A Prayer for Friday, July 31

Lord,
  Your love reigns.
  It reigns from the moment before creation, when there was a watery chaos and little else, except for Father, Son and Holy Ghost at peace in a loving relationship.
  In the moments after creation, when light and darkness were suddenly upon the earth, and planets came into being and plants and animals and humans, your love continued to reign.  It shone forth, brighter than the sun, and all must have been wondrous at that moment.
  It still is, but it is now tainted by sin, because humanity chose to worship things other than you.
  But still, your love reigns.  You have been at work in creation to redeem, to call back your beloved children, to restore peace and hope and justice in the world.  Sometimes we work with you, often we actively resist you, but still, your love reigns.
  It reigned from the cross, where our Savior was pierced for our sins.  It reigned from the tomb, where death clutched the body of your Son.  It reigned on Easter, when life burst forth from the tomb and all of creation once more had hope in you.
  It will always reign, in every corner of this galaxy, because you are all-powerful and eternal.  You are good, Lord, and I thank you for your generosity and grace.  May I love and serve you out of gratitude for all you have done.
  Your love reigns.  It had the first word, and it shall have the last.  Always, forever, Your love reigns.

Amen

Romans 3:21-26

Romans 3:21-26
English Standard Version (ESV)

  An amazing thing happens here in just a few verses.  In verse 23, Paul is telling us that we have all sinned and fallen short.  We should be in the midst of despair by the end of the sentence, but we can scarcely catch our breath before Paul is reminding us that God has justified us by his grace as a gift that is received by faith.  From despair we suddenly see hope, and then Paul tells us that God passes over our sins by the blood of the Lamb (sound familiar?), all so that he can justify us.
  God doesn't hide our sin from us -- he reveals it to us, but it does not have the power to grip us with despair, because God also redeems us by his blood, offering us grace and peace and freedom and love through the blood of his son, Jesus Christ.  God paid the ultimate price, and so while our sin is not hidden, it is not used to condemn or destroy us, but rather to remind us of how great the love of God is!

A Prayer for Thursday, July 30

Dear Lord,
  I so easily settle into routines.  I become accustomed to a certain way of life, a pattern and mode of being, and I get my head so deep in that rut that I forget to raise my head and be in awe of what you are doing in the world.  I don't even notice your presence, or the beauty that surrounds me.  Forgive me, Lord, for becoming so focused on what I am up to that I forget to pay attention to what you are doing.
  You have promised to never leave me, to never forsake me... so help me to remember that you are near, always and forever.  You love each and every person on this planet, from the most powerful to the lowliest, just the same, and may I have the courage and boldness to treat everyone as though they are precious in your sight and beloved by you.  May I see not with eyes that value someone by their material worth, but rather with a heart overflowing with selfless love.  May this journey be one that enriches others and spreads the good news of a Savior who loves, who serves, who rejoices in the discovery of a lost sheep.
  May I share in your joy, O Lord.

Amen

Romans 3:9-20

Romans 3:9-20
English Standard Version (ESV)

 When I compare myself to certain people, I look like I'm doing pretty good at life.  When I read the newspaper or see the news and read about some of the terrible choices people make, I start to feel like I have it all together.  Surely, I think, God must be a pretty big fan of me, because compared to some others, I'm looking pretty good.  If I can just not mess up too badly, by default I might even make my way into the top half!
  Of course, that's not how it works.  No one, Paul tells us, is righteous.  Not even one.  We have all fallen short of the glory of God, choosing one type of sin or another.  Some of these sins may not seem as severe in our eyes, but they all separate us from God, be it envy or pride or lust or some other form of idolatry.  Each leads to death.
  But God intervenes!  In his great grace, we are saved by Christ Jesus on the cross.  There is hope, for the best and the worst of us, through our merciful Savior Jesus Christ.  All deserve death.  Christ, in his great mercy, reaches out to all and offers life and forgiveness and hope!

A Prayer for Wednesday, July 29

Holy God,
  You define love.  Whenever we love something in this world, we are only living in a pale imitation of your pure love, and yet even that imitation can be powerful.  We can love one another, through thick and thin, pouring ourselves out for others.  We can love this planet, this amazing place you have created, filled with wonder and awe.  We can love joy and laughter and peace and hope, and in our acts of love we display shards of the full picture of your love.
  Teach us to love freely, and as we do so, may we stop and be amazed that even in the greatest acts of human love, your love is greater still.

Amen

Romans 3:1-8

Romans 3:1-8
English Standard Version (ESV)

  God is faithful and true.
  Mountains may crumble.  The seas will fade away.  Humans will be faithless, turning from God, choosing to worship other than the God who created and forgives us.
  All of this will happen, and God will be faithful still.
  Paul is correct in saying that our unrighteousness, our sin, presented the opportunity for God to display his amazing grace.  But we are not to pursue sin as a way to show grace.  We are wiser to choose gratitude for what God has done, for when faith grips our hearts we should race to God, choosing to worship and serve and share the Good News.  This is the right response to the amazing gift we have been given, rather than to trod upon it in ingratitude, accepting the gift with no response.
  May our lives show our gratefulness.  May our hearts sing in joy.  May we who have been blessed by the faithfulness of God seek to emulate God in all we do.

A Prayer for Tuesday July 28

Holy God,
  Remind me this day of your grace and glory.  Restore me to life, that I may taste and see your goodness. May wonder wash over me, and may the greatness of your love and the wonder of your forgiveness give me reason to pause as I consider your great love on this wondrous new day.  Your love is a gift.  This life is a gift.  May I never forget that.

Amen

Romans 2:25-29

Romans 2:25-29
English Standard Version (ESV)

  We try so hard to earn our way to the top.  We want to prove to God that we are worthy, that we are enough, that we deserve the love God gives us.
  But at the end of the day, we can't earn it.  We can't prove ourselves.
  We have to accept what God gives us.  We have to allow the love of God to wash over us, to renew us, to restore us, to forgive us unconditionally.
  God loves you, not because you deserve it, not because you get it right... but just because that's who God is and what God does.  You are loved, because God loves you.

A Prayer for Monday, July 27

Holy God,
  You are perfect in every way.  There is no sin in you.
  I, on the other hand, am filled with it.  In theory, we should never meet, since my sinful self can never stand the presence of your purity and goodness.
  You, however, made a path for me.  You made a way when there was no way, you made hope when there was only despair.  In your goodness and love, you made payment for my sin, so that I might be clean once more.
  Thank you for second chances, Lord, and for hope and peace in the midst of life.  You are good, Lord, and because of your goodness, I am alive.

Amen

Romans 2:17-24

Romans 2:17-24
English Standard Version (ESV)

  17 But if you call yourself a Jew and rely on the law and boast in God 18 and know his will and approve what is excellent, because you are instructed from the law; 19 and if you are sure that you yourself are a guide to the blind, a light to those who are in darkness, 20 an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of children, having in the law the embodiment of knowledge and truth— 21 you then who teach others, do you not teach yourself?
  While you preach against stealing, do you steal? 22 You who say that one must not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? 23 You who boast in the law dishonor God by breaking the law. 24 For, as it is written, “The name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.”

**********

  Just this morning I was telling my son that he needs to be sure that he's seated while he eats.  I did this while I was standing up eating a pancake.  Great parenting, eh?  I'm sure he didn't notice...
  We do this all the time.  We say one thing, even though we may be doing the exact opposite.  Often, we're not doing this on perfect, we just don't think about our own lives.
  What Paul is trying to encourage us to do is recognize our own faults.  We need to see ourselves as sinners who have received untold grace from God Almighty.  When we realize how we were lost and have been found, we are awash in gratitude towards God, and this changes the way we see the world.  Rather than self-righteous people who need to convict the world of their sin, we go forth as sinners who have been brought back to forth, as grateful people with a story to tell and Good News to share.
  So realize the depth of your sin.  Realize that God's forgiveness is much, much greater than your sin.  Be grateful.  Share your gratitude.  May the Good News of Jesus Christ ring from every mountain!

A Prayer for Friday, July 24

Holy God,
  You turn darkness into light.
  In the beginning, when there was nothing but watery chaos, you spoke, and you brought order into being.  You created all there is, and you set the sun and the moon in the sky.  To this day, we bask in the sun's light, and you continue to transform the darkness.  When the Israelites were trapped between the sea and the Egyptian army, you made a way where there was no way, and you brought them through the waters and into life.
  In the beginning, you turn darkness into light.
  On the cross, where sin and death reigned, you turned death into life.  In the tomb, where darkness and despair held tight, you brought life.  When hope reached a dead end, you transformed the way things are and made a way through the valley of the shadow of death.  From death, to life.
  From darkness, to light.
  From sin, to hope.
  You have created, and you continue to be at work in the world, creating, transforming and renewing.  Thank you, Lord Jesus, for your life and light.  Create in me a clean heart, that I may no longer cling to sin, and help me know your light and life.

Amen

Romans 2:12-16

Romans 2:12-16
English Standard Version (ESV)

  God judges us, Romans tells us, by Christ Jesus.
  The Lord who comes as Judge is the same King who comes as Savior.  The one who can judge us reaches down to save us.  The one who could condemn us for our unrighteousness chooses to save us by his sacrifice.
  God loves you, so very deeply.  God longs for his grace to take root in your heart, not so that you will follow the law woodenly, but rather so that you will pursue a relationship with God with passion and conviction, understanding that God wants the best for you.  God created you out of love, and in sin we have turned from God, but God surrounds us with love, judging us in Christ Jesus, counting us as worthy because of the sacrifice Christ made for us.

Also, if you're interested in hearing an amazing story, John Brandon's testimony can be found here.

A Prayer for Thursday, July 23

Lord,
  The world is a bright place.
  My computer screen glares at me all day, and when I turn from it, my phone is there to lure me in.  So much movement, so many things to catch my attention and draw me in.  When my attention span loses interest after 5 seconds, there is always a link to something new.  When I'm not staring at electronic screens, there are plenty of print media ads, each one bolder than the last, selling everything I could possibly want, drawing me in, deeper and deeper.
  Lord, you dwell in unapproachable light.  Nothing in heaven or earth can approach your glory.  In Revelation, words fall short of describing how glorious your throne room is.
  And yet, in my sin, I fail to allow myself to be captured by your glory.  It seems so distant, and I fail to understand it, so I settle for lesser things.
  Remind me to be in awe of you, O God, that I might remember my place and acknowledge that your glory is far greater than any glory I can find here on earth, be it in the admiration of others or the self-satisfaction of being 'successful' in the eyes of others.  Before I settle for the flash of this world, may I have the courage to dedicate myself to seeking to marvel at the light of your glory, that I may believe and proclaim that true glory and grace is found in you, and in you alone.

Amen

Romans 2:6-11

Romans 2:6-11
English Standard Version (ESV)

  Deep breath in....
  And slow breath out.
  <Repeat as needed>
  Can you practice patience in well-doing?
  It's always been hard, and it's especially hard now, in the world of entertainment-in-your-face and instant gratification.  (I get frustrated when the internet runs 'slowly', having forgotten the days when it took 5 minutes for a single web page to load as you listened to the modem do its thing)  When we try something new and it doesn't show instant results, we give up, thinking it must be flawed.
  Paul is reminding us that the faithful life is one that patiently seeks glory and honor and immortality.  This is a life-long effort, made up of small steps, of tiny actions of selfless love each and every moment.  It's not necessary an all-at-once change in our lives, but rather the living out of what we believe in each and every moment.  The faithful life develops over time, and only by looking back over decades do we usually see how we've grown.
  The world doesn't often have patience for this kind of development.  If we do, though, we will sow the seeds of God's Word in our hearts and water them, letting them grow and take root, then we will see the wonders God will work throughout a lifetime of devotion and service.

A Prayer for Wednesday, July 22

Dear God,
  Today, I pray that you help your light shine through me.  I spent a lot of time focusing on myself.  I worry about whether I'm doing the right thing, about whether I'm aligning myself with your will, about whether or not I am bringing glory to you.  I hope these things are true, but I think you want more for me, and more from you.
  I believe you call me to be part of a community, where I am thinking about the people around me, where I am trusting in you so completely that I don't think about myself, but am rather caught up in how the Spirit is moving in and through me.  Focus my eyes on you and on others, so that I might not be a dead end for your glory, but rather that I may be a part of your reaching out to tell your story to the world.

Amen

Romans 2:1-5

Romans 2:1-5
English Standard Version (ESV)

  It's hard to be lost when you're a kid.  I still remember the moments of terror when, as a small child, you'd get turned around in a grocery store or the flea market and you'd have lost sight of your parent and then you'd very quickly grow certain that you'd never see your parents again and they'd sell the house and move to Cabo and you'd forever wander the earth in search of your family.  It was awful for the 30 seconds you couldn't see them, and then you'd realize they were 10 feet away and you simply looked past them.
  When we're lost in sin, it's as though we're lost but don't realize it.  We've wandered away from the path that leads to life, but it isn't until God points out to us how far we are from the path that we recognize how truly lost we are, and then, in that moment of terror, we're certain that it's all going to come crashing down around us.
  Then, in that moment of despair, we remember that God sent Jesus to the cross to die for our sin, that we might have life, and have it abundantly, that we might have joy and hope and all the other things sin tries to take from us.  God leads us into life, but it is important for us to first realize just how lost we are.  This is what it means for God's kindness is meant to lead us to repentance -- it is God's love that shows us how lost we are, that we may rejoice and, with God's help and by the light of his love, work back toward the path that leads to life.

A Prayer for Tuesday, July 21

Holy God,
  In you is light, and no darkness.
  In me, your light shines, but I often find myself turning to the darkness, for I am so accustomed to sin that I am blinded by your light, and I am afraid.
  I am afraid of who I am, of what I have done.
  I am afraid that you won't like me, for sometimes I have a hard time with myself.
  I'm afraid that I won't be able to see by your light, that it will hurt my eyes and keep me far from you.
  It seems as though the narrow way is foreign to my feet, and so I stay where I am, inertia keeping me in place, and though my heart often cries for you, my feet, stuck in clay, seem unwilling to rush to you.
  Forgive me, Lord, for the ways I have failed you, and guide me to the next step, however small and timid it may be, that I may live in the light of your love.

Amen

Romans 1:26-32

Romans 1:26-32
The Message (MSG)

  It's hard to be an expert on sin.  I've had a lifetime of practice, and so I've gotten pretty good at some sins, and so what I do is choose to focus on the sins I don't commit as the really bad ones, and the ones to which I cling aren't nearly as bad.  It's a pretty good setup.  Hopefully God will agree with my categorizing of sin and recognize that I'm a pretty decent person and really not nearly as bad as some others, and I'll get a gold sticker or something like that.
  Sin hurts.  It twists its way deep into our bodies, into our lives, and it distorts the way we see God and the way we see each other.  It transforms our relationships, and it erodes the way we are supposed to live together.  It warps love into lust, and it makes us selfish, rather than selfless.  It separates us from God and one another.
  But the grace of God pursues us.  It chases us down, never giving up, never stopping calling us back.  God loves us, and God doesn't want to see us hurting ourselves or one another.  God loves you, and he will never stop.  The grace of God keeps us alive, and the grace of God calls us back into right relationships with God and one another.

A Prayer for Monday, July 20

Holy God,
  Scars so often remain.  When hurts have long healed over, and the memory of the pain has faded, there is often a scar that remains, a subtle reminder of what we have been through, and sometimes we find ourselves absent-mindedly fingering that scar as our bodies reflexively remember something that is hidden deep within, a feeling that we'd like to forget but carry within us.
  Your hands and feet carry scars, reminders of the sacrifice you have made, the price you have paid to settle our debt.  You ascended the cross so that we might have hope, so that we might not be condemned to the darkness of the tomb but rather once more see the light.  Your scars remind us of the price you have paid.
  We carry scars, too.  They remind us of our sin, of our guilt, of the times we have strayed from your perfect will.  They are difficult reminders of how we have hurt you, and how we have fled from your presence.  Given enough time, we will focus so much on our scars we will wonder how you have ever healed us.
  Remind us this day that our scars do not determine our destiny.  Rather, the scars you bear make it possible for us to be set free, and our scars should remind us to be grateful for the love you bear for us.
  Thank you, Lord, for freedom and life that are found only in you.

Amen

Romans 1:18-25

Romans 1:18-25
English Standard Version (ESV)

  Mark Twain has said that 'it's not the parts of the Bible I don't understand that scare me, it's the parts of the Bible I do understand.'  I think he's probably more honest than most -- we spend a lot of time in debate about certain things in the Bible that are hot topics, but on the whole, we tend to gloss over a lot of the big themes -- about the calls from God for us to live in certain ways, about how we're supposed to live sacrificially, about loving all people, even our enemies, about pursuing God with a single-minded focus and not getting distracted by the things of the world that might dull or harden our hearts.
  What happens is that we immerse ourselves in the world and claim to be wise, but in reality, we are fools.  We exchange glory of immortal God for images that promise much, but cannot deliver.  We hear and understand the commands and directions of God, but then, finding them too difficult, we settle for lower goals.
  Let us endeavor to run with purpose and passion the challenging course God has set before us.  God never promised that it would be easy, but God did promise that it would lead to eternal life, and that is worth the challenge and difficulty of setting aside distraction and living with discipline and focus.

A Prayer for Friday, June 17

Lord,
  Grant us peace.
  Not the superficial peace that we sometimes find in this world, the peace that comes over and then seems to disappear in a flash, broken by a distraction, broken by a sense of hurry, broken by the violence that comes crashing in through the door.
  Grant us peace.
  The peace that rests deep in the soul and cannot be dislodged.  The peace that binds us together, rather than the shallow peace that calls us to build up walls in the hopes that separation might bring peace.  Help us push through the hard conversations and mend the difficult relationships so that we might live in peace with our neighbor.  Grant us hope and joy that comes with discovering that peace can be more than just environmental, but that it can penetrate the soul and that it can go out from us, too, existing between two people.  Grant us the peace that gives us calm in the storm and confidence in the chaos.  Grant us the peace that helps us speak in the face of violence and point to another path.  Grant us peace, Lord, to know that this world is not all there is, and that the blood that flows is not your will but a symptom of the brokenness in the world.
  Grant us peace, Lord, that we may rest and be renewed, and that we may go out into the world searching for that peace, bearing that peace, believing and trusting in your peace and your will.
  This world doesn't have a lot of peace, Lord, but it has a promise from you that one day, peace will come, descending like a dove.  Give us the courage to believe, and give us the eyes to see where that peace is already working, that we may sing a song of life in the valley of death.

Amen

Romans 1:16-17

Romans 1:16-17
English Standard Version (ESV)

  It's hard to live by faith, especially in this crazy world.  I want something certain, something I can hold on to, something I can look at when it feels like the world is going crazy, something that will grant me a sense of calm in the turbulent waters of life.
  Yesterday, a man fueled by hatred claimed four random lives in a city I lived and loved.  It seems senseless, and I will never grasp what drives people to such acts of violence.  It's scary, whether it happens in Chattanooga or Cairo, and it seems so unfair.  It makes me want to hide away, and I wonder what is wrong with the world.  I want the violence to stop.
  In times like this, I try and find some explanation, or some thing that will give me certainty in this crazy world.  I never seem to find it, but I manage to push fearful thoughts deep into my mind, the questions deep into my heart, until the next event brings it all to the surface again.
  This world is broken, torn apart by sin and brokenness and chaos and disorder, and only Christ can truly set things right.  I want certainty in this life, but I feebly try and put my trust in him, in the hopes that his Word will continue to be trustworthy and true, and the peace I rapidly chase is the peace he promises, the peace we find only in him, the rest into which we will enter.
  Until that time, he charges us to keep busy loving and serving a world that can be scary and intimidating.  He calls us to trust in him, and let that trust conquer our fear, and he challenges us to live by faith, even though that faith often cannot be seen or touched in moments of uncertainty.  Trust, he says, and we'll endure, day by precious day.

A Prayer for Thursday, July 16

Dear God,
  Remind me that you have called me by name and sent me into the world.
  So often I get focused on you and I, the relationship we have.  I want to spend more time with you, and I want to hear what you have planned for me, and I see the rest of life as a distraction.
  But you have called me into the world, into community, into a life of service and love. You have gifted me for a purpose so that I may life with purpose, serving those around me, showing your love to the world.  I am not here just for me, but to be a part of a community, demonstrating what life in your Kingdom is like.
  Remind me of this, Lord, and help me live as a disciple, constantly in search of ways to serve you by serving others.

Amen

Romans 1:8-15

Romans 1:8-15
English Standard Version (ESV)

  A wise pastor once said, "You may be the answer to someone's prayer today."
  We never know, do we?  So often we think we are just taking, but in reality we are often giving back when we don't even realize it.  Our relationships should be mutually beneficial, in that we care and love and serve the other, and the other should strive to do the same.  When we don't do this, we need to seriously reevaluation the relationship, being honest about our own flaws and speaking the truth in love to the other.
  It makes the sacrifice and love of Christ so amazing -- we have nothing to give God but ourselves, and he made us.  And yet still he loves us, sacrificing for us, striving to serve us, selflessly.  God is showing us true love, and hoping that we emulate his love, so that we serve and are served, mutually encouraging one another to go forth and love a world that is not always easy to love.

A Prayer for Wednesday, July 15

Dear God,
  Remind me how small the world is.
  You have created the whole universe, and somewhere on the outskirts, there is a universe, and somewhere on the edge of that, there is a solar system, and in the heart of that, there is a planet.  All of the universe is held in your hand, and somehow you have a heart that loves me, and loves my neighbor, and the children in Africa and the refugees in Syria and the infants in North Korea... you love us all, each and every one of us, with an unimaginable love, a love so strong that nothing can separate us from it.
  Remind me of your love for all people, that I may seek to love and to serve, and use my life for the betterment of your creation.  May I not get absorbed in my own little world, but may I have the Holy Spirit wisdom to recognize that my world collides with the worlds of others, and we need each other, and I am called to selflessly think of others before myself.
  You have placed us here together, to love and serve you by loving and serving one another.  May my life honor and please you.

Amen

Romans 1:1-7

Romans 1:1-7
English Standard Version (ESV)

  You have been set apart for the gospel of God.
  It may not feel like it, as you're going through your day to day activities, but you are set apart.  God has chosen you, and the Holy Spirit has been at work in your life, and by following Christ as Lord and Savior you are setting yourself apart, for you are different, and you are called to live differently.  This doesn't mean you have to give up your friends and loved ones and every way of life, but you are to pursue a different road, a narrow way, and serve Christ first.  True joy can come from God alone, and the peace of Christ will carry you forward.  You are called to trust in God above all else, and in so doing you serve him as King.
  We live in the world, but we are not of it.  We are set apart, with our hearts and minds set on Christ, serving our neighbors and inviting them to taste and see that the Lord is good.

A Prayer for Tuesday, July 14

Precious Lord,
  I feel like I'm chasing so many things, like a dog chasing its tail or a cat chasing a squirrel.  I don't know that I'll ever catch up, but every time I catch sight, I'm off, be it money or attention or success or some other false god that has caught my attention.  I divide my heart, thinking I can manage it, thinking that I will have enough left over for you.
  I know that you don't want the leftovers, and I know you promise to prune the faithful so they will grow, but part of me pulls back, afraid of what you might ask for, unwilling to sacrifice, unwilling to trust.  I trust myself because it's easier, even though it stunts my growth.
  Grant me a clean heart, O Lord, that I might know your will, and that knowing it, I might follow it.  Teach me to focus on you, so that the distractions might fade away.  Grant me the courage to be still, O Lord, that I might hear your voice and, hearing it, that I might trust you and grow.

Amen

Ephesians 6:21-24

Ephesians 6:21-24
English Standard Version (ESV)

  It's so easy to lose touch.  It happens slowly with some people, quickly with others -- we get caught up in something, in our work or our families, or sometimes just the cult of busy-ness that seems to infect us all, and we lose touch.  We stop calling.  We stop writing.  Pretty soon, we just stop thinking about someone, and we are so caught up with whatever is going on, before long weeks and months pass.  It happens all the time.
  It's hard work to sustain a relationship -- it requires commitment and sacrifice.  It requires endurance and love.  It requires setting time aside for the other.  We do this for our friends, just as we do for God - we set aside time for those that matter to us.
  So may we be in prayer for others, and may we encourage one another with our news, as we relate what God is doing in our lives and listen with grace as others tell us the news of their lives.  May we love as we are in relationship, and may those ties bind us closer, that we may be encouragement to one another.

A Prayer for Monday, July 13

 Holy God,
  Grant me the confidence to pay attention to you, worrying not about myself, but rather so focused on you that the fears and anxieties that I'm not good enough will be put to rest, because I can trust fully in you and your love and your power and your strength.  You have made wondrous promises.  May I trust them, completely and fully, and let that put me in peace, that I may dwell in awe and wonder, knowing that you can and will save.

Amen

Ephesians 6:10-20

Ephesians 6:10-20
English Standard Version (ESV)

 To go with the battle analogy, I think it's helpful to remember that in battle, it's not always going your way.  Battles surge and then retreat, and there are high points and low points.  The important thing we notice here is that God gives us everything we need, preparing us for what we are to face, but we still go through the battle, clothed in the armor of God.  It's not going to be easy -- we will endure, but the struggle is real, and just because you're having a tough time doesn't mean that you're doing something wrong.  It just means that you're living, and that there is real opposition, which God is hoping to prepare us for.
  So don't despair when the battle is difficult and it feels like all is uphill.  Rejoice in the reality that God is with you and will defend you, and that we know how the story ends.

A Sermon on Ephesians 3:1-13 and Christ's saving work

Ephesians 3:1-13
Contemporary English Version (CEV)

 Paul’s Mission to the Gentiles 
  3 Christ Jesus made me his prisoner, so that I could help you Gentiles. 2 You have surely heard about God’s kindness in choosing me to help you. 3 In fact, this letter tells you a little about how God has shown me his mysterious ways. 4 As you read the letter, you will also find out how well I really do understand the mystery about Christ. 5 No one knew about this mystery until God’s Spirit told it to his holy apostles and prophets. 6 And the mystery is this: Because of Christ Jesus, the good news has given the Gentiles a share in the promises that God gave to the Jews. God has also let the Gentiles be part of the same body.
  7 God treated me with kindness. His power worked in me, and it became my job to spread the good news. 8 I am the least important of all God’s people. But God was kind and chose me to tell the Gentiles that because of Christ there are blessings that cannot be measured. 9 God, who created everything, wanted me to help everyone understand the mysterious plan that had always been hidden in his mind. 10 Then God would use the church to show the powers and authorities in the spiritual world that he has many different kinds of wisdom.
  11 God did this according to his eternal plan. And he was able to do what he had planned because of all that Christ Jesus our Lord had done. 12 Christ now gives us courage and confidence, so that we can come to God by faith. 13 That’s why you should not be discouraged when I suffer for you. After all, it will bring honor to you.

************

  I love puzzles.  I love them so much that I actually cannot do them anymore.  I came to realize this some years ago around 3:30 in the morning.  I had been telling myself I would only do one more piece for about 4 hours, promising myself I would go to bed if I could just finish this part or that part.  The problem was, I would become so completely absorbed in the puzzle that I would lose track of everything else in the world.  My wife certainly didn’t wait up for me- she knew as soon as I started working on a puzzle that it would be a late night. 

The other night, my son had some 300 piece Disney puzzle.  He’s not old enough to do puzzles like that yet, so I was working on it, and my wife was trying to put him to bed but the puzzle was in his room and I was almost finished and didn’t want her to turn the lights off yet because I was so close to being done.  It was so hard for me to leave that puzzle unfinished, despite the fact that my son clearly needed to go to bed.  My tunnel vision closed in, and I finished it first thing the next morning, as soon as he woke up.  I clearly have a problem.

Tunnel vision is not just a problem when I’m working on puzzles.  I love to get absorbed in things, be it a good book or some other riveting story.  I’m not the only one, as binge-watching entire series on Netflix over a weekend has become increasingly common.  We get lost in a story and watch one episode after another, losing track of whatever else is going on in the world.

This happens with our work, too, except it isn’t always for fun that we get lost in something.  Last fall I started the MBA program at Ohio State, and there were so many times where I thought to myself, “If I can just get through today, I’ll be okay.”  I did the same thing with weeks, with semesters, with the first year.  It was really hard to be in the program with two young children, because I would get lost in an assignment or studying for a test, and the rest of the world would fade away a bit as this problem completely absorbed my attention.  I was just getting through this one thing, and then inevitably something else would come along and snatch my attention away.  When I finished my first year of the program I started my internship at an investment bank in Columbus, and I’ve been working 12 and 13 hour days, and while I enjoy the work, often it feels like I just have to get through this one problem, this one assignment, this one day, this one week.  I lose track of the outside world and grow completely absorbed.

Have any of you ever felt that way?  Do you ever get absorbed in what you’re working on?  Do you become so immersed in your work that it’s hard to pull away and refocus on family?  Do you get lost in an assignment, so that the other duties and responsibilities you have begin to fade away?  Do problems in your life ever loom so large that you can’t focus on anything other than them, to the point that you’re just trying to endure, just trying to make it through one hour, one day, one week, one month?  Does pain or tragedy barge into your life, so completely overwhelming you that you can’t imagine what it’s like to focus on anything else?  I’ve struggled a lot with anxiety in my life, and I know how crippling it can be – your mind cannot wander anywhere other than the focus of your anxieties, and it seems like fear is all you have and will ever know.  It’s difficult to think of anything else.

I believe this is a problem that affects us all, in some way, shape or form.

I believe that, as Christians, it affects our spiritual lives as well.

Because what happens is that the tunnel vision that affects our lives affects our faith.  We find ourselves in the midst of a situation, a project or an overwhelming situation and it becomes all we focus upon.  In the midst of it, we wonder where God is, but we haven’t lifted our head up to see anything beyond our immediate situation.  We aren’t considering what God has done in the past or what God has promised to do in the future.  We aren’t considering the many and various ways God may be at work in our lives – in the midst of the our current situation, we want an immediate understanding as to how God is at work in relation to that particular problem at that particular moment. And if it isn’t immediately clear, we start to question God’s provisions for us, and we wonder if God’s attention isn’t focused on the other pressing problems in the world, and sometimes, if we’re really honest with ourselves, we start to question God’s love for us.  If you’re sick, or dealing with relationship problems, or wrestling with financial difficulties – if you’re dealing with hard times and it feels like you’re in the valley of the shadow of death, if you’re at a place that causes lament, an emotion we see so often in the Psalms, we can recognize that Scripture often points to times of endurance in our lives, times when figures of the faith wrestled, often for a long time, and only came to understand later on just what God was doing, and how God’s previous faithfulness and the richness of his promises informed their situation.  But growing to such a maturity takes time, and if we allow ourselves to have tunnel vision, we miss the opportunity to step back and see our current situation in the grand scope of God’s redemptive work.

That’s what Paul is trying to do.  Here in Ephesians 3, Paul is calling the church to help the world take one large step back, to let current and pressing problems be seen in light of God’s overarching narrative, which is a story of love and overwhelming mercy and grace that starts before Genesis and continues forward well beyond the timeline of our earthly lives.  As a child of God, baptized into the covenant of grace and sealed by the Holy Spirit, your story is not defined by your current circumstances, and so to allow your vision to be narrowed to the immediate is to cut yourself off from the reality that your overall story is one of a grand victory that Christ has achieved and invites you to share in the glory.

Paul is talking here in Scripture about the unsearchable riches of Christ, and he is speaking of his desire to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God, so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known. 

In summary, the church has a role to play – and that is to tell the story of the riches of Christ and the wonder of God.  You, as a part of the church, have a role to play – you are charged with telling the story of grace.  And to tell the story to others, you have to first hear it for yourself.

So what is our story?  Our story is that we were dead, and we were brought to life.  It’s not that we were kinda bad people whom God made good.  We were dead in our sin, and the sacrifice of Christ on the cross has brought us to life, not because we deserved it or earned it in any way, but because God loves you so much that he was willing to pay whatever price was necessary to redeem you from the clutches of sin and death.  In Christ, you have been set free, washed in the waters of baptism and charged to go and tell this story, to let the grace of God define you.  You are free in Christ, and whatever threatens you, it cannot defeat you, for you have been eternally claimed by Christ.

When we get absorbed in our situations, whatever they may be, we lose track of this larger story.  We forget about the overwhelming love of God and his endless power and grace, and all we wonder is whether we will make it through today.  And it’s important for us to be assured that the power and love of God will guide us as we go about today, and that the Holy Spirit will sustain us in whatever challenges we face. 

But let us not forget the bigger story.  Let us take a step back, catch a deep breath, and be in awe of what God has done.  You have been claimed by his love, washed of your sin, and marked as Christ’s own forever.  You shall pass through the veil of death and live forever in the glory of the unapproachable light of God’s throne.  You are beloved by God Almighty, who knit you together in your mother’s womb and calls you by name, and he will pursue you at great cost, because he loves you.

Never forget that.  Do not lose sight of that, because that should be a constant reminder to us, because it changes the way we see the world.  Rather than becoming overwhelmed by whatever we face, we are encouraged and empowered, because we return to worship and awe on a daily basis, thankful for what God has done and excited to share the Good News with others.  We grow in confidence, and we are defined by gratitude.  Remembering the bigger story has the power to transform the way we see ourselves, and to remember our charge to go forth and share the light of Christ with all.

Let us pray

A Prayer for Friday, July 10

Holy God,
  Cover me once more in your grace.
  You have blanketed me from above, pouring out your love and mercy on me, although I did not deserve it.  In my ignorance I was asleep in sin, walking through life unaware of your calling, failing to recognize the truth of the abundant life in you.  You woke me up, though, pulling the shroud from my eyes and freeing me for the purpose of living in your grace.  You pulled me forth from the tomb, and when I emerged into life and your light I was blinded, and I was afraid, for I am unworthy of your love.  I am impure, but you are perfect.
  Forgive me, Lord, and cover me in your grace, for I keep running back to the filth and death of the tomb and the pleasures it promises.  I don't realize that death lingers there, and I fail to understand the truth of your promises.  You are life, and in you there is no darkness, but I am so confused by my earthly desires and the sin that lingers in me.  Forgive me, Lord, and steer me into life, and cover me in your grace, that I may want nothing but you, and you alone.

Amen

Ephesians 6:5-9

Ephesians 6:5-9
English Standard Version (ESV)

 Paul gets a lot of grief for writing about slavery, but I tend to side with the argument that Paul established a system that made such Christ-like demands on slaveowners that to truly live into the expectations of a Christian would bring slavery crashing down around the Christian, for Paul called for such radical love and service that owning another human and not seeking their flourishing in love would be a deviation from the Gospel's call on our lives.  We are called to serve, to obey, to love and to think of others before ourselves.  At times we will serve others, at times we will be served, but we are not to think of ourselves -- we are to think of Christ, and think about how greatly we are loved, and to let that love guide and strengthen and lead us into the world, that we may love as we have been loved, not ruling over others but washing their feet, humbly accepting the role of a servant.

A Prayer for Thursday, July 9

Holy God,
  Help me to do good.
  I know that I am good because you created me good, and I know that I am good because you have redeemed me and washed me with the blood of Christ.  You have saved me from sin and death, not because I earned it, but because you are gracious and kind and patient and loving.  Thank you.
  Lord, help me to do good, to live into the gift you have given me, to let my gratitude spill over into my actions.  I know that I can never earn your love, and that I don't need to... but I want to demonstrate my gratitude.  Thank you for your kindness, and I pray that this life might honor the gift you have given me, so that my hands are not clenched around the gifts, but rather that they are open, allowing the gifts to run through them, showing my gratitude to the world.

Amen

Ephesians 6:1-4

Ephesians 6:1-4
English Standard Version (ESV)

  Kids aren't exactly the best at obedience.  At times, we have to be... slightly more emphatic as to our wishes, in the hopes of leading them down a good path as well as teaching them to be obedient.  It's a long, slow process.
  But we teach our children, at least we try, and in the meantime, I'm trying to learn obedience.  I was a pretty good kid, but I chafe at obeying God, because I want to lead my own life, to pursue my own interests and pleasures, without worrying about the limitations God puts on my life.  I do this because I am shortsighted -- I don't recognize that my own desires will lead to destruction, while the things God wants for me will lead me to abundance.  I don't see how God is trying to fill my life with joy and peace -- instead, I only see limitations, and I don't see them as good for me.  I only see limits.
  So obedience is hard, but it's best practiced daily, and fortunately, we have a God who is patient and kind, always willing to let us learn, always ready to give us another try.  So may we endeavor to follow wherever God may lead, and may we trust that his will for us is good.

A Prayer for Wednesday, July 8

Lord,
  In your holiness, strengthen me.
  I go throughout my days with my head buried in the tasks before me.  May my thoughts be planted in you, that they may take root, sprouting into the world and filled with your nourishing love.  May I grow up as a disciple, focused on your love and devotion and grace and mercy.  May I not fear the bright sun or the torrential rains, but may I trust that you will teach me how to turn these into growth, as I reach into the world to demonstrate the beauty you have placed within me, so that I may reflect back glory to my maker.
  Lord, as I grow, as I reach and as I stretch, may I not forget where my roots are anchored, and may I trust in you, my rock and my Redeemer.

Amen

Ephesians 5:22-33

Ephesians 5:22-33
English Standard Version (ESV)

  Christ loves the church.  Loves the church so much that he was willing to sacrifice for the church, to give himself up for the good of the relationship, so that the people might be restored.
  In our marriages, we are called to emulate this relationship, to seek the good of the relationship over our own good, to seek what is best for one another.  In doing so, we emulate Christ.
  Also, we train ourselves to serve another.  We get accustomed to serving others so that when we go out into the world, we're used to serving, to putting ourselves last so that others might thrive.  We think not to our own needs, but actively look to the needs of others, so that the strengths we have might be used to benefit those around us in need.
  Christ has shown us how to live, how to serve, how to love.  Let us study his ways and put them into practice in our homes, and may that service prepare us to go forth and love one another in all we do.

A Prayer for Tuesday, July 7

Lord,
  You gave up your life so that I might have life.
  When I was dead, you entered the tomb and took my place.  You brought me back to life by your sacrifice.  I owe everything to you.
  My very life.  The ones I love.  The gifts I have.  The joys and triumphs, and the struggles and difficulties, they all come my way because you have generously and freely given me life.
  May I be grateful for this gift, and may I never, not even for a moment, forget that you are the One by whose grace I live.  I don't have to have the freedom and life I do, but when I was an enemy of you through my sin, you provided life and hope through your love.
 
Thank you, Lord.

Amen

Ephesians 5:15-21

Ephesians 5:15-21
English Standard Version (ESV)

  Time is fleeting.  It felt like last weekend flew by, even though it had an extra day.  The days are just packed, whether we're trying to get things done around the house or just relax.  One second I look down, and when I look back up some days it feels like my children have aged six months.  Time slips by, whether we're paying attention or not.
  So Paul is challenging us to live well, to pay attention, to make the best use of our time.  If we're not careful, we'll fritter away the hours by filling our time, and then there won't be any time left for God.  So think carefully about your time, and fill it first with the things that matter.  Put God first, and make sure the rest of the day is ordered afterward, so that your first love, your best energy, is directed towards Almighty God, who will give you the wisdom to do everything else well.
  May we plan our days well, for in doing so, we order our lives around Christ, our King.

A Prayer for Monday, July 6

Holy God,
  I give you thank for freedom.  You have set us free, and given me the choice to live as a I please.  You have warned me about the dangers of poor choices, and you have showed me what a faithful life looks like, giving me guidelines and encouraging me to choose wisely, that I may live the abundant life you call me towards.  But you give me the freedom to choose, even though a poor choice can lead to misery far from you.  You love me enough to want me to choose you, rather than to be forced to love you.
  Thank you, Lord, for this freedom, and may I see the folly in choosing to worship or devote myself to anything other than you.  May I channel my life so that my energy flows down the narrow road, choosing you day in and day out, that I may honor you and recognize my dependence upon you, acknowledging with my life that I cannot make it on my own, and the things in this life that seek to enslave me do not seek my good as you do.  You love me and want the best for me, and I pray that this life may serve and worship you and you alone.

Amen

Ephesians 5:7-14

Ephesians 5:7-14
English Standard Version (ESV) 

  I was listening to a sermon the other day when the preacher brought up a very important point.  We weren't just kinda-bad people whom Christ fixed up to be pretty good people by his death on the cross.  We weren't just in a spot of trouble and then God worked it out so we'd be okay.
  We were dead.
  And through Christ, we have been brought back to life.
  Death --> Life.
  This is what Christ accomplished.  Let us ensure that we never minimize what Christ has done, and may we endeavor to live in such a way that we honor the life and death of Jesus Christ, praising him constantly for the wondrous, miraculous, generous, graceful and merciful act of bringing us back to life.

A Prayer for Thursday, July 3

Lord,
  Help me.
  You are strength.
  I am weak.
  You know the way.
  I am often lost, uncertain, and wondering if you are near.
 
  On this day, draw near, O Lord, and give me the strength, courage and conviction to take the next step, and to let that be enough, for tomorrow will happen in time.  May I be at peace with that, and live today for the gift that it is.

Amen

Ephesians 5:1-6

Ephesians 5:1-6
English Standard Version (ESV)

  5 Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. 2 And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. 3 But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints. 4 Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving.
  5 For you may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous (that is, an idolater), has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. 6 Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.

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  Imitators of God.
  God is perfect in every way, pouring himself out in love, filled with grace and peace, always willing to show mercy to all, even those who despise and reject him.  God is kind and patient, choosing to work for the good of the relationship, even at great cost to himself.
  Imagine if we woke up every morning and decided that rather than pursuing our own agendas and seeking to make things fair, we decided to take seriously the words of God that called us to imitate God, and we selflessly poured out love and peace on everyone we met that day, even those with whom we disagreed.
  The world would be a different place, wouldn't it?
  The Bible speaks a lot about sexuality... imagine if all the people who disagreed on exactly what the Bible meant by sexual sin looked at each other as people to whom they should imitate God, serving and loving those with whom they disagree.  The conversation would be a lot different, wouldn't it?  People could disagree while still loving and serving each other.  Mercy could be shown, and we could respect and love all, while striving for the love of God to be the defining word in the world.

A Prayer for Wednesday, July 1

Holy God,
  You dwell in unapproachable light.
  I cannot begin to imagine your throne, where you are seated in glory.  Every image, no matter how rich in my mind, falls incredibly short of the true measure of glory.  To see you is to cease living, so overwhelming is your glory.  Nothing but light radiates from your throne, and I could not imagine crawling before it, so tainted with sin am I.
  And yet you left your throne to walk and talk among us, to hold us in our pain and to remind us of your power.  You suffered for us, so that we might be restored to a right relationship, so that we might be redeemed.  Your love never stopped pursuing us, even when we turned our backs on you.
  You are amazing, Lord, and I pray that I never lose sight of my awe and wonder at your love.  May the redemption you have purchased at great cost be ballast for my soul, that when the winds howl and the seas roar, that I may grip tightly to the peace you purchased for me, so that I may not fear but may boldly live with the firm and certain knowledge that the God who can create with his voice can wash me clean by the blood of his Son, and that the misery and pain and agony of the cross was not in vain, that it was not the moment of death's triumph over good, but that it was a beginning, a new creation for this sinful world, for we could recognize our own sin and see a way forward, a path that love carved in stone, for we could now come to you, and you would bring us into your throneroom, where we might dwell in eternal peace and joy and wonder and love and hope.
  May the joy of Christ be my strength.

Amen

Ephesians 4:25-32

Ephesians 4:25-32
English Standard Version (ESV)

  Discipleship is hard.
  We want it to be easy, for the path to follow Christ to be clear and straight and flat, where we get some rewards from God without giving up too much.  We'll sacrifice a little, but not enough to hurt.  We'll be extra nice to the people we like, and we'll go out of our way once in a while for people we kinda know, making a big deal out of it, hoping that God is impressed by our extra efforts.
  In reality, God calls us to complex, whole life discipleship.  It requires re-shaping our words, thoughts and deeds, so that every moment of our lives is captive to the love of God, and that we avoid sin with every ounce of effort we can muster.  We seek Christ in all things, letting every day be an opportunity to serve him with glad and faithful hearts.  We let anger and sin slide away, replaced with love and service.
  It's hard work, but it is not one lifelong leap -- it's the culmination of individual, moment-by-moment and day-by-day choices we make to follow Christ, that builds us up into the kind of people we are created to be, selfless and loving servants of God.