Shepherd- King, who tends to our souls, our deepest selves, our most pressing needs, who leads us and yet followed our entry into the world through a woman.

Able to part the clouds and ride on the wings of the wind, You join us in pulling mother’s skirt, holding her hand to walk and we are all thumbs at the thought of it.  Thousands of years later, we are still unable to grasp this reality. Not just God in the flesh but God face- to- face on a daily basis.  No high horse or throne.  Surely, we did not see this coming; the God who would share our face.  Forgive us then for looking away from our neighbor, the immigrant and the stranger— because they do not bear resemblance to us.

Dirt mixed with Imago Dei, the divine image is not pristine but will need to be wiped clean, will spit and babble like we do. Will fall and spirit will skin knees.  The hands that hold the whole world will need to be picked up and cleaned up.  Forgive us for not raising our hands when we need Your help.

This is the God who rolls sleeves up and gets hands dirty.  Jesus, who knew no sin, became sin for us (cf. Second Corinthians 5.21).  We confess that only You could have answered this calling.  Still, we stutter when You call us.  We cry, “We are just sheep” when You call us.  Because You know our deepest selves and still, You call us to love, to forgive, to serve, to fellowship and to pray, to keep the conversation going no matter where we find ourselves and no matter the time of day.

And we pray for more time with You, more time to talk this life through and for ears to hear.  Because You do return our calls.

We ask that you call us still.  Call us until Your voice is ringing in our ears.  Call us until we wake up singing Your praises.  Call us until Your name is on the tip of our tongues, ready to dive into the deep that is calling us.

Remove the life jacket and let us sink into Your presence.  More than ankle deep, lead us to the place where the cup overflows, where the sheep are fed from hand to mouth, where there is no distance between Your face and ours.

Remind us that You not only came through a woman but that You will come to women and men today and in the days to come because You are the great Shepherd- King, who tends to our souls, our deepest selves, our most pressing needs.  Amen.