Here’s a prayer of
commitment and dedication inspired by the 23rd Psalm. It was written by Katherine Hawker.
Prayer
of Dedication
(inspired
by Psalm 23)
The Lord is my
shepherd, I shall not want;
We believe in the
goodness of God.
We believe God hears
and responds to our needs.
We believe God
responds to all children everywhere.
He makes me lie down
in green pastures.
He leads me beside
still waters,
he restores my soul.
We are grateful that
we've been blessed with enough water.
But we know that many
do not have enough.
Not enough water, not
enough food, not enough peace.
He leads me in paths
of righteousness for his name's sake.
Too many children do
not see God's righteousness.
Too many children
watch violence, taste hunger, feel fear.
Too many children cry
from the unspeakable horror of war.
Even though I walk
through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil;
for thou art with me;
thy rod and thy
staff, they comfort me.
To become involved is
risky. Pain is often contagious.
Our hearts may be
broken and our lives may be threatened.
Yet we hear God
calling
and we can no longer
hide.
Thou preparest a
table for me in the presence of my enemies;
thou annointest my
head with oil, my cup overflows.
Our steps may be
small and timid.
We may read a book,
write a letter, or make a gift.
But each tiny step is
blessed by God and multiplies.
Surely goodness and
mercy shall follow me all the days of my life;
and I shall dwell in
the house of the Lord forever.
God is more
relentless than war.
God is more pervasive
than hatred.
God is more insistent
than despair.
Amen. Amen.
~ written by Katherine Hawker in 1994, and posted on
Liturgies Outside website. http://www.liturgyoutside.net/Biblical.Psalms.pdf
