A Flight of Fancy for Friday - Lent 2024

Radishes, Produce Market in a Park, New York City. 2015

(Photo krb)

Nadia Bolz-Webber is an American Lutheran Pastor, writer and speaker who came into her ministry somewhat by chance from a background of stand-up comedy. Do read about her and how she got to be where she is today. It is a great story. I have quoted from her writings from time to time over the years. She is very plain speaking as you will see from the prayer I am about to quote. Her message most certainly gets through to her audience. 

She publishes a regular newsletter online. Perhaps some will subscribe to it. It is easily found as are her books which are great reads.

In this quote she takes a short prayer for courage and adds to it to create her Extended Dance Mix. The original prayer was written for the Holden Village, a Lutheran Retreat Village in a beautiful but very remote location in Washington State in the United States. If you find its web site, you will see its remarkable location. 

Here is the prayer for courage extended dance mix. The original prayer is in bold print. Enjoy.

Good Courage Prayer – extended dance mix

by Nadia Bolz-Weber

O God, you have called your servants-

And you have such questionable taste in servants.

Your servant selection process needs some work

Because O God you have again called your

Foreign women and weary retirees

You have called your pole dancers and police sergeants.

O God you have again called thirsty

women and broken men and we who foolishly think we volunteered, as if

we raised our eager hand and you called on us when really we were

conscripted.

Oh God you have called your servants

to ventures of which we cannot see the ending,

I don't know how this story ends, Lord.

Could we maybe just skip to the end so I could read the last few verses?

I won’t tell anyone, I promise.

Because, If I can’t see the ending then how do I know if I am getting

close?

So God if you could please just give this servant that blue pin at the end

of my Google Map directions so that even if the route keeps changing I

at least know where I am eventually getting to. Then I’d know which

route takes 4 minutes longer, one graduate degree longer, a few

emotional breakdowns longer than the one I’m on. Should I face Moab or

Bethlehem? Egypt or promises? What I already know or what I will

surely learn?

Oh God you have called your servants

to ventures of which we cannot see the ending,

by paths as yet untrodden

We’ve not been where we are going yet.

Make a way on these paths we’ve not yet taken – through parks where

junkies fix and children play,

through starter mansions and public housing and suburban strip malls

and dry land wheat farms and cheap motel that charge by the hour if you

know how to ask for it.

Oh God you have called your servants

to ventures of which we cannot see the ending,

by paths as yet untrodden,

through perils unknown.

Wait. Perils? Well, ok so maybe I take back the thing about knowing the

end because I don't think Gandolf meant for us to go this way Mr. Frodo. I

want to know the end and also know the way to the end but not to know

the perils that get me to the end because if I knew the perils I would

never start the journey because I’m certain I am just not peril-ready.  I

am never peril-ready.

So, Lord of The Questionable Servants we’re gonna need some help.

So....

Give us faith

Hand it over. Seriously. Cough it up. We don’t generate enough of our

own so if you call us, equip us, Lord.

Give us faith to go out with good courage,

Or at least good enough courage.

Give us faith to go out with good courage,  knowing only that your hand is leading us

Your strong hand. Your soft hand. The one that molded us out of dirt.

If your hand can lead Jesus out of his own grave, then it is

indeed strong enough to lead us out of ours too.

Give us faith to go out with good courage, knowing only that your hand is leading us and your love supporting us eternally; through Jesus Christ

…who breaks open prisons, frees slaves and captives,

feasts with the outcast and celebrates strangers.

Jesus who was so bad at choosing his friends and just as bad at

choosing his servants.

Jesus who even now stands among his faltering friends and shows us

his hand and his side and gives us his peace. Gives us his faith, gives us

his good courage, gives us his leading hand, gives us his love gives us

his support.

And it is enough for the ventures of which we cannot see the end. Amen.