Psalm 22

Psalm 22 (NRSV)
1 My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?
Why are you so far from helping me, from the words of my groaning?
2 O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer;
and by night, but find no rest.
3 Yet you are holy,
enthroned on the praises of Israel.
4 In you our ancestors trusted;
they trusted, and you delivered them.
5 To you they cried, and were saved;
in you they trusted, and were not put to shame.

Lord,
Women and men around the world are crying, “Lord, where are you?” Hurricanes, tornadoes, flood and drought have taken lives and destroyed homes and livelihoods and the cry is, “Where are you?” Tyrants, both political and economic, have reduced men and women to the bare necessities and less and they cry, “Where are you?” The ravages of disease and crashing of relationships cause us to wonder, “Where are you?” And across America today, as the gods of Greed are bringing forth their flowers of economic destruction, we wonder, “Where are you?”

And, with the poet we pray, “Yet you are holy.” “In you our ancestors trusted…and you delivered them.” Look with mercy on all of your suffering people and grant your salvation.

“Yet”, the poet prayed “Yet”. He remembered the experience of his ancestors and he chose to trust in you, even when the immediate evidence called for panic and distrust. He remembered that there is more to our reality than our immediate experiences. That which dominates our senses does not include all that is. He remembered that which came long before the experience of the moment and he chose to trust himself into your care.

Lord, make it so with us, with me, today and every day.

Help me to trust even when I cannot find you. Even when I cry, “My God…why have you forsaken me?” remind me to pray, “Yet….” Help me to choose to believe and trust.

PERSONAL PRAYERS:
Ask God to grant you the power of trust even when everything calls for fear and panic.
Affirm with the poet, “Yet you are holy”, and remember the faith of those who have gone before.
Name 5 things for which you are grateful and say “Thank you” to God.

In Christ’s name,
Amen.