Tag: blame-shifting

The Righteous and the Wicked (Malachi 3:13-18)

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Christian Spirituality Blog, Daily Bible Reading Blog, Year CLeave a comment

“You have spoken arrogantly against me,” says the Lord.

“Yet you ask, ‘What have we said against you?’

“You have said, ‘It is futile to serve God. What do we gain by carrying out his requirements and going about like mourners before the Lord Almighty? But now we call the arrogant blessed. Certainly evildoers prosper, and even when they put God to the test, they get away with it.’”

Then those who feared the Lord talked with each other, and the Lord listened and heard. A scroll of remembrance was written in his presence concerning those who feared the Lord and honored his name.

“On the day when I act,” says the Lord Almighty, “they will be my treasured possession. I will spare them, just as a father has compassion and spares his son who serves him. And you will again see the distinction between the righteous and the wicked, between those who serve God and those who do not. (New International Version)

The righteous and the wicked. Depending upon what sort of faith tradition you grew up in as a child; or by what belief system you currently adhere to, this may likely determine your understanding of those two words.

The terms “righteous” and “wicked” vary amongst differing groups of people. But however you understand those words, I want us to notice how the prophet Malachi understands them.

To be “righteous” means to have a right relationship with both God and others. It is to be close enough to knowing God to carry out what is important to God.

Righteous folk actually listen and talk to one another. They consult and collaborate with each other. They enjoy good relations because the righteous understand that relationships are a high value. They discern that people are important.

And so, God’s justice is very important to the righteous, because God wants everyone’s basic needs met. The Lord desires people to be treated well, with respect and dignity, in order to make a living and enjoy life.

To be “wicked” means to be arrogant, proud, and boastful. It is to have a string of messed up relationships with both God and others because they insist on their own way.

The wicked are far from God, and do whatever they want to do, regardless of how it may affect others. They view justice and righteousness as dispensable, and unnecessary, unless it can be used as leverage for selfish desires. Even though the wicked might be rich and powerful in this life, they will not be spared from God’s judgment.

Wicked persons – those who carry out injustice and seek to care only for themselves – are called to repent, to change, to amend their evil ways. Their negative statements about God, and their mistreatment of others, has not gone unnoticed.

A typical tactic of wicked persons is to blame others. In Malachi’s day, they were blaming God, and ironically, accusing the Lord of injustice. That’s because the wicked person’s understanding of God is that the Lord exists for their personal benefit.

So, if the wicked person is not receiving some benefit from God, then God isn’t being God, and then is accused and blamed as being the problem to any sort of adverse situation.

But in reality, the righteous are God’s treasured possession, because they consistently serve the Lord, no matter the circumstances. The righteous are faithful, and so, they will be spared on the day of God’s judgment.

So far, I have made this all seem quite black and white. But that was only to make clear the contrast between righteousness and wickedness. The truth is that all of us are a bit of both. We are not always completely right, nor are we always wrong.

We are in the middle of things. Most folks have not rejected God through a lack of belief. Yet, they also have not fully accepted God’s intentions for this world and are not fully living into them.

The prophet Malachi calls such persons (which is perhaps all of us?) to a day when trying circumstances will make the distinction between the wicked and the righteous much more clear.

Then, we will be able to change, fully convinced and knowing the difference between right and wrong, truth and error, faith and fear.

Charlatans will eventually be found out and known. And the consistently faithful people will eventually be noticed and held up by God for others to see and know.

If everything presently appears murky, shadowy, and unclear, please know that it will not always be this way for you.

I am assuming that there very few “wicked” persons actually reading or listening to this. Simply because they see no value in doing so. It doesn’t get them anywhere they want to go.

The wicked may seem to know what they’re doing, but they don’t. Life for them is very nebulous and unclear. They’re only spit-balling through life, trying to look out for number one, that is, themselves.

But you who are reading or listening to this likely want nothing to do with wickedness. You want to stay away from evil.

You are looking to make a difference on this earth, and to improve your little corner of the world. You desire good things for yourself and others. You seek to live as justly and rightly as you can.

Good for you! The Lord is noticing your faith and patience.

So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded.

You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised. For,

“In just a little while,
    he who is coming will come
    and will not delay.”

And,

“But my righteous one will live by faith.
    And I take no pleasure
    in the one who shrinks back.”

But we do not belong to those who shrink back and are destroyed, but to those who have faith and are saved. (Hebrews 10:35-39, NIV)

Eternal God, in whose perfect kingdom no sword is drawn but the sword of righteousness, no strength known but the strength of love: So mightily spread abroad your Spirit, that all peoples may be gathered under the banner of the Prince of Peace, as children of one Father; to whom be dominion and glory, now and forever. Amen.

The Pathology of Complaining (Numbers 20:1-13)

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Christian Spirituality Blog, Daily Bible Reading Blog, Year ALeave a comment

In the first month the whole Israelite community arrived at the Desert of Zin, and they stayed at Kadesh. There Miriam died and was buried.

Now there was no water for the community, and the people gathered in opposition to Moses and Aaron. They quarreled with Moses and said, “If only we had died when our brothers fell dead before the Lord! Why did you bring the Lord’s community into this wilderness, that we and our livestock should die here? Why did you bring us up out of Egypt to this terrible place? It has no grain or figs, grapevines or pomegranates. And there is no water to drink!”

Moses and Aaron went from the assembly to the entrance to the tent of meeting and fell facedown, and the glory of the Lord appeared to them. The Lord said to Moses, “Take the staff, and you and your brother Aaron gather the assembly together. Speak to that rock before their eyes and it will pour out its water. You will bring water out of the rock for the community so they and their livestock can drink.”

So Moses took the staff from the Lord’s presence, just as he commanded him. He and Aaron gathered the assembly together in front of the rock and Moses said to them, “Listen, you rebels, must we bring you water out of this rock?” Then Moses raised his arm and struck the rock twice with his staff. Water gushed out, and the community and their livestock drank.

But the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not trust in me enough to honor me as holy in the sight of the Israelites, you will not bring this community into the land I give them.”

These were the waters of Meribah, where the Israelites quarreled with the Lord and where he was proved holy among them. (New International Version)

Moses Strikes the Rock, by Rivka Korf

Every heinous sin you can think of – the worst of the worst – initially began as complaining and quarreling. Wherever you find murmuring and disrespect, you are looking at a spiritual illness which, if untreated, will poison the soul and result in apostasy, that is, a complete failure and repudiation of faith.

Today’s Old Testament lesson is a reminder and a warning that people’s faith can weaken to the point of becoming almost non-existent. There is a pathological process which brings people to a point of turning away from their faith:

  1. Complaining. It all starts with muttering some discontentment under the breath; murmuring dissatisfaction; and grumbling some ingratitude for what one already has. The Israelites complained about the lack of water. They quarreled with Moses about it and directed their anger at him.
  2. Psychotic depression. Most depression is normal, understandable, and even needed. However, psychotic depression is expressing a wish to be dead because of spiritual instability and an inability to see God at work. In other words, it’s manipulative. It’s a passive-aggressive type of anger directed at those who represent God. This is not a depression you can diagnose or put on someone; it’s a grief reaction gone sideways in wishing harm at self or others.
  3. Daydreaming. This is a preoccupation with “the good old days.” Back there in Egypt, the Israelites had figs, and grapevines, and water. But out here, they’ve got nothing. The people were experiencing extreme tunnel vision, only remembering the food they used to eat, instead of the bland manna they had to gather every day. They had completely blocked out the reason they were in the desert – because God brought a miraculous deliverance from slavery. Egypt was, in fact, anything but the good old days.
  4. Blaming. The people blamed Moses for bringing them into the wilderness. They criticized him for their lack of food and water. In reality, Moses was just doing what God wanted – and actually what the people wanted. The Israelites wanted out of Egypt; and then, when they left and things got hard, the people shifted the blame of hard circumstances onto Moses (and God).
  5. Disobeying. Why obey Moses or even Yahweh if you believe they’re out to get you, or don’t care? Maybe we just look out for ourselves and do what we think is best. (Exodus 16:1-28)
  6. Idolatry. Eventually, the people formed a “Back to Egypt” campaign. They turned their backs on Moses and on God. They lost faith, made a golden calf, and called it their god. (Exodus 32:1-8)

Despite all the whining and twisted thinking, God was gracious. The Lord told Moses to take up his staff, gather the people, and speak to a rock. God would provide by causing water to gush out of it.

At this point, Moses was upset. It seems to me he had enough of the people’s insolence and complaining. So, he ends up speaking to the people instead of the rock; and striking the rock with his staff instead of letting God do the striking.

It looks like rebellion rubs off and infects everyone, because Moses is chided by God for his own rebelliousness. Specifically, he was rebuked for not trusting God. As a result, Moses would not join the rest of the community in entering the Promised Land.

This is really a sad ending to the story. Moses was just trying to obey the Lord and lead the people. I can totally understand how exasperated he must have been from the constant griping of the people. Yet, Moses was held to account for his own lack of faith. And the people would eventually experience a harsh judgment for their faithlessness.

Don’t be misled. Bad company corrupts good character. (1 Corinthians 15:33)

Being around a bunch of ingrates will cause the good person to quit giving thanks.

Surrounding oneself with faithless people will result in that person eventually losing faith.

And hearing other people continually complain about their circumstances will cause you to grumble, setting the whole group on the road to spiritual death.

I don’t want that. And I don’t want it for you, either. If you are in such a group, get out, go, and be around people with the sort of values you care about. Life is too short to mess around with a bunch of complainers.

Lord Jesus Christ, you prayed for your friends that they would be one as you and your Father are one. We confess our resistance to your prayer. We have failed to maintain the unity of the Spirit. We have broken the bond of peace.

For the times we have not listened to each other, when we have spoken in anger, haste or fear, we are sorry. For the times we have not loved each other, when we have competed, or insulted or judged each other, we are sorry. For the harm that our disunity has done to our witness to the Gospel, we are sorry.

Have mercy on us, we pray. Restore us to friendship with you and with one another, through the power of your Spirit. Amen.

How To Deal with Temptation (James 1:12-16)

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Christian Spirituality Blog, Daily Bible Reading Blog, Year ALeave a comment
Eve reaching for the forbidden fruit, by S.J. Grove, 1995

Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.

When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.

Don’t be deceived, my dear brothers and sisters. (New International Version)

The slow slog of uphill adversity, at various times, is a common experience of us all. We must deal with circumstances we didn’t choose, and situations that are out of our control. Throw into the mix that many people have few resources, and you have a feeling of being totally overwhelmed.

In this state of being, it’s challenging to maintain solid decision-making, emotional stability, and spiritual support. We need both encouragement and warning so that we can be strengthened in faith.

The Apostle James sought to encourage and warn a small struggling church who were enduring difficult and unwanted situations. He reminded the believers that the person who perseveres under a time of trial and testing of faith is blessed. 

To be “blessed” is to have God’s stamp of approval. God approves of learning, enduring, and maturing through hardship. For such people, God has promised to give “the crown of life.” All the hard lessons we have under our belts, puts us in the position to connect with Jesus and enjoy God.

Don’t blame others

Sometimes, however, we face suffering not because of the circumstances which God brings in our lives, but because of our own unwise response to difficulty. 

Problems are compounded whenever we blame our troubles on others, and refuse to learn what God is trying to teach us. This sort of response has it’s origins in the Garden.  

Adam said to God, “The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate.” (Genesis 3:12) The implication of Adam is that he would have remained innocent, if God had not put Eve in the Garden with him. 

Ever since, blame-shifting has been a staple of human behavior. Our bruised hearts and damaged egos send us desperately looking for someone else to blame when we are confronted with our own trouble. 

“There are two eras in American history: the passing of the buffalo and the passing of the buck.”

Will Rogers

Some folks can be so desperate to justify themselves, they end up saying illogical things, such as: 

  • “I wouldn’t lose my temper if my co-workers were easier to get along with, my kids behaved better, and my spouse were more considerate.” 
  • “I would be a patient person if I didn’t have so many things to do, and if the people around me weren’t so slow and incompetent!” 
  • “I would have a pure mind if there were not so many sexual images in our culture.”
  • “I wouldn’t worry about the future if I had more money, and no health problems.”
  • “My spiritual life would be much better if the pastor did a better job.”
  • “I would follow if there were some decent leadership around here.”
  • “I could never forgive that person [or God].”
  • “My neighbor is an incredible cook; I can’t lose weight with such good food.”
  • “I’ll never be happy, as long as that person is in my life.”

So, I ask us, “What will it take?”…

  1. To stop making excuses? 
  2. To quit blame-shifting onto others? 
  3. To trust God and step out in faith?
  4. To cease worrying about what other people think and start doing what God thinks? 
  5. To look at faith as a dynamic relationship with the Lord, instead of just a static thing you possess? 
  6. To read Holy Scripture as if your life depended on it? 
  7. To minister with initiative and confidence? 
  8. To be humble, do justice, and act with mercy? 
  9. To spiritually grow?
  10. To truly enjoy life?

Don’t blame God

It seems that to err is human; to blame it on the divine is even more human.

God cannot be tempted; it’s not an option. God hates sin and disobedience; the Lord has no appeal for it, at all. It’s a moral impossibility for God to even consider attempting to do evil. Therefore, since God cannot be tempted by evil, God cannot tempt people toward evil.

Then why in the Sam Hill would we ever blame anything on God? Because it’s a cheap easy (and pathetic) way of absolving ourselves from responsibility for our own unwise choices, words, and actions. 

Certainly, God tests us, in order to improve our character, and to bring us toward greater spiritual maturity. Yet, God never forces us to make bad, immoral, or evil choices. God may have brought the trial and testing into our lives; but how we respond to it is up to us.

Take responsibility for yourself

The real culprit behind temptation is one’s own personal and strong desire. It’s the intense motive to have-to-do-it, have-to-say-it, and have-to-have-it, which are at the root of temptation. 

We all have legitimate needs, wants, and desires for love, security, companionship, and to make a difference in the world. Yet we may seek illegitimate means to satisfy those needs. We are lured to the hook by the enticing bait of temptation, and if we bite, that’s on us. Our own temptations lure us to satisfy our legitimate needs in illegitimate ways. 

And when we get ourselves in a pickle because of following our own temptations, the internal push to blame others and/or God becomes strong. It doesn’t help that blame-shifting feels good; it gets the monkey off my back – at least for a time. 

But like a bad addiction, blame-shifting needs to occur in a bigger dose, after a shorter duration of time. Before you know it, we’re caught in a destructive cycle. The temptation has enticed us and we have taken the bait.  Like a fish-eyed follower of evil, we succumb to the lust for ambition, revenge, sex, power, fame, or money.

Know the consequences of blaming others

Temptation, like a smooth operator, comes along and gives a slick pitch about how our troubles can be managed or taken away through blaming others, even God. Then, all of sudden, like a star-struck fan seeking to be satisfied, we take the bait and go to bed with the idea. 

We let sin’s temptation have its way with us. Now, it’s inside us. Like a fetus, the small sin grows within. Eventually, this pregnancy will come to full term. But instead of giving birth to life, there is the terrible agony of death.

Conclusion

Everyone struggles in some way with some sort of temptation. We don’t all wrestle with the same demons, but we’re all tempted in some manner. However, the cycle of guilt and separation from God can be broken. The glory of the gospel is that it breaks the power of sin.

So, hear the good news: 

Don’t let anyone fool you by using senseless arguments [blame-shifting]. These arguments may sound wise, but they are only human teachings. They come from the powers of this world and not from Christ… Christ has taken away your selfish desires… God let Christ make you alive when he forgave all our sins.

God wiped out the charges that were against us for disobeying. He took them away and nailed them to the cross. There Christ defeated all powers and forces… Now the forces of the universe don’t have any power over you….

Kill every selfish desire. Don’t be immoral or indecent or have evil thoughts. Don’t be greedy, which is the same as worshiping idols….  You must quit being angry, hateful, and evil. You must no longer say insulting or cruel things about others. And stop lying to each other. You have given up your old way of life with its habits….

God loves you and has chosen you as his own special people. So be gentle, kind, humble, meek, and patient. Put up with each other, and forgive anyone who does you wrong, just as Christ has forgiven you. Love is more important than anything else. It is what ties everything completely together.

Let the peace that comes from Christ control your thoughts. And be grateful. Let the message about Christ completely fill your lives, while you use all your wisdom to teach and instruct each other. With thankful hearts, sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to God. Whatever you say or do should be done in the name of the Lord Jesus, as you give thanks to God the Father because of him. (Colossians 2:8-3:17, CEV)

Amen.

Luke 13:1-9 – Jesus Will Have None of It

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Christian Spirituality Blog, Daily Bible Reading Blog, Exploring Church Ministry Blog, Year CLeave a comment

Now there were some present at that time who told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices. Jesus answered, “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered this way? I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish. Or those eighteen who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them—do you think they were more guilty than all the others living in Jerusalem? I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish.”

Then he told this parable: “A man had a fig tree growing in his vineyard, and he went to look for fruit on it but did not find any. So, he said to the man who took care of the vineyard, ‘For three years now I’ve been coming to look for fruit on this fig tree and haven’t found any. Cut it down! Why should it use up the soil?’

“‘Sir,’ the man replied, ‘leave it alone for one more year, and I’ll dig around it and fertilize it. If it bears fruit next year, fine! If not, then cut it down.’” (New International Version)

Jesus stood in a crowd of thousands of people. They peppered him with questions about all kinds of issues and situations. Christ responded with a combination of direct exhortations and pointed parables, designed to leave the people reflecting and thinking about what he said.

Christ’s direct exhortation is this: Repent. Change your mind. Christ’s pointed parable message is this: Bear fruit. Change your behavior.

The two go together. A fruitless life points to the need for repentance; and repentance results in bearing the fruit of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, and self-control.

Jesus, throughout his earthly ministry, relentlessly went after the fruitless dead religion of his day. Jesus believed that such religion needed to be cut out and thrown away. 

Therefore, the Lord exposed the assumptions that people have about sin, faith, and judgment. Jesus challenged four false assumptions or presuppositions that people often hold. In dealing with them, Jesus wanted to foster a change of heart which would lead to a change in behavior.

First Wrong Assumption: Other people’s sin is more serious than mine.

It’s a common human tendency to focus on the bad things in the world what other people do, rather than focus on our own heart and life. We can always identify people who are worse sinners than us! 

The crowd believed Pontius Pilate was a terrible sinner who needed to be dealt with, and they wanted Jesus to get on board to their way of thinking. The people wanted to talk trash about the Romans.

“Repentance is nothing else but a reformation of the whole life according to the Law of God.”

John Calvin

We must beware of people who constantly bemoan the state of the world and the sins of others, while ignoring their own issues or how they might be contributing to the problem. It’s so much easier to scapegoat a person or group of people, believing that if “those people” change, then everything will be okay.

But Jesus will have none of it.

Christ steered the discussion to personal repentance. Although you and I cannot control, change, or fix anyone, we can practice self-control, change our personal habits, and be the solution to our own problems.

Everywhere we go, the world is rife with criticisms and accusations of others. It’s always somebody else’s fault for the ills of the world and even the church.

Republicans blame Democrats. Democrats blame Republicans. Anti-vaxers blame the government. The vaccinated blame the previous government. Everyone thinks that if the other changes, all will be well. 

In the church, when things aren’t right, Christians might ask things like, “Who sinned, the pastor or the congregation, the church or the denomination?” With the decline of religion in the land, we look for a scapegoat. 

But Jesus will have none of it.

Christ cut through all the scapegoating and blame-shifting by saying that every single person needs to repent, without exception. Then, Jesus upped the ante with a parable by challenging us with a very probing thought: 

Are we bearing fruit, or just taking up space? 

Whenever we howl for judgment on others, but insist on grace for ourselves, we are the ones in need of repentance.

Second Assumption: My sin isn’t that serious.

When King Frederick II, an eighteenth-century King of Prussia, was visiting a prison in Berlin, the inmates insisted they had been unjustly imprisoned – all except one. That one sat quietly in a corner, while all the rest protested their innocence. Seeing him sitting there oblivious to the commotion, the king asked him what he was there for:

“Armed robbery, your Honor.”

The king asked, “Were you guilty?”

“Yes, Sir,” he answered. “I entirely deserve my punishment.”

The king then gave an order to the guard: “Release this guilty man. I don’t want him corrupting all these innocent people.”

We may concede that we are all sinners, but then struggle with believing that our personal sin really deserves imprisonment. So, we see no need for repentance. It isn’t that bad.

But Jesus will have none of it. 

Here are some questions raised by today’s Gospel lesson: 

Do I continually locate sin outside of my life, or do I discern the sinfulness of my own heart? 

Do I believe people in hardship are more sinful than me? 

Can I envision that I must change for the church and the world to change? 

Is my life fruitful, or fruitless? 

How can I become fruitful? 

What must I repent of? 

What will happen if I don’t repent?

Third Assumption: God will not judge me.

Some might concede we are all sinners, and my own sin is bad. “But is it really so bad that God would judge me?”  Again, the two big ideas Jesus is working with here is that everyone needs repentance, and everyone needs to bear spiritual fruit in keeping with such repentance. 

Jesus alerts us that the future involves a Judgment Day. All shall be held accountable for fruit-bearing, or the lack thereof. No fruit on the branch means it will be cut down and thrown into the fire.

Jesus was talking to a crowd of people who were quite religious. They were faithful temple worshipers, and had weekly practices of giving, fasting, and prayer. But they needed to repent of trusting in self and stuff. 

They believed God would judge the evil Romans and everyone else who did not live or think like them. They were God’s people; the Lord would not judge them!

But Jesus will have none of it.

The Lord almighty looked for justice, but saw bloodshed;
    for righteousness, but heard cries of distress. (Isaiah 5:7, NIV)

Learn to do right; seek justice.
    Defend the oppressed.
Take up the cause of the fatherless;
    plead the case of the widow.

Isaiah 1:17, NIV

Jesus wants spiritual fruit in keeping with repentance. Believing the right things and doing the right service never justifies indulging in hate, rage, anger, discord, selfish ambition, envy, impatience, unkindness, and ungraciousness. Doing a particular set of religious duties never gives one a license to use their attitude, their tongue, or their life in whatever way they want.

Fourth Assumption: I have plenty of time.

Okay, other people’s sin is not worse than mine. My sin is serious. God will deal with my sin if I do not repent. But I have time to deal with it, right? I will get around to it when I get a chance. 

But Jesus will have none of it.

Jesus was establishing a sense of urgency into the crowd. Repentance is not something to put off until tomorrow. Today is the day to deal with sin. If a lack of fruitfulness persists, judgment is imminent. Jesus was not trying to scare people into repentance; he was just letting them know that procrastination puts us in a precarious position. We don’t have unlimited time. We are on the clock.   

Just because God is gracious, merciful, kind, and patient does not mean that he won’t cut the dead religion tree down.

Today is the day of repentance, the day to quit looking for everyone else to repent and change, the day to take our own sin seriously, the day to discern that God does not show favoritism and will judge all persons equally and fairly. 

Today is the day because the hour is almost here when Jesus will return to judge the living and the dead.

Conclusion

So, we must repent of a lack of fruitfulness. The spiritual fruit God is looking for is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. 

When an apple trees bear fruit, some of those apples do not just bear the apple’s skin, some the apple’s core, some the apple’s meat. No! When an apple tree bears fruit, it bears apples – whole ones with all the things that make an apple an apple. 

There is no leg to stand on with the notion that I have love, but no patience; or display a lack of peace, but practice self-control. We either have the fruit of the Spirit, or we do not! If we have some of these, but not others, we have genetically modified fruit which has not been raised in the soil of the gospel.

Each one of us needs to look in our heart in this season of Lent and accurately assess the current state of our lives before God. Then, we need to repent, to change those things which the Spirit of God identifies. And, like a farmer, we are to cultivate, fertilize, and tend to our hearts in ways that will produce a crop.

Gracious God, our sins are too heavy to carry, too real to hide, and too deep to undo. Forgive what our lips tremble to name, what our hearts can no longer bear, and what has become for us a consuming fire of judgment. Set us free from a past that we cannot change; open to us a future in which we can be changed; and grant us grace to grow more and more in your likeness and image, through Jesus Christ, the light of the world. Amen.