Another prayer for July 4th

 

Once again, Lord, we're celebrating our independence

- and that's a good thing for which I'm grateful -

but keep us mindful of those de-pendencies

which are just as good and,

in many ways and many times,

even more important than our independence...

Keep us dependent on you, Lord,
the source of our life
and every good gift that's ours:
keep us dependent on you,
our only reason for being...

Keep us dependent on your wisdom, Lord,
especially when our own folly and foolishness
tempt us to think that we know more than you do...

Keep us dependent on your love for us:
the purest, gentlest, kindest, most merciful love
we shall ever know and have...

Keep us dependent on your word, Lord,
the word of your truth:
keep us dependent on a truth so much greater
than our own assumptions and delusions...

Keep us dependent on your voice, Lord,
always calling us to love with no strings attached,
to forgive one another as freely as you forgive us,
to welcome the stranger and to care for the helpless...

Keep us dependent on your grace, Lord,
your Spirit alive within us
without whom we can do nothing
and with whom we become all you made us to be...

Keep us dependent on your promise, Lord,
your pledge of life forever, especially when we prefer
things to people,
ourselves to others,
and death to life...

Keep us dependent on your generous mercy, Lord,

and help us be generously merciful to all,

mindful that are in debt to you and to many

for pardon and forgiveness... 

And keep us dependent on one another, Lord,
always remembering our need for our neighbors
and our neighbors' need for us:
keep us interdependent, all your people,
and together, dependent on you...

Amen.



Tweet  

     
Subscribe to A Concord Pastor Comments