"The pushing and shoving of the world is endless.
We are pushed and shoved.
And we do our fair share of pushing and shoving
in our great anxiety.
And in the middle of that
you have set down your beloved suffering son
who was like a sheep led to slaughter
who opened not his mouth.
We seem not able,
so we ask you to create the spaces in our life
where we may ponder his suffering
and your summons for us to suffer with him,
suspecting that suffering is the only way to come to newness.
So we pray for your church in these Lenten days,
when we are driven to denial--
not to notice the suffering,
not to engage it,
not to acknowledge it.
So be that way of truth among us
that we shall see that loss is indeed our gain.
We give you thanks for that mystery from which we live.
Amen."
(Walter Brueggeman; in anticipation of reading 1 Samuel 8/2000).
2 comments:
A g-chat with you brightens my day. I've loved your posts about lent.
In a delayed contemplation of lent (and inspired by you giving up anxiety), I considered giving up comparing myself to other people. But then I saw someone's wedding pics that made me want to vomit and I failed already because I was comparing myself for the better. I guess that's part of the process. The battle. I will keep trying (prayerfully).
and trust me, i haven't "given up" anxiety. but thinking and praying about habits of worry, etc., is a step in the right direction. realizing the weakness of myself is a whole different area of growth. we'll talk more about it this weekend :) I look forward to it. miss you like crazy!
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