Here’s a prayer based on John 3:1-17, the story of Nicodemus’s encounter with Jesus. It was written by John van de Laar.
Born Yet Again
(inspired by John 3:1-17)
Why do we settle, O God, for only being born once, or even twice,
as if the world never changes,
as if everything is just fine the way it is
and we have no need for new life,
new encounters with you,
new promptings of your Spirit,
and new awakenings in our souls?
Why do we turn your invitation into a mark of our own achievement,
as if your life is anything other than an extravagant gift,
as if the glimpses of your reign that we receive
are earned,
or deserved,
or make us somehow ‘better’ than others?
We praise you for the shocking miraculous truth, God,
that we can always be - that we need to always be
born again;
that daily you welcome us into a surprising new life,
the wonderful, creative, unpredictable world of your Spirit;
and that all we can do is allow ourselves to be pushed -
birthed, by your grace,
into new experiences of your reign.
Here we are, O God;
Let us be, once more,
in this moment, in this place,
Born yet again.
Amen.
as if the world never changes,
as if everything is just fine the way it is
and we have no need for new life,
new encounters with you,
new promptings of your Spirit,
and new awakenings in our souls?
Why do we turn your invitation into a mark of our own achievement,
as if your life is anything other than an extravagant gift,
as if the glimpses of your reign that we receive
are earned,
or deserved,
or make us somehow ‘better’ than others?
We praise you for the shocking miraculous truth, God,
that we can always be - that we need to always be
born again;
that daily you welcome us into a surprising new life,
the wonderful, creative, unpredictable world of your Spirit;
and that all we can do is allow ourselves to be pushed -
birthed, by your grace,
into new experiences of your reign.
Here we are, O God;
Let us be, once more,
in this moment, in this place,
Born yet again.
Amen.
— written by John van de Laar, and posted on his excellent Sacredise.com website. Visit that site for many other excellent lectionary-based worship resources.
