Jesus, please do something
about this green-eyed cat jealousy
who has parked herself in my house
purring discontent.
She seemed sweet enough on the doorstep
with her message of “poor you”.
Once in, she patted me with soft paws mewing,
“that’s not fair” and “you deserve better”.
She lapped up all the milk of human kindness
Even in the small schemes of our lives
there are times when we come upon the big mess
which we may or may not have caused.
The challenges given, the first shots fired,
volleys of words thrown like grenades,
the bodies prone, the revenge promised…
war even on the tiniest scale wreaks havoc
and rejects consolation through the years.
The fog of war never completely lifts
but the casualties are completely clear.
Trust and innocence blown to smithereens,
hope sidelined in the trenches
with bitterness like a rat
God, this is about the secret sins
which we have managed, we think,
to conceal from others
but which are an open book to you.
You see the sly dishonesty, the creeping pride,
the selfish preoccupation,
the lustful thoughts, the abusive actions,
the crooked business dealings, the tight-fisted stinginess
and the fear of facing consequences we deserve.
We have prepared a bitter table and sit alone.
The unseen guest at every table surprises us
I am a Mennonite pastor currently teaching theology at Conrad Grebel University College in Waterloo, Ontario. I’ve served congregations in Ontario and most recently, Alberta.
I love to write and to lead worship! If you are finding my writing helpful, I would love to hear from you! Feel free to use or adapt the material here, it is all written by me. If printing material, please credit “Copyright Carol Penner www.leadinginworship.com” (and say whether you modified it). If publishing, please contact me for permission. Contact me at carol@leadinginworship.com
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