Sunday AM Prayer March 3, 2024

A Sunday Prayer for the Pastor, Deacon, Chaplain

Dear God, You are so many things to me, and you’re also, you know…dependably you. But don’t let me go to sleep about that. Wake me up! Not just from a good night of sleep or even a terrible one. Wake me up to your news and how it shakes everything up. It tips all my assumptions over, especially when I’ve become a zombie to all. Depending on the memory of…well, just whose memory am I trusting? My own is faulty at best – why did I come into this room anyway? Sometimes I admit – I trust the wrong things to guide me. Out of fear. Out of exhaustion. Out of habit. Wake me up to the profound nature of your love and how it changes everything, even me. Even this church that so often can seem stuck in its ways. Help me be bold in my singing, my preaching, my serving communion with your name on my lips as I hand out your body. It’s just so easy to forget what it’s all about. I so easily, stupidly, depend on the “Go Back to Egypt” committee instead of the story of your love that saves all the things! All the people! Even when we continue to choose the hard way, the wrong way, the old way, the dead way. Gah! Especially then! Save me from myself today, please God? Help me get out of the way of your Good News. Because the Bible keeps on happening! Because our brains and bodies can hardly take in your news, so we hafta keep at it. Letting it get in us and bounce us around until we’re bashing our shins on news that won’t stop making itself new and known! Help me put the whip of chords I worked so hard to make down already. And get me out of the way of the stampeding cattle. 

And as long as I’m praying for miracles, help me to love those who love me best and well. Help me not stampede over them while I anticipate leading and preaching and take out all my nervous energy on them. I mean, help me not to do that, please. It’s so easy to take their love for granted, which reflects poorly on you. Although they’re not fooled that it’s you, thanks for that. Just help me live like I believe you love me so my people who are supposed to love me still do. 

You’re the best, God. Thanks for walking with me through Lent. It’s sure a whole deal. Amen.

Take all the breaths. Real deep now, ya hear? Ok, now go do the things. God’s got you.

P.S – Laura Aase here. You are a beloved child of God. I am praying for you.

Here’s your Lent Mixtape song for the day – let it be your hymn before or after all the things! “One Voice” by the Wailin’ Jennys. https://youtu.be/-jKH6kILbho?si=OGuLA7KsVECYBa2V