Eternal God, we are what we are.
A mess of this.
And a mass of that.
Bits and pieces swirling around like autumn leaves,
Driven by the wind.
We are dream-chasers, O God.
And when we catch them, we’re still not sure.
There is a great restlessness in us, O God.
Always the yearning.
The search.
The quest.
We look toward the hills on high.
Pathways abound, O God.
Some well-traveled.
Some less so.
Some highways, wide and easy.
Some narrow and hard.
And you are the God of the Way.
We find you upon every pathway, and upon every pathway,
You find us.
Sometimes, dear God, to help us move a little bit faster.
To keep up the adventure, to stay the course, to maintain the journey, to never give up in our pursuit of good.
Sometimes to stop us dead in our tracks, lest we make a hideous mess of things … hurt and compound hurt in our sometimes willful ways … turning us back to find another way.
You are the companion of the way.
Even when we walk through the Valley of the Shadow of Death.
There you are.
The constant companion.
The guide, everlasting.
The Shepard of the Sheep.
You take us to fresh water.
Lay us down in green pastures.
Restore our soul.
O LORD, our God, we pray for many things this day.
Ourselves, of course, for we need your grace.
For our loved ones, O God, that your mercy would enfold them.
And for our world, dear God, that women and men of great vision, deep wisdom, compassion, would lead us aright, dampen the fires of war, increase the light of learning, strengthen the efforts of peace.
In the name of the Prince of Peace, even Jesus Christ our LORD. Amen!
