David's Plea

Camp Creek State Park

This is a reposting of something I wrote in 2006.  Psalm 51 is traditionally attributed to David, written after he realizes his sin with Bathsheba.  It seems appropriate on Ash Wednesday.  

Please, father, have mercy.
I know you love me;
May you remember your love
You compassion,
And forget my sin.

I pray your love will be so large
That it will wash away my sins,
As huge as they are.
I know I have sinned.
I know I have disappointed you.
My sins are like a pile of garbage,
Impossible to miss.

I know I have disappointed you,
Done what you have told me was wrong.
You have every right to shine a light on my wrongdoings,
And to judge my faults.

I can't remember a time when I didn't sin.
My mistakes, my faults and my selfishness
Have been with me forever.

Transform me, Father.
Make me clean, from the inside out.
I have faith that you, and you alone,
Can take away the darkness in my soul.
I long to hear joy and gladness.
My crushed spirit begs to feel happiness.

Make my sins invisible,
And hide my wrongdoings.
Recreate me, God,
So that my heart beats for you,
And my spirit can fly on your wings.

Do not send me away from you,
I would die without your Holy Spirit.
Restore in me the joy of my salvation.
I have lost faith that you can save me
As I stand in the shadow of my sin.

If you can help me, Father,
I will have the courage to teach others of your glory.
I will have the means to convince others
Of your goodness.
I will sing your praises forever.

If I knew another way, dear God,
I would do it.
If forgiveness were in my power,
I would reach for it.
It lies only with you, God
I pray you will accept my repentance.
I pray you will find gladness in saving me.
My only hope is that you will forgive me.
 

What does the Lord require?

Loosely inspired by Psalm 15 and Micah 6:8

O Lord, 

who can live with you?

Who can approach - be close - 

Who can stand with you?

Give us the strength to obey 

To live a life you require of us. 

To do what is right. 

To speak the truth from a 

 new heart.

What does the Lord require? 

To do justice 

To love kindness 

To walk humbly.

Help us to not lie about others 

Guide us as we seek to do no evil 

 to friends, to enemies. 

Shame us if we embarrass others.

What does the Lord require? 

To do justice 

To love kindness 

To walk humbly.

Give us eyes like yours, 

Eyes that see beyond the sin of others 

Even through our own sin, 

May we honor our neighbors 

May we stand for the truth, 

even when it has consequences.

What does the Lord require? 

To do justice 

To love kindness 

To walk humbly.

You desire that we do not 

take advantage of others, 

that we lift up the oppressed, 

that we do not deal with others with dishonesty. 

Give us this strength.

What does the Lord require? 

To do justice 

To love kindness 

To walk humbly.

And, o Lord, grant us grace when we fail. 

Give us courage to try again.

 

Poetry - 2025

The following is a list of poetry from my blog in 2025.  It is only here to for record keeping and to provide a landing place for the link to the left.

• Have you Heard the Good News (Zephaniah 3:14-20)
• A Prayer of Thanksgiving (Ephesians 1)
• Kyrie Eleison
• Sovereign of the Universe (Psalm 90:1-4)
• I am your God (Psalm 46)
• Pay Attention (Romans 13:11-14)

Pay Attention

 

Inspired by Romans 13:11-14

Pay attention.

Don't be so focused on yourself that you miss it.

Miss what is going on.

Sleep and miss God.

The alarm may sound soon,

waking us up.

The night may be over soon,

and day touches us.

Dawn breaks upon us.

God is at work,

Perfecting us, perfecting salvation.

Don't waste a minute,

don't waste any moment of the light.

Get up,

and dress yourself in Christ.

Waste no time.

I am your God

Inspired by Psalm 46.

I am your God.

Take shelter in me.

Gather strength from me.

I will help you when you are in trouble.

I am your God.

You are mine.

Don't be afraid,

even when the foundations of your world are shaken,

even when everything is changing,

even when it feels like the mountains and the sea are slipping away,

Don't be afraid

I am your God

You are mine. I love you.

The rivers flow to my creation,

I live in the cities,

I live in the sunrise,

I live in the nations, even when they are in crisis.

I live here.

If you listen, you can hear my voice.

I am your God.

You are mine.

I love you.

No matter what happens.

I am with you.

Open your eyes and see what I am doing.

I bring peace.

I am your God.

You are mine.

I love you.

Stop the shouting in your mind.

Be quiet, and listen.

Know.

I am your God.

You are mine.

I will help you when you are in trouble.

Gather strength from me.

Take shelter in me.

I am your God.

 

Sovereign of the Universe

Inspired by Psalm 90:1-4

O God, our God,

Melek Ha'Olam

You are king. You are sovereign.

You reign over all that is.

Help us to understand this.

May our bones tremble with the reality.

You sit among the angels.

May the earth know this to its core.

O God, our God

Melek Ha'Olam

You are great in Zion.

You are great in all places,

over all of us.

May we lift you high.

Exalted.

O God, our God,

Melek Ha'Olam

We praise your name.

We praise you.

Awesome are you.

Holy are you.

O God, our God,

Melek Ha'Olam

You love and value justice,

Equity springs from your nature.

You brought justice and righteousness

through Jacob,

through your kingdom among us.

You have created righteousness in us.

Holy are is your name.

Holy are you.

Note: Melek Ha'Olam means King of the Universe or Sovereign of the Universe (as I understand it).

 

Kyrie Eleison

Kyrie eleison down the road that I must travel
Kyrie eleison through the darkness of the night
Kyrie eleison where I'm going, will you follow?
Kyrie eleison on a highway in the night

Kyrie eleison.
Lord have mercy.
I remember those times when that was the only prayer.
When there could be no other prayers.
When even that prayer evaded my mind.
Kyrie eleison.
Lord have mercy.

And yet, Lord have mercy?
The Lord is mercy.
Why ask the Lord to have something that the Lord already is?
Lord have mercy?
No. Lord, share yourself with me.

Lord, cover me with who you are.
Lord, blanket me in your mercy.
In the times when the spirit prays,
When the holiness in me
groans,
Lord, be who you are.
Be the steadfast pillar you already are.
Show me your mercy.
Show me yourself.

As I walk down the road,
in the darkness,
lead me where I'm going,
down the highway in the night.
Lord, surround me in yourself.
In your mercy.

First stanza and inspiration from Kyrie Eleison
 Lyrics by Richard James Page / John Ross Lang / Steven Park George.

A Prayer of Thanksgiving

Inspired by Ephesians 1

O God, our God 

We come to you with gratitude in our hearts. 

You gave you son for us. 

To us. 

You take us to the mountains 

High places for you. 

 Before we even existed, 

you laid the foundations of our world, 

our lives. 

You created us from your imagination, 

Your love for us existed before we did. 

You have made us whole, 

You have made us your family. 

You have invited us to be as loving and generous as you are.

Because of the gift of your son 

We are a free people. 

Freed from penalties and punishments. 

Not just free, 

but abundantly free! 

You have provided everything for us 

and your joy in your giving is obvious. 

 In Christ we see who and what we live for. 

Christ has been with us, even before we knew of him. 

Our glorious living is part of the plan set forth in Christ, 

including the deepest heaven and all on earth. 

We thank you, o God, 

and we know this is just the beginning. 

There is an eternal life before us, 

full of praise and glory.

We lift up our lives to you our praise, 

our thanksgiving 

with sighs too deep for Words

 

Have you Heard the Good News?

 

Inspired by Zephaniah 3:14-20

Why do you lower your head in the shame of your sin? 

Why do you hide? 

Have you heard the good news?

Shout to the heavens; 

Share the joy! 

God has taken away the judgements against you, 

God has turned away your enemies, 

God is here.

Why are you afraid? 

Why do you feel weak in your sin? 

Have you heard the good news?

God is here, and God brings you victory. 

God will rejoice over you with gladness; 

God will make you new in love!

God is singing over you!

Why do you worry about the disaster of your sin? 

Why do you suffer about what others will say about you? 

Have you heard the good news?

God is here. 

God is stronger than what presses you down. 

God is turning your shame into praise.

God will bring you home. 

God will gather you, 

God will restore you. 

God will forgive your sin, 

God loved you yesterday, today, 

And God will love you forever.

Poetry - 2024

The following is a list of poetry from my blog in 2024.  It is only here to for record keeping and to provide a landing place for the link to the left.

• If I Love (Mark 12:28-31, 1 Corinthians 13)
• A Flood of Fidelity
• New Life (Psalm 51:1-3, 8-12)
• May God's Good Work be Known (Psalm 111)
• In the Mountains (Psalm 125:1-5)
• How to we Thanks God for You? (1 Thessalonians 3:9-13)

How do we thank God for you?

Roughly inspired by 1 Thessalonians 3:9-13

I imagine this as a letter to a church

How do we thank God for you?

For your life, your work, your service?

How can we thank God for the joy you bring?

We pray without pausing,

night and day,

with all intensity,

to see you again,

face to face.

We pray that we may bring you faith

the way you have strengthened our faith.

May God set the path

so that we can come to you.

May God direct our way to you.

May God grow the love that is found among you

so that it is abundance and obvious.

So that your light shines for all.

So that the love we feel for you

will be felt among you.

And may God strengthen your hearts

Strengthen your faith

So that holiness is like the water that washes you clean each day.

May you be blameless before God

in the grace God has provided.

 

In the Mountains

Inspired by Psalm  125:1-5

Those who trust,

those who have faith in God

are like the mountains that surround us.

They cannot be moved

And are here forever.

As the mountains surround us

in the heart of Appalachia

so God is in our midst

surrounding us.

Now, tomorrow,

and every day to come.

Even though injustice, violence, and oppression

sneak around us,

press to have their way,

God is not separated from us.

God's will shall be done.

May we see your goodness, o God,

May we know your way.

Give us new hearts in you.

Bring us peace, O God,

and help us to be bringers of Peace.

May we all turn aside from our crooked ways,

and follow you, our God.

 

May God's Good Work be Known

The sun rises.

My heart rises in gratitude for the goodness of the Lord

May the congregation sing praises,

May God's good work be known.

God's work is full of wonder and divinity

God's goodness endures forever

Echoing through creation,

in the lives of all who know God.

God is gracious and merciful.

We open our hands for our daily bread,

We rejoice in promises kept

and witness steadfast loyalty.

We sing of God's powerful deeds,

and proclaim God's legacy across time.

What God does is faithful and just,

his law is trustworthy

through all the ages.

God redeemed the people,

commanded his covenant forever.

Holy and awesome is God.

Do you hear these words?

Do you fear the Lord?

Here is the beginning of wisdom;

here is the start of understanding.

Our song of praise lasts forever.

Inspired by Psalm 111

 

New Life

 A prayer of Confession inspired by Psalm 51:1-3, 8-12

O God, I am in need of you.

Your love and mercy are abundant

Unimaginable.

Miraculous.

Remove my sin, please, o God.

Make me clean as you created me to be

Wash me from my wrongdoings.

Only you can remove the stain.

All I can see if what I've done wrong.

It fills my vision, my heart, my life.

I have sinned against you,

I have done what is evil.

I cast down my eyes because

you are justified in not seeing me at all.

In ignoring my plea.

Open my eyes to hear your joy.

Open my heart to know your forgiveness.

Open my bones to be healed by your love.

Let me know gladness again.

Hide my sins from your sight.

Convince me that it is so.

Remove the stain of sin that has darkened my life.

Help me to start again.

Create in me a new heart,

a fresh start,

a new and right life.

Recreate me so that I am worthy

to be near you,

so that I am a righteous place

for your Holy Spirit to dwell,

so that I am not alone.

O, God,

Restore in my the assurance of salvation,

return to me the conviction of your action in my life,

so that I know you again.

Rebuild in my a willing spirit

to start new life with you.

A Flood of Fidelity

After the floods came
and Noah's family stepped into the world,
God started a new flood,
a flood of fidelity.

Great is God's faithfulness.

When we see a cold, hungry person

asleep on the street,

and we turn the other way,

we have a second chance.

A flood of fidelity.

Neighborliness.

Generosity.

Empathy.

When we want to strike out

at the person who disagrees with us.

When the world's divisions

overcome us,

we have a second chance.

A flood of fidelity.

Forgiveness.

Curiosity.

Grace.

When we find ourselves

in the center of our own sin,

and we see no way out.

When darkness is all around us,

we have a second chance.

A flood of fidelity.

Repentance.

Restart.

Rebuilding.

Great is God's faithfulness.

Great can be our faithfulness.

For we float on a sea -

a flood -

of fidelity.

It is our second chance.

It is our way back.

It is our grace from God.

Hope.

Peace.

Love.

A flood of fidelity.

Inspired by a devotion in the book A Way Other than our Own by Walter Brueggermann.

If I love

The following is a repeat post from February 14, 2007 but it seems fitting for Valentines Day.  

Mark 12:28-31; Corinthians 13

Love God
With all of your heart
With all of your soul
With all of your mind
With all of your strength.
Love God.

Love your neighbor.
As you love yourself.

I hear it,
But what does it mean?

It means that there is nothing more important.
It means that even though God gives us many gifts,
The one which matters the most,
Is love.

If my words are spoken,
Without thought of anyone else,
Then I am just a noise.
Useless to God.
Even if I am smart enough
To predict what the future will bring,
Even if I am clever enough
To understand the most difficult thoughts,
Even if my faith is so strong
That the biggest obstacle I face is nothing at all,
If I do it all without love,
Then God cannot touch others through me.

Even if I am so unselfish
That my belonging are like chalkdust to me.
Even if I give all that I am
To whatever purpose God has for me,
But I do it without love,
Then I have no purpose to God.

I must receive and give the greatest gift of all.
I must Love.

Love works at its own speed.
If I love,
Then I do not wish for what I cannot or should not have.
I do not trumpet my own worth,
I do not value what I do over who other people are.
I show the value of other people by my actions toward them.

When I love,
My own wishes or desires sink in importance
Compared to the needs of others.
When I love, I am easy to be around,
And I do not wish it to be otherwise.

When I love,
I do not celebrate sin, but instead I glory in the truth.
Love will put up with a lot,
Love will trust beyond reason,
Love will hope when all seems lost,
And love never gives up.

Love never ends.

Everything else in the world is temporary.
All other gifts will eventually fade away,
But not love.

Love is so hard to understand,
But God knows that.
He understands that what we can accept
Is so much less
Than what he is willing to give.
The time will come, though,
When all will be made clear.
And love will be for us
Like the air we breathe,
And it will make us complete.

When I was younger,
My habits were those of a child.
My speech, my thoughts, my actions
Were immature.
As I grew older, I grasped something better.
And I gave up my childish ways,
For those of an adult.
We are like that.
What we see now, what we can understand now
Is so much less than what God wants us to be.

My relationship with God,
My ability to love God,
My hope of being able to love my neighbor,
Is fractured.
God has promised
That I will know fully what love means
And that there will come a time
When I am able to know him
Just as fully as he knows me,
When I am able to love him
With just as much completeness
As he loves me.

He has given us
Faith
Hope
Love.
But his greatest gift,
Beyond comparison
Beyond price
Is love.

Poetry - 2023

 The following is a list of poetry from my blog in 2023.  Its only here for record keeping and to provide a landing place for the link to  the left.

• Never Ending Joy (Isaiah 35:1-10)
• Like a Frightened Bird (Psalm 31:1-5, 15-16)
• A Litany with Psalm 16
• Merciful God (Psalm 145: 8-14)
• Our Home  (Psalm 90: 1-6, 13-17)

What is God's Command?

Inspired by Leviticus 1-2, 15-18

The Lord spoke to Moses and said:

The Lord speaks to us, and says:

You shall be holy, set apart,

For I am holy, and I have consecrated you.

You shall be fair in your judgements,

You shall not show favoritism to the poor,

(I don't have to worry about that, do I?,

for your hand can be oppressive).

You shall not defer to the great.

(Did you hear me?)

With justice you shall judge your  neighbor.

You shall not lie.

You shall not spread falseness.

You shall not gaslight.

You shall not tell fake news.

(Are their other ways I can say it?)

You shall not spread slander about your neighbors,

(or about anyone - they are all your neighbors)

And you shall not profit by the blood of your neighbors.

(ARE YOU LISTENING?)

You shall not hate anyone.

No, not even that person,

You can offer gentle accountability,

but not hate.

What touches one of you,

touches all of you.

You shall not seek retribution or vengeance.

You shall not bear a grudge.

(Stop. Just stop.  I see you).

You shall love your neighbor.

You shall forgive.

Do you hear me?

Forgive.

Love.

Our Home

 

Inspired by Psalm 90:1-6, 13-17

Oh, Lord, our God, for all of our generations,

You have been our home.

Before the mountains rose,

Before the earth was formed,

You have been our home.

From everlasting to everlasting.

You are timeless, forever.

We are bound by mortality.

Ashes to ashes.

Dust to dust.

And still,

you are our home.

Time is nothing to you.

A thousand years is the blink of an eye.

A day.

Yesterday.

The days spin past,

the years spin into nothing.

The grass is renewed every morning.

It withers every evening.

And you are God.

Everlasting to everlasting

Our home.

May every morning be filled

with your steadfast love,

so that joy fills our days.

May our children see you

and know that you are their home.

May they understand your power,

and rest in your love.

May the work we do

bring you glory.

May the work we do

be pleasing to you.

Spread your love among us,

and bless us with your presence.

God, our God.

Everlasting to everlasting.

Our home.

Merciful God

Inspired by Psalm 145: 8-14

Merciful God

God of grace.

Patient God,

Loving God.

I offer gratitude to you.

I need your mercy and your grace.

I know there are times when I should feel your anger,

and yet you are patient with me.

You love me.

You love all of us.

Even the person I steer away from.

Everything drips with your grace.

Abundantly raining down upon us all.

Your creation and your creatures offer praise.

Your people sing of your goodness and mercy,

They shout of your magnificence.

We want the world to know of your power,

your goodness,

your grace.

You are forever,

and your kingdom will not end.

You keep your promises ,

and your actions are a light to the world.

Loving God,

You lift us up when we fall,

In your patience, you encourage of to keep going.

Your generous grace overwhelms us,

and in your mercy,

we can start again.