Prayer as We Gather: God, cultivate in us the same curiosity that drew Moses toward a bush inflamed but not consumed. Speak to us through our daily encounters with your mysterious fire, drawing us closer to your unfolding will for our lives. In this holy hour, anoint us with your inquisitive Spirit so we may respond as Moses did: “Let me check out this amazing sight!” May we never fear the bright heat of your claim upon us. Amen. (Mitchell Simpson, inspired by Exodus 3)
Morning Prayer: O God of unflinching justice, just as when Simon Peter resisted Jesus’ calm prediction of his coming crucifixion, so we too incur Jesus’ swift reprimand when we get in the way of his Kingdom strategy. Our tame, well-intentioned efforts to make Jesus respectable to a cynical culture only serve as stumbling blocks to his radical agenda. Help us shun tame equivocation in favor of fearlessly taking up the cross, saying no to self, and following the only person able to bear our sorrows and forgive our transgressions, teaching us along the way how to pray, saying …(Mitchell Simpson, inspired by Matthew 16)
Prayer of Confession: Forgive us, Lord. If apostle Paul were our professor for Christian Ethics 101, most of us would flunk. We fall embarrassingly short on so many of his requisite expectations of us - showing love, hating evil and holding on to what is good, beginning with members of our own families. Not only do we resist the enthusiastic, Spirit-fired serving of our Lord, grounded in prayer and a cheerful hope, we are slow to “contribute to the needs of God’s people and welcome strangers into your home” and reluctant to “bless people who harass you and cry with those who are crying.” We especially resent Paul’s stinging rebuff, “Don’t think that you’re so smart!” Who knew loving others, including providing them affordable health care, could be so complicated? Apparently Jesus did, when he summoned us to care for “the least of these.” Amen. (Mitchell Simpson, inspired by Romans 12)
Assurance of Pardon: Take heart, for apostle Paul doesn’t leave us with no way forward, urging “If possible, to the best of your ability, live at peace with all people; don’t try to get revenge for yourselves, but leave room for God’s wrath.” In the midst of circling dysfunction at the highest levels of national leadership, we rejoice in the apostle’s call to courage: “Don’t be defeated by evil, but defeat evil with good.” Thanks be to God for such a Christ-like call to arms! (Mitchell Simpson, inspired by Romans 12)