release

The spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me; he has sent me to bring good news to the oppressed, to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and release to the prisoners. – Isaiah 61:1 (NRSV)

I’m currently reading You Are What You Love.  Do we actually know what we love?  We think we do, but what we want to love and what we actually love are often not the same.  The actions of our life betray our best intentions.  We can be convinced in our mind of what our values should be, but so often, we don’t value them enough to actually make the necessary changes in our life to achieve them.

Until we understand what it is that we love, what binds us, can we even contemplate release?

Part of our shared humanity is the desire (and need) for release.  But without understanding what holds us captive, release may be yet another prison.  It can be like exchanging one unhealthy habit for another.  Running from what holds us captive is not the same as freedom.  We look for love in all the wrong places.

Therefore, I will seek release in the only place where I know love is in the certain hope that one day I will know both completely.

Prayer of Release

God of mercy, you say to us:  “Do not fear, for I am with you.”

This is true whether we are wandering in our own wilderness or clinging to the fringe of your clothes.  Just as the psalmist proclaims there is nowhere we can go that escapes or keeps us from your Spirit, so you promise us that the day will come when you call us your children, gathering us from the east and the west, the north and the south.

You have formed and made us.

You have created us for your glory.

You have called us by your name.

Nothing will keep us from you.

In you we confess, receive forgiveness, and are released from bondage.

And for this, we are ever thankful.

In your saving name we pray:  Amen.

from Isaiah 54:5-7 and Psalm 139:6-10

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It’s Five Minute Friday:  “Write for five minutes on the word of the week. This is meant to be a free write, which means: no editing, no over-thinking, no worrying about perfect grammar or punctuation. Just write.”