Litanies & Prayers

Six days after Jesus’ disciples reveal, yet again, that they are clueless about the nature of messianic life—that the day is coming when all lording will cease—he takes three of them on a hilltop hike for a blinding encounter with history’s aim.

Coming down the mountain, they immediately meet a child suffering epileptic seizure.

With Peter and James and brotherly John we ascend to the mountain encounter.

Women: Arise, then, women of this day! Arise, all women who have hearts, whether your baptism be that of water or of tears!

Men: Speak up, that all may hear!

W: Say firmly: “We will not have great questions decided by irrelevant agencies.

The People of Mercy, gathered round their table of bounty, demanding more.

More, more, more. We need more faith.

But the Blessed One, remembered in the grain and the grape, leaped again from the tomb of scarcity to declare:

Yahweh’s appointed messengers took a deep breath as they stepped from the shadows into Pharaoh’s presence. And then spoke sharply, with fire in their bellies:

Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: Let my people go!

But Pharaoh was not impressed. “Get back to work you shiftless immigrants. You think you can just waltz into this country and take jobs from tax-paying citizens! You dirty greasers don’t know how good you’ve got it here!”

“I am but a child!” you say.
“What business do you have with people of no claim,
of no clout, of no clue about the road to repentance
and the return from exile?”

Aahh, oh clueless one, of no claim and no clout,
you know not that of which you speak!
Before your mother’s maiden life, I knew you;
before your father’s toddling feet,
I planned your sinews and mapped your countenance.

O child of consecrated lips and covenant voice,
     relinquish your fear!
           You shall not be put to shame.
                 Your Refuge is secure.
It is you, oh child of destined grace,
     who will utter the Word that will shatter all enmity.

Listen! Listen for the sound of the Beloved, Who comes leaping upon the mountains and bounding over the hills. Strain your ears for the sound of this Voice.

Listen for the Voice of our Beloved!

Behold the Beloved, standing like a gazelle behind our wall, gazing in at the windows, looking through the lattice.

Incline your ears, Holy Harbor of refuge.

Give shelter for every storm-tossed and wind-whipped mariner.

The great sea of discontent is unleashed against your armada of hope.

Men: Our hearts sag with sorrow when the history of such misery is unveiled.

Women: Such truthfulness comes at a cost. But worthy is the truth.

M: What good can come from such vile remembrance? Can we not safely and silently dispose of such memory?

It is good and proper to give thanks to God.
And to petition these gifts of the Spirit:
Generosity, the secret of wealth.
Reverence, the secret of risk.
Trust, the secret of fearlessness.
Pardon, the secret of power.
Obedience, the secret of freedom.
Laughter, the secret of longevity.
Rest, the secret of resolve.
Humility, the secret of wisdom.
Comfort, the secret of boldness.
Lament, the secret of hope.

Transfigure our lives, O Christ.
Beckon us to that day when
all shall linger ’neath their vine
and fig tree, and none shall be afraid.
Safe, secure from all alarms.
Leaning on the everlasting arms.*

©Ken Sehested @ prayerandpolitiks.org. Inspired by Micah 4:3. Last two lines from the chorus of “What a Fellowship,” Elisha A. Hoffman.

If we fill our lives with things, and again with things

If we consider ourselves so important that we must fill every moment of our lives with movement and plans and calculations

When will we have the time to greet Messengers under oak trees, as did Abram? Or overhear improbable news, like Sarah?