Father, Husband, Brother (II Samuel 3:1-21)

Lord, make me a father who glorifies You,
With care for the children You give me.
Discipling them in Your goodness and truth,
To keep them on the via Christi.

Lord, make me a husband who emulates Christ,
And sacrifice selfish desire.
With unity binding my heart to my wife,
To form an inexorable fire.

Lord, make me a brother who loves as You love,
To family, to church, and disciples.
To show to the least of our people Your love,
Stand boldly against every rival.

Fratricide (II Samuel 2:12-32)

How haunting is this act of fratricide,
The waste of internecine shedding blood.
Our feuding rips in pieces Jesus' bride,
While we destroy the very sons of God.

The most un-civil wars are civil wars,
For unity in Christ onward we press.
Turn us from tribalism. We're assured,
Our nemesis was never made of flesh.

The Lord protects the children whom He loves,
In fighting brothers, we are fighting Him.
Our warfare will be shortly overcome,
When Christ Himself obliterates all sin.

Lord, give us wisdom to see where to fight.
And find the men who cause disunity.
But keep us, too, from silencing what's right,
And let us champion the proper King.

Godly Community (I Samuel 30:20-31)

God has united us in Him,
O let us join in unity.
And let us love the brethren,
However weak or strong they be.
But let us give to all his due,
And more, as God gives graciously,
And not belittle what they do,
but build Godly community.

The Lord protects His followers,
His heart is for the weak and lost;
So let us too, or else we err,
For that is how we found the cross.
And we are members under Christ,
Within the church, His body formed.
Let us in love and grace unite,
With everyone in Christ reborn.