Cast thy burden upon the Lord

Pile your troubles on God’s shoulders - he’ll carry your load, he’ll help you out. He’ll never let good people topple into ruin. (Psalm 55:22)

Kind Father, I cherish that verse. The Message seems to best capture the intent of “cast your cares on the Lord” and St. Peter distills the invitation:

Live carefree before God; he is most careful with you. (1 Peter 5:7)

…but I can’t seem to internalize this scripture. We are in a constant tug of war. I gratefully pile my troubles upon your broad shoulders - for a little while - and then I retrieve them. Why is that?

Maybe I’m not the good people noted in the Psalm, merely a part-time Christian. And I fall into that enticing trap of self-sufficiency, my strength rather than yours. And I make decisions without listening for your guidance, asking you to bless a path already chosen.

Lord Christ, I’m a slow learner. Explain it to me once more - that part from the Sermon on the Mount about the carefree birds of the air and lilies of the field:

If God gives such attention to the appearance of wildflowers - most of which are never even seen - don’t you think he’ll attend to you, take pride in you, do his best for you? What I’m trying to do here is to get you to relax, to not be so preoccupied with getting, so you can respond to God’s giving. People who don’t know God and the way he works fuss over these things, but you know both God and how he works. Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don’t worry about missing out. You’ll find all your everyday human concerns will be met. Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don’t get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes. (Matthew 6:30-34)

Lose the guilt. Loosen my grip. Listen to the Spirit. Live by faith. That’s the cure for worry. Amen. 

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Guard Your Heart

As Valentine's Day nears it's appropriate to pray for your heart - not medically or romantically - but spiritually. In scripture, our heart is the muscle of faith. Elaine Storkey, writing for Scripture Union, explains that the heart is our source of wisdom:

The heart is where we gain understanding and where we make our response to God. That is why the psalmist asks God to search his heart (Psa. 139:23). We are asked to guard our heart (Prov. 4:23), to apply our heart to understanding (Prov. 2:2), to keep God's precepts in our heart (Psa. 119:69), and to love God with all our heart (Matt. 22:37). In the Bible, wisdom and understanding do not begin in the mind but in the heart.

Let's pray for hearts that beat for Christ, pure and strong:

Love the Lord your God with all your heart…
(Matthew 22:37)

Your words, Jesus. You want my heart, but other people and pursuits seem to claim my allegiance.

St. Paul prays for me across the millennia: I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. (Ephesians 1:18)

King David pleads on my behalf: Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. (Psalm 139:23-24)

King Solomon makes an appeal: Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it. (Proverbs 4:23)

Protect my heart, Lord Christ, that I may claim my inheritance of hope and power. Amen.

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The Reign of God

...your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. (Matthew 6:10)

What are we doing at church? ...or as the church? What’s the BIG PICTURE response to that question?

I have an answer after listening to an inspiring sermon by The Rev. Dr. Jacqueline Lewis on a Day1 podcast (and reflecting upon Psalm 36.) She is the Senior Minister of Middle Collegiate Church in NYC.

In church we are rehearsing, practicing, preparing and/or training for the Kingdom to come, for that day when everything is done according to God’s will, when this planet is as perfect as we imagine heaven to be.

In truth, that level of perfection is beyond my imagining, but I’m committed to continue the rehearsal. As we practice, prepare and train, we bring the Kingdom closer…for ourselves and those we serve.

Lord Christ,

If I were a bit more extroverted, I would stand outside my church and proclaim this invitation:

Come in! Join us as we practice for the reign of God.

Experience our inspiring liturgy and music. One day everyone will praise you.

Your love, O LORD, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies. (Psalm 36:5)

Support our urban outreach programs. One day no one will live on the streets. No hunger. No mental illness. People will have housing and work.

Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains, your justice like the great deep. (v6)

Volunteer with our GED project. One day everyone will have a strong educational foundation to propel their dreams.

How priceless is your unfailing love! Both high and low among men find refuge in the shadow of your wings. (v7) 

Share in our service to migrant farm workers. One day hard working people will be lifted from poverty.

They feast on the abundance of your house; you give them drink from your river of delights. (v8)

Assist our ministry to children and youth. One day all children will know you.

For with you is the fountain of life; in your light we see light. Continue your love to those who know you, your righteousness to the upright in heart. (v9-10)

Jesus, we are rehearsing for your reign. In worship, service and stewardship, we attempt to make it so - to make your Kingdom a reality for more of our brothers and sisters. Our greatest hope is in and for your return. Until then, we will continue to practice - the practice of Christianity. Amen.

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Theology of Food

Family and food are central to my Christmas celebration. It seems to begin in earnest with Thanksgiving, and there’s no let up until the New Year.

You would think that “eat, drink and be merry” (Ecclesiastes 8:15) is the only Bible verse I have committed to memory…and unwavering practice!

I’m not alone. I read last week that 65% of NorthCarolinians are overweight or obese. And I was confronted with a stark contradiction in a year-end fund raising appeal: One in five NC children face what we now call “food insecurity” and 170,000 of my fellow citizens receive emergency food aid each week. This paradox prompts a prayer:

Give us this day our daily bread. (Matthew 6:11)

Generous Lord, that prayer has been amply answered during the holidays, and the bathroom scales concur.

The upside…

Those who prepare our family feasts remind me of your care and attention to detail. I appreciate their gift of hospitality, and I am grateful for your faithful provision.

The downside…

I consume far more food and drink than a body requires. Moderation and restraint are elusive. Self-discipline is a myth!

Holy Spirit, govern my choices in the pantry and at the table. Make me mindful of my choices for service and giving to organizations fighting hunger. Amen.

My blog posts about Durham Meals on Wheels, a favorite non-profit!

Advent Interrupted

Almighty God, 

We weep, we ache over the Newtown school massacre in Connecticut.

The veneer of sentimentality has been painfully stripped from Christmas...by semi-automatic pistols and mental illness.

I will confess to blocking out the news of war, violent crime and traffic fatalities during Christmas, but this story has our hearts in a vise. It commands our full attention.

How clearly, how starkly we see this broken world as we grieve for the murdered first graders and their heroic faculty.

Oh yes, we need a Savior.

Oh yes, we long for a new creation.

It's impossible to elude those Advent themes this year.

Lord Christ, the slain children and teachers know your embrace, but please, dispatch your Spirit to their parents and families, to share and lift their heavy, heavy burden. Amen.

Advent Preparation: Humility

Lord Christ,

I anxiously await the grandeur and spectacle of Christmas: Handel and Bach, poinsettias and processions, candles and carols. Worthy is the lamb!

…but I notice a contrary tone in my Advent Bible readings. When I consider the primary characters, I’m getting a lesson in humility. (Luke 1)

There’s Zechariah and Elizabeth, John the Baptist, Joseph and Mary. An aging couple, their eccentric son, the peasant carpenter and his teen bride. For most of her life, Elizabeth had borne the shame and disappointment of infertility. Putting it politely, Mary was faced with an unexpected pregnancy.

The real Christmas story is about unpretentious people…under duress…straining to comprehend God's plan…attempting to obey.

In this age of self and celebrity, Holy Spirit, prepare my heart with their witness of humility. Amen.

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Advent - Preparing the Heart

Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will perform that good thing which I have promised unto the house of Israel and to the house of Judah. In those days, and at that time, will I cause the Branch of righteousness to grow up unto David; and he shall execute judgment and righteousness in the land. (Jeremiah 33:14-15, KJV)

In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the Desert of Judea and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.” This is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah: “A voice of one calling in the desert, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.’” (Matthew 3:1-3, NIV)

Lord Christ,

It seems to me that the Christmas season began even earlier this year - around Halloween!

We like to blame greedy retailers and the modern day plague of consumerism. I’m not so sure about that. Maybe we welcome the distraction from a true Advent.

The ancient prophets consistently called across the generations for repentance, justice and righteousness as they proclaimed the Messiah. We are called during Advent to prepare our hearts for the coming of Jesus, to make straight our path.

Am I willing to catalog my regrettable thoughts and actions, or lack of action for the cause of Christ?

What about justice? Where our society, government and business miss the mark, will I do anything about it?

Will I make time to consider what it means to live righteously, to model Kingdom values, to trust the Lord in all things, in the coming year?

…or will I charge off to the mall or another Holiday party. Will I confine my preparation to mixing drinks and wrapping gifts?

Holy Spirit, prepare my heart during advent for the coming of Christ, my savior, my Messiah. Amen.

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