Prayer for the Week – March 12

Almighty God, whose blessed Son was led by the Spirit to be tempted by Satan: Come quickly to help us who are assaulted by many temptations; and, as you know the weaknesses of each of us, let each one find you mighty to save; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
- from The Divine Hours: Prayers for Springtime

Even though I now live in Christ and am daily putting on the new self, I still struggle with sin and am faced with temptations on a daily basis. This is the reality of life for every apprentice of Jesus. As it has been said that, for the Christian, “sin remains, but it must not reign”. Part of becoming like Christ is to overcome the temptations as we live in Him more and more. Just as the temptations in the dessert that Jesus faced served to confirm his identity as the Son of God, so the temptation I face can be used by God to draw me closer and confirm my true identity in Him. That is, if I resist…

On my own though, I can’t resist temptation. But, with God, I can. 1 Corinthians 10:13 tells me that, “No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.” This is why in this prayer, I pray that God would “come quickly to help” and that I would find him “mighty to save”. Notice too that this prayer is not just for “me”, but for “us”. This is a prayer for the whole Church because we who are in Christ are all on this same journey of becoming like Jesus.

May we all remember our frailty and weakness, but at the same time remember God’s strength and grace that desires to make us “mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ” (Ephesians 4:13).

What’s Your “I Have To”?

I came across this quote the other day:

“If I see three oranges, I have to juggle. If I see two towers, I have to walk.”

- Philip Petit, tightrope walker

In the book The Genesee Diary, Henri Nouwen reflects on this quote as he ponders what the inner urge is that drives people to do the things they do. I am also reminded of how the Apostle Paul wrote that he was compelled to preach the gospel (1 Corinthians 9:16). It makes me think about what compells me, or what my “I have to” is.

As I explore and go deeper in my personal vocational calling to be a pastor, I find that one thing I must do is come alongside of people and help them in their journey of spiritual growth. I am energized whenever I have the opportunity to talk with someone, either informally over coffee or more formally in a class room, and help them genuinely grow deeper in their life with God through Christ in the power of the Spirit. So, to personalize and paraphrase Petit’s quote, I guess I would say, “When I see someone desiring to grow in their life with God, I have to help.” I know it’s perhaps a little simple and maybe a little vague at the moment, but it’s a starting point!

What’s your “I have to”?

The Seed

Very truly, I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.

John 12:24 (NRSV)

I was reading this passage today, taking the time to meditate and chew on it. As I did, I started to think of the ways this might speak to how it is necessary for ministry to be Incarnational. Jesus says that the seed must “falls into the earth”. The one doing ministry has to “fall into the earth” and become part of the ground, part of the community, part of the people. People who desire to truly minister to others can’t be isolated from the community they minister to. Henri Nouwen writes along these lines in his book In the Name of Jesus, when he says, “Christian leaders are called to live the Incarnation, that is, to live in the body, not only in their own bodies but also the corporate body of the community, and to discover there the presence of the Holy Spirit”.

Authentic ministry is not about offering a professional religious service to some one else in a detached way. True ministry in the way of Jesus involves getting into the dirt of everyday life with those around you. Just like a seed that is pushed down into the dirt and surrounded by the soil, so must those who want to minister embed themselves in the real life of our friends and neighbors.

Not only must ministry be Incarnational, but it also must be humble and self-sacrificing. The seed must actually die. I don’t think Jesus is recommended a destructive lack of self-care, rather I think he is pointing us to a greater way of love. Jesus exemplified this by “humbling himself to the point of death” (Philippians 2:8). Ministry doesn’t work with a “what’s in it for me” attitude. Every Christian has been called to have the “same mindset as Christ” and “in humility value others above yourselves,  not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others” (Philippians 2:3-4).

Only when the seed dies is it fruitful. The seed itself actually ceases to exist as a mere seed. But, in its death it becomes much more than it ever could have been if it had remained safely in the seed pouch! This is what true ministry looks like. And the beauty is that when we live in this self-sacrificial and loving way, God gives our life greater meaning and purpose and we find the life we’ve been looking for.

In these words, Jesus was speaking of his imminent death on the cross. He is also showing the way of authentic, true ministry for all of his followers. We are all seeds and if we want to follow the way of Jesus we must allow ourselves to “fall into the earth and die” that we may “bear much fruit”.

Prayer for the Week – Feb 27

Most loving Father, whose will it is for us to give thanks for all things, to fear nothing but the loss of you, and to cast all our care on you who cares for us: Preserve me from faithless fears and worldly anxieties, that no clouds of this mortal life may hide from me the light of that love which immortal, and which you have manifested to us in your Son Jesus Christ our Lord; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen

- from The Divine Hours: Prayers for Springtime (Tickle, Phyllis)

“Faithless fears and worldly anxieties”. How easy it is to get caught up and distracted by these two things! But, God, who is a loving Father, is inviting us into a way of life that is not controlled by fear or anxiety. I love the poetic line of this prayer, “that no clouds of this mortal life may hide from me the light of that immortal love”. That’s such a great way of thinking about the temporal things that we often get so focused on. The wonderful thing to me, is that God is not denying the reality that this world and this life are important, but rather he is presenting a totally different perspective for us to have when we look at the things of this life. While on earth, Jesus himself exemplified this perspective on life. He totally trusted in his loving Father and invites us to do the same.

Lent – The Road to Easter

“We too easily forget our Maker and Redeemer; replacing God with things and ambition. Lent is the season that does something about this situation. It calls us back to God, back to the basics, back to the spiritual realities of life. It calls us to put to death the sin and the indifference we have in our hearts toward God and our fellow persons. And it beckons us to enter once again into the joy of the Lord–the joy of a new life born out of a death to the old life. That is what Ash Wednesday (and all of Lent) is all about–the fundamental change of life required of those who would die with Jesus and be raised to a new life in him.” – Robert Webber

Lent began yesterday. For me, this is a season that prepares me for the Good News of Easter and can help to make Easter much more meaningful than just approaching it as a single day on the calendar. It is a way to conform my spirituality to the gospel story.

Typically, Lent is a time for fasting, repentance, and prayer. For my practice, I plan to fast from sweets and goodies (of which I have quite a habit of munching on throughout the day) and I am doing this devotional reading plan from YouVersion.com.

How are you going to participate in Lent and allow this season to shape your spiritual journey as we travel on the road to Easter?

Prayer for the Week – Feb 13

“O God, the strength of all who put their trust in you: Mercifully accept my prayers; and because in my weakness I can do nothing good without you, give me the help of your grace, that in keeping your commandments I may please you in both will and deed; through Jesus Christ my Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen” – from The Divine Hours: Prayers for Springtime (Tickle, Phyllis)

My thoughts:

This prayer helps me focus on the fact that I need God’s strength and help to live the life he calls me to. As Jesus said in John 15:5, “Apart from me you can do nothing”. The Christian life is not simply made up of our own effort to live a good moral life. Rather, it is about connecting to the source of Life and allowing that power to flow through us and transform our life (the image that Jesus uses is that of a vine and a branch).

In addition, God is not simply wanting me to do good, he wants me to want to do good. This is where the part of the prayer that says, “I may please you in both will and deed”. As the Apostle Paul writes in Philippians 2:12-13, “work out your salvation with fear and trembling,  for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.” God’s desire is to transform my actions and the heart behind those actions.

As I pray this prayer throughout the week, I will be bringing my weaknesses to God, acknowledging my need for His strength to flow in me, and also my sincere desire to be transformed into the kind of person that He desires for me to become.

Pray the Hours – Prayer for the Week Feb

“Set me free, O God, from the bondage of my sins, and give me the liberty of that abundant life which you have made known to me in your Son our Savior Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.“

- from The Divine Hours: Prayers for Springtime (Tickle, Phyllis)

My thoughts:

The Apostle Paul tells us that we must put off the old and put on the new – the old being the life of bondage to sin, the new being the abundant life we have in Jesus. This prayer reminds us of that and helps us to do it. By praying a prayer like this, we are acknowledging that we can’t do it on our own, but we need God’s continual grace to free us from sin and bring us to life.

Praying the Hours

For sometime now, I have been “experimenting” with the practice of “praying the hours”. This is an ancient rhythm of prayer that has it’s roots in the monastic movements of Christianity (well actually it goes all the way back to the Old Testament and was carried on and adapted by the early Christian church). It involves pausing to pray several times a day (typically morning, midday, evening, and before bed) and involves using a combination of Psalms, Scripture readings, and ancient written prayers. I say that I have been”experimenting” because I am far from practicing it with consistency! But, thankfully God has grace and I’m not approaching this as just something I need to do in order to impress God or get some sort of spiritual brownie points. Rather, I see it as a way of providing several anchor points to my day and slowly weaving a mindset of constant prayer into my daily life. I also appreciate the mix of praying / reading Scripture plus the written prayers as they seem to broaden my prayers and help shape my overall spirituality. Left to only ever pray what comes to my mind or heart, my prayers can tend to be limited. After all, prayer is something we must learn (“Lord, teach us to pray…” Luke 11:1). In my own practice, I will often combine my own spontaneous prayers with these “offices” (what each prayer time is called).

With all that in mind, I thought I would start adding a brief weekly blog that highlights the “Prayer Appointed for the Week” (a central prayer that is repeated at each time of prayer throughout the week) and offer a few of my thoughts on that prayer. There are several Christian prayerbooks on the market. I’ve been using the popular book “The Divine Hours”.

So, here is this weeks prayer:

Almighty and Everlasting God, you govern all things both in heaven and on earth: Mercifully hear the supplications of your people, and in our time grant us your peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

My brief thoughts:

We live in a world that is imperfect in it’s current state. Too often, it seems, the wicked prosper while those who try to stay on the right path only encounter troubles. However, as people of faith, we must remember that God is in ultimate control and that though we may face trials for a time, God has not forgotten us. With that hope, we bring our prayers and needs to him, trusting in his goodness and in his perfect will. This kind of prayer helps to remind us of these truths and protects our hearts and minds from despair and the lose of hope.

 

For a good introduction to this kind of prayer practice, check out In Constant Prayer (The Ancient Practices)

Quote: Reservoirs

“If then you are wise, you will show yourself rather as a reservoir than as a canal. For a canal spreads abroad water as it receives it, but a reservoir waits until it is filled before overflowing, and thus communicates, without loss to itself, its superabundant water. In the Church at the present day, we have many canals, few reservoirs.” – Bernard of Clairvaux

Overcoming The Fear of Success

I’m sure that most people have experience the all-too-common “fear of failure” at some point in life. But, the thought occurred to me recently that there is also a “fear of success” that, though it may be a less common experience, can paralyze us just the same. Perhaps it’s possible that we can actually end up fearing the thing we desire most. I’m sure there are a variety of reasons this could happen. One that comes to mind is that “success” (whatever that may look like) is somewhat of an unknown. Sometimes, it can just be more comfortable to stay where we are, where things are familiar, rather than venture into this unknown territory.

“As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you. Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their ancestors to give them.” (Joshua 1:5-6).

When Joshua took the leadership position prior to the death of Moses, the Israelites were right on the cusp of entering the land that God had promised them. Joshua had been Moses’ protege’ and it was now his time to lead the people forward into an unknown land.  I can only imagine the immense pressure he felt. I bet he began to question himself and perhaps began to experience the fear of success. But, God met him at this pivotal moment with these words: Be strong and courageous. Repeatedly, in verses 6, 7, 9, and 18, God encourages this newly appointed leader to “be strong and very courageous!” God knew what was ahead and he knew what this leader needed to hear.

Sometimes, I think we need these encouraging words too. We can be strong and courageous, because where God leads us, he will also be with us. God was not merely giving Joshua a boost in his self-confidence, he was reassuring him of his divine presence. “As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you” (verse 5).

Jesus made a similar statement when he gave his disciples their mission – “And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matthew 28:19-20). Jesus is promising that he will be with us when we make our self part of his mission. Therefore, we can “be strong and courageous”, even when we aren’t sure of what is ahead of us. We can go with confidence, and not be paralyzed by the “fear of success”, because we know that we aren’t going alone.