The Rev. Dr. Scott Black Johnston: Prayers of the People

God of Holy Mystery,

God of Love,

God of the Hidden Heart,

we pray to you.

We bow our heads before you,

humbled by the news of the past week,

troubled by the scenes of devastation in Japan,

shuddering at the violence in Libya,

reeling at pictures of turmoil from around the world.

We are also pummeled, God of the Hidden Heart,

by events that do not make the papers,

by news that comes in the quiet of a doctor's office,

by betrayals at work,

by the difficult hand that we have been dealt.

Sometimes living can be so difficult, so very, very hard.

God of Holy Mystery,

God of Love,

God of the Hidden Heart,

we pray to you.

This morning, we are tempted to come and rap at the door of heaven.

We are tempted to ring the bell and ring the bell;

until you open the gate, and step out, and look us in the eye.

"Explain yourself, God," we would ask.

Look at this mess of a world.

You created it.

Shouldn't you be doing something about it?

This IS a job for Superman.

How about shutting down a few reactors in Japan?

How about kicking that maniac out of Libya?

Of course, if we were to have patience enough to stand at the door of heaven,

if we were to ring and wait until the gate would open,

if we were to look in the face of heaven,

we would be greeted, not by superman, but by your son.

We would see in those eyes, not laser vision, but recognition.

Understanding.

We would encounter One who:

knows how difficult this life is.

sympathizes with our every weakness.

has struggled as we have struggled.

God of Holy Mystery,

God of Love,

God of the Hidden Heart,

we pray to you.

Do open the gates of heaven and gaze upon us...

So that we find salvation in eyes that recognize our plight;

that we might find strength in the love that would share our troubles;

that we might find courage for the living of these days.

This we pray, even as we are so bold as to ring the bell

using the prayer that was taught to us by your sympathetic Son,

saying:

Our Father...

[Taken with permission from "Sharp About Your Prayers," the blog of the Rev. Dr. Scott Black Johnston, originally posted April 4, 2011. Prayers of the people for the 2nd Sunday in Lent, March 20, 2011.]