eyes to the sky
Sun come down on me now
Warm this cold cold heart of mine
Troubles come and troubles go
May I see light through tired eyes
I will lift up my eyes to the sky to the sky
I will lift up my eyes to the sky to the sky
Give me grace and give me peace
Through my pain and suffering
Be a constant fire that draws me higher
Burn up the despair that's been sinking me
Burn up the despair that's been sinking me
Burn up the despair that's been sinking me
Burn up the despair that's been sinking me
I will lift up my eyes to the sky to the sky
I will lift up my eyes to the sky to the sky
I will lift up my eyes to the sky to the sky
I will lift up my eyes to the sky to the sky
Be a constant fire that draws me higher
Burn up the despair that's been sinking me
Burn up the despair that's been sinking me
Burn up the despair that's been sinking me
Warm this cold cold heart of mine
Troubles come and troubles go
May I see light through tired eyes
I will lift up my eyes to the sky to the sky
I will lift up my eyes to the sky to the sky
Give me grace and give me peace
Through my pain and suffering
Be a constant fire that draws me higher
Burn up the despair that's been sinking me
Burn up the despair that's been sinking me
Burn up the despair that's been sinking me
Burn up the despair that's been sinking me
I will lift up my eyes to the sky to the sky
I will lift up my eyes to the sky to the sky
I will lift up my eyes to the sky to the sky
I will lift up my eyes to the sky to the sky
Be a constant fire that draws me higher
Burn up the despair that's been sinking me
Burn up the despair that's been sinking me
Burn up the despair that's been sinking me
scripture
Psalm 13 (NRSVUE)
1 How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever?
How long will you hide your face from me?
2 How long must I bear pain in my soul
and have sorrow in my heart all day long?
How long shall my enemy be exalted over me?
3 Consider and answer me, O Lord my God!
Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep the sleep of death,
4 and my enemy will say, “I have prevailed”;
my foes will rejoice because I am shaken.
5 But I trusted in your steadfast love;
my heart shall rejoice in your salvation.
6 I will sing to the Lord
because he has dealt bountifully with me.
Lamentations 3:21-24 (NRSVUE)
21 But this I call to mind,
and therefore I have hope:
22 The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases,
his mercies never come to an end;
23 they are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.
24 “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul,
“therefore I will hope in him.”
1 How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever?
How long will you hide your face from me?
2 How long must I bear pain in my soul
and have sorrow in my heart all day long?
How long shall my enemy be exalted over me?
3 Consider and answer me, O Lord my God!
Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep the sleep of death,
4 and my enemy will say, “I have prevailed”;
my foes will rejoice because I am shaken.
5 But I trusted in your steadfast love;
my heart shall rejoice in your salvation.
6 I will sing to the Lord
because he has dealt bountifully with me.
Lamentations 3:21-24 (NRSVUE)
21 But this I call to mind,
and therefore I have hope:
22 The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases,
his mercies never come to an end;
23 they are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.
24 “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul,
“therefore I will hope in him.”
prayers of the people
Pastor Julia will recite the prayer and we will all sing the refrain in bold together.
God who always welcomes us home— tonight is a long night.
We gather together heavy with prayer concerns.
They tumble out of our mouths, they saturate every word we sing, they lay over us like a quilt, weighing on our spirits.
We are a million combinations of weary and sad, lonely and grieving, ashamed and disappointed, angry and hurt.
It is obvious that we need you, so together we ask. . .
How much longer 'til we sing a new song?
God, we need you in the messy middles, in the unclear paths forward, the transition seasons, and the splinterings of what once was.
God, we need you in the grieving places, in the dining rooms with empty chairs, in the empty wombs, and in the dark of the tomb.
God, we need you in our failed dreams, in shame that rises quickly, in the unknown next steps, in the discernment that is always easier said than done.
God, we need you in the doctor’s office, in the hospital room, in the place where they share the news that has changed everything.
God, we need you right next to us when this season, in particular, comes with extra trauma, extra grief, extra pain, extra sadness.
And so we ask. . .
How much longer 'til we sing a new song?
God, the world feels really scary right now.
The most vulnerable among us feel less and less safe every day.
How can we put up lights and sing carols when we see more and more hate spewed at those in our community, our friends, our neighbors, our family, maybe even us?
And so we continue to ask…
How much longer 'til we sing a new song?
While we are waiting for that new song, God, flood our grieving hearts.
Pour out your Spirit on this world.
Where there is suffering, loneliness, poverty, abuse, addiction, depression—be there.
Be all there.
Wrap your arms around those hurting places, and carry us to your promised day.
Until then, we will continue to ask…
How much longer 'til we sing a new song?
God who always welcomes us home— tonight is a long night.
We gather together heavy with prayer concerns.
They tumble out of our mouths, they saturate every word we sing, they lay over us like a quilt, weighing on our spirits.
We are a million combinations of weary and sad, lonely and grieving, ashamed and disappointed, angry and hurt.
It is obvious that we need you, so together we ask. . .
How much longer 'til we sing a new song?
God, we need you in the messy middles, in the unclear paths forward, the transition seasons, and the splinterings of what once was.
God, we need you in the grieving places, in the dining rooms with empty chairs, in the empty wombs, and in the dark of the tomb.
God, we need you in our failed dreams, in shame that rises quickly, in the unknown next steps, in the discernment that is always easier said than done.
God, we need you in the doctor’s office, in the hospital room, in the place where they share the news that has changed everything.
God, we need you right next to us when this season, in particular, comes with extra trauma, extra grief, extra pain, extra sadness.
And so we ask. . .
How much longer 'til we sing a new song?
God, the world feels really scary right now.
The most vulnerable among us feel less and less safe every day.
How can we put up lights and sing carols when we see more and more hate spewed at those in our community, our friends, our neighbors, our family, maybe even us?
And so we continue to ask…
How much longer 'til we sing a new song?
While we are waiting for that new song, God, flood our grieving hearts.
Pour out your Spirit on this world.
Where there is suffering, loneliness, poverty, abuse, addiction, depression—be there.
Be all there.
Wrap your arms around those hurting places, and carry us to your promised day.
Until then, we will continue to ask…
How much longer 'til we sing a new song?
how much longer
In the silence, tell me can you hear
The voices calling out, of the disappeared?
Broken spirits, dormant dreams
How much longer will justice sleep?
When a lawless heart is the voice we're hearing
We need freedom freedom freedom
How much longer 'til we sing a new song?
How much longer 'til we sing a new song?
Hearts of saints and sinners, too
Both have walked away from the destitute
Call them back to sing as one
A song of freedom now, a song to overcome
When a lawless heart is the voice we're hearing
We need freedom freedom freedom
How much longer 'til we sing a new song?
How much longer 'til we sing a new song?
How much longer 'til we sing a new song?
How much longer 'til we sing a new song?
We've been singing the same song
I'm asking for a new song
We've been singing the same song
I'm asking for a new song
The voices calling out, of the disappeared?
Broken spirits, dormant dreams
How much longer will justice sleep?
When a lawless heart is the voice we're hearing
We need freedom freedom freedom
How much longer 'til we sing a new song?
How much longer 'til we sing a new song?
Hearts of saints and sinners, too
Both have walked away from the destitute
Call them back to sing as one
A song of freedom now, a song to overcome
When a lawless heart is the voice we're hearing
We need freedom freedom freedom
How much longer 'til we sing a new song?
How much longer 'til we sing a new song?
How much longer 'til we sing a new song?
How much longer 'til we sing a new song?
We've been singing the same song
I'm asking for a new song
We've been singing the same song
I'm asking for a new song
closing prayer
One: We are here.
All: We are here.
One: I see you and your pain.
All: I see you and your pain.
One: I see you and your hope.
All: I see you and your hope.
One: You are my neighbor.
All: You are my neighbor.
One: We belong to one another.
All: We belong to one another.
One: We are not in this alone.
All: We are not in this alone.
One: Thanks be to God for the love that binds us.
All: Thanks be to God for the love that binds us.
One: Amen.
All: We are here.
One: I see you and your pain.
All: I see you and your pain.
One: I see you and your hope.
All: I see you and your hope.
One: You are my neighbor.
All: You are my neighbor.
One: We belong to one another.
All: We belong to one another.
One: We are not in this alone.
All: We are not in this alone.
One: Thanks be to God for the love that binds us.
All: Thanks be to God for the love that binds us.
One: Amen.