O God of Second Chances
by Tricia Brennan
Oh god of second chances,
help us to let go of all that does not serve us well.
We who are full of goals and plans and resolutions,
help us to know that our worth is not tied to success or even effort.
We regret our mistakes or wonder about the road not taken.
Help us to accept our unvarnished selves.
We are, after all, but humble creatures
who strive and fall and get up and keep going.
Help us to see our glory even in our bumblings,
and to know that every year, every day, every moment is a gift
to which the proper response is Hello! I am here! I am grateful!
May your spaciousness fill us and bless us, make us brave and keep us safe. Amen.
Cheryl and I got to have dinner with a friend we don’t often see this week. It was wonderful. We talked about everything under the sun. Talking about the people we love and know best, we got to talking about perfectionists tendencies.
I have perfectionists tendencies. There was a time when it would be hard for me to complete almost anything, because I wasn’t doing it well enough. I am still often slow because what I have in front of me is not good enough yet. It is not perfect according to me. (I might also be a relatively poor judge of perfection.)
It has been my experience, that a fear of not being perfect, at least not in the way we want to be, is common among congregations. The expectation of perfection from ourselves, from others, or from the church, can prevent us from celebrating God’s presence, and getting on with God’s work. The season of Lent, when we are particularly reflective and repentant, is a good time to remember that God does not seek perfection from us, but faithfulness. God is already with us and among us offering love, grace and hospitality. God is calling us forward as partners with friends and neighbors, new and old, familiar and strange, to offer love, grace and hospitality, always and everywhere. Doing so does not require perfection from anyone. All it requires is openness. Church is that simple, and sometimes that complicated.
Grace and Peace,
Pastor Alan