Lord of the Waters: A Prayer of Confession for Use with Exodus 17:1-7, John 7:37-39, or Isaiah 55:1

Lord of the Waters, A Prayer of Confession
For use with Exodus 17:1-7, John 7:37-39, or Isaiah 55:1

Refreshing, renewing, resurrecting Lord of the waters,
Forgive me.
Forgive that I have become so
stagnant
in my spiritual life.
What once was living waters
has now become
green
pond scum.

Forgive me.
Forgive that I rush the rapids so violently from one task to the next
and never see the scenery
or hear your voice above my own foam and roar.
Forgive me.
Forgive that I overflow my banks
taking on too much much much much
threatening to drown those around me
with all my selfish, self-serving surf.

Forgive me. Forgive that I do not return to you, my source
and so I dry up,
trickle,
barely
moving
in between the dusty dry cracks of my bed.

Forgive me.
Fill my dead pools with life again. Refresh me.
Slow my rapids to the pace you intend. Renew me.
Train my tributaries to flow from you and not the chaos of stormy life.
Restore me.
Show me where you want me to go. Redirect me.
Resurrecting Lord of the waters, hear my repentant prayer!

...silence...then turning to one another...

The Good Lord of the Waters has heard your prayer. Peace of Christ be upon you now. Amen.

The Rev. Nathan Decker wrote this prayer of confession while watchinga Koi pond on August 8, 2011, at Richmond Hill. He is the pastor of the South Sussex Charge of the James River District of the Virginia Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church. Nathan has great love for the diversity and inspiration of God's creative nature in worship.