A Concord Pastor Comments: NIGHT PRAYER: Saturday 8/6

August 6 is the feast of the Transfiguration

when, on a mountaintop, Jesus was revealed in glory

to Peter, James and John...

On the day we remember your shining countenance, Lord,

we remember another light, darker but blinding,,

searing flesh in Hiroshima,

instantly claiming 80,000 lives

and tens of thousands more

in injuries and radiation burns and sickness...

Humankind's inhumanity to humankind:
   Lord, have mercy!
   Christ, have mercy!
   Lord, have mercy!

How easily we forget your command, Lord:
Love one another as I have loved you!

How easily we excuse ourselves when we fail to love on the basis of
   race, creed, color, ethnicity, national origin, religion, faith, military status,
   gender, sexual orientation, gender expression, marital status,
   age, height, weight, physical or mental ability, ...

How easily, Lord, we drop verbal and emotional bombs
   in our neighbors' lives;
how easily we sear each other's souls with rumor, gossip and lies;
how easily we shoot down a neighbor's reputation and good name;
how easily we inflict mortal social wounds
   with our bigotry and bias, our resentment and prejudice...

How easily, Lord, we do in our families and neighborhoods,

in the class room and work place,

with our words and our deeds

what nations do on the front lines and on battle fields,

with power, strategy and arms...

How easily we forget, Lord, that indeed we are
our sister's keeper, our brother's keeper, our neighbor's keeper

- whoever our neighbor might be, wherever our neighbor might live...

Hasten the day, Lord, when we heed your word
and love our neighbors, each and all,
as we love ourselves and our native land...

You alone are our God and we your children,

brothers and sisters, one and all:

for each of us, with equal love,

your Son laid down his life on the Cross

out of mercy and love

to pardon all our truly mortal sins...

Your peace you gave us, Lord, your peace left us:

help us keep the peace we've been given

and hasten the day when that same peace
is the peace of the world we call home...

Protect us, Lord, while we're awake
and watch over us as we sleep
that awake, we might keep watch with you
and asleep, rest in your peace...

Amen.

This Is My Song