set us free

Thank you to everyone who has taken part in this year's advent blog. We're almost at the end. It's been great reading everyone's offerings - plenty to think about and reflect on. Here's something from me for today.

Through advent I've been involved in running some advent services. (The last of which is on christmas eve - a sneak preview here.) Last sunday the readings were from psalm 146, isaiah 35 and matthew 11. I wrote this confession / petition in response to them, inspired by a friend's comment that these verses speak as much to us, as to those who are in physical chains, blindness, deafness, etc. The service especially focused on the situation in zimbabwe (stevenage where I live is twinned with a zimbabwe town called kadoma), in light of our links and john sentamu's recent prophetic act.

Spirit of God
Where we are imprisoned by selfish desires
Set us free
Where we are captive to the gospel of ‘buy one, get one free’
Set us free

Spirit of God
Where we have grown blind to the injustice of the world
Open our eyes to see
Where we have grown deaf to the cries of the poor and the oppressed
Unseal our ears to hear

Spirit of God
Where we are uninspired by the demand for daily protest and prayer,
Give us strength to go the extra mile

Where we have too readily accepted the lie that we can’t make a difference
Encourage us with the truth that we can

Where we are quick to forget to remember the poor
Help us remember, to see and to hear, to pray and to act