"That's how it is."

When I first saw the following Corporate Confession in my morning bulletin, I laughed. I'm really going to say, "That's how it is" to God?!

Leader:  In our confession today, we are acknowledging what life is often like in an imperfect world. We are confessing those places where we, as the human family, are broken and need the light of God’s love and grace to break in and bring new life.  Our confession this morning is a responsive one.  I will make a statement, and then you will respond with “That’s how it is.”

Leader:  We find ourselves separated from our sisters and brothers.

Response:  That’s how it is.

Leader:  There are lines drawn between us that are racial, that are economic.  (Response)

Leader: We live cut off from many sources of strength and power, and often feel that we cannot act. (Response) 

Leader: So many things call to us, grab for our attention, that we find ourselves stretched to a fine, thin line.  (Response)

Leader: Our time is fragmented, our lives are fragmented.  We are broken.  (Response)

Leader: Yet, in the face of all this, we seek out the joy of the resurrection.  We ask again for new life given to us in Jesus Christ!  (Response)

Leader: O God, giver of grace and new life, that’s how it is with our lives.  We seek the power of your Spirit, that we may live in fuller union with you and with our sisters and brothers, and that we may gain courage to love and to act.  Through Jesus Christ we pray, Amen.

However, as we read it, I realized that the words really spoke to me. What was most amazing was how each, "That's how it is," from the group reflected the previously spoken words. Some responses were sad and desperate, others were joyful and thankful. My favorite section was, "We live cut off from many sources of strength and power, and often feel that we cannot act. So many things call to us, grab for our attention, that we find ourselves stretched to a fine, thin line. Our time is fragmented, our lives are fragmented.  We are broken."

I constantly feel like there are some many issues in the world that I alone can't work to stop every one of them. But I also feel guilty for not trying. I know I'm not expected to, but I just wish I could do more. I felt touched when when we lamented as a group how we felt cut off from sources from power, but at the same time there are things that we can do to work for justice. Again, I don't really know what my call is in this area of my life, but I try to keep expanding my knowledge of issues around the world because I feel like they really are all interrelated.

Prayer. That's my call. To pray so that I may be reminded of my blessings and others' trials.