Sometimes I just don't get it. We are asking God to stir up God's own powers. In fact, it isn't even a request. We are telling God to put a big wooden spoon into the great pot of powers, stir them around and then come round and shower us with grace and mercy. There must be a whole lot of other powers in that pot; asking for grace and mercy is probably wise. The Lord knows that we need it -- in abundance. Yep, they're free. Free for the asking. I think I want to emphasize the asking part. By asking we are acknowledging just what it is that we need the grace and mercy for. Many of the collects in our Book of Common Prayer are wise and heartfelt prayers. Then there are one likes today that just seem to be filling space. It is a good thing that the sermon this morning was more enlightening than the collect. And maybe I should be thinking about writing my own collect that is more in keeping with my feelings on asking for grace and mercy.
