God.

It’s been a long week.

We know that it’s been exactly the same 168 hours that every week has, but you know that the feeling of time is different than the counting of time.
You know that minutes spent waiting for answers are longer than days spent living with the answers.

Paul talks about the hope of glory, and I think he’s talking about a confidence that comes from the certain anticipation of being with you in your glory.

We confess that we don’t have much confidence.
And we confess that we are more certain of grief than we are of glory.
We are more certain of pain than we are of your presence.
We are more certain of our inadequacy, for just about anything, than we are certain of your adequacy, Jesus. Your adequacy to restore a confident relationship with you, God, in your fullness.

We confess that the words from Amos often describe our lives.
We are more anxious to get busy than we are to rest.
We are more anxious to get a deal than to think about the way our deal will affect the lives of others.
I am more anxious for cheap coffee than I am for fair wages for the family that grows the coffee.
I confess that some days I’m more proud that I spoke in church than I am convicted by not doing what you spoke to me.

Forgive us, we ask. Or maybe, more accurately, help us accept your forgiveness. Help us accept your peace. Help us continue in our faith in your words.

Including believing that you really do love us.

We ask these things through Christ our Lord.

Amen

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Amos 8:1-12; Colossians 1:15-28.

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This prayer was first shared last summer. But as I’m editing my prayer book, I read it and it seemed to make sense for right now.