Saturday, Saturday

It's Morning, Jesus

1 Not to us, O LORD, not to us
but to your name be the glory,
because of your love and faithfulness.

2 Why do the nations say,
"Where is their God?"

3 Our God is in heaven;
he does whatever pleases him.

4 But their idols are silver and gold,
made by the hands of men.

5 They have mouths, but cannot speak,
eyes, but they cannot see;

6 they have ears, but cannot hear,
noses, but they cannot smell;

7 they have hands, but cannot feel,
feet, but they cannot walk;
nor can they utter a sound with their throats.

8 Those who make them will be like them,
and so will all who trust in them.

It's morning, Jesus
And there you are in heaven.
I pray for those surrounded by their idols
Who cannot see you, feel, you, know you.

You are in heaven,
Doing whatever pleases you.
You are at work on your own command,
Not ours.
You are busy on this planet
In your place, your time
And we cannot conjure up your presence where we desire

Grant, it Father, that we find you, where you are
and join you in your work.

Yesterday
You were with the man who made a donation
for missions. He turned his truck around and came back to buy a cooked chicken.
He said it was because of you, Lord. How mundane is your presence, Almighty God!

Yesterday
You were in the smile of that volunteer and the song they sang and the laughter they shared.

Yesterday
You were with the parent's prayer for guidance for their child.

Yesterday
You were on the corridor of the hospital: a moment's pause in prayer.

Yesterday
You were in the child who stood proud and received the trophy.

Yesterday
you were with the mom who cried.

Yesterday
You were with him as he cut the ribs
You were with him as he lifted the chicken with a rubber glove
You were with him as he dreamed of anywhere Latin
You were with her as she held a sign
You were with her as she counted money
You were with her as she drove a truck.

They came, Lord, Jesus
To join you in your work
And found you in surprising places and moments
Getting ready for Honduras and Africa and Texas, and....

Yesterday we left our idols behind
Our nice rocking chairs that cannot talk
Our beautiful surrounding that cannot feel
Our technologies that speak but without real voices
Our idols that are dead and not alive

And we came into community
With real voices
Real smells
Real labor
For others and not ourselves.

And dying to our own world
We lived, a moment, in yours.

And it was wonderful.

2 Why do the nations say,
"Where is their God?"

3 Our God is in heaven;
he does whatever pleases him.

Yet...many are surrounded by their idols
who cannot speak, or feel.

Amen