2022-11-28 A Prayer: Absolutions

O Lord, where we were doing alright, forgive intrusions. Help us a holy calm to maintain, and a buoyant purpose or spirit. See us ascend to a place passed over and encouraged. See us with, yes, maybe a couple deeper regrets and mistakes past, yet also forego judgment as You did when first we met repentance, when first we harbored pangs and inability thus to logicize or explain. How could I do this thing?

But grant holy buoyancy in season and in the midst of a march, to Trust, to Freefall, to Rest Assured of a ground beneath our feet, a baptismal waters once very well passed through, a hand to steady, a hope that in penitence has come change and amendment of life. So see us with some mistakes amidst myriad proper experiences and heartwarming cases of good encounter and conversation. But also forgive us as we categorize, for example pleading simply a verbal mistake but not a corporate mistake, quite. This excuse only by way of asserting that minor deeds are enormous when we try to “fix things”. And according to some judges we have well beyond a few mistakes and should look elsewhere first than in those sins against friendship and family; but we still pray and turn things over to You.

So we thank You, as we remand to the march and simply, without denying Your abundant coziness of penitence in that season, do prosper in this season as those with unforgivable mistakes forgiven. Thank You for this good deed, not done in solitude, nor in isolation, but in the Company of Your people, who as a company do Forget; who as an offended friend or sibling do give Renewal of Life, and Second Chance. Yes, can we hear the clamor and music around us—yes, us!—who this day have received Mercy?

See us not reluctant to repent when such holy mysteries are invoked by our people or our pastor, but also not caught up in a dizzying backwater: we try on a whim to recreate our season of penitence, and its conclusions, but we are sinners, and do forget and do limp across Your thresholds in forgetfulness of things. Help us gain our confidence that we indeed are a Holy Recipient of Mercy, and as such not to dilly-dally around deeds of supererogation, of proving it when You’ve already proven it on Your Cross. As have we, in our best efforts to allegorize or speak in healing words of touchy subjects, things a little too “broken” or things unhealthy to the community to speak of, but still front and center as we make our good appeal and brotherly endeavor to gesture towards Your Cross, in hope that all do need similar absolution.

See how broken we come across, yet not far from the wondrous service and joyous heart freed and in service. See us march! See us exasperated by yet another altar call, but at the same time a little grateful for a rite of passage we have come to love: for it entails the evocation of Your Passion and Cross. So grant us there to dwell, and if it means remembering the illicit talk or the images or the friend circle wounded, that we might—in great compassion for all—accept our own second chances and third chances, and so on.

We pray all this in Your Name, Amen.