SUNDAY MORNING PRAYER-HOLY REGIME CHANGE

WE SPEAK EASILY AND GLIBLY OF "REGIME CHANGE."
  WE IMAGINE IT IS SOME REGIME OTHER THAN OUR OWN;
  WE IMAGINE OUR RIGHTFUL CAPACITY TO MAKE SUCH CHANGE ELSEWHERE.

BUT THEN YOU IN SCRIPTURE,
        YOU MAKING REGIME CHANGE,
        YOU OVERTHROWING LONG-ESTABLISHED PRIESTLY POWER,
        YOU MOVING AGAINST THINGS HOLY AND TREASURED AMONG US;
        YOU CAUSING ENDINGS THAT WE HAD NEVER THOUGHT POSSIBLE;
        YOU MAKING NEWNESSES BEYOND OUR CONJURING.

AND JUST BEHIND ELI AND HIS LOSS OF REGIME
   COMES THIS OTHER VOICE FROM YOU INNER CIRCLE,
         SUMMONING TO RADICAL NEWNESS,
         SUMMONING TO "REPENT," AND THEN,
         A NEW REGIME: "THE KINGDOM OF GOD IS AT HAND."

AND ALL OUR OLD REGIMES---
    OF HEART AND OF MIND,
    OF MONEY AND OF POWER,
    OF PRIVILEGE AND OF ENTITLEMENT---
  ALL ARE IN ONE INSTANT PLACED IN JEOPARDY.

GIVE TO US COURAGE TO HEAR YOUR SUMMONS;
GIVE TO US FREEDOM TO RELINQUISH OLD REGIMES THAT HAVE GONE STALE
    IN HARDNESS AND IN DISOBEDIENCE;
GIVE US EASE TO RECEIVE NEW GOVERNANCE THAT RESHAPES EVERYTHING,
               EVEN OUR DEEP TREASURES.

WE LIVE BY YOUR WORD; WE AWAIT YOUR NEWS,
    BUT WE DO SO TENTATIVELY, RELUCTANTLY,
    KNOWING THE COST OF ALL THAT IS SETTLED AND OLD.
          SO COME, POWER OF NEWNESS, COME HERE, COME SOON.