By Andrew Hartzler, associate professor of accounting
Scripture: Romans 15:4-13 (NRSV)
Creator God, I am weary. Creator God, I am worn. Creator God, I am discouraged. And yet I have hope. You are the light pushing back the darkness. The darkness that presses in. The darkness that manifests itself in so many earthly forms. So I lean into your light. I search for it around the corner, over the horizon. I peer into the faces I see before me, looking for your imprint, your light, your fingerprints on humanity. And then I see it: your goodness, your character, your love shining through.
Creator God, thank you for making me aware of your presence, for pushing back the fog of intellectual questions, for singing to me when I am lost in silence. Thank you for warming me in my inmost being with your presence. Oh how I long for all of humanity to know you, to discover your unending goodness, to rest in the awareness of something greater than oneself.
Thank you for setting me free from the impossible task of imparting perfect justice, for helping me to understand how to humbly submit myself to a Creator whose power and existence are beyond my comprehension. I take comfort in my created mortality, in the knowledge that the burdens of this world are not mine to carry alone. I give thanks for a Creator who extends mercy and grace and desires relationship with me.
Draw me to your light Lord, away from the ugliness, the hate, the scorn, the darkness of this world. Open my eyes so that I can see you, open my ears so that I can hear you, open my mind so that I can fully embrace you, open my heart so that I can dwell with you in the peace that brings rest to my soul.
I join with Paul in Romans 15:13 in declaring to humanity, “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”
Scripture: Romans 15:4-13 (NRSV)
For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, so that by steadfastness and by the encouragement of the scriptures we might have hope.
5May the God of steadfastness and encouragement grant you to live in harmony with one another, in accordance with Christ Jesus, 6so that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
7Welcome one another, therefore, just as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God. 8For I tell you that Christ has become a servant of the circumcised on behalf of the truth of God in order that he might confirm the promises given to the patriarchs, 9and in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written, “Therefore I will confess you among the Gentiles, and sing praises to your name”; 10and again he says, “Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people”; 11and again, “Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles, and let all the peoples praise him”; 12and again Isaiah says, “The root of Jesse shall come, the one who rises to rule the Gentiles; in him the Gentiles shall hope.”
13May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.