A Familiar Hope Arises

Unchanging Father,

With each new season a familiar hope arises:
That this one will be better,
     and more disciplined,
     and more fruitful,
     and more hopeful,
     and more insightful. 

We long for continual progress.
We long to track our successes.
We long to love better 
   and to be better 
   and to do better.

In all of this, remind us that you are ever near-
that Jesus Christ himself is our strength and very substance.
Impress upon our hearts that we do not need anything new,
but instead that we need to be further ushered into our current reality-
We need our union with Christ to be real to us.
   We need it to matter. 
   We need it to change us.
   We need it to teach us what is true of you-
     and therefore what is true of us. 

In this new season,
Teach us to let you and others into our neediness.
Forgive us for pretending to be self-sufficient,
   and then getting angry that other's don't see our need.
In reality we are people who have many needs,
   and even this we must have your help to see. 

We praise you,
   for you don't have unrealistic expectations for us in this transition,
      even if we have them for ourselves. 
God of grace keep us close.
May this characterize this season, and the ones to come. 
Through it all, harvest in us hearts of thankfulness.
Teach us to praise and sing and dance with joy.

We know we will look back at your work in awe.
Amen.

Psalm 70: 4-5
'''Let all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you;
and let those who love your salvation say continually,
"Let God be magnified." But I am afflicted and needy;
Hasten to help me O God! 
You are my help and my deliverer;
O Lord, do not delay.'''

Most of All

You saw the distress of Hagar in the wilderness.
        You saw her distress and it moved you.

You listened to the moaning of your people just freed from Egypt.
        You listened to their moaning and it moved you.

You witnessed the just punishment of your servant David.
         You witnessed his punishment and it moved you.

You heard the cry of your people enslaved by the Philistines. 

        You heard their cry and it moved you.

You touched a man stricken with leprosy.

        You touched his wounds and it moved you.

You visited your friend Lazarus's grave.

        You visited the site and it moved you. 

You are a God of relation-

and we cannot accuse you of being far off.

Not only were you moved by these unto compassion,

but you were moved by these unto action. 

Remind us that in our distress-

you whisper your promises to us yet again.

Remind us that in our moaning-

you graciously provide for our needs.

Remind us that in our punishment-

you abound with mercy in your judgment's midst.

Remind us that in our slavery-

you orchestrate our freedom.

Remind us that in our sickness-

you draw near with a healing touch.

Remind us that in our grief-

you are grieving, too.

Teach us not just to trust what we see of you,

but to trust who we know you to be. 

Teach us that our circumstances are not indicative of your best for us,

but that you are at work to heal and to redeem and to mend.

We praise you for hearing and seeing and listening and touching and visiting. 

Most of all, we thank you for Jesus Christ,

in whom you have participated in all of this for us.

"For How You Hope" - Walter Brueggemann

"God sovereign and generous,
      who commands the rise and fall of the nations,
      who calls and has chosen many peoples,
      who weeps when they harm each other,
      who haunts every local culture- including ours -
            with your will for well-being,
      who draws close to the powerless and 
            surprises with power via weakness....
You are the one whom we praise in astonishment,
                                     we adore in gladness,
                                     we thank in gratitude....
             for who you are,
             for what you do,
             for how you hope.
Look with mercy on us this day,
                       on all the churches we serve and love,
                       on all the people we name,
                       on all the communities so fragile in which
                                    we are embedded.
Look with your mercy, and we will obey you all the day long.
     In the name of Jesus who obeyed fully, Amen."