PSALM 30:1-12

¹   I will extol you, O LORD, for you have drawn me up,
and did not let my foes rejoice over me.
²   O LORD my God, I cried to you for help,
and you have healed me.
³   O LORD, you brought up my soul from Sheol,
restored me to life from among those gone down to the Pit.

⁴   Sing praises to the LORD, O you his faithful ones,
and give thanks to his holy name.
⁵   For his anger is but for a moment;
his favor is for a lifetime.
Weeping may linger for the night,
but joy comes with the morning.

⁶   As for me, I said in my prosperity,
“I shall never be moved.”
⁷   By your favor, O LORD,
you had established me as a strong mountain;
you hid your face;
I was dismayed.

⁸   To you, O LORD, I cried,
and to the LORD I made supplication:
⁹   “What profit is there in my death,
if I go down to the Pit?
will the dust praise you?
Will it tell of your faithfulness?
¹⁰  Hear, O LORD, and be gracious to me!
O LORD, be my helper!”

¹¹  You have turned my mourning into dancing;
you have taken off my sackcloth
and clothed me with joy,
¹²  so that my soul may praise you and not be silent.
O LORD my God, I will give thanks to you forever.

• Light a candle to remember Christ’s presence with you.
• Sit five to fifteen minutes in silent meditation paying attention to the deep breath.
• Identify a part of you that is hidden from God.
• Breathe into this place that is hidden.
• Be gentle with yourself.
• God is not hiding God’s face from you.
• Turn toward God and reveal this place that is hidden.
• Allow God to remove the sackcloth.
• Be filled with the joy of God who loves us completely just as we are.
• Allow this joy to bathe the place that has been hidden.
• Praise God from this new place and be released from silence.
• Listen from this place to hear God’s love for you.
• Give thanks to God for wholeness in love and for any new insights you have received.
• Share as you feel led in the reply box below.

Revised Common Lectionary Readings for Sunday, February 12, 2012, the Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time Year B 
2 Kings 5:1-14
Psalm 30:1-12
1 Corinthians 9:24-27
Mark 1:40-45

If you use these prayers in other groups, please give credit to author. Permission to use in not-for-profit settings The Rev. Lil Smith, M.Div., DASD