I believe in God

I believe in God
Oh Lord I believe
Help my unbelief.
I believe in God
Who called the chaos of the depths to life,
and responded with delight when the chaos responded
with the diversity of existence that we call our universe.
Who continues to call all that is to continue the ongoing work of creation.,
and who continues to rejoice when creation affirms the flourishing of all life.
Who, like a parent, dreams of what we might become,
and who, like a parent, grieves when sin and destruction tear us apart.
Who is alive and known in every culture and in every community,
and whose wisdom comes to us in many different languages and voices.
Who is incarnate in every pocket of the universe,
from the darkest corners of the hell of despair we often find ourselves in,
to the majesty and beauty of creative love in all of its infinite manifestations.
And whose transcendent grandeur undergirds all of creation.
Oh Lord I believe
Help my unbelief.
I believe in God
Who is revealed in the life, message, death and resurrection of Jesus,
the Son of God, the Messiah and our elder brother.
Who said the greatest commandment was to love God
with all of our heart, soul, mind and strength
and the second that was like unto it: to love our neighbour as ourselves.
Who taught that reconciliation and forgiveness of our human relationships
was directly related to being reconciled to God
Who was known as a friend of sinners alienated from their community of faith
and promised all who followed him the bread of life and the water that truly satisfies.
Who preached that mercy to others was more important than sacrifices to God
and said that his followers would be defined by their love for each other.
Who taught that God's kingdom is established now as it is born anew in each of us,
and is threatened now as it is opposed by any of us.
Who practiced an open table where all were welcome
and told us to follow in his example.
Who defined his ministry as one of compassion to the poor and the outcast
and of liberty and justice for the oppressed.
Who consequently was executed as an enemy of the state and the religious hierarchy
but continued to believe in Gods justice even in the face of death
and was vindicated by God through his resurrection to new life in the community that
bears his name.
Oh Lord I believe
Help my unbelief.
I believe in God
Whose ever-present Spirit envelops us in the mystery
of the never failing love of God
that is found amidst the pain, suffering and devastation of life in the shadows.
Who breathes energy, life and hope
into souls who are weary, lost, confused and despairing.
Who is incarnate in the least of us
and whose glory transcends the greatest of us.
Oh Lord I believe
Help my unbelief.
I believe in God
Oh Lord I believe
Help my unbelief.

Paul W. Thiessen
April 2007