I woke up this morning with, for some reason, a hankering to write my own version of the Eucharistic Prayer. Not sure why, just decided to "just 'cuz" I guess...Maybe it was I had one of those unexpected "choked up" moments last Sunday. I got a little unexpectedly choked up on the Sanctus. Again, not sure why...just did. Sometimes one or two lines of a familiar prayer just choke me up or make me tearful. It's weird. That never used to happen to me.
Anyway, here's my version of the Eucharistic Prayer!
The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
Lift up your hearts.
We lift them to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give God thanks and praise.
Lord God, author of the universe, you are the architect and engineer of all things in Heaven and on earth. You are the source of our light and our being. By your hand all things came to be.
You are worthy of glory and praise, O Lord.
You are present as Eloheim in the stars of the night sky, Lord God. Ruach, your spirit, dwells in the wind, the zephyr, the storm. Shekinah, your presence in holy objects, dwells in your temple and on your table.
Your many forms, O Lord, remind us of your hand in all creation.
You presented this world and all its glories to us to have dominion over it. But we have not lived up to this task, and we fell short time and time again, squandering your creation and falling to human lusts and greed, turning ourselves against one another.
Forgive us, O Lord. Our iniquities betray ourselves, We are not worthy to inherit your kingdom.
Over millennia you have tried to communicate your love for us--through the law, through the prophets, and through your word. But most importantly, you sent us your son, fully human and fully divine, to bring the true meaning of "Shalom" to the world, to fulfill the law and the Prophets.
We reconcile ourselves to God through the blood of Christ.
We find healing and peace through Christ's wounds.
We praise you, O Lord. We reach out and join hands with the martyrs, apostles, prophets, and every generation who has put their trust in you, and offer this hymn of our unending gratitude:
Holy, Holy, Holy Lord, God of power and might,
heaven and earth are full of your glory. Hosanna in the highest.
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna in the highest.
In the fullness of new life through Jesus Christ, we are redeemed, O Lord. In the waters of baptism and by the wind of the Holy Spirit we are renewed, and bring these gifts to your table. Sanctify them through the body and blood of Christ and through the power of the Holy Spirit.
On the night Christ was betrayed, he took bread in his hands, blessed it, broke it, and, giving it to his friends, said, "Take, eat: This is my body, which is given for you. Do this for the remembrance of me."
After supper he took the cup of wine, gave thanks, and said, "Drink this, all of you: This is my Blood of the new Covenant, which is shed or you and for many for the forgiveness of sins. Whenever you drink it, do this for the remembrance of me."
In this sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving, we celebrate the memorial of our redemption, O Lord. We recall Christ's death, burial, resurrection, and ascension through the offering of these gifts.
You are the risen Lord, O Christ.
Unite us through this sacrifice to your presence.
Eternal God of our fathers and mothers, sanctify these gifts through your Holy Spirit to be the Body and Blood of your son Jesus Christ. Sanctify us through your power and mercy that we may see your hands in the work of all creation, that our hands may continue these works, that our hearts may be attuned to your will and filled with the strength and renewal of your eternal mercy and grace.
Be known to us, O Lord, in the sharing of these gifts with one another at your holy table.
We ask these things through your son Jesus Christ, in the true spirit of the unity and constancy of your holy Trinity. Bring us to the fullness of your glory with all your saints and angels in your heavenly country. Amen.
And now, as our Savior Christ has taught us, we are bold to say,
(Cut to Our Father, etc.)
We made the Weather Channel. Kirksville got 13.4 inches of rain in 24 hours. Welcome to the monsoon season.
Our old girl was not totally immune to this mess but she came out ok. Wallace e-mailed me last night that there was water in the church undercroft. I went down there about 6:30 p.m. last night (Friday) and there was standing water on the tile and at worst, about 3/4 of an inch of water in the lowest spot in the kitchen. Krista and Tim and Debby and I shop-vac'ed till 11:30 p.m. We pulled up the carpet in the nursery and shop vac'ed it and put it up on chairs to try to dry it. We'll see how it goes.
I was thinking, as I was falling asleep, board stiff from exhaustion, "our congregation is small, our resources are limited, but damn, we sure have a fair number of people who love our old girl Trinity Church." Nice feeling to fall asleep to, and it made a little of the stiffness abate!
Ok, I confess. I've been smarting over this statement for three days and it wasn't even aimed at me. It's the bomb Archbishop Daniel Deng Bul dropped when he called for Bishop Gene Robinson's resignation, when he said, "Gene Robinson has to be away from the Anglican world and be a normal Christian,” then basically states that a so-called "normal Christian", if he were a gay bishop, would resign for the good of the Church.
Why am I so inflamed by this statement? Hey, I'm straight. He's not talkin' to me. I don't even KNOW Bishop Gene (Ok, but I admit I'd like to b/c he is my newest hero....). Well, two reasons...
1. When he disses Bishop Gene, he disses every GLBT person I have had the pleasure to know and call my friend. I was sitting around thinking about my "circle of friends" the other day on my one day self-designed retreat, and I realized about 10-15% of my friends are either gay or lesbian...well DUH...just like the demographics in society. All of the people in my "inner circle" bring the light of God to my life in their own unique, indisputable way. Does this mean that Archbishop Deng is discounting my experience of God's light and love shining through 10-15% of "my posse?"
2. When we start defining "normal" vs. "abnormal" or "deviant" Christians, who's next????? Chicks in stoles, passing out blessed wafers? Acolytes with liturgical color-correct cowboy boots? Communicants with big tattoos? People who wear shorts and t-shirts and flip-flops to the rail? Folks who dye their hair purple? That is huge dangerous slippery slope there, and it runs the risk of us becoming the Pharasees that we loathe in the Gospel stories. It runs the risk of us becoming biblio-idolaters. It runs the risk that, in the name of Jesus, we become what Jesus railed against.
I have just one thing to say to Archbishop Deng, and I now call it the "Doxy test" in honor of Doxy of Wormwood's Doxy. "Archbishop, would you take communinon if Gene Robinson and I were kneeling at the same rail with you?"
If your answer is "yes," well, then, I will trust in God to sort out the details, and I hope you will too.
If your answer is "no," well, then, shake the dust from your feet, buddy and move on. You are, in my book, a GOOMCR ("Get off of my communion rail"...a play on GOMER (get outa my emergency room) from the novel "House of God".)
I was thinking about this in the words of Eucharistic Prayer A...
"We celebrate the memorial of our redemption."
Now, take a listen to those words...emphasis on the concept that God has already redeemed us. There is nothing we have to do to make things happen in this regard. We don’t have to crawl down the aisle blubbering and asking to be “saved.” In fact, it’s quite the opposite!
Take, for instance, the fact that writing my version of my “12 aspects of praise” in Psalm 118, at times, as I wrote it, make a lump come to my throat, and caused me to fight back tears. That tearfulness was not because I had to come to God with my head hanging, all browbeaten, but because of the sheer JOY that God has saved me without my asking or having to jump through hoops! We should not be dragging our asses up the aisle blubbering tears of remorse for our sins because we are disobedient children in the eyes of hard-assed "Daddy God", we should be standing in the sunshine with the wind in our faces, crying tears of joy for our redemption that has already occurred. If we are doing that, our sins will come to light in their own way and will be sorted out between us and God.
I believe in the memorial of my redemption. Does Archbishop Deng?
If you get a chance, pop over and take a gander at Louie Crew's new blog, "Queer Eye for the Lectionary"...as a person who likes to read next week's texts in advance, I find this a very useful site, indeed!
Louie brings his fun and pithy humor to the texts, and it is fun reading!
Don't laugh...when I think of the ultimate "kick back and enjoy life" song, hands down CCR's "Lookin' out my Back Door" is on the top ten list.
So I decided to rework Psalm 118 to that tune!
Psalm 118 as sung to the Tune of “Lookin’ out my Back Door”
(With apologies to the psalmist and to Creedence Clearwater Revival)
Called to God in my distress, said my life’s a friggin’ mess
Got to kick back, let his mercies reach round.
The truth of this has set in, and pretty soon Im singin…
Doo, doo, doo, he has set me so free.
There’s a vandal at the gate, paranoid delusion that’s first rate.
Look at all the crazy critters dancing in my head.
But God’s into ascension, his mercy’s never endin’.
Doo, doo, doo, he has set me so free.
The Lord, oh he is at my side and therefore I won’t fear;
What can anyone really do to me?
Doo, doo doo.
In the rivers of God’s mercy, I drink when I am thirsty,
Doo, doo, doo, he has set me so free.
The Lord, oh he is at my side and therefore I won’t fear;
What can anyone really do to me?
Doo, doo doo.
My fears can come tomorrow, today, I won’t have sorrow.
Doo, doo, doo, he has set me so free.
Called to God in my distress, when my delusions are a mess
Look at all the crazy critters dancing in my head.
My fears can come tomorrow, today, I won’t have sorrow.
Doo, doo, doo, he has set me so free.
I got to thinking about this when I was at the doctor's office for an extended period of time. I was dealing with someone who was worrying about me a bit, and kept calling while I was there for tests (and more tests, and more tests, and some radiologic studies)...all to be told, "Well, I don't see anything worth worrying about, but come back in six months." I agreed to text message out during the long wait each hour.
There is a trick to text messaging in that you have to try to say what needs to be said, but you don’t have all day to push the little buttons on the keypad! So I got to thinking, “Can I re-write this Psalm in text message language and convey its meaning “accurately enough” so the person getting the message would “get it????”
Tks 2 god 4 hez gud;
Hez r peeps 4evuh.
Israel sez hez r peeps 4evuh.
Aaronz house sez hez r peeps 4evuh.
We say god rulz and hez r peeps 4evuh.
I txted god and sed srsly, WTF?
He txted back and sed is ok kid u b ok.
Godz in my contact list.
No 1 can cut off my srvice 2 his cellfone.
Godz in my cellphone pocket.
I own the bad peeps.
Sbetr 2 trust god than peeps.
Sbetr 2 trust god than cellfone co.
Bad peeps all around. God sez shoo goway.
Bad peeps close me in. God sez shoo goway.
Dey are like bees n sting. God sez shoo goway.
I got squoze hard but god was there 4me.
Godz got my back. Is my mp3. Backs up HD 4 me.
Hiz peeps in dere tents say u rule, god u rock!
God rulz!
God rocks!
God rules!
I dnt die. I live. I live n say godz cool.
God beat my ass at times but dnt do me in.
Open godz gates 4 me. I will go in say o hai god kthnx.
Dis godz gate his peeps can go in.
I say kthnx god u txt me back n u save me.
Rock dat was dissed now holds up hole bldg. Paybax a muddah.
God did it d00d n it rocks.
2day god did it we say oktnx n u rock.
Woo hoo god! Now we wnt 2 b wnnrz.
Blest is doze who go n godz name n we bless u frm godz crib.
Godz boss n he shines on us. U have parade. Wid sticks. Go up to altar.
U R mine god kthnx! U R my god n I say u rulz.
Tks 2 god 4 hez gud;
Hez r peeps 4evuh.
Psalm 118 is one of the “Hallel” psalms—“Hallel” meaning “praise” (Here’s the big “duh”—“Hallelujah” = “Praise Yah”—as in Yah the short version of YHWH—i.e. “Praise God.”) The Hallel Psalms are recited at several Jewish holidays but particularly at Passover, Shauvot, and Sukkot.
Ok, so what are the “messages of praise” in Psalm 118?????
1. Give thanks simply because he’s good. (v1 and v29)
2. All of Israel praises him. (v2)
3. Priests praise him (the “Aaronic lineage”). (v3)
4. Those who acknowledge his power praise him (v4)
5. I will praise the fact that God is simply at my side. (v6)
6. I will praise God for being my strength, my song, and for saving me (v14)
7. I will praise God for my life and God’s power over death, as well as for all of God’s works. (v17)
8. I will praise God for opening the gates to his holy kingdom for me. (v19)
9. I will thank God for answering prayer. (v21)
10. I will thank God for his ability to take what the world rejects and make it a lynchpin of his works. (v22-24)
11. I will thank God for those who come in his name that bring us a better understanding of who God is. (v26)
12. I will thank God simply because my God “belongs to me” in a way unlike how God belongs to anyone else.
Next task:
Take these 12 elements of praise and thank God in my own words for them.
I thank you, God.
I thank you simply “for bein’ you.” Lots of people thank you, in their own way, but their ways are not my ways. My ways are pretty straightforward and simple. I can make them flowery when I need to, but there’s no need at the moment because it’s just you and me talking.
I recognize you are the seat of all the power in the universe (although at times I try to claim a little of that for my own.) I’m glad you put up with that sort of foolishness on my part. Truthfully, I’m glad it’s in your job description, not mine.
You don’t know how grateful I am that you are alongside of me in my darkest moments and on my toughest days, but not just then—I’m also grateful you and I can enjoy the sunshine together. I’m glad you and I can play in the sun, and feel the breeze on our faces, and see the ocean in my pasture together. I’m glad we can connect with the stars in my yard at night.
You didn’t have to save all of humankind. You didn’t have to give us your son Jesus. You didn’t have to save me. But you did. I can never repay a debt like that and you know it. You are a strong arm carrying me along, you are a shoulder to lean on, and yeah, you are a boot in my backside now and then too—but I’ll take it all. You show me “your songs”, not necessarily with music, but in the movement and rhythm of the sky, the wind, the trees, and the seasons.
I am not as afraid of death as I could be. Yeah, I’m scared now and then, but not as bad as it could be. That’s because you show me a world beyond death—a world where death is only a teeny-tiny part of the whole picture. You do amazing things—not just in my life but in others, and you’re truly awesome in that regard!
I have to admit I find it a little incredulous that you swing the gates of your heavenly kingdom wide open for me and invite me in with no background check, no ID, no price of admission…but you do. You would let me in “as is”. But “as is” is how you made me, right? So I guess you knew what you were doing.
Thank you, God, for listening to me. Thanks for listening to me even when I’m not sure what I want. Thanks for listening to me when I’m too messed up to even put the words together and you have to read my thoughts and my intent through my sobs and tears. Thank you for not just taking what I tell you and treating it like a list for Santa. Sometimes I think I know what I want but you know better, and you don’t give me what I want, but what I need. I’m glad you love me enough to be tough on me like that.
Thank you, God, for reminding me that being “different” is ok. Better than ok, in fact. Some days are harder on me than others in terms of “rejection”. Some of it is that I’ve been so well trained to find fault in myself, to “reject myself” as “not good enough” or “not as good as the others.” But you have reminded us through the life of Jesus that what the world rejected is sometimes “too good for the world,” as we say around here. So good that the world couldn’t possibly know how good it was till the story played out. When I feel different, I’m in good company—Jesus, Ghandi, Mother Teresa—so I should not feel so bad about it.
God, not only am I thankful to you for what you do for me, I’m thankful for all the people you have crossed my life’s path with that have led me to a better understanding of you. There are many. They know who they are, and I think they will feel my love for them, but if I name names, I will inadvertently leave one out. These people have, in their own way, and when they weren’t even trying, brought me closer to you. They have made Jesus more real for me than Jesus himself, in some ways. It is hard for me to feel directly connected with someone who lived 2000 years ago. But it is easier to “get it” when I can see Jesus’ love in one of my friends.
But finally, God, thank you for interacting with me in a way that you cannot possibly interact with anyone else. I realize with all the billions of humans on the planet that seems near-impossible, but I also see through the snowflakes you bring in winter that there are infinite combinations to how you work with these crazy humans of yours. What I sense is when you and I are connected, that is a special bond meant for none other than you and me. I am very, very protective of that bond, just like I am very protective of the bonds I share with the special people in my life! But that is because you protect me in the shadow of your wings and I really am the apple of your eye. I would say, “You’ll never know how much that means to me,” but duh, obviously, you do!!!!! So all I can say is just “Thanks” and trust you get it!
