A prayer for Palm Sunday. The imagery is from personal experience - the week before we stood in our backyard and watched three blue butterflies reach the top of the Camphor Laurel tree - must be 20 metres at least tall. The Sunday before I was swimming at Terrigal. And the child image is based on a specific little boy whose face absolutely lights up when his Dad comes into his line of sight. The confession is inspired by Brian McLaren and the assurance of forgiveness is based on The Message version of John's gospel chapter 3 verse 16. This scripture is also alluded to in the prayer:
God of special days and every day
We praise you
We are so blessed to live in the world that you have created
A world that fills us with wonder
When we see butterflies making it to the top of the tallest tree
Tiny fish swimming beside us in the sparkling blue water
The brilliant smile when Dad comes into the child’s line of sight
These remind us that your love and loyalty last forever
You amaze us
Your beloved child Jesus is like you in every way
Yet was born among us and lived on this earth
Showing us what it means to be obedient to you
To challenge and put right what is wrong
Sent to live among us
So that we would know what life really is
That’s how much you love us
Amazing!
Your spirit fills our lives
The life in our every breath
Moving like the wind around and beyond
Filling our hearts with joy
Our minds with music
Our hands with creativity
Helping us to realise your amazing goodness to us
Yet like the crowd in
We can so easily reject and betray you
Taking from your creation more than earth can bear
Accepting and living within the current world order
Failing to recognise the immense value
of each and every person in our communities
Everything must change, God
We want to be part of that change
We are sorry for the ways we harm your earth
We want to commit to your kingdom
Help us to run to catch up with the mysterious moves of your spirit
To change direction to find where you are leading
To be true followers of Jesus
Who you have made the cornerstone of new life
and raised to the highest place of honour
Our Lord and our God
Amen.
These are the words we can trust – God didn't go to all the trouble of sending Jesus into the world merely to point an accusing finger, telling the world how bad it was. He came to help, to put the world right again. And so we can have full and meaningful lives, living as God’s forgiven people.
No comments:
Post a Comment