[A prayer litany on Psalm 2 for the Wine Before Breakfast Community, November 18, 2015]
Jesus,
when you waded into the waters,
the sky opened,
the dove descended,
and a voice said,
“You are my Son, the beloved.”
We heard heaven’s decree:
you are God’s Son,
you are our King,
and we have followed you into the waters.
The sky has opened
the dove has descended
and a voice says,
“You are my daughters and sons,
my beloved.”
We hear heaven’s decree.
Happy are all who take refuge in you.
[silent and spoken prayers of thanks for refuge in Jesus]
Jesus,
when you climbed that broken hill,
the sky darkened,
silence descended
and voices mocked,
“If he is the Son of God
let him save himself!”
You could have broken us,
so why let us break you?
In our violence,
in our fear,
in our resistance to your love
we set you up on a hill
that you made holy;
we are the nations who rage.
On that hill,
you have broken
our pretence,
you have broken
our hatred,
you have broken
our hubris,
you have broken
our violence,
you have broken
our injustice—
shattered to pieces like clay pots.
And still,
we are the nations who rage.
[silent and spoken prayers of confession]
Jesus,
when you took the throne;
the sky opened,
a cloud ascended,
and the angel said,
“The world is on notice; he is coming back.”
But our kings ignore your rule,
the kings of money,
the kings of military,
the kings of resource extraction,
all the kings of the earth
in bed with Babylon.
Let the poor and the oppressed hear your decree, O God,
let them hear the laughter of heaven.
Be wise, O kings
Every knee will bow.
Be warned, O kings.
Every knee will bow.
Serve the Lord.
Every knee will bow.
Tremble before him.
Every knee will bow.
Kiss his feet.
Every knee will bow,
and every tongue confess
that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.
Happy are all who take refuge in you.
[silent and spoken prayers for justice at home and abroad]
Jesus,
you are our king.
From the waters of baptism
to your broken, holy hill,
happy are all who take refuge in you.
From the hearts of the poor who wait
to the halls and heights of power,
happy are all who take refuge in you.
