(most days, I do selections from Mission St. Clare, but today I am building my own)
From Psalm 103, The Message
O my soul, bless God. From head to toe, I'll bless his holy name!
O my soul, bless God,
don't forget a single blessing!
He forgives your sins—every one.
He heals your diseases—every one.
He redeems you from hell—saves your life!
He crowns you with love and mercy—a paradise crown.
He wraps you in goodness—beauty eternal.
He renews your youth—you're always young in his presence.
God makes everything come out right;
he puts victims back on their feet.
He showed Moses how he went about his work,
opened up his plans to all Israel.
God is sheer mercy and grace;
not easily angered, he's rich in love.
He doesn't endlessly nag and scold,
nor hold grudges forever.
He doesn't treat us as our sins deserve,
nor pay us back in full for our wrongs.
As high as heaven is over the earth,
so strong is his love to those who fear him.
And as far as sunrise is from sunset,
he has separated us from our sins.
As parents feel for their children,
God feels for those who fear him.
He knows us inside and out,
keeps in mind that we're made of mud.
Men and women don't live very long;
like wildflowers they spring up and blossom,
But a storm snuffs them out just as quickly,
leaving nothing to show they were here.
God's love, though, is ever and always,
eternally present to all who fear him,
Making everything right for them and their children
as they follow his Covenant ways
and remember to do whatever he said.
Reigning God, we confess that we,
like the disciples James and John,
seek places of honor, privilege and reward.
We succumb to the temptation to compare ourselves
with others to our advantage.
We want privilege without pain,
greatness without the grind of hard work.
We expect rewards for our efforts.
We talk about serving you,
but we do not want the rank of servant.
We have lots of ideas about what you might do
to intervene in the world
and little commitment to what we might do
in your name.
Forgive us and help us, gracious God.
(From a liturgy of the OSL)
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