A Concord Pastor Comments: Monday Morning Offering: 3/13

Coffee in the Morning by George Mendoza

Good morning, good God!

I'm still pondering yesterday's gospel, Lord,

and your meeting Rachel at the well,

and her amazement that you could tell her

everything she'd ever done

- and clearly, she had a story to be told...

Lord, I know you know me just as well,

as completely, as you knew Rachel:

you know me better than I know myself

you know everything I've ever done

but still -

you offer me your mercy and your love...

You know my missteps and mistakes,
   my blunders and my foolishness,
   my poor choices and foolish decisions,
   my false moves, my lies and half-truths
   and all my selfish ways...

And still you offer me your kindness...

You know my unkind thoughts and words,
   my prejudice and bias,
   my screw-ups and offenses,
   my failures and my faults,
   my jealousy and envy,
   my lust, my pride, my greed...

And still, you offer me forgiveness...

You know my vices and bad habits,
   my anger and my grudges,
   my unjust words and deeds,
    my infidelities and resentments...

And still, you come to pardon me...

You know all my sins, Lord:

you know every way I've failed

and everything I've failed to do...

You know all the things I've wanted to do,

everything I meant to do

and the many things I ought to have done

but never got around to...

And yet, you search and seek me out,

again and again and again...

O Lord, you know everything I've ever done.

You know the whole truth of who I am.

You know everything I try to hide

from you,

from others

and even from myself.

and yet
and still
and even so:
   you offer me forgiveness,
   you tender me your mercy,
   you propose a new beginning,
   you give a second chance
       - and a third, a fourth, a fifth, a sixth
           and many, many more...

You know all my sins, Lord, and yet

- indeed, because you do -

you offer me your healing and your blessing...

So, meet me at the well, Lord,

the well of my ordinary, everyday existence;

meet me at the well where I'm parched and dry,

thirsty for the waters of pardon and peace,

and the freedom my heart desires,

the freedom that's only yours to give...

I come to your well this morning, Lord

to offer my heart as a bucket:

fill it to overflowing, I pray,