For the Preachers (#2)

At the beginning of my second presentation at the Austin Graduate School of Theology, May 2014

---

Lord,
it would be so much easier
      if we could just preach trust,
without having to trust you –
      to put ourselves at risk,
and rely on your decisions
      about our lives, our prayers.

To think you might say to us
      ‘Enough. No more of this.’ [1]
‘My grace is sufficient.’ [2]
      ‘Power is made perfect in weakness.’ [3]
Whatever the words or language,
      ‘no’thing is more difficult to hear.

Oh Lord,
trust sounds great in theory,
      until it is put to the test -
in my life and my ministry:

Believing
in the power of the Word,
      when my sermon refuses
      to come together.

Applauding
the hip new preacher across town,
      as our attendance falls.

Welcoming
someone else’s plan with grace,
      in place of my perfect solution.

Refusing
to say “I told you so,”
      when their idea crashes and explodes.

Helping
put the pieces back together again,
      without concern for credit or blame.

Delegating
instead of thinking,
      God only works through me.

Resting
rather than believing,
      the kingdom depends on me.

Accepting
a salary far less than
      what I could earn elsewhere.

Staying
when the work is hard,
      and results difficult to see.

Loving
your body, your church,
      even when we are wounded
      by the body we serve.

Learning
to say, ‘Let your will,
      not mine be done,’ [4]

Trusting your Word.
Trusting you.
When we speak in your name.
When we would prefer sight – not faith.
When we would rather trust ourselves.
When trust means genuine risk.
When you have disappointed us.
In the name of the one who put
      his life into your hands,

Amen.

—

Paraphrases from:

[1] Deuteronomy 3:26

[2] 2 Corinthians 12

[3] 2 Corinthians 12

[4] Mark 14:36

---

Limited permission is granted for reuse of this prayer in worship or other venues. If printed in any form attribution must be given as "Glenn Pemberton, mosaicsite.org/glennpemberton." Special permission is required to print three or more of these prayers at one time in any form, print, electronic, etc., and must be secured by request at gdp05b@acu.edu.