Sunday Sermonizing: Lenten Prayers (Vol. 1)

Lent is a time for reflection, repentance, and lament. For the next several Sundays I'm going to post prayers of reflection, repentance, and lament.

They will probably not be super uplifting or inspirational.

However, this kind of praying is important for the soul.
For my soul. Especially ofter weeks like the one which has just passed.

Good and Holy Father,

As we begin a new week, I lament the one we've completed.

I lament the senseless passing of 17 lives from this earth,
taken before their time.

I lament the reality of many more - maybe thousands more -
who face the repercussions of this loss
and will have to live with
decades of consequences.

I lament the week's unheralded losses,too
but who've done so without one news report
or a single blog post.
They're unknown to us.
But known to you. And the pain is the same.

I know you are Holy.
I know you are good.
I know you are wise and you are just.

I don't understand.
And I confess my lack of wisdom.

But You are Holy.
You are good.
You are wise.
You are just.

I mourn with the millions in a state of Statelessness.
Those who've fled their homes
and now have no place to call as such.

I mourn the nations
who continue to be ravished by war
and all of it's consequences.

We've done this.
We are to blame.
We are the culprits of this evil
which enables the powerful
to abuse the powerless and strengthens
the strong to beat down the weak.

I lament that we elect politicians who serve themselves
and line their pockets with blood
and wipe their feet on the defenseless and marginalized
while smiling and giving us the thumbs up
that all is well
when all is not well.
We've done this, Lord.

And I'm sorry.

I know you are Holy.
I know you are good.
I know you are wise and you are just.

I don't understand.
And I confess my lack of wisdom.

But you are Holy.
You are good.
You are wise.
You are just.

I lament that we use people for our agendas.
People become pawns to be sacrificed for walls.
We don't build bridges and friendships
but rather, we make enemies
in the name of making ourselves great.
In this, we're not great, Father.

I lament our absolute inability to have a conversation.
To talk without arguing.
To argue without hating.
To even respond to a brother in brotherly love.

We need you.
We need your help.
We need your grace and your mercy and your patience and your forgiveness.

I know you are Holy.
I know you are good.
I know you are wise and you are just.

I don't understand.
And I confess my lack of wisdom.

But you are Holy.
You are good.
You are wise.
You are just.

Come quickly, Lord Jesus.
And make every wrong right.
And wipe every tear.
And let justice roll.
And let mercy reign.

And in the between
Please grant us the wisdom to go and sin no more.