Sunday Prayer: Faithful

Is it true, God, that you are faithful
even when life is a gauntlet of troubles
and each day seems longer than the next?

Is it true that your inheritance is plentiful
even though we squander and fight and steal
in jealous fear that we must secure ours?

Is it true, O God Eternal, that the sun
knows your name and the mountains too,
that you are more beautiful than the night sky?

Is it true that you find us where we are in the dust,
lift us up and kiss us and love us like royalty?
I wonder because I’m feeling particularly dusty.

Is it true that all our gods are for naught?
The money, security, prestige, and certainty that shape
our daily pursuits: will they fade before they exhaust us?

Is it true then that there is only one God, O God,
and — lest the question go unanswered —
are you still and finally faithful?

Because the world ends catastrophically every day
right before our eyes and we wonder when
it will stop starting over. We wonder

when we should bail on love and hope and fairness
and balms that seem never to heal the unjust
while innocent blood flows in the streets.

We wonder if you have been the dishonest manager,
charging us far less than we owe, and to what end?
What lesson learned, what grace extended in response?

Have you been faithful or have you been irresponsible
with our debts? For love of love, you risk fairness for grace.
For love of love, you weep over us from your holy heap of ashes.

We rage at you in trust that the world matters to you.
We yell in trust that our prayers will echo
through the mountains to your throne.

Bless our prayers along their wandering way
and bless our lives to faithful response.
We praise your name forever. Amen.

on today’s Revised Common Lectionary texts

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Rachel G. Hackenberg is a United Church of Christ (US) minister, soccer mom, blogger, and author. Her book Sacred Pause plays with words to refresh our relationship with The Word.
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