Enduring an Enemy

Lord of Peace,

It seems that I have an enemy, a foe. 

A collaborator has become an adversary. 

This happens infrequently, and I’m not handling it well.

Pour out your wrath on them; let your fierce anger overtake them. 
(Psalm 69:24)

Oh, how I like that Scripture! …but I know better. The Psalmist ultimately leaves it in your hands. That's where I'm struggling.

I began by defending myself. That morphed into judgment, and I just can’t let it go.

…you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge another, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things. (Romans 2:1)

I need your strength, Lord Christ. Not for the battle. I need strength of faith and strength of trust to let this go. You are my defender. You are the judge.

But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also. (Matthew 5:39)

Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, "Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?" Jesus answered, "I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times." (Matthew 18:21-22)

My prayer is to think and act on your truth. Amen.

Artwork credit

Prayers for a New Year

Prayers of celebration, resolve & guidance.

Best wishes for our Lord's guidance & blessing in 2014!

Graphic credit

Advent's BIG Question

Lord Christ,

We still ask the question posed two millennia ago by John the Baptist:

Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another? (from Matthew 11:1-6)

It’s the latter for many. Their savior seems to be success, celebrity, money or power.

For some there’s doubt. Their savior seems to be science, and they struggle with the virgin birth, angels singing, visions and stars.

I pray that our detours and doubt are replaced with discernment, that John’s Advent query compels a confrontation of the heart…

With God’s personal intervention.

With Christ’s message of mercy and forgiveness.

With your healing power.

With the call to repentance and transformation.

With the Holy Spirit’s guidance and inspiration.

With the promise of eternal life.

With the force of Divine Love.

Jesus, you are The One. Amen.

Artwork credit

Isaiah's Fortelling

The prophet Isaiah figures prominently into Advent. 700 years before Jesus’ birth he foretold the Messiah’s coming. 

Advent Bible readings begin with his prophecy, but it wasn’t merely a prediction. The meaning and purpose of Christ’s coming are imbedded in his divination. Take a look at Isaiah 11:1-10.

Lord Christ, God in the world, God in my life,

Prepare me for Advent - for the meaning(s) of your arrival and your short visit with us.

I’m inclined toward holiday trimmings and nostalgia. That’s a blessing, but turn my heart toward Isaiah’s great insight. I hear your intentions for us, for our planet...

Respect for God and his power.

The value of Christ-like wisdom and understanding.

The holy pursuit of righteousness and faithfulness.

Justice for those in need, for the poor.
Peace among all people, all creation.

…for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea. (Isaiah 11:9)

Amen.

Artwork credit

Gracious Provision

My morning Scripture Union Bible Study began with a reminder that God’s gracious provision has seen me through another year. Indeed!

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul... (Psalm 23)

Generous Lord, thank you for the green pastures. Your gracious provision has seen us though another year.

I’m blessed to claim another verse, from Psalm 16: The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places...

And even in the rapids of this life, I find pools of still water - puddles of your presence - that restore my soul. 

On this Thanksgiving Day, I offer grateful praise to the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, for a Trinity faith that guides and enriches my life. Amen.

God's bodacious blessing: Our family at my son's August wedding.

"Lord of All Hopefulness"

Celtic or Irish Cross

We sang this favorite hymn a couple of weeks ago in church, and happily, the Irish melody resonated in my head all day. 

The author, Jan Struther, was an agnostic who nonetheless attended church. I doubt that Wiki snippet does justice to the trajectory of her faith. 

Regardless, I’m convinced she was gifted and used by God.

Lord of all hopefulness, Lord of all joy,

Certain hymns are comfort food for the soul – a balm of Irish ballad and poetry.

How can it be that the author struggled with faith and depression? Her words are a blessing to me. She had a keen awareness of your interest in our daily lives.

To be hopeful as the day begins.

To have an eagerness about our work.

To live in a home filled with kindness.

To experience a gentle conclusion to each day.

Understanding the Holy Spirit's power, she takes it up a notch…

Bliss during the day.

Strength for our work.

Love in our homes.

Peace at the day’s end.

Lord Christ, may it be so this week! Amen.

Hypocrisy & Humility

In churches using the Lectionary, this passage from Luke (18:9-14) was read across much of Christendom today. Jesus’ parable is only six verses, but it seized my attention.

The Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector

To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everybody else, Jesus told this parable: “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men - robbers, evildoers, adulterers - or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’

“But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’

“I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

Merciful Lord,

It dawned on me during today’s sermon that I’m the Pharisee – trusting in my own righteousness and regarding others with contempt.

Maybe I’m an even bigger hypocrite. At least the Pharisee prayed aloud. There’s something to be said for his transparency. My prayer is quiet, under my breath:

God, I thank you that I’m not like those other people: insensitive, impatient, prideful, aggressive, manipulative, or even like (insert the name of my most recent adversary.)

Let the tax collector be my model. As the Old Testament puts it, I should smote upon my breast:

God, have mercy on me, a sinner.

The ground is level beneath your cross, Lord Christ. There’s no pecking order. We are all broken, all flawed…yet so self-righteous. One more time:

God, have mercy on me, a sinner.

Holy Spirit, transform this self-righteous sinner into a righteous follower of Jesus. Amen.