Lectio Divina
When he entered Jerusalem
the whole city was in turmoil, asking,
“Who is this?”
Matthew 21
The basis for the ethics
of the Sermon on the Mount
is not what works, but rather
who God is.
Stanley Hauerwas
Prayer
God
I have been shouting something true
without knowing what I mean
Hosanna
A word so old
it has worn smooth
on my lips
Hosanna
Salvation
Save Us Lord
But I don’t know
what kind of king
rides an animal like that
I am not sure
if I am in this crowd
or finally watching
from a doorway
God bless America
God bless America
I have grown weary
of all shouting
Certainty moves through a crowd
like a virus
It feels like faith
But I’m not sure what it is
My God is Mighty to Save
My God is Mighty to Save
Still
something
is alive and moving
So here I am
I’m cutting down a branch
from the nearest tree
Not because I understand
but because that word
still touches the deepest
ache in me
Come save me, God
Hosanna
I don’t know what I’m asking for
I don’t know who is listening
but I pray it aloud
anyway
Blessing
Dear Friend
May the image of Jesus
riding into the politically charged
streets of Jerusalem
on a donkey
do in us the quiet work
the gospel writers intended.
May the Spirit
breathe upon such an image,
and disrupt
our imaginations of
power, success, significance, and freedom.
May we ponder our faith in Christ
as a path that leads
to death on a cross.
May we someday be as bold as Paul
who confessed
I want to know Christ,
the power of his resurrection
and participation in his sufferings,
becoming like him in his death.
In the Name of Christ
Who is Faithful
to Complete the Work
God Began in Us
Amen