Originally composed for the Wine Before Breakfast Community, in dialogue with Genesis 19.1-29, and with a little help from Mumford and Sons, “Dustbowl Dance.”
by Stephen Edwards
Let us pray,
we stand before you, Lord
in the midst of our city, suffering
with wickedness,
…we are well acquainted
We are naked, Lord
Our shame is revealed
Our sister Sodom
…who sought to know your angels
Our sister Sodom
…in whom not 10 righteous could be found
Our sister Sodom
…on whom you rained down fire
Our sister Sodom
…a byword in our mouths
Our sister Sodom
…who is not so different from us
Our sister Sodom
…who is not so far from us
Our sister Sodom
…who shines beside our sin and disgrace
She was overthrown
…We could not look away
…We cannot look away
We don’t want to flee to the mountains
…We want the city!
We fear your disaster there
…We want the city!
Where else will we hoard our wealth?
…We want the city!
Where else will we lure our lovers?
…We want the city!
How else could we ignore the poor?
…We want the city!
How else could we build our pride?
…We want the city!
It is only a little one
…but we still want the city!
[silent and spoken confession and repentance for the sin of the city and prayers for its salvation]
We have not the strength to flee
We have not the strength to stay
“Seal our hearts and break our pride
For we’ve no where to stand and no where to hide”
[silent and spoken prayers for spiritual discipline, relationships, stewardship, and unity]
Help us to remember your covenant
Help us to bear our shame
“Seal our hearts and break our pride
For we’ve no where to stand and no where to hide”
[silent and spoken prayers for God’s in-breaking into our lives with strength, and for those whom we know especially need this]
We want your city!
…Strength to bear our shame
We want your city!
…Strength to get up
We want your city!
…Strength to share our wealth
We want your city!
…Strength to host the stranger
We want your city!
…Strength to shelter the poor
We want your city!
…Strength for delivery from evil
May it rain down upon us!
…The greatest of all cities
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2hBkeX3k48M]
2 Responses to “Prayers in the Shadow of Sodom”
Randy Gabrielse
i thank the Wine Before Breakfast and Empire Remixed communities for sharing these kinds of laments and communal confessions. These are far too rare in our communal life. I did, though here a powerful push towards communal confession this week at the annual Christian Community Development Conference. So between WBB/ER and CCDA, I have hope for public lament and confession (as odd as that must sound).
Peace,
Randy Gabrielse
Brian Walsh
Hey Randy, good to hear from you. Are you by chance talking about Noel Carrasco leading in communal repentance in response to Richard Twiss’s talk about the Native American experience and the church? If so, then I was in the same room as you. That was an important moment, especially in contrast to the free enterprise ideology we heard at the CCDA from Arthur Brooks early that day.