We come to Thee, O Christ, confessing to Thee the fears that twist our lives and keep us from the inner calm and peace that come from Thee:
The fear of ourselves, that we cannot do what is expected of us;
The fear of being found out for our littleness and pride in ourselves;
The fear of being left out when joy and richness come to others;
The fear of not being ready when opportunities present themselves for service;
The fear of death, that when it comes our time to die, we shall not have done the things we would have done, because we were afraid to venture out.
We find ourselves shrinking back before the unknown, wanting assurance where we must have faith; We find ourselves hesitating to follow Thee, O Christ, afraid the cost may be too great, and life may pass us by. Give us the strength and peace that only Thou canst give. Amen
---Rachel Henderlite (1905-1991) Written for a service of worship at Montreat, North Carolina, July 20, 1954 from A Book of Reformed Prayers, ed. Howard L. Rice, Lamar Williamson, Jr., 1998, Westminster Press.
3 comments:
Amen and Amen.
Beautiful.
This was very helpful, especially "the fear of ourselves, that we cannot do what is expected of us." I feel that a lot, and it definitely distracts from connecting with God.
Thanks for posting this.
Post a Comment