Come, let us sing to the Lord! Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come to him with thanksgiving. Let us sing psalms of praise to him. For the Lord is a great God, a great King above all gods.

Psalm 95:1-3

Dear God, is this a psalm we would be willing to sing today as Christians (or Jews)? Can we look beyond the anger and hate happening around us–perhaps even through us–and come together as the church to worship you? Can we allow our eyes to drift beyond the “reality” that they can see and use your eyes to see the reality you know is there? Can we allow our hearts to worship and rejoice when our instincts are to be fearful and feel sorry for ourselves?

I guess I should change all of those questions to declarations.

Father, I will worship you and rejoice today. I will reject the anger and hate I feel and embrace the faith of a true disciple. I will try to put myself into community with your body of believers. I will strive to see more than my eyes can see. Please give me your eyes. I reject fear and self pity and embrace the peace that comes from turning loose of my own life and its outcomes and resting in whatever lot you have for me.

In Jesus’s name I pray,

Amen