It hasn’t felt like Sunday morning to me in a very long time.  Maybe you have felt the same way.  I offer this prayer in light of my very present reality and in the midst of a pandemic that has taken more than a half million lives globally.  Pray with me if you can.

God in all, God all in, God who holds nothing back– not even the Divine self, God on the line and on the cross, who is not afraid to sacrifice and who was at the mercy of humanity who rendered none to Christ, yet You remain faithful and in touch with us.  We are so amazed, so delighted, so grateful, so relieved that You are still God with us, that You don’t give up on us, that You have never forsaken us.  Great is Your faithfulness!

This is why Your praise shall continually be in our mouths.[1]  Because You are good and good to us.  Because You treat us better than we treated Your Son.  Because You are truly in love with us, committed to us.  Because You have not turned Your back on us but continue to give us opportunities to seek Your face.

These days, we gather virtually and if in person, sparingly to get closer to Your side and on the same page with You.  Chapter and verse, we have gathered to rehearse Your way, less we forget our part.  Lord, help us to remember who we are in You.  Christ’s body, we live and move and have our being in You.[2]  One foot in the front of the other, we gather as sisters and brothers to be bound more tightly, more rightly to You.

Hear our prayers and our hearts.  Then, give us hope in the midst of failing hearts, failing plans, failing leadership, failing governments, failing economies, failing histories and failing realities.  Help us to hope in You, the Great Mystery, who reveals all things and who does all things well.[3]  As we struggle to call on Your name, remind us that “it is well with our souls.”

In the name of Jesus, the Faithful one, we pray.  Amen.

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[1] Psalm 34.1

[2] Acts 17.28

[3] Psalm 42.11