Be with us.

 Be With Us

Be with us.

Not as a distant wish,a hope cast toward the sky,

But as the very breath we breathe,the ground on which we lie.

Be with us as You promised—ourEmmanuel—

Our strength within the struggle,our peace within the swell.

Be with us in the ordinary, in the daily bread and task,

In the quiet conversation,in the simple joy we ask.

Be with us in the planning,in the work our hands have found,

The sacred in the common,on the familiar ground.

And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age. (Matthew 28:20)

Be with us in the breaking, when the fabric tears apart,

When the diagnosis silences the beating of the heart.

Be the One who stands within the fire,who walks upon the wave,

The present,mighty Savior, whose one purpose is to save.

Be with us in the celebrating, in the laughter, in the feast,

That every joy may point to You,the Giver and the Priest.

Bind us closer to each other as You bind us close to You,

One family,one body, in everything we do.

For You are the God who dwells among us, who makes His home with men.

You have written“With Us” as the covenant again.

From the garden’s walk at evening to the city’s radiant light,

Your heart’s desire is presence,Your presence is our might.

The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing. (Zephaniah 3:17)

So, we do not ask for merely a blessing from Your hand,

But forYou—our dearest portion in every shifting land.

Be the fire by our night,be the cloud by our day.

Be with us,Lord Jesus, we humbly pray.

Amen.