Reflection: 1 Samuel 1-2


Here’s a litany inspired by Hannah’s prayer in 1 Samuel 2.  It was written by Katherine Hawker in 2003.

A prayer for life to fill the void
(inspired by Hannah’s prayer in 1 Samuel 2)

A prayer that reverberates throughout time
   for a child
   for a partner
   for a friend
A prayer that is at once lost
   and found
A grief exposed for the healing balm
A prayer that grows in the crevice of despair
   pushing past the boundaries
   bursting forth in new life
A prayer for life to fill the void

~ written by Katherine Hawker, Liturgies Outside.  http://liturgyoutside.net/

Psalm 16 Prayer Litany

Here is a litany based on The Message’s version of Psalm 16.  It was adapted by Matt Long as a corporate prayer and was posted on the EngageWorship website.

The congregation may be invited to read the parts in bold print.

Prayer Litany
(based on Psalm 16, The Message)

Keep me safe, O God, I've run for dear life to you.
Without you, nothing makes sense. 
God, You have made known to me the path of life;
in Your presence there is fullness and joy.

Don't just go shopping for a god. 
Gods are not for sale.
Instead be consumed by ‘all-consuming God’.
God, You have made known to me the path of life;
n Your presence there is fullness and joy.

My choice is you, God, first and only.
And now I find I'm your choice! 
You set me up and then you made me your heir. 
God, You have made known to me the path of life;
in Your presence there is fullness and joy.

The wise counsel God gives when I'm awake
is confirmed by my sleeping heart.
Day and night I'll stick with God.
God, You have made known to me the path of life;
in Your presence there is fullness and joy.

I'm deeply content from the inside out,
and from the outside in, I'm firmly formed.
You cancelled my ticket to hell—that’s not my destination.
God, You have made know to me the path of life;
in Your presence there is fullness and joy.

God, You have made known to me the path of life;
in Your presence there is fullness and joy. 
Today, I choose to surrender to the love,
and walk Your way. 
 
Amen

~ written by Matt Long (inspired by The Message), and posted on the Engage Worship website. http://engageworship.org/

Readers' Theatre: Hebrews 10: 11-25


Here’s a readers’ theatre setting of Hebrews 10:11-25, the Epistle reading for Proper 28 B (Ordinary 33 B) – the 25th Sunday after Pentecost.  It is set for two voices.

Readers’ Theatre: Hebrews 10:11-25

One:     Under the old covenant,
            the priest stands and ministers before the altar day after day,
            offering the same sacrifices again and again,
            which can never take away sins. 

Two:     But our High Priest offered himself to God as a single sacrifice for sins,
            good for all time.
            Then he sat down in the place of honor at God’s right hand. 
            There he waits until his enemies are humbled
            and made a footstool under his feet. 

One:     For by that one offering
            he forever made perfect those who are being made holy.
           
Two:     And the Holy Spirit also testifies that this is so.
            For he says,

One:     This is the new covenant I will make
            with my people on that day, says the Lord:
            I will put my laws in their hearts,
            and I will write them on their minds.”

Two:     Then he says,

One:     I will never again remember their sins and lawless deeds.

Two:     And when sins have been forgiven,
            there is no need to offer any more sacrifices.

One:     And so, dear brothers and sisters, 
            we can boldly enter heaven’s Most Holy Place
            because of the blood of Jesus. 
            By his death, Jesus opened a new and life-giving way
            through the curtain into the Most Holy Place. 

Two:     And since we have a great High Priest who rules over God’s house, 
            let us go right into the presence of God with sincere hearts,
            fully trusting him.
            For our guilty consciences have been sprinkled with Christ’s blood
            to make us clean,
            and our bodies have been washed with pure water.

One:     Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm,
            for God can be trusted to keep his promise. 

Two:     Let us think of ways to motivate one another
            to acts of love and good works.

One:     And let us not neglect our meeting together,
            as some people do,
            but encourage one another,
            especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.

Readers' Theatre: Mark 13: 1-8


Here’s a readers’ theatre setting of Mark 13: 1-8, the Gospel reading for Proper 28 B (Ordinary 33 B) – the 25th Sunday after Pentecost.  It is set for three voices.

Readers’ Theatre: Mark 13: 1-8

One:     As Jesus was leaving the Temple that day,
            one of his disciples said,

Two:     Teacher, look at these magnificent buildings!
            Look at the impressive stones in the walls.”

One:     Jesus replied,

Three:   Yes, look at these great buildings.
            But they will be completely demolished.
            Not one stone will be left on top of another!

One:     Later, Jesus sat on the Mount of Olives
            across the valley from the Temple.
            Peter, James, John, and Andrew came to him privately and asked him, 

Two:     Tell us, when will all this happen?
            What sign will show us that these things are about to be fulfilled?

Three:   Don’t let anyone mislead you, 
            for many will come in my name, claiming,
            ‘I am the Messiah.’ 
            They will deceive many.
            And you will hear of wars and threats of wars, but don’t panic.
            Yes, these things must take place,
            but the end won’t follow immediately. 
            Nation will go to war against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.
            There will be earthquakes in many parts of the world,
            as well as famines.
            But this is only the first of the birth pains, with more to come.

Prayer Litany: Psalm 16

Here is a prayer litany based on Psalm 16.  The recurring refrain could be read by a second reader, or the congregation.

Litany
(based on Psalm 16)

Keep me safe, O God,
for I come to you for refuge.

In your presence, O God, is joy and contentment.
Show me the path that leads to life.

You are my Lord.
Every good thing I have comes from you.

In your presence, O God, I find joy and contentment.
Show me the path that leads to life.

I bless the Lord,
whose wise teaching guides my days
and centers my mind at night.
God is always present with me.
I will not live in fear, or abandon my calling,
for his presence surrounds me wherever I go.

In your presence, O God, I find joy and contentment.
Show me the path that leads to life.

So my heart is glad,
my soul is full of joy and contentment,
and my body is at rest.
Who could ask for anything more?

In your presence, O God, I find joy and contentment.
Show me the path that leads to life.

Call to Worship Litany: Psalm 16


Here’s a responsive call to worship inspired by Psalm 16.  It comes from the archive of the Lectionary Sermons website.

A Responsive Call To Worship
(based on Psalm 16)

You are our security, O Lord, we find refuge in You.
Everything that is good comes from You Lord!
You give me guidance and make my heart glad,
You lead me on the path of life.
In Your presence there is fullness of joy,
In Your kingdom there is fulfillment forever! Amen!

~ posted on the archives page of the Lectionary Sermons website.  http://www.lectionarysermons.com/ARCH-W.html

Call to Worship: 1 Samuel 2: 1-10


Here’s a call to worship based on Hannah’s prayer in 1 Samuel 2: 1-10.  It was written by Moira Laidlaw.

Call to Worship
(based on 1 Samuel 2:1-10)
  
There is no holy One, or no rock like our God
who causes my heart to rejoice and my strength to increase, 
For the Lord is a God of knowledge, who judges our actions. 
Who breaks the power of the mighty, and clothes the feeble with strength, 
The Lord makes rich and makes poor, brings low and lifts up. 
Raising up the poor from the dust and the needy from the ash heap; 
Giving them seats of honour and guarding the feet of those who are faithful. 
While the wicked and those who rebel against the Lord will be shattered. 
We worship and praise God—judge of all the earth.

~ written by Moira Laidlaw, and posted on Liturgies Online. http://www.liturgiesonline.com.au/

Readers' Theatre: 1 Samuel 2: 1-10


Here’s a readers’ theatre setting of 1 Samuel 2:1-10, one of the Old Testament readings for Proper 28 B (Ordinary 33 B) – the 25th Sunday after Pentecost.  It is set for two voices.

Readers’ Theatre: 1 Samuel 2: 1-10

My heart rejoices in the Lord!
Oh, how the Lord has blessed me!
Now I have an answer for my enemies,
as I delight in your deliverance.
No one is holy like the Lord!
There is no one besides you;
there is no Rock like our God.

Stop acting so proud and haughty!
Don’t speak with such arrogance!
For the Lord is a God who knows what you have done;
he will judge your actions.
Those who were mighty are mighty no more;
and those who were weak are now strong.
Those who were well fed are now starving,
and those who were starving are now full.
The childless woman now has seven children,
but the woman with many children will have no more.

The Lord brings both death and life;
he brings some down to the grave but raises others up.
The Lord makes some poor and others rich;
he brings some down and lifts others up.
He lifts the poor from the dust
and the needy from the garbage dump.
He sets them among princes,
placing them in seats of honor.
For all the earth is the Lord’s,
and he has set the world in order.
He will protect his faithful ones,
but the wicked will disappear in darkness.

No one will succeed by strength alone.
Those who fight against the Lord will be shattered.
He thunders against them from heaven;
the Lord judges throughout the earth.
He gives power to his king;
he increases the strength of his anointed one.

Hannah's Song: 1 Samuel 2


Here’s a paraphrase of Hannah’s song from The Message.

Hannah’s Prayer of Praise
(1 Samuel 2: 1-10)

I’m bursting with God-news!
    I’m walking on air.
I’m laughing at my rivals.
    I’m dancing my salvation.

Nothing and no one is holy like God,
    no rock mountain like our God.
Don’t dare talk pretentiously—
    not a word of boasting, ever!
For God knows what’s going on.
    He takes the measure of everything that happens.
The weapons of the strong are smashed to pieces,
    while the weak are infused with fresh strength.
The well-fed are out begging in the streets for crusts,
    while the hungry are getting second helpings.
The barren woman has a houseful of children,
    while the mother of many is bereft.

God brings death and God brings life,
    brings down to the grave and raises up.
God brings poverty and God brings wealth;
    he lowers, he also lifts up.
He puts poor people on their feet again;
    he rekindles burned-out lives with fresh hope,
Restoring dignity and respect to their lives—
    a place in the sun!
For the very structures of earth are God’s;
    he has laid out his operations on a firm foundation.
He protectively cares for his faithful friends, step by step,
    but leaves the wicked to stumble in the dark.
    No one makes it in this life by sheer muscle!
God’s enemies will be blasted out of the sky,
    crashed in a heap and burned.
God will set things right all over the earth,
    he’ll give strength to his king,
    he’ll set his anointed on top of the world!

Readers' Theatre: 1 Samuel 1:4-20


Here’s a readers’ theatre setting of 1 Samuel 1: 4-20, the Old Testament reading for Proper 28 B (Ordinary 33 B) – the 25th Sunday after Pentecost.  It is set for three voices.

Readers’ Theatre: 1 Samuel 1:4-20

One:     On the days Elkanah presented his sacrifice,
            he would give portions of the meat to Peninnah
            and each of her children.
            And though he loved Hannah,
            he would give her only one choice portion 
            because the Lord had given her no children.
            So Peninnah would taunt Hannah and make fun of her
            because the Lord had kept her from having children. 
            Year after year it was the same—
            Peninnah would taunt Hannah as they went to the Tabernacle.
            Each time, Hannah would be reduced to tears and would not even eat.
            And Elkanah would ask,
            “Why are you crying, Hannah?  And why aren’t you eating?
            Why be downhearted just because you have no children?
            You have me—isn’t that better than having ten sons?

            Once after a sacrificial meal at Shiloh, Hannah got up and went to pray.
            Eli the priest was sitting at his customary place
            beside the entrance of the Tabernacle.
            Hannah was in deep anguish, crying bitterly as she prayed to the Lord. 
            And she made this vow:

Two:     O Lord of Heaven’s Armies,
            if you will look upon my sorrow
            and answer my prayer and give me a son,
            then I will give him back to you.
            He will be yours for his entire lifetime,
            and as a sign that he has been dedicated to the Lord,
            his hair will never be cut.

One:     As she was praying to the Lord, Eli watched her. 
            Seeing her lips moving but hearing no sound,
            he thought she had been drinking. 

Three:   Must you come here drunk? Throw away your wine!

Two:     Oh no, sir!
            I haven’t been drinking wine or anything stronger.
            But I am very discouraged, and I was pouring out my heart to the Lord. 
            Don’t think I am a wicked woman!
            For I have been praying out of great anguish and sorrow.

Three:   In that case, go in peace!
            May the God of Israel grant the request you have asked of him.

Two:     Oh, thank you, sir!

One:     Then Hannah went back and began to eat again,
            and she was no longer sad.
            The entire family got up early the next morning
            and went to worship the Lord once more.
            Then they returned home to Ramah.
            When Elkanah slept with Hannah,
            the Lord remembered her plea, 
            and in due time she gave birth to a son.
            She named him Samuel, for she said,

Two:     I asked the Lord for him.

Invitation to Confession: Clean Hearts


Here is an invitation to confession—or even words of assurance following confession.  It comes from the United Church of Canada website.

Words of Assurance
(based on Hebrews 10:22, Psalm 51:10)

Confessing our sins to God is a lot like cleaning out our homes
and taking out the garbage.
We know that God can take out what is polluted in our lives
and give us a clean heart and fill us with a new and right spirit.
The book of Hebrews tells us that we can
“come near to God with a sincere heart and a sure faith,
with hearts that have been purified from a guilty conscience
and with bodies washed with clean water.”
Through God’s love in Christ we are made clean and forgiven.
Thanks be to God.

 

~ from Caring for Creation, posted on the United Church of Canada website. http://www.united-church.ca/


Prayer of Approach: Simple Gifts


Here’s a prayer of approach from Rev. Abi’s Long and Winding Road blog.

Prayer: Simple Gifts

Lord,
We long for your simple gifts for our lives.
We long for your peace.
We long for your joy.
We long for your hope.
We long for your love.
We long for your touch.
We long for your grace.
We long for your healing.
We long for your touch.
O Lord, open a spring in our lives
that daily refreshes us with your simple gifts.

— written by Rev Abi, on Long and Winding Road. http://vicarofwadley.blogspot.ca/

Call to Worship: Greatest Commandment


Here’s an opening litany from Katherine Hawker’s Liturgies Outside website.

Opening Litany
(inspired by Matthew 22:34-40, Mark 12:28, Luke 10:25)

Once upon a time
a wise man offered a challenge;
"What is the greatest commandment?"
The calendars on our desks share a vision of greatness;
bills to pay, phone calls to return, appointments to keep.
Love the Lord your God.

The cameras of our memories share what commands us;
children to bathe and partners to help
parents calling and grandchildren hopeful.
Love the Lord your God
with all your heart, and with all your soul,
and with all your mind.

Still the Spirit lures us to new priorities;
open spaces to experience wonder,
strangers becoming friends,
devotion to that which transcends.
Love the Lord your God
with all your heart, and with all your soul,
and with all your mind.
Love your neighbor as yourself.

~ written by Katherine Hawker (2002) and posted on Liturgies Outside.  http://liturgyoutside.net/

Psalm 146 Prayer

Here’s a prayer inspired by Psalm 146.  It was written by Grace Olsen Claus.

Prayer
(based on Psalm 146)

Do not put your trust in princes, the psalmist says,
nor in mortals, in whom there is no help, whose plans perish.
And yet here we are,
bending over backwards to find ways to put our trust in ourselves.

We are sure that writing a killer paper,
or preaching a fabulous sermon,
or speaking wise words to our friends,
or committing to another program,
or establishing a daily rhythm of reading Scripture will save us.

We have convinced ourselves that to rest means to fail.
We have to keep up the routine.
We fear that if we do not, we will be ruined,
fall into poverty,
become imprisoned by a modest way of life,
be left alone to feel like orphans,
find ourselves a stranger to our friends, lose hope.

What we do not realize is that we’re already oppressed,
already famished,
already imprisoned,
already alienated,
already orphaned and widowed.

And it is precisely in this oppression, hunger, and loneliness
that you stoop down and scoop us up.
You are our help.
You are our hope.
You keep faith forever.

And you promise to watch over us.
We can rest,
we can sleep,
we can say no to this activity or that invitation,
we can quit the exhausting work of trying to sustain ourselves,
because you never slumber or sleep.
You are faithful always.

O my soul, praise the Lord.

~ written by Grace Olsen Claus (November 8, 2011) and offered during morning prayers at Western Theological Seminary.  Posted on The Twelve. http://the12.squarespace.com/blog/

Prayer Reflection: Hebrews 9: 11-15


Here’s a prayer reflection on Hebrews 9:11-15, the suggested epistle reading for Proper 26 B (the 23rd Sunday after Pentecost).  It was written by Anne Osdieck.

Prayer Reflection: Who Could Love Us More?
(inspired by Hebrews 9:11-15)

“Christ entered once for all into the Holy Place,
not with the blood of goats and calves, but with his own blood,
thus obtaining eternal redemption.” Hebrews 9:12

Once
for all time
Christ sealed the

covenant

with his own blood.

He barged straight into
the sacred place,
with all of us
in tow.

Who could love us more?

Thank you, Lord.
Thank you.

— written by Anne Osdieck. Last paragraph by Karl Rahner.  Posted on The Sunday Website of Saint Louis University. http://liturgy.slu.edu/

Benediction: The Lord is One


Here’s a closing commission and benediction based on Deuteronomy 6:4-5 and Matthew 12:28-34.  It was written by Nathan Nettleton.

Commission & Benediction
(inspired by Deuteronomy 6:4-5, Matthew 12:28-34)

Hear this: the Lord our God is the one and only Lord.
Therefore go out into the world
and love the Lord your God 
with all your heart, soul, mind and strength,
and love others as you love yourself.

And may God give you justice and freedom;
May Christ Jesus set you free for love;
and may the Holy Spirit go where you go
........and protect you on your way.

We go in peace to love and serve the Lord,
In the name of Christ. Amen.

~ Copyright © 2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Call to Worship: All are welcome


Here’s a contemporary call to worship inspired by Ruth 1 and Mark 12, two of the suggested scripture readings for Proper 26 B (the 23rd Sunday after Pentecost).  It comes from the Ministry Matters website.

 

Contemporary Gathering Words

(inspired by Ruth 1 and Mark 12)

 

Here in this place, there are no foreigners,
for all are welcome in God’s house.
Here in this worship, there is only acceptance,
for love is the language of faith.
Here in our lives, there are no divisions,
for God dwells in each of us.
Come, let us worship in unity and love.

~ Adapted from The Abingdon Worship Annual 2012, © 2011 Abingdon Press.  Posted on the Ministry Matters website. http://www.ministrymatters.com/

Prayer from Psalm 146: Forget Me Not!

Here’s a prayer inspired by Psalm 146. It was written by Chris Altrock.

Prayer
(inspired by Psalm 146)

Hallelujah! 
I shout praise because you didn’t just make us. 
You sustain us. 
You are the lawyer fighting for justice. 
You are the soup kitchen worker serving the hungry. 
You are the warrior setting free the imprisoned. 
You are the surgeon bringing sight. 
You are the counselor providing hope. 
For all the ways you forget us not, I say, “Hallelujah!”

~ written by Chris Altrock, and posted on his True North blog. http://chrisaltrock.com/

Call to Worship: Psalm 146


Here’s a contemporary call to worship inspired by Psalm 146.  It was written by Bruce Prewer.

Contemporary Call to Worship
(based on Psalm 146)

Now that you are here, in a house dedicated to the Most High,
pause and consider where your faith and hope are really fixed.
Do not put your trust in politicians,
not in any guru who is a human creature like you.
The breath of every human being will cease,
on that day all their mortal aspirations expire.

God’s realm will last forever, beyond all generations.
till earth and moon and stars are no more.
I will praise you alone, Lord of my souls!
I will praise you as long as live.
I will sing to you as long as I my soul has being.

~ Bruce Prewer, on Bruce Prewer’s Home Page.  http://www.bruceprewer.com/

Prayers of the People: We Will Love


Here’s a prayer of intercession from Rev. Iain Macdonald, on the Starters for Sunday website.

Prayer of Intercession
(inspired by Deuteronomy 6:1-9, Mark 12:28-34)

Our prayer today is for all who are victims of cruel laws and petty laws,
those who’re subjected to prejudice
denied opportunities, excluded, pushed to margins.
The Lord our God is one:
We will love with all our heart, all our soul, all our strength.

Our prayer today is for all those who’re betrayed,
who don’t know loyalty, who fear to trust, or to love,
and who don’t realise that they’re already loved by you.
The Lord our God is one:
We will love with all our heart, all our soul, all our strength.

Our prayer today is for the landless and homeless,
the refugee and evicted,
those who find themselves in foreign places and strange places.
The Lord our God is one:
We will love with all our heart, all our soul, all our strength.

Our prayer today is for the overworked and the underpaid,
for those in dangerous work and those in compassionate work,
for those who long to work but are denied the opportunity
The Lord our God is one:
We will love with all our heart, all our soul, all our strength.

Our prayer today is for the Church, for all the branches of the vine
including this one we gather as part of, today:
body of Christ, people of Christ,
for whom the Lord our God is one:
We will love with all our heart, all our soul, all our strength.

Our prayer today is for the creation gifts,
this earth in all its mighty wonder, yet tender fragility,
the gifts of life and resources to treasure.
The Lord our God is one:
We will love with all our heart, all our soul, all our strength.

(Our prayer today is for the gifts we give
that we will give generously and thankfully
and that we’ll use these gifts with wisdom and love.
The Lord our God is one:
We will love with all our heart, all our soul, all our strength.)

Our prayer today is for those who lie close to our hearts
those whom we worry about, those whom we miss,
those who carry disproportionate burdens at this time …
(local intercessions)

The Lord our God is one:
We will love with all our heart, all our soul, all our strength.

The Lord our God is one:
We will love with all our heart, all our soul, all our strength.

The Lord our God is one:
We will love with all our heart, all our soul, all our strength.

~ written by Rev. Iain Macdonald.  Posted on the Church of Scotland’s Starters for Sunday website. http://www.churchofscotland.org.uk/

Confession: How to Love


Here’s an act of confession from Thom Shuman’s Lectionary Liturgies blog.  It is inspired by Deuteronomy 6:1-9 and Matthew 12:28-34, two of the suggested scripture readings for Proper 26 B (the 23rd Sunday after Pentecost).

Call to Reconciliation 

The world teaches us many ways to love,
but all are based on selfish desires and needs.
God teaches us how to love: completely, uniquely, unconditionally.
Let us confess our difficulty in loving as God teaches us,
as we pray, saying,

Unison Prayer of Confession 

We are hesitant to confess, Holy God,
how hard it is to love as you wish.
It is easy to love you with all that we are,
except when you ask us to love our neighbor with all that we have.
We find it hard to love our neighbor,
when it is linked to the way we love ourselves.
And it is difficult to love anyone—even You—
more than we love ourselves. 

Forgive us, Love Eternal.
As you took a risk in creating us,
help us to take risks to love others compassionately,
to love ourselves genuinely,
and to love you as completely as you love us
in Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.

Silence is observed

Assurance of Pardon

In God's Kingdom, all are loved for who they are,
not what they do;
In God's Kingdom, all are forgiven for what they do,
and don't;
in God's Kingdom, all are welcomed and fed
by God's grace and hope.
Forgiven, loved, sent forth—
we are not far from God's Kingdom!
Thanks be to God. Amen.

~ written by Thom Shuman, and posted on Lectionary Liturgies. http://lectionaryliturgies.blogspot.ca/

Call to Worship, Prayer: Psalm 146


Here’s a call to worship litany and opening prayer inspired by Psalm 146.  It was written by Moira Laidlaw.

Call to Worship
(based on Psalm 146:1, 5-10)

Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord, O my soul!
I will sing praises to God all my life long.
Happy are those whose help is in God, creator of heaven and earth, 
who is forever faithful; 
seeking justice for the oppressed and for the hungry;
setting prisoners free and opening the eyes of the blind; 
lifting up those who are bowed down and loving the righteous.
The Lord protects strangers and upholds the orphan and widow;
but the way of the wicked is brought to ruin.
The Lord our God will reign forever, for all generations. Praise the Lord!

Opening Prayer

We praise you, O God, for being not only the God of history but the God of our story. You have gathered us here today to remind us that although you are the one to whom all power belongs, yet you care for the weak and powerless. You care for us. We praise you for joining your story to ours in such a special way through Jesus, our Lord. He proved his great love for you and for each person in the way he lived—releasing what was captive, lifting up the burdened, empowering the powerless.

God, source of lovingkindness and strength, we worship you.
Jesus, foundation of our faith, we worship you.
Holy Spirit, ground of our very being, we worship you. Amen

~ written by Moira Laidlaw, and posted on Liturgies Online. http://www.liturgiesonline.com.au/

Gospel Reflection: Mark 12: 38-44


Here’s a reflection on Mark 12:38-41.  It was written by Katherine Hawker.

Two Copper Coins
(inspired by Mark 12:38-41)

Then a poor widow came and dropped in two copper coins. Mark 12:42

two copper coins
echo beyond time
abundance yielded drought,
poverty bloomed to generosity

two copper coins
echo beyond time
the need to protect
confronts the call to relinquish

two copper coins
echo beyond time
redefining worth
as a place in the heart

two copper coins
echo beyond time

~ written by Katherine Hawker (2003), and posted on Liturgies Outside.  http://liturgyoutside.net/