Sep 8 2019 Collect for Sunday, Proper 18

Grant us, O Lord, to trust in you with all our hearts; 

In addition to the readings from Hebrew Scriptures, Psalms, the times of Jesus and times after Jesus, Morning Prayer includes reading the ‘collect’ for Sunday. That prayer is read every morning until next Sunday’s prayer. The collects for the day are designed or intended, however loosely, to collect all the people and the readings, and to set the day’s intention. 

The Collect for today, opens, Grant us, O Lord to trust in you with our whole hearts. Oh, how I needed to read that this morning. It’s such a brief, simple statement, but it contains nearly everything I need for today.

Throughout my life, I’ve come to believe many wonderful and positive things about God. Things about love, and mercy and forgiveness. About service, and feeding, respect, dignity, humility. When I think about my faith – about God, or Jesus or the Holy Spirit, or even about the institution of church, some parts of all of that goodness are conjured. It’s always some mix of certainties, and doubts, and convictions, and faith. And at its root, when I think of God, my faith, my church, it’s rooted in love.

Everything good, and kind and loving is wrapped up and returned to me in my faith. It’s a little bit like a tool box or instruction manual. It contains everything I need. Some days, I need to read up on kindness. Other times, I’m serving others with abandon. That box is complete with everything I need.

But sometimes, my life gets fast or complicated or hard enough that I forget. I forget that I already have the instructions on how to get out of whatever pickle I’m in. I have the guidance, and the strength to handle today’s drama, as well as tomorrow’s. It’s when I forget that life gets overwhelming. It’s when I think that I’m supposed to navigate this on my own, with my own strength and wisdom. With the best of intentions, but clearly half-cocked, I make a mess of situations because I’ve forgotten to read the instruction manuals I know I have. I’ve momentarily lost my trust in God’s providence, and replaced it with my sheer will. 

Unfortunately, my toolbox – separate from God’s – is full of all sorts of petty and short-tempered tools. My toolbox – separate from God’s – should not be where I place my trust. As it turns out, my toolbox, cannot be trusted to be all the things I know God’s is – merciful, loving, kind, serving, respectful, patient.

This morning, I’m thinking about how easy it is to put my trust in me, and how the results of that are never ever as good, never as I strive to be. Today, I want to remember that I really do put my whole trust in God, with my whole heart. And I’m grateful that I will be repeating this prayer every morning.

Grant us, O Lord, to trust in you with all our hearts; for, as you always resist the proud who confide in their own strength, so you never forsake those who make their boast of your mercy; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.