July 21, 2021
May Christ Our Hope Once Again Be Christ Our Hope: A Prayer
O Lord, it’s been my prayer
for a long time now
because
it’s been my fear
for a long time now,
my prayer
that
Christ Our Hope
once again
be
Christ Our Hope,
my fear
that
Christ Our Hope
will never again
be
Christ Our Hope;
too long apart;
too hard to get back into the habit that was once a
habit of the heart;
too powerful the powers in our culture
working to divide people; or
too comfortable maybe,
too comfortable with staying put;
or still just
too scary
(and it is scary still).
O Lord, whatever the reasons are
that might keep
Christ Our Hope
from being
Christ Our Hope,
overcome them
so that
once again
we will be the
Christ Our Hope
we’ve always been.
And you know what I mean
because
you are the one who
called us,
gathered us,
prodded us
to be
a people
for whom
relationship
matters more than
rite,
ritual,
religion;
relationship
with you,
with one another,
with the neighbor;
relationship
with Christ;
a people
who welcome one another,
strangers too,
welcome all
just as you
welcome all of us no matter
who we are,
what we look like,
where we come from,
what we have done or what we believe or think or feel;
a people
more than
just people,
many become friends,
some more like family,
glad to see one another,
enjoy being with one another,
miss one another when not there;
a people
who have become
home,
or so
people who have been away a good while
say upon returning:
“I feel like I’ve come home;”
and not everyone
might feel this way,
but still
home
says it best,
home in the best sense of the word,
a place
where we are
known,
known by name,
and feel
welcome,
loved,
at peace;
a place
that becomes
a part of us
just as
we become
a part of it;
a place
where we feel
all will somehow be well,
even though things might not be going all that well,
feel that there is hope
after all;
a people
for whom
worshipping and
serving,
learning and praying and playing together,
mean everything;
a people
with a purpose,
the purpose of
being Christ and bringing Christ to others;
a people
who are
your people,
people who try to live the Gospel, follow your way,
obey.
O Lord, we live in a land in which
anger and resentment are still driving so many;
politics and race are still dividing so many (so many
not even wanting to come together);
prejudice and hate still keep surfacing
in far too many;
virus variants beginning to scare many;
fear still filling as many as ever;
and
I fear too,
fear
that it will all undo what
Christ Our Hope
has been.
Don’t let that happen, Lord!
Don’t let us allow it to happen!
Don’t let us become anything other than
Christ Our Hope!
And we pray, Lord, for all those
who are battling illness or disease;
who are facing hard and painful choices;
who are going through tough treatments;
who are struggling with depression or despair;
who are overwhelmed with sadness;
who are hungry, without a home, have little hope.
Be with them with healing and strength and comfort,
lifting them in hope.
And move us
to be with them,
offering food and shelter and strength and comfort and hope
wherever we can.
O Lord, I pray this prayer because I fear,
but more than anything
I pray this prayer
because
I love,
love Christ Our Hope,
love the people who are Christ Our Hope,
love what you have done and are doing in and through us,
love you.
Amen.