Lenten Devotion for March 23

Plumb Line Prayer

by Jan Sutch Pickard

Then God said, “See, I am setting a plumb line in the midst of my people.” (Amos 7:8)

God of justice, mercy and truth,

we gather in your presence,

aware of it in all creation –

where the warmth of the sun, the strength of the wind,     

the energy of the waves, the stability of the earth

all remind us of your constant love

and your power to change and challenge our lives.

God of justice, mercy and truth,

we gather in your presence,

aware that in our world

there is one law for the rich and one for the poor,

that the scales are weighted against many

of our sisters and brothers,

and against new nations struggling to become,

and to find a balance.

God of justice, mercy and truth,

we gather in your presence,

aware of our own lives –

individually and in community –

where they measure up,

where they fall short,

where they are out of kilter –

as your plumb line shows us what is true.

Help us to be true to ourselves,

true to our history,

true to our own story,

true to you. AMEN