Friday Prayer

Have mercy upon us, O Lord, have mercy, for we have had more than enough of contempt,too much of the scorn of the indolent rich, and of the derision of the proud. – Psalm 123:3-4 Oh, the scorn of the indolent rich- Dripping with mockery about generations other than their own,As though the present deprivations, frustrations, and injusticesAre not directly… Read More

Friday Prayer: Note to Self from Psalm 103

Note to self: Bless the Lord. We’re in the middle of a marathon slog, but God has not abandoned us. Intermittent joys have sustained us beyond what we could have imagined. The Lord has stayed our hand from slapping the foolish and, sometimes, from typing the thing we cannot take back. Come on, soul. It… Read More

Revised Common Lectionary: Unexpected Points of Connection

On this Sunday in which the northern hemisphere is in deep summer, images of new life and growth show up in our lectionary offerings. In our journey through Genesis, Jacob is on a road trip, fleeing the furious twin from whom he finagled a birthright and stole a blessing. With a stone for a pillow,… Read More

Friday Prayer

I will enter your house with burnt offerings and will pay you my vows— those that I promised with my lips and spoke with my mouth when I was in trouble. – Psalm 66:13-14 To the Heavenly Accounting Department: I am checking in on the status of my account. I am have lost track of my number of… Read More

Friday Prayer: Psalm 27 Revisited

Psalm 27, Revised Julia Edition God is my opening to life and my deliverance from evil— who thinks they can scare me? The Lord is a solid fence around me— who will try and come through God’s defenses? When those who oppose God’s will come at me thinking they can do something, it is all over for… Read More

Friday Prayer: Psalm 100, Camp Style

Hey, creation! Make a joyful noise to the God who made you! We talk about the Lord with excitement. We sing to God with joy! As true as multiplication tables and that water is wet, the Lord is God- in charge of everything! God made us, along with everything else. We are God’s people- known… Read More

Friday Prayer: Yearning

May he defend the cause of the poor of the people, give deliverance to the needy, and crush the oppressor. – Psalm 72:4 God in heaven, what would this look like? You withstood David’s murder of Uriah and his adulterous tendencies, allowing the defenseless Bathsheba not only to be raped, but to experience the death of her child.… Read More