A Liturgy for the Scenic Route

I’ve loved the book Every Moment Holy ever since my friend Allie gifted it to me. It’s a book full of liturgies, or written prayers, and I thought it’d be fun to try writing one myself when I was passing through a Utah desert gorge. If you’re missing a past season, or anxious for what’s to come, check this prayer out. 

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O God our Creator,

Maker of Heaven and Earth,

you delight in delighting us.

In joy, you carved this yellow gray and red rock,

molding its tall peaks and cascading valleys

in the way that they should go.

You knew I would behold this rock on this day,

and marvel at its scale and Your kindness.

Thank you for delighting me with goodness.

Each crag and crevice,

every divot and formation,

is hand carved by You.

You sustain the towering pillars, clustered cacti, and this winding road

just as You sustain us.

Like the quiet caves etched deep within the rock, You are our shelter and refuge.

You meet us in our ascents and descents, and we are grateful.

And as the rock slips away, fading from view in the rearview mirror,

we see the sprawling blue skies ahead,

and remember that You have more for us still.

More to discover and learn,

more to balance,

more struggle, more joy,

more ways to be formed.

And we praise you.

For you are bigger than this passing gorge

and that tranquil desert sky.

You remain, even now, in anticipation of what we will encounter next,

and who we will become before the next scenic route begins.

May we also wait in expectation of how you will shape us.

Amen.

I’d love to hear how I can pray for you in the comments below as you begin this new year and discover what God has for you. And if you need some on the go encouragement, these images are for you! And by you, I mean for your phone screensaver—just screenshot!