Mosaic Lincoln

Then I said to myself, "Oh, he even sees me in the dark!

At night I'm immersed in the light!"

It's a fact: darkness isn't dark to you;

night and day, darkness and light, they're all the same to you."

Psalm 139:11-12

Let us then pursue what makes for peace

and for mutual upbuilding.

Romans 14:19

But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness,

and all these things will be given to you as well.

Matthew 6:33

Now you've got my feet on the life path,

all radiant from the shining of your face.

Ever since you took my hand,

I'm on the right way.

~Psalm 16:11 (The Message)

Peace be with you! There is hope in the night.

The crowds that went ahead of him and that followed were shouting,
"Hosanna to the Son of David!
Blessed is the one who comes
in the name of the Lord!"

Matthew 21:9

________

And the light is wilder here

Out on the edge of reason

And Love burns bright and clear

Out where I cannot seize Him

~Audrey Assad, Irrational Season

We are in the unknown of the wilderness—

        Discerning and working, seeking and dreaming.

We are in the unknown of the wilderness—

       Grieving and wondering, praying and hoping.

We are in the unknown of the wilderness—

       Longing and walking, creating and waiting.

We are in the unknown of the wilderness, but we have not been alone; for God walks with us, every step of the way. So we will worship our God who walks with us in our darkest nights and our brightest days.

---------

May God’s love sustain you,

And may you love those who surround you.

May God’s Spirit empower you,

And may you empower all those you meet.

May God’s joy fill your hearts,

And may this joy overflow

To the ends of the earth to bring God’s restoration to all things,

Now and forever, Amen.

Mosaic Gathering Prayer, March 8, 2020:

You are welcome here— 
The young and old, those who have visions and those who dream dreams. 
You are welcome here— 
The sinner and saint, those who seek forgiveness and those who long for peace. 
You are welcome here— 
The hurt and the doubting, those who know the wilderness and those who feel lost. 
You are welcome here; for you are loved by God.

For our world bombarded by illness and disease.
Lord, have mercy. Bring healing and protection.
For our neighbors on this planet suffering under the weight of chaotic weather systems.
Lord, have mercy. Bring healing community and restoration.

God, we give you our tears.
We give you our hearts.
They are brimming with doubt and are saturated with fear,
but we give them to you anyway, 
for you promise to love us as we are.

You promise to walk with us to the ends of the earth, so in this moment,
we promise to tell the truth. 
God, you ask us to be brave and bold,
but we cower in fear.

You ask us to love our neighbors as ourselves,
but we hold tight to privilege and the status quo.
And you ask us to risk it all to follow you,
but we are content with the injustices at hand. 

Forgive us for our sin and lift our eyes to you.
In our valley, lead us to your green pasture.
Restore our lives beside the still waters.
Gratefully we pray, Amen. 

Psalm 88

Mosaic Community Liturgy: March 1, 2020

God hovered over the void and breathed life into dust.
God created in the wilderness.
The Israelites wandered in the desert for forty years.
The Israelites found God in the wilderness.
Jesus said “no” to the tempter time and time again.
Jesus claimed his identity in the wilderness.
We grow in the wilderness. We learn in the wilderness.
For God is with us—before, through, and after the wilderness.

Creator God, You breathed life into dust. You dreamed me up and brought me into existence. The least I could do would be to follow you, but even that is hard. Forgive me for my distracted ways. Remind me that in life and in death, I belong to you. On my best days and on my worst days, I belong to you. Amen.