Teenagers & Common Prayer

This morning was a bold move for Elissa and me.  With much fervor we decided to involve the teenagers in our devotional adventure through the liturgy.  They could not define liturgy but it seems community is central to all of this anyway, so we took a gamble.

After responsively reading through the first prayer, Steffen said, "All we are doing is reading together?" He was certainly on to something.  Singing through a quick couple of verses of our favorite Mount Song, Sanctuary (a shallow substitute for "Steal Away Jesus") and Brianna was actually joining in.  Mostly to drown out the rest of us who struggled to sing on key.  The Psalm was then shared by Steffen and Brianna responsively.   Just as the scriptures were going to be opened and all the deep theological questions answered, time was up.  The bus was headed our way, at least that was their story and we had little recourse.

What grand hopes we had for the Spirit to consume us as we faithfully sought Him out through this exercise.  After the door had closed and a brief calm ensued, Elissa and I heard from God through Jean Vanier (A huge hero of ours) "They accept the community and the other members as they are; they are confident that together they can grow towards something more beautiful."

Wow!  Thank you Lord for the gift of our built in community the family...how sacred this opportunity to be together even if the assignment is not completed.  We praise you for bringing it to completion in your time frame.
Drink Deeply Community of Faith, how blessed we are to have one another...
Blessings,
Jeremy

Soul Food @ a Staff Meeting???

Pastor Jeremy here...new to the blogging world but what a powerful tool for us to connect daily even as our schedules and physical locations remain barriers to being among one another physically.  Our prayer is that you are finding these daily soul food moments as nourishing as we are.

Today was one of those ah ha moments...awe struck as I looked around the room at our staff meeting realizing I was surrounded by a team that only God could assemble.  At moments during our staff devotional,which was being led by one of our newest staff, I had an overwhelming sense of unworthiness.  As if I had cheated in order to be a part of the team God was assembling for wonders we could not even fathom.  She was new to leading a large staff in a devotional but she proclaimed "Our lives, O Lord, are in your hand : hold us up that we might stand."  They were not merely printed words for her and because of that they became sustenance for us as well.

We heard from a 13th Century Franciscan theologian, "The purpose of the Scriptures, which come to us from God, is to lead us to the fullness of the truth."  In the simple act of centering all that we were on all that He is through prayer, scripture, and sharing from our places of need the banquet had begun.

We took care of the logistics but in her simple act of leading us to the table...the fullness of the truth was all we really needed.  Are you feasting this Lenten Season or are you still searching for the banquet table?  We would love for you to join us.
In His Grip,
Jeremy      

For Kayla

First of all, don't miss today's quote from Clement of Rome.  It is simply too good to miss.

Secondly, I want to take this opportunity to share a matter of community concern.  I got a call today from Shane Lamar.  Shane is a long time member of the church, and plays a mean blues guitar out at the Worship at the Water on Sunday mornings.  For years now, the people of this community have been praying for Shane's daughter, Kayla.  Kayla has lived most of her life with an inoperable tumor.  She and her father have almost worn out the roadways between Pensacola and St. Jude's Hospital, but she has done remarkably well, and her father attributes her sustaining health to the love and expertise of her caregivers and to the power of prayer.

Shane called me today with the sound of hurt in his voice.  It seems that Kayla is experiencing some progressive weakness in her left side, which is adversely affecting her mobility.  Whether it is directly related to the tumor is difficult to say as they await further test results.  The doctors are at work, but no clear plan for treatment has been identified as of yet.  What is worse is the way in which this latest development is affecting the young girl's psyche.  Out of concern, Shane has asked for prayer for Kayla, that she might not lose heart.  I'd ask that you pray for her father as well. 

This we can do.

Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees, and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint, but rather be healed.  Pursue peace with everyone, and the holiness without which no one will see the Lord (12:12-14).

At the same time, dear Jesus, "make our spirits restless whenever we think that the way things are is the way things have to be" (p. 161).

 

At This Moment

At this very moment, I am listening to my youngest son wail in his crib.  It is not a pleasant sound by any means, but I am at least aware of the cause of his distress.  This is the night my wife and I have decided to take away the pacifier.  This is our third child, so we've been through this routine before, and he's held on to his far longer than his older brothers did, but I'm not sure our experience is making it any easier for him (or me) at this moment.  I can hear him now...Let my cry come before you, oh Lord; give me understanding, according to your word (Ps. 119:169).

Poor little man.  He probably thinks he's being punished, though that is not the case at all.  It's just time to grow.  I know we'll push through this stage eventually; I just hope it will happen sooner than later (to my more compassionate friends...relax...mom just went up the stairs to the rescue).

None of us like to hear our loved ones suffer.  Not in the slightest.  Not even God.  The Scriptures, however, can challenge us with the idea that the dynamics of love and discipline have greater similarity than we might first imagine.  In our spiritual lives, what we consider as negligence on God's part may in fact be the wisdom of holy restraint.

Believing that God is more than a cosmic bellhop or catering service, the lesson from Hebrews 12 is magnificent in its explanation:

My child, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, or lose heart when you are punished by him; for the Lord disciplines those whom he loves, and chastises every child whom he accepts.  Endure trials for the sake of discipline.  God is treating you as children; for what child is there whom a parent does not discipline?...discipline seems painful rather than pleasant at the time, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it (5-7, 11).

In the time it took me to write this, my youngest son has fallen asleep.  After a few consoling gestures accompanied by words of assurance from a credible source, life is good.  He may not have gotten his pacifier back , but he did get a new understanding of his little world.  The "peaceful fruit of righteousness" is now his...and mine!   

Thanks be to God!

Prayers for the Extreme

While sitting in silence with the reading for today, I am reminded to pray for Iranian Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani, whose recent death sentence has filled the news reports in recent days.  What the writers of Common Prayer have said of another historic instance of religious persecution is true of this case as well: "it is a reminder that extremists of all faiths have distorted the best that our faiths have to offer, and it is our prayer that a new generation of extremists for love and grace will rise up" (p. 158).  In this and every season, Pastor Nadarkhani's story is a stark example of the cost of discipleship in many parts of the world.  In faith, he is refusing to accept release, in order to obtain a better resurrection (Hebrews 11:35).

Let us pray for Pastor Nadarkhani, his wife and children, and for those who intend to carry out his sentencing.  May God guide them through the wilderness; protect them through the storm.  To paraphrase the saying from Mother Theresa today, it would not take much to show great love in this case.  Let us also pray for humility, forgiveness, and wisdom to reign in the hearts of those who would be inclined to retaliate; either with the tongue or with the sword. O Lord, restrain our feet from every evil way (Ps. 119:101).


With quiet commitment...

 

Does It Make You Wonder?

I've appreciated the words of encouragement regarding our little project here.  One church member referred to it as "The E-Abbey," which I thought was clever.  I hope readers will continue to enjoy it.

This morning was another example of how my sons continue to teach me a great deal about my own relationship to God.  I'll save the specific details for Sunday morning, but suffice to say that the beauty and tension of most father/son relationships is the difference in perspective.  This inspires comments from the son such as "you don't understand" or even the more dramatic "you don't love me."  Parents, don't you just love these 'precious moments?'

In a similar episode this morning, I found myself looking for a compassionate, yet direct way to say, 'I do understand what you are saying to me, and how you feel about it, but the bottom line is I do not care for the things you are putting value on at the moment, and want you to understand that your current pain is brought about by your misguided priorities and foolish obsessions.  If you could see what I see, or would just take my word for it, then life would be grand and we could move on down the road with gladness.'  Or something like that.

Now maybe I'm just a cold and heartless parent, but sometimes I might wonder why my 8 year old doesn't get the point.  Father Knows Best.

Until I remember that God probably wonders the same thing about me. 

Therefore, with the boy as my teacher, it is the words of the psalmist that capture my attention today.  Open my eyes that I may see the wonders of your law (119:18).  When was the last time you or I took delight in "the law?"  The "rule" from on high?  I've pushed back against it, resisted it, even regretted it, but rarely do I say "Oh God, thank you for the ways in which you restrict me and redirect me (even when it is clearly for my own good)!"  Ironically, however, this is what I expect from my own children.  Though in my case, my only wonder is usually "well, why not?" when a better response might be "Okay, Lord...what now?"

The psalm indicates this major turn in perspective, and is a great sign of wisdom and maturity: My soul is consumed at all times with longing for your judgments.  Longing? Really? Wow!  What a different disposition!

In Genesis 41:13, the chief cupbearer said of Joseph, as he interpreted to us, so it turned out.  Joseph, as one who was upheld and compelled by the will of God, was given the gift of new perspective.  While others went about with eyes closed, frustrated and afraid,  Joseph was consumed by a different kind of question: Okay, Lord...what now?  In every instance, such perspective proved to be quite liberating for Joseph and for those who were under his care.

Trusting our Authority in this way requires much training, but is made all the easier when we understand that we have nothing to lose, and everything to gain. 

Does my eight year old son get that?  Not yet. 

Do I? 

Train us to be faithful, Lord, and teach us your ways so our lives may reflect you, to the glory of God the Father, Amen.

In Search of Something Better

Good morning!  While getting ready for the day, I find that I am still riding high from last night's Ash Wednesday Service.  It was wonderful to be packed together in our beautiful sanctuary and to feel the Spirit of God among us.  While millions join the theme I will sing!  Indeed we did, and shall continue to do so.  Many thanks to Jeremy Mount, Christine Dodd, and Dave Marnell for their leadership during the worship hour.

Several folks came by to pick up their copy of Common Prayer last night after the service.  We have several copies left, and can always order more, so feel free to stop by if have not acquired one already.

In today's reading, the witness of Polycarp of Smyrna certainly stirs the imagination, but for me it is the opening line from Psalm 115 that sets the tone for the day.  Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to your name give glory.  Immediately, I hark back to the New Testament lesson from last Sunday: For we do not proclaim ourselves; we proclaim Jesus Christ as Lord and ourselves as slaves for Jesus' sake (2 Cor. 4:5).  That, and the reminder that whatever he wills to do he does certainly puts things into perspective (Ps. 115:3).

Genesis 40 is terrific storytelling, is it not?  Stuck in the foreign dungeon as a servant to prisoners (does it get much lower?) Joseph is certainly in search of something more.  But he keeps his head about him, and his faith, which enables him to make the kind of moves that will evetually get the attention of the king.  I love the humanity of the tale.  When the chief baker saw that the interpretation (to his coworker) was favorable he cries, "me next!  Me next!"  Tell me how everything is going to work out for me too!  Kudos to Joseph for resisting the temptation to tell him what he wanted to hear, but speaking truth instead.  Joseph might have been in search of something more than his current situation, but not at the expense of his own integrity and faith.  I suspect God was pleased to honor the strength of his conviction in due time.  Such is the case for all who risk martyrdom, or so I am led to believe. 

Not to us, O Lord, but to your name give glory.

Carrying a similar theme, there is a passage from Hebrews 11 that jumps off the page at me.  Speaking of the faith of the patriarchs, it says, they confessed that they were strangers and foriegners on the earth, for people who speak in this way make it clear that they are seeking a homeland.  How true!  When we speak about where we've been, without declaring that we wish to go back, then it must mean that we are in search of something new.  When we confess that our current surroundings are not our home, and humbly acknowledge ourselves to be strangers in a strange land, then we are prepared to receive a better offer.  When we are no longer satisfied with our own creations of circumstance, then we are free to pursue another life, another world, another home.  As it is, they desired a better country, that is, a heavenly one (11:16).

Notice the importance of confession, however.  Just as it is with the confession of sin, we cannot survive with one foot in the old life and one foot in the new.  It will tear you apart.  In order to pursue the new "city which is prepared" we must first be willing to become a stranger to the old.  As Jesus explains, If you belonged to the world, the world would love you as its own...but I have chosen you out of the world (John 15:19).

Hence, the beauty of the closing prayer for today:

Give us grace to live faithfully whatever the cost.

A Call to Prayer

O Lord, let my soul rise up to meet you
as the day rises to meet the sun.

What a wonderful sentiment for the beginning of each new day.  Whatever darkness may have cloaked me through the night, this simple greeting reminds me that 'this is the day the Lord has made.'  As morning breaks, the sun will eventually shine over the horizon once more.  God has done his part, and calls me to "rise up" and meet him in this work of new creation.  Amazing.

The lessons for February 22 (p. 154 of Common Prayer) are right on time for me.  The reading of Psalm 108 calls me to "wake up" and speak out with words of confession, proclamation, and praise.  Why?  "Because (God's) loving-kindness is greater than the heavens and (God's) faithfulness reaches to the clouds."  This is the God who saves us and answers our cries, says the psalmist. 

The reading from Genesis continues the Joseph narrative.  His master saw that the Lord was with him...which seems to change the entire course of Joseph's misfortune.  It makes me question what others might see in you or me, were we ever stripped of the security of our relationships or dazzling accessories.  Would they see the Lord, or just a more desperate, pitiful version of myself?  Like many of us, Joseph had other personal attributes that he could fall back on in order to make his way in the world, but as the Scriptures are quick to 'reveal,' relying on something as shallow as charm or good looks alone will get you in an even bigger heap of trouble (39:6-19).  A better plan is revealed in the reading from Hebrews: without faith it is impossible to please God, for whoever would approach him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him (11:6).   

And how about that quote from Catherine de Hueck Doherty?  We must make the other person aware we love him.  If we do, he will know that God loves him.  He will never hunger again.  I was not familiar with dear Catherine until now, but this makes me wonder what else she had to say!  Just moments ago, I had a living reminder come into my office to affirm the truth of that message.  Acknowledging my own sin, I find it much easier to ask God to communicate his love for others so I won't have to follow through with it myself.  The problem is, they're still hungry and I go home none the wiser.

Soon, we'll be gathering together for our Ash Wednesday service.  It is a fine time for confession, and the acknowledgement that we are dust.  Thank be to God, who stoops to meet us there at ground level, and who is prepared to blow the breath of new life once again. 

What wondrous love is this, O my soul!