Living with Christ Morning Prayer

Living with Christ Morning Prayer
Monday, December 16, 2013

By what authority are you doing these things? 

Jesus, I sometimes forget 
that I have the Christian Scriptures, 
creeds and catechisms, 
all proclaiming “Jesus is Lord.” 

But the chief priest and elders had none of this.
And so they ask about your authority.

I understand the question.
Today, we ask about authorization too.
Credentials, certifications, and titles abound.
These elders and priests were the authorized leaders;
and you had nothing except the certainty in your heart
of your intimacy with the Father.

Sometimes, Jesus, I don’t feel “authorized.”
Who am I to proclaim the good news,
lead a parish committee, or reach out to the poor,
the sick, the dying, and the grieving?
I don’t have your certainty, and sometimes I’m scared.
Wouldn’t it be better to leave it to the experts?

Nudge me, Lord, to remember the authorization my baptism gives me.
Urge me to get involved, to bring whatever talents I have
to the mission you have given me.

Give me the wisdom to know when I am in over my head;
but fill me with your Spirit, and help me to realize that
I have what I need to follow you.
Sometime today, Lord,
my baptism will call me to do something.
Help me to respond and to do it well.

For a prayer for today from the 11th century, see page 189 in the December issue of Living with Christ.