This litany encourages us to acknowledge the frantic pace of our lives, remember that God knows us inside and out, and take time to be still.
Leader: We sit here trying our best to steady ourselves for an hour or two, but you know us, Lord. You know the distractions that tug at our minds, the worries that vie for our attention, the burdens that betray our affections.
Congregation: You have searched us, Lord, and you know us.
Leader: Whether we sit or stand or slouch or sleep, you see us.
Congregation: You know our thoughts.
Leader: You know the rhythm of our days: when we step out the front door and when we collapse onto our pillows.
Congregation: You know everything we do.
Leader: And so it is that you know how seldom we are still. We plant our feet, but inside we’re still spinning. We close our eyes, but life’s snapshots and billboards continue to flash. Even in our rest, we are restless.
ALL: Teach us to be still.
Leader: In a world stuck in fast forward, where the mute button’s gone missing, and we can’t seem to stick to a channel for more than a few seconds,
Congregation: call us to meet you in quiet and in solitude.
Leader: Teach us to rest in your promise of provision,
ALL: and help us in the difficult labor of trust.
Leader: In a world of constant movement, where our day-planners spill over with our activities, our children’s activities, and our church’s activities,
Congregation: interrupt us with your presence. Stop us in our tracks with your voice.
Leader: In a world where we are called into ministry, where the need is great and the workers are few; where we get carried away, burnt out, overworked, and discouraged,
Congregation: remind us of our limitations and of your greatness.
Leader: You are God. That is why we are here, that is the only reason we are here, and that is our only cause for stillness. You are good, you are in control, you are alive, and you are on the move, working to rescue your creation.
Congregation: You will be exalted among the nations.
ALL: You will be exalted in all the earth.