Ah LORD God —
God of our ancestors, you who called Abraham to wander,
you who drew an entire people out of their slavery in Egypt,
you who are faithful in both grace and jealous temper
— who could we possibly worship but you?
You have captured our hearts with your lullaby of love;
you have sat with us through our longest hours; you
have guided us like a bright lamp illuminating a path.
We tremble as you shake the earth to loose justice —
even then, we long to stay near you.
We watch for you with eager hearts as we pray
for your Spirit to be a spark of bold courage among us;
for your Incarnate face to be revealed in every stranger.
We watch for you with hurting hearts as we pray
for your gentle hand to comfort those who are near death;
for your healing balm to ease the pains of those who serve and live in places of war.
We watch for you with tired hearts as we pray
that you are not done with us, that you are still planting
still harvesting something new in each of us and in our world.
Ah LORD God —
God of future generations, you who are not limited by time,
you who can imagine our children’s children’s children,
you who will still be long after this world enters its sunset,
— who could we possibly follow but you?
Take our gods, we pray — the hours and minutes we reverence,
the monies and the vanities we weary ourselves to pursue,
the institutions and nations and codes we venerate —
and teach us the love and service of one God
whose faithfulness knows no end. Amen.