Voices Found the well: WLWC Epiphany IC, VF 147 A Litany for Epiphany, VF 24, 67

Voices Found #147

 

Cantor: There is a longing in our hearts, O Lord,

for you to reveal yourself to us.

The People: There is a longing in our hearts for love 

we only find in you, our God.

Cantor: For justice, for freedom, for mercy: hear our prayer.

In sorrow, in grief:

The People: Be near, hear our prayer, O God.

Cantor: For wisdom, for courage, for comfort: hear our prayer

In weakness, in fear:

The People: Be near, hear our prayer, O God.

Cantor: There is a longing in our hearts, O Lord,

for you to reveal yourself to us.

The People: There is a longing in our hearts for love 

we only find in you, our God.

Cantor: For wisdom, for courage, for comfort, hear our prayer.

In weakness, in fear:

The People: Be near, hear our prayer, O God.

Cantor: There is a longing in our hearts, O Lord,

for you to reveal yourself to us.

The People: There is a longing in our hearts for love 

we only find in you, our God.

Cantor: For healing, for wholeness, for new life: hear our prayer.

In sickness, in death:

The People: Be near, hear our prayer, O God.

Cantor: There is a longing in our hearts, O Lord,

for you to reveal yourself to us.

The People: There is a longing in our hearts for love 

we only find in you, our God.

Cantor: Lord save us, take pity, light in our darkness.

We call you, we wait: 

The People: Be near, hear our prayer, O God.

Reflection:

Genesis 21: 14-19 Is appointed for Epiphany I, Year C, in the Women's Lectionary for the Whole Church

Unable to deal with the conflict between Sarah, his wife, and Hagar,  the mother of his first son,   Abraham abdicated responsibility to Sarah, and cast out Hagar and the boy. He cast them out into the desert, the wilderness.  They had no  water for the boy. The child was dying.  Hagar wept and cried out to God.

And God heard the voice of the boy, and the messenger of God called to Hagar from the heavens, and said to her. "What troubles you, Hagar? Fear not, for God has heard the voice of the boy where he is.  Rise, lift the boy and hold him with your hand, for a great nation of him I will make."  Then God opened her eyes and she saw a well of water.  She went, and filled the skin with water, and let the boy drink.

Genesis 21:17-19, tr. Gafney

Meditation:

Much like the Samaritan woman in John's gospel, Hagar lived with broken dreams.  Their stories show us that while  we may all live with broken dreams, we can all cry out to God for love and mercy.   Even in our deserts we can cry out for  living waters to save and refresh our souls. 

Voices Found #24

When like the woman at the well,

I lived with broken dreams,

Christ came to me, good news to tell, 

of everliving streams.

Christ knew my heart, my wayward ways,

yet gave me hope, not fear.

The God I once thought far away,

I could approach, draw near.

Words:Elizabeth Sinclair Downing

Music: CCW Sparks

Prayer:

Voices Found #67

Living water, never ending, quench the thirst 

and flood the soul.

Wellspring, source of life eternal,

drench our dryness, make us whole,

drench our dryness, make us whole.

Words: Sylvia G. Dunstan (1955-1993)

Music: Sharon Marion Hershey

O Gracious God, 

Thank you for coming to me in my desert places.  Thank you for the Wellspring of life.   I humbly ask for your Living Waters to heal and refresh my soul.

                                                                         

                                                                     

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