Isaiah 43:2

When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;

    and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you;
when you walk through fire you shall not be burned,
    and the flame shall not consume you.

Whatever it is today that

you are going through,

I want you to know that

you are not alone.

God is with you.

He has you wrapped

in His arms.

He has you swaddled

in Hope.

Remember Hope?

It’s the only light that

I know of that can hold

back the darkness.

And whatever waters you have

to walk through,

whatever oceans you have

to swim,

God will carry you through

those dark waters.

He will raise you up.

He will keep you dry.

He will keep you safe

from the murky depths.

And as those hungry fires

burn around you,

devouring the oxygen

and leaving you gasping

for breath,

know that God has

your hand.

He is walking beside you

through the inferno.

And no flame will touch you,

not even one spark.

And yes that fire will roar.

And yes it will hiss and spit

and beat its chest

and bare its teeth,

but it will not touch you,

not with God right there

next to you.

You are not alone today.

You were not alone yesterday

in the flood.

You will not be alone tomorrow

in the fire.

God is with you, always.

Amen.

1 Peter 1:3

By his great mercy he has given us a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.

Hope lives.

And You, Lord, are

that Living Hope.

Hope lives.

Hope breathes

and runs

and dances

and sings.

Hope laughs

and twirls and spins

on mountaintops

and closes its eyes

to the warmth

of the sun.

Hope tires

from playing

and collapses

into the grass

and naps

in the cool breeze.

Hope listens

to the song

of the universe,

to the orchestra

that plays through

every living thing.

Hope gives

voice to those

who have forgotten

their song and are silent,

whose souls are

filled with a deep longing.

Hope weeps

with us,

walks with us,

breathes in time

with us, marches

with us and lives

within us in all times.

Hope lives

and carries on.

It does not grow dim.

It does not grow faint.

It does not expire.

It carries on.

Hope is

eternal

and forever.

Amen.

James 2:17

So faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead.

Lord, my words are my works.

Without them my faith is dead.

My words are prayer.

My words are praise.

My words are a plea on

behalf of the spirit inside me,

the soul that holds my

innermost thoughts,

those hidden needs,

those hidden dreams,

a soul that holds both

worry and fear but also

hope and faith and love.

Here in these words, Lord,

You will find my faith.

You will find the passion

and longing that pushes me

out of the bed each morning,

the longing for You, Lord,

that draws me out of the night

and into the blessed sunrise.

Here, Lord, right here, in these words,

I bloom, I reveal, I unfold the pages

of my life, of my story, so I can share

the Good News that You have shown me.

These words are my works.

These words are my testimony,

my witness to Your love and power, Lord,

to a love that is unceasing and ever-expanding,

a love that is rushing forward, even now,

to the outer edges of the universe.

These words are my works.

Amen.

Lamentations 3:21-22

But this I call to mind,

    and therefore I have hope:

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases
    his mercies never come to an end.

Even in our darkest days, Lord,

even when the sun seems eclipsed,

casting us into a never-ending night,

as it fails to throw off death’s shroud,

even on these light-barren days,

we have hope, Lord.

We have hope.

We hold onto hope.

We care for that tiny

spark of hope, holding

that tinder, that smoking,

briefly flaring to life, tinder—

we hold it, nestled in our hands,

a nest that holds life that we coax

with our breath even as we hope that

Your breath Lord will bring it to life.

We have hope.

We have hope, Lord,

because we know.

We know that Your love

is unceasing, unwavering,

and because of that love,

on those nights, those dark nights,

we will never be cold, not with Your

love wrapped around us.

And on those nights, those silent nights,

we will never be alone, not with You

sitting right there beside us.

And on those nights, those very long nights,

we will not doubt, and we will not lose hope,

not with Your light shining there next to us.

Thank you, Lord, for Your faithfulness

to us, for Your unceasing love that fills us,

that blesses us in infinite ways.

Amen.

1 John 4:18

There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear ….

You are loved with

a perfect love

by a God who is

love,

by a God who created

this world with love,

by a God who breathed

into you and gave you

life with His love.

You are a creature of love,

made and formed and crafted

with a perfect love.

And as a creature of love,

what could you possibly fear?

Love stands up.

Love does not bow.

Love looks fear in the eye.

Love pities anger.

Love speaks softly when

others scream with hate.

Love sings hymns in the morning

and lullabies at night.

Love sleeps well and refuses 

to share the bed with worry.

Love never runs on empty.

Love keeps our spirits full.

Love walks with head held high, knowing

they are a child of the Most High.

You are a child of the Most High,

filled with a perfect love

that bathes the world in light.

Whom shall you fear?

Amen.

2 Corinthians 5:7

For we walk by faith, not by sight.

O, Lord, bear with me, please.

Too many of my prayers to You

are filled with grumbling.

Too often I complain because I cannot

see the path in front of me and I wish

I knew just where You were leading me.

But the truth is—if I’m being honest

with myself first—if I knew the journey

You had planned for me, I might just

freeze with fear and start unpacking my bags.

Not that the path I’ve already walked

hasn’t, at times, been wild and amazing

and filled with such wonder that I

could barely contain my joy.

But it has also been filled with crushing

heartache and uncertainty and doubt.

The path You lead us on, Lord,

is twisted and wandering and sometimes

seems to lead us so far backwards,

we could swear we’ve walked this path before.

But I have to remind myself that the same

vines that line the path and snag my feet

and rip my jeans, are living things.

The path You lead us on, Lord,

is a path filled with life.

And like all wild things, it’s untamable.

We cannot force it to turn left

when all it wants to do is turn right

and then wander and dance circles

around the trees and streams.

And so, Lord, we must close our eyes.

We must hold still and gather our strength

and take gloriously rich and deep breaths of You.

We must take that first step and that second step

and learn to ignore all the things that cause

us fear and threaten to stop us in our tracks.

We must know and never doubt that this path

is your path, Lord, maintained by You.

This journey we are on is a journey designed by You.

And so, we must walk by faith.

Amen.

Isaiah 40:31

But those who hope in the Lord

    will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
    they will run and not grow weary,
    they will walk and not be faint.

Lord, does Hope expire?

Does Hope spoil if left

on the shelf for too long?

What is Hope’s shelf-life?

Its “good-by” date?

Lord, I think we all have

that one can of Hope,

sitting dusty and dented,

way back in that part

of the spirit that flared

to life a few months,

or years, or decades ago,

that part of the spirit

that came to life one day

and inspired us with so much

joy and promise that we canned

a bit of that joy and slapped

Hope on the label.

Hope sustains us.

Hope fills us.

It renews us.

But for how long, Lord?

How long does Hope last?

How long before we toss Hope aside

and wearily replace it with cynicism?

O, Lord, we need some fresh Hope, today.

We need Hope that has been

growing in the sun.

We need Hope that bends

and bows to the sunrise.

We need Hope that is wild

and leafy green,

that is the home to both

caterpillar and chrysalis.

We need Hope that gives

birth to new life,

the kind of Hope that renews

our strength and gives

our spirits room and wings to fly.

Lord, please fill us again with Hope.

Amen.

1 Corinthians 13:12

For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then we will see face to face. Now I know only in part; then I will know fully, even as I have been fully known.

Lord, there are days when

I long to look in the mirror

and see not my current reflection,

but the face that I faced as a child,

and to that child, I will smile,

and to that child, I will say,

I know you want to hear

that things will get better

and they will get better,

and then they will get worse again.

There will be days of wonder and joy

and there will be days of 

heartache and desperation.

There will be tears of happiness,

days when your soul soars over

the highest mountains,

and there will be tears of deep grief,

days when the earth seems to open wide

underneath you and swallow you whole.

But in all these days,

both the days that lift you

and the days that crush you underfoot,

in all these days,

you will live.

You will live.

You will breathe.

You will draw breath

and in that breath

will always be

the sweet presence,

the oh so sweet essence,

of the almighty God.

And in all these days,

I promise you,

that God will set firm

the ground in front of you,

that God will catch

you when you stumble,

that the light of God

will chase away all shadows,

that darkness, though present,

will never extinguish the light of God,

that no matter how impermanent

your days, God Himself is permanent.

And then I will take a step back

from the mirror and wipe away

the tears that roll down her face,

the slick condensation that has

gathered there on the surface,

and I will smile,

and I will say, finally,

God has you.

Amen.

Ephesians 4:1-3

I therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, making every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

Humility

(Linger)

Gentleness

(here)

Patience

(one moment)

Love

(and let)

Unity

(the words)

Peace

(speak.)

Take a deep breath

and hold it and listen.

Let these words move

and flow through you.

That knocking,

that drumming,

that pounding—

that frantic pounding—

in your ears,

is your heart begging

for oxygen, begging you

not just to breathe,

but to move,

to get up,

to stop being afraid,

to answer the call,

to be that call.

Humble

(Now)

Gentle

(let go)

Patient

(let your breath)

Loved

(out.)

Unified

(Smile now)

Peaceful

(and breathe.)

May God’s love

live within you.

Always and Amen.

Psalm 16:11

You show me the path of life.

    In your presence there is fullness of joy;
    in your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

O, my friends, that you would

always remember these words.

Your life was not meant

simply to be endured.

Your life was meant to be lived.

This life you live

is not purgatory.

This life you live

is not limbo.

This life you live is not

about treading water

while your legs tire

and the waves threaten

to drag you under.

This life is not about

the wait.

It is not about the promise

of better things right

around the corner.

This life is a gift,

a gift that is not meant

to be buried and tucked away.

It is a gift that God

intends you to use.

It is not a gift that must

sit unopened until the right day.

It is a gift that is meant

to be enjoyed and used today.

Our God is a God of joy

and of love,

a God who laughs and lives

and takes pride and pleasure

in all His children.

A God who knows how precious

and priceless each breath is,

who knows that each heartbeat

is golden and each morning that

we wake and open our eyes

a renewable treasure.

O, my friends, that you would live today,

that you would be filled with God’s love,

that you would know that it is His spirit

that fills your lungs,

that you would use this gift

for His joy,

for your joy,

for the sake of the entire world.

Amen.

Esther 4:14

"For if you keep silence at such a time as this, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another quarter, but you and your father’s family will perish. Who knows? Perhaps you have come to royal dignity for just such a time as this.”

Lord, give me the strength

to speak when You

call me to speak.

Give me the peace

to be silent when You

call me to listen.

Give me the vision

to see even when

the world seems so dark.

Give me the faith

to follow and find You

even when all I have

is a whisper and a prayer.

Lord, have mercy on me

when I am lost and blind,

stumbling and walking in circles.

Have patience with me

when You hold out Your hand

and I walk on by, oblivious.

Call me to me, Lord.

Call to me as many times

as it takes, until I answer.

Wait for me, Lord.

and then show me

how to serve.

Amen.

Matthew 11:28

"Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.”

Lord, sit with me here

beneath the trees

where sunlight and shadow

dance with the wind

between the leaves

casting a kaleidoscope

of patterns on the ground.

Lord, sit with me here

in the sun shower,

in the rain that appears

to fall from blue skies,

a mist, a spray, a moment

away from the heat,

enriching and deepening

both color and smell.

Oh yes, that smell of rain.

Lord, sit with me here

for just a minute—

give me just a minute

to close my eyes

and catch my breath

and let go of the tension

of the day that tightens

across my chest and around

my arms like chains.

Lord, sit with me.

Lay Your hands upon me.

Lift me.

Loosen those chains,

break me—free me—from

everything that holds me down

and keeps me from You.

Lord, sit with me

and then stand with me

and then walk with me

into the day.

Amen.

Hebrews 11:1

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.

John 20:29

Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

Blessed are those who have not seen,

but still believe.

But what about me, Lord?

What am I?

Because I see You.

I see You every day.

I see You in the morning,

in the sunrise,

in the pale pink sky

stretched across the horizon,

dry-brushed by your Divine Hand.

I see you in the moon,

in the sliver of the moon,

slipping behind the silhouette

of the palm tree as it disappears

briefly into the fleeing night.

I see You in the Great Blue Heron,

steady now as it stands high in the trees,

locked in, breath low, as it slowly wakes

to the peekaboo sun.

I see You, Lord, in the woman,

waiting at the bus stop,

shoulders stooped, weighed down,

carrying far too many bags,

carrying far too much.

I see You in the man walking

down the street, long coat flapping

like a cape in the wind, long coat,

heavy coat, gray with wear and also

too much in the summer sun.

I saw You yesterday, Lord, in the children,

barefoot, mosquito bit, skinned knees

and never happier because it was summer

and they were climbing a tree.

I see You, everywhere, waiting, Lord,

simply waiting to be seen.

You’re not hiding.

You have never hid.

We are the ones who hide, Lord,

the ones who shut our eyes

and pretend to sleep and hope

to be left alone because the price

of seeing, the price of knowing You, Lord,

is that we then, must believe.*

Amen.

*”Would you want to see, if seeing meant that you would have to believe …” Joan Osborne, lyrics, “What if God was One of Us?”

Jeremiah 29:11

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

Lord, these are the words

that I rest my head on

each and every night,

the words that let me

close my eyes,

the words that let me

take deep breaths,

the words that let me rest,

the words that say to me

in whispers and in sweet song,

the words that cradle me

and rock me to sleep,

the words that say simply:

There is hope.

Amen.

Jeremiah 6:14

They have treated the wound of my people carelessly,

    saying, “Peace, peace,”
    when there is no peace.

I cannot say, Peace

to my brother

when I don’t know

the war he is fighting,

or the struggles of his heart

that tear him apart,

disrupt his sleep,

and rob him of happiness.

How dare I say, Peace

to my sister

when I don’t even know

her name,

when I have looked

the other way,

when she has called out

and cried to me for help?

How can I say, Peace

to my neighbor

from the other side

of the fence?

How can I say, Peace,

when I refuse to open

the door?

How can I say, Peace

to a person

I cannot see,

I cannot hear,

separated as we are

behind this wall?

I can only say, Peace

to myself,

and hope that You, Lord,

hear my prayer,

that You

who hear me,

that You

who see me,

that You, Lord,

will begin to heal me,

for I cannot say, Peace

to others,

until I find that peace

for myself.

Amen.

Romans 13:11

Besides this, you know what time it is, how it is now the moment for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we became believers.

Joshua 1:9

I hereby command you: Be strong and courageous; do not be frightened or dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.

Amos 5:24

But let justice roll on like a river,
    righteousness like a never-failing stream!

Lord, now is the moment,

now is the time

for us to finally wake,

for us to finally wake up.

Sleep is no longer

a luxury we can afford.

Shutting our eyes

and counting to ten

and hoping, like a child,

that the bad things, the shadows

that creep on the walls at night,

will suddenly, on their own, vanish—

that is wishful, dangerous thinking

that allows too many of our neighbors

to face the darkness alone.

We are no longer children, Lord.

We know this.

We are stronger than that.

And while the time for handholding

is over, we know Lord that we do

not walk this path alone.

We will be strong.

We will take courage.

We will not be afraid

because the Lord our God

is with us wherever we go.

And no army of hate

can stand against us.

And no rising tide of fear

can hold us under the waves.

This is the moment, Lord,

this is the moment where

we become those better angels.

This is the moment when

justice flows like a river.

This is the moment when love wins.

Amen.

Mark 5:39, 41

When he had entered, he said to them, “Why do you make a commotion and weep? The child is not dead but sleeping.” He took her by the hand and said to her, “Talitha cum,” which means, “Little girl, get up!”

Little girl, get up.

O, how I long to hear

those words, Lord,

not so much for a resurrection

of the body,

but for a resurrection

of the soul.

Little girl, get up.

Lord, our world is so weary

now, so bent and broken,

weighed down with fear,

our spirits crushed,

because we have forgotten

what it means to hope.

Little girl, get up.

Lord, take our hands,

pull us to our feet,

bring us out of the darkness

that has settled on our shoulders

and seeped into our hearts

with false promises,

a darkness that speaks and says

we can only trust ourselves.

Little girl, get up.

We are on our knees, Lord,

not in rebellion or defiance,

but in prayerful supplication.

These are our last words.

This is the last gasp

of a wounded people.

Save us, Lord.

We are ready to rise.

Amen.

Matthew 7:9-10

Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake?

Lord, we were hungry and so

we asked You for fish

and You gave in abundance,

feeding thousands and nearly

swamping Peter’s boat.

Lord, we were still hungry,

but so were You, in the desert.

The desert gave You a Snake,

temptation in flesh, that told You

to turn those stones into bread,

but You refused, knowing

that You were the Bread

that would feed others.

And when we grew hungry again,

we begged You for bread.

So, Your angels rolled back the stone

and You were delivered unto us,

the Bread of Life, the everlasting

embodiment of Your sacrifice.

With You Lord, we will never hunger again.

With You Lord, we will never thirst again.

With You Lord, all we need to do is ask.

Ask, seek, and it will be given to us,

all that we need or will ever need.

For this is a Father’s love.

Amen.

Philippians 4:7

And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Lord, there is a peace

that follows the storm.

There is a peace of purpose,

a peace in knowing

that the storm has ended,

the winds have stilled

and that this is not the calm

before the storm, but the peace

that follows after when the captive 

sun breaks free from the clouds

and reveals Your divine plan.

Lord, it’s the peace

that followed Jonah

after

spending three days in

the belly of a fish.

It is the peace

that followed Moses

after

he spoke to the burning bush

and left with his sandals still in his hand.

It is the peace that came

to the disciples

after the crucifixion,

after the resurrection,

after You set tongues

of Holy fire upon them

and sent them into the world

to preach Your Good News.

It is the peace of purpose

that follows the storm.

O, Lord, bring us

that peace today.

Calm the winds.

End the rains.

Let Your divine purpose

break free and shine upon us.

Quiet our restless hearts

and send us into the world

with the strength and courage

of knowing it is Your hand

that guides us.

Amen.

Job 33:4

The spirit of God has made me,

    and the breath of the Almighty gives me life.

Breathe on me, Lord God,

and fill me with Your spirit.

We are living in, yes,

a time of lamentations,

a time of grief and sorrow

as we mourn things both lost

and stolen, time and love and

freedom ripped from our hands.

But we are also living in

a time of exodus,

as we leave the past behind,

as we acknowledge and stare down

the pain that has kept us in chains,

as we say, “NO MORE” and flee

together to the promised land,

wherever that may be,

whenever that may be.

The road will be long and hard,

twisted and barren and we will

continue to be tracked and hunted

down by a past that threatens

to pull us back to old familiar habits.

But we will walk on.

We will continue,

because we know, Lord,

that Your spirit is with us,

that You will be that pillar

of cloud leading us during the day,

and that pillar of fire, lighting

the way during the night.

We cannot see ahead

of cloud or fire, but we

don’t need to see,

we only need to follow.

Give me life today, Lord.

Fill me, fill us all with Your love

and Holy inspiration and give

us strength to walk with You

into the unknown.

Amen.

Isaiah 49:16

See, I have inscribed you on the palms of my hands;

    your walls are continually before me.

O, Lord, You inscribed me on

the palms of Your hands the moment

they nailed You to the tree.

You died for me.

You suffered for me.

You took on my pain.

You took on all of our pain.

You did this because You loved me.

You did this because I am Yours.

I am Your child, and precious and beloved,

and You could not bear to see

the world’s trauma etched on my face.

You could not bear to see the burden

the world gave me, how it weighed heavy

on my back and drove me to my knees.

Your heart hurt, Lord, each time You saw

me trip over the shackles the world gave me,

the shackles of anger, and hate, and apathy.

You saw my tears.

You heard my cries.

You heard my whimpering at night

when the same fears that dogged me

during the day, followed me to my dreams.

And You said, “No more.”

They lifted You on the cross, Lord,

but, in that moment, You lifted me.

That was not defeat inscribed on Your hands;

that was my name and the names of all

my brothers and sisters, both those who

had died and those who had yet to live.

You claimed us that day.

We belong to You and no other.

And so to you, my brothers and sisters,

I say, “STAND UP!  STAND UP!”

You are a child of God!

You are a child of the All-Powerful,

of the Ever-Living, of the Burden-Lifter,

of the Chain-Breaker and Spirit-Restorer,

and you can face any storm.

You can stand firm in the whirlwind.

You can lift your eyes and stare

down the evils of this world.

You can do anything.

God has claimed you as His.

Amen.