Living Psalm 31 – Easter 5 – (yes, there are 2 Living Psalm 31s!)
Living Psalms Book
Psalms in the form of words and art, reborn in the specific contexts of our world, privileging the voices of historically marginalized communities and those acting in solidarity with them.
Living Psalm 31: 9-16
Passion Sunday: In a Lent of Coronavirus
And
Easter 5: In an Easter Season of Coronavirus
Be gracious to us, O God, for we are in distress;
those we love die, but our grieving is solitary,
without funerals ease our tears.
Our souls are compressed by quarantine,
our bodies, masked and gloved,
shrink from the bodies of others.
For we fear the virus walking among us,
and have let social distance
turn into spiritual distance, heart distance.
Our breath fails because of covid19
fever rages and we cannot taste.
We are lockdown each to our own home,
and become afraid of our neighbors.
We step away from the lonely, the vulnerable.
When we see another in the street, we flee.
Our employments are gone, our homes endangered.
Our minds are full of anxiety and death
and we have become like broken vessels.
We hear whispering against elders, against Asians,
and those in prison or immigration detention
are easily cast off and discarded.
Our fear makes schemers of us all,
to save our life at the expense of all others.
But we trust in you, O Holy One
you open your arms — pieta to all the world
You name each of our days — “good”
as your sorrow made “good” a long ago Friday
Deliver us from selfishness in the time of pandemic.
Let your face shine upon us
that we may reflect your steadfast love.
Living Psalm 31: 9-16 for Passion Sunday in a Lent of Coronavirus was written by The Rev. Maren Tirabassi.
Living Psalms Book is created by UCC Witness & Worship Artists’ Group, a Network of UCC connected artists, activists and ministers bridging the worship and liturgy of the local church with witness and action in the community. Maren Tirabassi, editor
Logo is detail from Living Psalm 80 by Sophia Beardemphl, Redwoods, CA. Recovering from significant bullying, Sophia, age nine, read Psalm 80 and thought of brokenness that needs mending. She drew this broken and mended bowl.
© Copyright 2020 Faith INFO Team, United Church of Christ, 700 Prospect Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44115-1100. Permission granted to reproduce or adapt this material for use in services of worship or church education. All publishing rights reserved.