I need a Sabbath!

We focus on the Sabbath as a day for church. In the Jewish tradition it’s a day to remember God’s goodness and deliverance from slavery. Christian’s amend Jesus’ resurrection and our deliverance from death.

That’s certainly the “big picture” interpretation, but I had lost sight of the Fourth Commandment and the Hebrew meaning of shabbat - to cease or desist, the cessation of work. That's the root of Sabbath, a consistent Biblical theme.

God rested in in the creation story. Moses gave us the Sabbath commandment. Jesus withdrew regularly for prayer and solitude. He went so far as to point out that the Sabbath was made for man - God’s plan for weekly rest and refreshment.

The Sabbath is more than a go-to-church day. It’s a time to put work and responsibility on hold, a give-it-to-God day.

I was struggling with this as my recent vacation began. I had pledged not to read my email for five days. The new term for this is digital detox, and I was having difficulty placing work and responsibility on hold. On the 31^st Sabbath of the year, my Bible study presented Psalm 31. It’s a King David war prayer, but I was at war with myself. It seemed to apply:

O Lord!

Deadlines. Always deadlines. And decisions. And strategy. Uncertainty. Risk. I need a Sabbath.

Since you are my rock and my fortress, for the sake of your name lead and guide me.
(Psalm 31, v3)

Tension. Crucial conversations. Crucial confrontations. Egos. Arrogance. (Yes, it's a two-way street.) I need a Sabbath.

Keep me free from the trap that is set for me, for you are my refuge.
(v4)

I feel like a circus juggler about to drop a ball. Make that a fiery torch. Am I taking myself too seriously? I need a Sabbath.

Into your hands I commit my spirit; deliver me, Lord, my faithful God. (v5)

I’m stepping away, Father. Leaving it in your hands. For your blessing of rest and refreshment. A Sabbath.

Amen.

Ephphatha! Be Opened!

For the umpteenth time, I was reading through Jesus' healing miracles in Mark. (Mark 7:31-37, specifically.)

For the first time, I sensed the depth, the layers, the relevance of the story.

Is it just a Bible tale...or a penetrating story?

The Bible (when read and applied daily) is much more than a book. It is God in real life, God in real time.

Lord Christ,

You healed a deaf and mute man with the command Be Opened!

I take that literally. It was a healing miracle of ear and tongue.
I believe it!

...but Bible stories are for real life, in real time.

Is that command aimed at me?

Be Opened!  ...to your miracles of body, mind and heart.

...but there is even more to the story: It was a very personal encounter of ear and tongue and spit and touch.

Be Opened!  ...to intimacy with God.

Be Opened!  ...to his healing touch.

Be Opened!  ...to his voice.

Be Opened!  ...to his power.

Ephphatha! Amen.

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Pluralism

Ramadan has begun - a month of fasting and spiritual reflection for Muslims. That prompts a thought about religious pluralism in the U.S.

Today, we have a diversity of faiths, suspicion of faith(s), hostility toward faith and a lack thereof. That's how I would describe pluralism. I wish that definition included a greater respect for faith.

America is now characterized as a post-Christian nation. Many lament this, but it’s probably the natural result of globalization. I believe an informed, inquiring tolerance is the appropriate reaction. Be prepared to explain your faith. Take an interest in what others believe. Show respect for their views.

Some bemoan tolerance, but it is an act of grace. The alternative is choosing sides and estrangement. What’s Christian about that? (Maybe we are post-Christian because the Christians drifted off-message?)

Re-reading Acts 4:1-21 recently, I had an attitude adjustment. The passage contains a strong statement about the primacy of Christianity, but the Apostles were not theological scolds. They were very much engaged with the people of their own multicultural world - with a positive message, a healing touch (literally) and a contagious enthusiasm for their work.

Lord Christ,

I affirm the exclusive claim you have on my soul, on my life, with the words of St. Peter:

Salvation is found in on one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved. (Acts 4:12)

I worry that some of my brothers have turned that passage into a threat, dispatching non-believers to hell. That’s not a compelling witness!

Now I understand that Peter spoke those words - to a doubting, hostile audience - as an invitation. He had just healed a crippled man and defended his faith with passion. He wasn’t looking for a scrum; he was excited about your teaching and your power!

Help me, Holy Spirit, to follow Peter’s example - to live courageously for my faith, to share it with enthusiasm, to see the opportunities for healing, to be a living invitation to Christianity.

In the name of Jesus - my Lord, my Savior. Amen.

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Yearning

This prayer is a riff on my Scripture Union Bible study. Steve Bradbury is writing on Mark 4:21-34, where Jesus famously states “With the measure you use, it will be measured to you - and even more.” 

Genuine Christian learning is only possible for committed disciples with a passion to live as Jesus wants them to live. Real theology, therefore, is lived theology, resulting from obedience and the constant exercise of faith. We don't set the terms of engagement: Jesus does. We're called to listen and act, and keep on listening and acting. We're invited to follow him even when we have only an inkling of where we're going. 

Bradbury is a former chair of the Micah Challenge, a global voice for people living in poverty.

Creating, Healing LORD, 

Where did this yearning come from? 
The idealism. Is it naive? 

That society would be just and fair. 
That all babies would be healthy. 
No more pain and tears.
No wearing out. No death. 

It's our spiritual heritage:

…my chosen ones will long enjoy the work of their hands. They will not labor in vain, nor will they bear children doomed to misfortune;
 for they will be a people blessed by the Lord… (from Isaiah 65:17-25)

Is this what we call our Christian hope? 
Has it been planted within by the Holy Spirit?

...but is it realistic? Wishful thinking? It’s so against the grain. Actually, it's your guarantee, Lord Christ! 

And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” (from Revelation 21:1-5)

Thanks be to God! For a spirit of hope. For the promise of yearnings fulfilled.

It demands engagement. It's a call to service. Give me a hard shove, Holy Spirit, to act on these ideals! Amen.

Praying for Drew

My son has a college buddy, Drew Harrod, who is in a battle with cancer. That's not a cancer cliché. It is a raging battle. And this is the second occurrence in the third decade of his young life. 

I pray for Drew daily, and we follow his blog. It is difficult to read, often written in a stream of consciousness as he struggles with pain, fatigue and anxiety.

Remarkably, he uses this an an opportunity to share his rock-solid faith. His cross-bearing is real. His faith is resolute. It's a raw and powerful witness. I wince, but I'm inspired. 

Merciful and Gracious God,

How does one choose between another crushing course of chemotherapy and a risky, radical, day long surgery?

Where is your tender touch, Father, in the often hapless, callous health system?

How does one endure the pain day after day...after day?

Where is the energy to fight...

For you wife?

For your baby?

FOR YOUR LIFE!?!

It's found in Faith. It's found in the Spirit.

I have seen it in Drew Harrod. Inexplicable. Nonetheless genuine. Real.

Lord Christ, this young man will soon be in the hands of a surgical team, and I pray he is in your unseen but very tight embrace. I pray that - in your good time - he will hear the Great Physician say...

Rise and go; your faith has made you well. (Luke 17:19) 

May your Spirit be upon Drew, his doctors, his family and friends. Amen.


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Drew on YouTube
Drew's blog (log-in required)

Dropped Calls

We are celebrating Pentecost - the birth of the Church - when the Holy Spirit descended on the Apostles…and upon us!

Jesus explains the Spirit in John 14:

And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you forever. This is the Spirit of truth…he abides with you, and he will be with you…and remind you of all that I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you.

From the Pentecost account in Acts 2:

And suddenly from heaven their came a sound like the rush of a violent wind…

God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh…

Then everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.

St. Paul’s interpretation from Romans 18:

All who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God…

You have received a spirit of adoption.

We are children of God…heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ…

Great & Generous God,

Scripture tells us your Holy Spirit was poured out at Pentecost. There’s no mention of rationing. It came powerfully, and I should be awash in the Spirit.

…but you reach out to me only to get a dropped call. I’m out-of-network, off the grid. Then I grumble that you seem distant, that you don’t speak clearly or answer promptly.

That’s on me. Your signal is strong. We create the interference with our stuff - our wounds and anxieties, compulsions, comfort-seeking and material aspirations, something as simple as gossip, or just plain busyness. All of it blocks your presence.

Lord Christ, Scripture says your Spirit envelops us, that you have adopted us, that we are offered peace.

It’s a call I must answer! Amen.

Spiritual Infrastructure

Lord God,

We are trained to view sin as something we said or did...or something we failed to do. Sins of commission and omission. 

Are we missing the bigger issue? What about our spiritual infrastructure, the true condition of our hearts?

Do I have a small faith? Am I clinging to my insecurities, fears and prejudices?

Is my vision too narrow? Are my views set in concrete? Am I overly partial to my particular brand of religion?

Do I seem blind to your guiding hand, insensitive to your call? Is dedication to my job an excuse for selfishness? Am I missing opportunities to sincerely engage with the people around me. 

Holy Spirit, take control of my habits and reflexive responses. I'm striving for fewer retractions and omissions. I want the things I say and do to be worthy of a Christ follower. Make me useful to the Kingdom, supporting and cooperating with your work in the world. Amen.

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