a God of love- a God who is fond of us, a God who sheds tears alongside of us, a God who suffers WITH us.
Make this change in us, dear Lord, that we might become people with your eyes of love. People who see our neighbor and love them as you love them.
Help us to see and love our neighbors physically next door to us.
Our neighbors in the buildings closest to us.
Our neighbor farmer in Kansas.
Our neighbor who grew the wheat overseas that made our bread (that touches our lips and makes us strong).
Our neighbor overseas who grew our coffee beans (that keeps us awake and alert even now).
Our neighbors we see and the neighbors who's life work feeds and sustains us... and we do not even know personally.
God help us to love all our neighbors. The visable ones and the invisable ones.
And help our lives to reflect your love to all of them, even the ones we cannot see; especially the ones we cannot see, who are easy to ignore and forget about in daily life.
God, we love you- with a love that is returned to you, a love that came from you- gracious, mercy-filled love, that you've penetrated our very being with even today.
Thank you for loving us.
Amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment