Blessed are you...

Blessed are you, O Lord, the God of our fathers,
praiseworthy and exalted above all forever;
And blessed is your holy and glorious name,
praiseworthy and exalted above all for all ages.
Blessed are you in the temple of your holy glory,
praiseworthy and exalted above all forever.
Blessed are you on the throne of your kingdom,
praiseworthy and exalted above all forever.
Blessed are you who look into the depths
from your throne upon the cherubim;
praiseworthy and exalted above all forever.
Blessed are you in the firmament of heaven,
praiseworthy and glorious forever.

-Daniel 3:52-56

This is the passage that greeted me this morning in preparation for my morning Lenten worship. Below are the words that spilled out as I closed my eyes and considered what is moving in me this season in regard to this God of blessed be.

Blessed are you who meets me where I am,
in the quiet moments and hectic days.
Blessed are you who comes like a whisper in my breath
and spreads images of majesty before me.
Blessed are you who comes incarnate through the smile
of another, the touch of a hand or a kind word.
Blessed are you who shines in the light of the candle
and sings through the song of the sparrow.
Blessed are you who meets me where I am -
wretched, unholy, empty & longing to be filled.
Blessed are you who greets me with a belly full
of laughter under a starlit sky.
Blessed are you who remains faithful through
my questions and storms.
Blessed are you who stands as sentinel in the night
throughout my slumbering dreams or restless tossing.
Blessed are you I could name for an eternity
and never be complete.
Blessed are you who simply says, I AM,
and this is enough.
Amen. Amen. Amen.

Maui road © h3images.com- used with permission

Comments

[Maureen]

This is a Beatitude of great beauty. It fills.

It's a blessing to have "met" you, Christine, Sunrise Sister, and others along the way.

Namaste.

[claire]

Ah, beautiful. Thank you.

[lucy]

maureen - namaste.

claire - i have been trying to leave a comment at your blog this morning but the computer imps keep turning on the dreaded mac spinning wheel when i try. i will continue to try, but please know i'm reading and enjoying every word!!

[Anonymous]

Really wonderful Kayce. It speaks for so many of us. I have copied it and placed it in my Bible to come across and read with a smile I hope for many years to come :) Love, Pamela

[Country Parson]

A minor observation. Your readers will have a hard time finding Daniel 3:52 in the standard Protestant bible. The citation is part of what is known as The Song of the Three Young Men that, in some Protestant bibles, can be found in the Apocrypha. It's the song attributed to the three young men cast into the fire by Nebuchadnezzar as they dance and sang under the protection of God even as they were intended for death by being burned alive. It is a song of delight, praise and encouragement even under the most dire of circumstances.
CP

[SUNRISE SISTER]

Beautiful beatitudes, so reflective of the multi-faceted phases or your life and mine:)

xoxo

[Philomena Ewing]

Hi Lucy,
Lovely prayer to take with us into Holy Week. Thank you for this.

[lucy]

pamela - i'm always so happy to know you're here and i smile to think of you carrying my words tucked inside your Bible - where they might pop up at the most opportune time :-) xoxo

CP - thanks for the clarification. i know i can always count on you for scholarly verification :-) xoxo

SS - "multi-faceted phases" indeed!!! love you!

[lucy]

philomena - i am blessed by your presence and kind words. thanks for stopping by!!!