Oh God of time and space we confess we are running out of both.
Church is good at lament, and knows that it needs to be voiced as a community, a nation. In fact, one of the tasks of the prophet, according to biblical scholar Walter Brueggemann, is to help the people lament. Church is good at lament, because Church is also good at hope, and at creating communities of hope and hard work.
This reading, which could be made into a responsive reading (the congregation absolutely needs to take part!), is one of lament and confession. And because it is one of lament and confession, it’s best done in community. We are not alone. We are in this together. And together, we make a way through.
The entire reading is in a PDF file; you can divide up the parts as you see fit. Just don’t change the words or the order of words. Thanks.