A Prayer for Mystery
Alex Killian
Almighty God and Creator of all there is, we come to this place this morning to enter into your divine mystery. To enter your sanctuary, the sanctuaries that you have made within us, the holy temple that is the body of Christ in which we exist. We approach you this morning to worship you, and to glorify your name, your works, and your love.
We approach you this morning with hearts and minds eager to watch and listen, to feel you moving among us. We come here to enjoy fellowship, to hear your Word read aloud, but also to contemplate who you are. On who you call us to be. We contemplate your creation, staring in admiration and awe at the beauty of the world and at even the tiniest, most nurtured elements surrounding us. We feel you tugging on our hearts, affecting us in indescribable ways that dig into the very core of who we know ourselves to be. We feel you uniquely calling us out of our own worlds and into your world, inspiring us to draw closer to you in spirit and in love. In truth and in justice. We feel your pervasiveness in every facet of our daily lives, and we wonder how such a mighty and powerful God can be such a wise and demanding teacher, such a forgiving and reforming savior, and such an intimate and personal friend.
We enter into your divine mystery this morning with questions. Questions of clarity, and of purpose. Questions about where you are calling us next. We contemplate on the many joys and blessings we have today and every day. We wonder, why us? What do you have in store for us? What do you want us to do – what can we do – with the gifts and talents you’ve blessed us each uniquely with? With the joys and cheeriness that embody who we are? We contemplate the many challenges and concerns facing us. Again, we wonder, why us? Why now? Will these concerns dissipate, or will they amplify? How are we supposed to feel, and react? What should we make of ourselves right now, what should we be doing? The questions abound endlessly within us, Lord. And though we may not have all the answers, we lift these questions – we lift these joys and concerns up to you in prayer this morning. Joys of ____________________. Concerns of ___________________. We lift up to you those we have named out loud: _________________________. And we lift up to you those who we hold on our hearts and in our minds, in a moment of silent prayer… [Silent prayer]
Lord, we come to church, we read Scripture, we think and we go out into the world and share experiences with one another, and amid all of it we strive to do what is right, but so often the line between right and wrong gets blurred. And we wonder, are we following you correctly? Where could we improve? When will it become clear? Lord, encourage us to find within ourselves where our guilts lie. Hear our prayers of repentance, of desire to seek your perfection and your truth in all things. And, although we stumble and fall from time to time, and are in constant need of your redemption and renewal, encourage us to continue on, approaching you in your divine mystery, so that we may be formed not just in righteous living but in righteous faith. In a faith that is entirely reliant on you, and continues to look for where you are working in our lives and in our community, and in the world.
We pray all this in the name of your Son, Jesus Christ. Amen.