A Sacred Plea

Gordon Kennedy November 22, 2021 0 1

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Psalm 142 (NIVUK)

1 I cry aloud to the Lord;
    I lift up my voice to the Lord for mercy.
2 I pour out before him my complaint;
    before him I tell my trouble.

3 When my spirit grows faint within me,
    it is you who watch over my way.
In the path where I walk
    people have hidden a snare for me.
4 Look and see, there is no one at my right hand;
    no one is concerned for me.
I have no refuge;
    no one cares for my life.

5 I cry to you, Lord;
    I say, ‘You are my refuge,
    my portion in the land of the living.’

6 Listen to my cry,
    for I am in desperate need;
rescue me from those who pursue me,
    for they are too strong for me.
7 Set me free from my prison,
    that I may praise your name.
Then the righteous will gather about me
    because of your goodness to me.

Watching God,

how long will you binge watch my suffering?

Don’t you see that my faith is in tatters?

Don’t you care that my hope is broken?

Are you entertained by the mocking insults heaped upon me?

Is it all a sacred game to you?

Traps have been hidden and I’ve fallen into them,

those beside me do not know me, not even as a number.

Sometimes I wonder if you know me or if you care for me.

There are painful days when all I have left is my cry,

my barbaric yawp, my inarticulate plea.

Sacred Saviour, sanctify my shout.

May you hear my pain as a sacred plea.

Your holy words crafted creation,

in your ears may my grace–seeking words resound as sacred sounds.

I fear that sometimes I don’t even mean what I say,

I can talk, cry, yawp or plead,

but it’s only words.

But in the cave

starved of light and hope,

weary of hiding, bereft of love and comfort,

in the cave, words are all I have.

My human words echo back from the enclosing cave walls,

you alone can sanctify,

you alone can dignify,

you alone can make my plea sacred.

Words made sacred when you hear them,

words made holy when you turn your ear to them,

words which resonate with life,

because you the Sacred One are present to listen.

Father,

guide me in the sacred trial of finding a sacred plea to shout out to you.