A liturgy for surrender. It began so very long ago, even in that Garden of Shalom. It was when that crafty serpent walked in from the chaos place outside. Even then, we began looking at our hands and yours, being trained to see and to take, to judge what is good. Not trusting the Voice that had separated light and dark, to now rightly separate good and evil. So today, Yahweh, Rabbi, Spirit hovering over the chaos waters of my life; I look down at the things that I hold in my

A liturgy for living in a foreign land. Father, help me to walk humbly with You. Help me to be curious instead of critical. Help me not to compare, but to appreciate the differences before me. Help me to look beyond the surface and to see others through Your eyes. Father, open my eyes to the beauty of where You’ve placed me. Open my eyes to see how this culture reflects parts of Your character. Open my eyes to see those who are vulnerable, on the outside, and might even fe

A liturgy for non-traditional seasons. To the Guider of my steps, the Overseer of my comings and goings, Thank You for placing me in the middle of this community. Thank You for this non-traditional work that You have given me. As I go through my day, wandering back and forth in and out of the community around me, It is easy to feel isolated and alone, like an outsider everywhere I go even in my own classroom. I miss the traditional role that I used to have, the familiar scri

A liturgy for learners with a weary heart. O Patient and Gracious Father, When I look around this classroom you have entrusted to me, I see faces full of excitement, fatigue, interest, boredom, curiosity, and indifference. These reactions seep through my broken, dusty defenses, and I feel an immediate temptation to catalogue. To slowly strip these image-bearers of their Creator’s designs and unwittingly remake them according to my own understanding: valued for their alacr

A liturgy for how our unity speaks to Your reality. Father This simple greeting points to our belonging in a Family Every family has its quirky characters In this new land where I live I often think those who gather as Family here are the quirky ones But maybe it’s me Father I used to be so comfortable gathering with Family in my passport country Was it just a club? A place where I knew all the unspoken rules? I don’t know the rules here And in my stumbling through un

A liturgy for dwelling together in unity. Behold, how good & pleasant it is when brothers & sisters dwell together in unity. Surely, from an eternity before this was penned by our brother David, You, Father, considered my team. You chose us & called us out from our nations, in accordance with Your foreknowledge of our willing obedience. You led each of us by the hand to our new homes & places of calling. Indeed, You Yourself marked out our appointed times & the very bo