As You Lead Us

We try to walk by faith and not by sight

But every now and then we sneak a peak
just to see what’s ahead
just to know what to expect
just to make sure you are still there
leading us

And when we are able to catch a glimpse
of where you are leading us
sometimes we rejoice
sometimes we tremble
sometimes we must fight the urge
to run out ahead of you
as we must also sometiems fight the urge
to stop and turn back

But in you, Oh Lord we put our trust
So we follow

Forgive us Lord when our faith fails us
and we try to walk by our own sight
impaired as it is by our sin

Give us faith, Lord
that we may follow you, always you, only you
by faith
as you lead us

As You Are

Lame, we ask for healing
Blind, we ask for sight
Deaf, we ask for hearing
Confused, we ask for understanding
Dying, we ask for life

We ask in confidence
because we know well the stories
of your faithful responses
to our unfaithful requests

But we know, too, stories that lack
the resolution of your answer
Stories that conflict us
when we try to speak of your faithfulness

Legs that cannot walk…
Eyes that cannot see…
Ears that cannot hear…
Minds that do not understand…
and death…ever present, ever threatening death

But even in these stories
we know your faithfulness is not far off
it is quite near, as you are
And so, in spite of our judgements
concerning your responses
we proclaim you as our Lord

For it is by that very proclomation that we
walk, see, hear, understand and live

Give us
legs to pursue you
eyes to seek you
ears to hear you
minds to perceive you
and life…life everlasting with you

We Long To See You

We starve for you God
for no food fills us as you do
We thirst for you God
for no drink sustains us as you do
We long to see you God
for you are our light, our life

Why then God do you turn your face from us?
Starving, we turn to less fulfilling foods
Thirsting, we drink and drink, never satisfied
Longing, we let our fleshly desires take over

God we need to see your face
even if your look scolds us for our sins

We need to hear a word from your mouth
even if your words scathe us for our unfaithfulness

We need to be in your presence
even if it completely overwhelms us

We need you God, so do not keep your face turned away

And we know that you won’t
Because we have read the stories
Stories of you
filling the hungry
sustaining the thirsty
showing your face at just the right time

We long to see you God
and we wait
impatiently
expectantly
hopefully

Be Our Help

Helpess, God, we are helpless
like those tossed about in a storm
like those without a home
like those without direction
we are helpless

But you, oh Lord, are our help
you are our strength
you are our refuge
you and you alone come to save us

You calm the seas and the storms
You provide a safe place for us to dwell
You lead us to yourself

You and you alone are God
there is no other
And we understand this best
when we are at our most helpless

Oh Lord, our God, be our help

Our Offering

We do not like to admit it
but sometimes you ask too much…
more than we think we can give
more than you ask of others
more than we think possible

We have given you this much
is it not enough?

We do not like to admit it
but we have not been quite honest in our giving…
always holding back a little
just in case

But we know your standards
With you, it is all or nothing

So God, please accept this, our offering
and take what we have not offered
so that we may lay claim to nothing
save you

You Have Redeemed My Soul

You have redeemed my soul

But why so often do I doubt that redemption
why so often do I forget your faithfulness
why so often do I try to earn what you have freely given?

You have redeemed my soul

But why can my soul find no relief
why is there no rest
why is my great desire for you yet unquenched?

How long, Oh Lord, until my soul rests with you?

You have redmeemed my soul

Be still my soul
The Lord has redeemed you

We Wish That You Were Here

Sometimes, we wish that you were here
actually
physically
literally
whatever…
so we could see you
so we could hear what you would say to us
so we could know you

We read the stories of your revelations
of your appearances
of your spoken words
of your enfleshment
and we are envious

But then, we are reminded
that you are here through your people
that we can see you
that we can hear you
that we can know you
because you, indeed, are here
actually
physically
literally
because we are yours.

To You Alone

Praise, honor, glory, majesty
all to you, oh God

The words fall out easily enough
because we have heard them so many times
We know that we should
praise you
honor you
give glory to you
submit to your majesty
but then we arrive at the unsettling conclustion
that we do not know how

We, too well, know how to seek
praise, honor, glory, and majesty
but when it comes to giving
we are pitifully ignorant

So God, you alone who are worthy of such things
make us a people
who praise you in word, thought and deed
who honor you with our hearts and lips
who give you glory in all things
who come to grips with your majesty
and what that means for us, self serving as we are

Praise, honor, glory and majesty
to you alone, forever and ever.

You Are Off Again

I run after you
with all that I am
I try to keep pace
I try to keep you in sight
I run, walk, crawl, in pursuit of you

But you, ever elusive, escape again and again

Just when I come upon you at rest
you are off again, out of my grasp
Just when I draw close enough to see your face
you are off again, out of my sight

My legs grow weary from chasing
My eyes grow weary from searching
My heart grows weary from missing you

Still, I will my heart, soul, mind and body
to move, to run, to search, to find
until at last, I can run no more
I collapse into mournful rest

But then I wake…
and you are there

You have food and water to give me strength
and I rest peacefully in your presence

But then, and always then, you are off again
and I resume the chase

I chase you, ever elusive God
not in hope that I will catch you
but in hope that, when I fall from exhaustion
you will come to me

And so I run after you with all that I am

Against Our Fear

Fearful, God, we are fearful
even though you yourself said
“Do not fear; I will be with you.”
we cannot help oursleves

We are fearful
for our families
for our jobs
for our insecurities

We are fearful
that we have it all wrong
that we are wrong about you
that everyone will know our secrets

We are fearful…of you
because we can hide notihng from you
Our insecurities, our secrets, our fears
all are laid bare before you
and we are terrified

We fear you
but for all the wrong reasons
and in all the wrong ways

So we ask, God, against our fear
that you be with us
that you be our strength and shield
that you take away everything that makes us fearful

And we ask fearfully,  knowing that you will answer.