I an writing my own acrostic psalm this year during Lent. I’ve missed a couple of weeks, but during a recent retreat worked my way to “E”. This post reads down from “e” to “a”.
Exchange guilt for righteousness
endlessly forgiving as you have been forgiven;
establish justice throughout the land.
Eclipsed by the Imago Dei that
enters every relationship.
Emerge from shadow into light proclaiming
experienced truth
eternal connection.
Do not conform out of fear,
desire the da of the Lord;
do good and be just.
Deliriously show compassion as
doers of the Way;
differentiate yourself from the world.
Delight in the teaching of the Lord,
dominate the world through compassion, justice, and love.
Contagious Grace, consume the world
cast doubt and fear away.
Comfort the afflicted;
challenge the comfortable.
Constant gardener of my being,
contain the “my” of selfish want.
Call out the compassion of Your image in me;
create, compound, do not conceal.
Breathe wisdom into chaos,
before fear and anger take hold;
blinding relationships and connections from past to tomorrow.
Balance the questions, feelings, and misguidedness,
bare the belief that kills in Your name or looks away for cheaper things;
break the cup of apathy, numbness to suffering, and the heart’s greed.
Blessed assurance of free will and divine Image,
bequeath justice, peace, kin-dom instead of kingdom living.
Astronomy Domine(1), the world is a stage for Your creative power,
answering to timeless voice that speaks into existence;
all colors, shapes, spirits, and religions.
Almighty is one given name,
awe and wonder
afterbirth of moments in Your presence.
Alluring grace that shows the path to Truth,
attend the petitions of this earth bound misfit, I.(2)
I wrote this prayer back in February and am just not getting around to posting it. It still seems appropriate given what is happening in the world. This is an example of how I adapt a psalm from time to time for a pastoral prayer.
O Lord, you have searched us and know us. You know when we sit down and when we rise up; you discern our thoughts from far away. You search our our path and our lying down, and are acquainted with all our ways. Even before a word is on our tongue, O Lord, you know it completely. You hem us in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon us. Such knowledge is too wonderful; it is so high that we cannot attain it.
God of Presence, time passes so quickly and the events of a day, personal and corporate, can leave us dizzy. There is so much pain and suffering near and far away. There is so much joy and happiness near and far away. We want to be grateful and feel blessed, but we confess that sometimes it is hard to do.
Where can we go from your spirit?
We lift up the unnamed and the named this day that we remember in prayer.
Bless us to be Your compassion in the world wit our presence and our abilities. Nudge us to act when we can make something right, be a bridge to reconciliation, or when our actions can make someone whole, warm, or experience Your love no matter who may be watching.
O God, where can we flee from your presence?
We remember people around the world: cleaning up from floods, digging through rubble for family and friends, and standing up to unjust powers in political systems far away and close to home. We remember and pray for the may in this community that need doctors and nurses to heal their bodies; we pray for those seeking wisdom for tough decisions. We ask you to shelter the hearts of those at war, comfort those that have sent family off to fight, bless us with the service of standing with the grieving, and with Jesus as our example we will work to pray for our enemies. Gracious God, we ask for the will to know that . . .
If we ascend to heaven, you are there; if we make a bed in Sheol, you are there.
Creator, you are with us and for us in the midst of our lives. Search us, O God, and know our heart; test us with a vision of Your kindom. Amen.