bring all of you

(prayers of the community, bsm, 2.1.09; theme of sermon/scriptures was 'anger' and appropriate expressions of angry feelings)

oh dear lord
we are angry
sometimes we don’t like to admit it and
sometimes it bubbles up on our lips
& we can’t hold it in anymore.

we are angry w/the state of this world
we are angry with those who abuse the earth,
abuse the powerless,
those who enact violence. we are angry
that social and governmental systems continue
to oppress countless men, women, and children.

we are angry w/those who are in relationship w/us
angry that they’ve hurt us, manipulated us
we are angry that they’ve been careless
with our hearts and bodies that they hold
in their hands.

we are angry w/ourselves, for swallowing whole
the lies that tell us it’ll never get better
lies that tell us we’re unworthy of self-love
others’ love
Your love.
we are angry that we make the same mistakes
over and over again.

lastly, and we say this with trembling lips, sometimes
we are angry with You.
when we feel like we need You
we can’t see You
we can’t hear You
when we feel most alone, You seem absent.
we get angry with who You are not
because You do not wave a magic wand.
no, Your healing comes through blood and tears and sweat and hard choices.

and yet You still bid us come.
You tell us, Come, Yes, bring your whole selves, broken and aching, consumed with holy or hurtful anger, it doesn’t matter, just bring all of you, I want to share my healing with your whole self.
You tell us, I will help you channel your holy anger into wise and transformative action.
You say, I know it seems I’m not there.
You say, I’m sorry the world has hurt you, I’m sorry for all the hurt you’ve inflicted on yourself. I want you to be at peace, not angry with yourself or me.
You say, I’m trying to show you my love for you.
You tell us, keep looking to the one I sent, keep listening to the stories about him, keep surrounding yourself with people who live like him, for surely as he walked the earth two thousand years ago, he walks beside you now. he taught you to pray these words, and he prays them with you now when we say together

our father, who art in heaven
hallowed be thy name
thy kingdom come
thy will be done
on earth as it is in heaven.
give us this day our daily bread and
forgive us our debts
as we forgive our debtors
and lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil
for thine
is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory
forever and ever.
amen (let it be so).