A Prayer for Monday, August 31

Holy God,

 You have led me through so many valleys, across so many mountaintops.  Through it all, you have stayed by my side, constantly calling me into the deeper waters of discipleship.  Your love has never failed, and you abide with me in each and every moment of my life.
  In this busy time, lead me beside still waters, that I may carve out my anxiety and rest in you, trusting that if I abide in you, all will be well.  May I trust you with all that I am, and all that will be, and in so doing stop trying to hold it all together myself.  In you, I live and move and have my being, and may my words and heart be focused on you.

Amen

Romans 7:13-20

Romans 7:13-20
English Standard Version (ESV)

  I can't tell you how many times I walk through the kitchen, not hungry at all, and grab something to eat.  It happens all the time.  I'm not alone on this, right?  I don't need to eat... I just have some ingrained habit that leads me into the kitchen and teaches me to eat things.  It's frustrating.
  This is how sin works in us.  It's part of who we are.  It's not even something we consciously think about - we just sin because we are sinful.  I've promised God I'll stop countless times, but the sin within me overpowers my will and leads me back into sin.  I'm not willfully disobedient... I'm just sinful.
  The good news is that this isn't the end of the story.  Jesus Christ has the last word on our fate, and it is for life!  Rejoice, fellow sinner, in the hope we have through the pain of the cross and the joy of the empty tomb!

A Prayer for Friday, August 28

Holy Lord,
  May all that is within me glorify your holy name.
  You, above all else, are perfect and worthy and powerful and mighty.
  I can be weak and fall prey to so many things.
  May I curl up in your arms, as a small child does with its mother, and trust in your hand and your strength.
  May your strong power save me, Lord, from all that threatens me harm.
  May your light overwhelm the darkness, and may hope radiate from the heavens, that all may see your goodness and glory and give praise to your name.

Amen

Romans 7:7-12

Romans 7:7-12
English Standard Version (ESV) 

  Think about going to the doctor.  You go when you don't feel right, although you're often not sure exactly what is wrong.  Once there, the doctor offers a diagnosis and then will point you toward a cure, often utilizing medicine to help nurse you back to health.  The downside is that every time you get sick, you have to go back to the doctor, and each cure is only good for that particular illness.
  The law serves a similar function.  We know that all is not right with the world, with ourselves, with our relationships.  When we slow down enough to recognize this, we go to the law and find healing for that particular ailment.  The law can offer that, but it cannot cure the root cause of our sinfulness, just as a doctor cannot prevent us from getting sick again in the future.  It can only fix one problem at a time.  In this way, the law is a gift, because it tells us how to live and helps us order ourselves so that we are living properly, but the root problem is still present.
  In Jesus Christ we have more than just a problem-solver.  We have a Savior, and he has come to solve the root problem, to offer grace that does more than just cure a small ailment.  In Christ, we have atonement for sin, life in place of death, mercy in place of judgment.  He fulfills the law, offering the perfect sacrifice that is required for our sin so that the judgment that we deserve falls upon him.
  The law cannot save us.  It helps, but cannot save.  Only Christ can save.
 

A Prayer for Wednesday, August 26

Bless the Lord, O my soul.
  Let all that is within me, bless God's holy name.

May the rising breath and beating heart within
  Join in a chorus that praises God's name

May my thoughts and my words, my deeds and interactions
  Be an offering that brings glory to God

May I direct my path so that I am actively pursuing worship
May I follow God with purpose and conviction
May I trust that the old is gone, the new life has begun
May I find love and grace, and realize what a free gift it is

May my soul bless the Lord

Amen

Romans 7:1-6

Romans 7:1-6
English Standard Version (ESV)

  7 Or do you not know, brothers—for I am speaking to those who know the law—that the law is binding on a person only as long as he lives? 2 For a married woman is bound by law to her husband while he lives, but if her husband dies she is released from the law of marriage. 3 Accordingly, she will be called an adulteress if she lives with another man while her husband is alive. But if her husband dies, she is free from that law, and if she marries another man she is not an adulteress.
  4 Likewise, my brothers, you also have died to the law through the body of Christ, so that you may belong to another, to him who has been raised from the dead, in order that we may bear fruit for God. 5 For while we were living in the flesh, our sinful passions, aroused by the law, were at work in our members to bear fruit for death. 6 But now we are released from the law, having died to that which held us captive, so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit and not in the old way of the written code.

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

  Rachel and I spent a long weekend in Fresno, and while there we took a short trip to Yosemite.  We spent a day there hiking, and it was magnificent and beautiful and grand.  We felt so small there amidst the vast scale of nature's wonder.  While I have tried countless times, Yosemite simply can't be summed up in a photograph.  Looking at a picture isn't the same as going there in person.
  In the same way, being in Christ isn't just about reading a book and trying to be a better person.  It's not about small efforts we make to try and make ourselves presentable to Christ.  Being in Christ is about a whole-life transformation that involves our dying to sin and rising to new life in Christ.  It's not a small achievement that can be picked up and set down anytime.  It's a massive life shift, and when we discover true life in Christ, we are never the same, forever wrapped in the loving embrace of God.

A Prayer for Thursday, August 20

Lord of life,
  To you, all things belong.  My life and my future, as well as my past.  You have created me, and so all I am, body and soul, belongs to you.
  Thank you for being such a gracious God.  Thank you for being trustworthy, for being reliable.  I have committed myself to so many foolish causes over the years, and yet still you remain, faithful, forgiving, kind and loving.  I am not worthy of such love, but you give it freely.
  Thank you, Lord, and may I live in gratitude, in constant awareness of your loving presence, and in constant search of ways that I can share the incredible love that I have received.

Amen

Romans 6:20-23

Romans 6:20-23
English Standard Version (ESV)

  Notice the huge difference here between sin and God.  For sin, we earn the wages of death.  In summary, we toil under sin's heavy burden, spending a lifetime beneath its merciless whip and tasting its rebuke at every opportunity, recognizing the mirages of promise only in time for them to turn to dust in our throats.  To pledge one's labor to such a cause leads down a path of destruction.
  With God, however, there is eternal life, and it is a free gift.  We do not toil to earn it, but rather we receive it with open hands and open hearts, taking the free gift from a God eager to give.  We could not toil long enough to earn it, but we do not have to, because the God of grace is eager to give away this gift to all who turn to him.
  Seeing this contrast, which master will you choose to serve?  Who offers the better reward, and how can you lead your heart towards Christ today?

A Prayer for Wednesday, August 19

Holy God,
  You are kind.  You are good.  Your ways lead to life everlasting.
  May everything that I am bless the Lord.  May my breath and my words and my actions and my thoughts bless the Lord.  You are so good, like the dew that waters the flowers in the morning, like the gentle rain that washes away the dust that clouds our vision, like the flood that renewed the earth.  Your mercy washes over me, and I am restored to life, to hope, to joy.  May this weary and wandering soul bless the Lord, for you have taken this dead man and brought him to life.  Thank you for your kindness, and may I hold tight to the truth of your love today.

Amen

Romans 6:15-19

Romans 6:15-19
English Standard Version (ESV)

  Imagine, for a moment, that you have a four wheel drive vehicle that you like to take deep into the backwoods.  Let's picture you getting it stuck, and a friend comes along, at great cost and inconvenience to themselves, who gets you out of the mess you're in, afterwards promising that whenever you get stuck, they will come along to help free you.  Knowing that, will you act differently?  Will you be even more reckless because you know someone will come for you, even though it will continue to be very difficult for them?  Or will you perhaps be a bit more careful, because you love and respect them and are grateful for all they have done, and while they have given a tremendous offer, honoring the relationship means you will try and be a bit more aware of what you are doing?
  Jesus Christ, through his death and resurrection, has freed us from sin.  We no longer live under the law, but find forgiveness and grace in his arms.  Our sin no longer has the power to condemn us.
  Technically, we could sin with wanton abandon and Jesus Christ would still forgive us.  But, the reality is that to do so would be to disrespect the great price Christ paid to free us from sin.  Honoring God and the gift means we should live in gratitude, which means avoiding the very thing that condemned us in the first place.  Sin leads to death, and Christ has intervened to lead us into life.  May we honor the gift, and the giver, by fleeing from sin and serving God above all else.

A Prayer for Tuesday, August 18

Glorious God,
  Your beauty and love surround me.  Open my eyes, that I may see it.  Cure me of these distractions that turn my attention away from you, away from your pure beauty and love.  Teach me how to live in such a way so that I'm listening for your voice, looking for your movement around me, being drawn into closer communion with you.  You are always near, always surrounding me -- remind me of this, that my life may honor you, serve you, and be built up into a lifelong offering to you.

Amen

Romans 6:12-14

Romans 6:12-14
English Standard Version (ESV)

  We have choices to make every day.  We can choose to honor God, or we can choose to ignore God and pursue other interests.
  We forget that we have this choice.  We think about how we can honor God in small moments, but we don't think that each and every moment is an opportunity to honor God.  Whatever you are doing, be it raising children or going to work or taking care of a house or serving a neighbor, it's a chance to honor God, to rebuke the temptation to be selfish and mindless and think about how you can use whatever gifts you have to serve God in that moment.
  Today will be filled with moments to offer to God.  Choose to honor God in those moments.

A Prayer for Monday, August 17

Holy God,
  Healing is such a slow process.
  Physical healing often takes much longer than I want it to, and sometimes the healing we pray for with passion doesn't come at all.
  Relationships can sometimes be damaged beyond repair.  We can work all we want, but sometimes the bridge is too feeble to bear the weight it once did.
  Mental healing can be tough as well.  For every step forward, there can often be five steps backwards, and the journey up can spiral down without ever asking for permission to do so.  Demons that lingered long ago can appear in unexpected ways, gripping us with their talons and suppressing our ability to reach for the power of hope.
  Lord, you have promised to walk every step of life with us, to never forsake or abandon us.  You have promised that even death itself shall not separate us from you, but when we are hurting, it can be so hard to reach for your hand.
  Remind me, great and intimate God, that you are near, always and forever, and that there is no damage that you cannot heal, be it healing that occurs in this life or beyond.  May I remember that the scope of life in your eyes is greater than what I can imagine, and that renewal can take unexpected journeys and bring me to new places that I never expected.  Even though I think I know the way, may I entrust my life to you, believing that each new hour will bring a new understanding of what true life is.

Amen

Romans 6:5-11

Romans 6:5-11
English Standard Version (ESV)

  Union with Christ is an amazing thing.  He has paid the price for our sins, and for that we receive the benefits.  In Christ's death to sin, we, too, have died to sin.  That old self is dead, and we are joined with Christ in his resurrection.  We are raised to new life, a new life that is no longer captive to sin.  We believe that our future is the same as Christ's -- we shall pass through death into life.
  In the meantime, although our future is secure, we are still caught up in a world filled with sin and suffering.  Sin is a real force in our lives, and it continues to damage us and our relationships.  We hope for a renewed future, but in the present we must cope with sin's reality.
  In the darkness, light continues to shine.  We continue to have hope, and we focus our vision on Christ, and on Christ alone.  We have died to sin, and we are joined in Christ's resurrection.  Death and sin no longer have the power to condemn us.  So may we fix our eyes on the hope we have in Christ, allowing despair to fall away.  We won't be free of sin until we pass through death, but in the meantime we can remember that true power is in Christ, and in him we have been claimed forever.

A Prayer for Friday, August 14

Holy God,
 I rejoice in your suffering.
  It's hard, Lord, because it was love that brought you to the cross, and it was love that held you to it.  I weep for what my sin did to you, and I mourn the division it has caused.  My own selfishness drove to you commit such an act of suffering.
  And yet, Lord, in that suffering, because of that suffering, there is hope for me, for all of humanity.  Through the cross and the tomb there is life, and it is abundant and hopeful and wonderful, and it is all possible because you were willing to suffer.
  So I ask for forgiveness, Lord, and the wisdom to be a better man, that I might not sin against you.  I also give thanks that you are a gracious God, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and I rejoice in the life that you brought through death.

Amen

Romans 6:1-4

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

  Few more beautiful words have ever been printed.  In this section, Paul tells us how baptism works.  In it, we are joined with Christ in his death, and then we are raised from the dead by the glory of God.  We, too, walk in new life.
  Now, this doesn't say that we get to skip death.  It doesn't tell us that everything is going to be easy, that all the hard parts are wiped away.  What Paul tells us is that the hard parts have been overcome, and that our baptism assures us that death will not swallow us whole.  We still can have hope in the face of despair, but we will still have despair.  Being a Christian doesn't mean that life suddenly becomes easy -- being a Christian allows us to have a different attitude in the face of life's difficulties.
  Paul tells us in the beginning that our freedom should affect us -- we who have died to sin no longer need to live in fear of it.  Rejoice, Christian!  Life surrounds you, coursing through your veins.  You have been raised, and you shall live forever!

A Prayer for Thursday, August 13

Holy God,
  I pray that today, I may love as you have loved.  Purely, without condition or expectation, ready to serve, not thinking of myself.
  What you did on the cross astounds me.  You set aside your rightful place.  You did not complain or cry out about what you rightfully deserved.  You instead thought of how many others would benefit from your sacrifice, and you loved us, even the ones who were directly putting you to death, even though many would simply heap scorn upon what you did.  You bled and died in the hopes that others would come to the foot of the cross and live, to be broken by the power of grace and restored you life.
  You astound me, Lord.  May I live in a place of grace and be freed by the power of love.

Amen

Romans 5:18-21

Romans 5:18-21
English Standard Version (ESV)

 Imagine a country that is dark and dreary, where hopelessness reigns over every nook and cranny, where the sun is never fully out and there is a persistent rain that drowns any cheery thoughts.  Imagine that you have no hope of leaving this place, and you must drudge from chore to chore and task to task, all the while knowing deep within that there is a land of verdant beauty where the sun always shines and there is abundance around every corner.  Now imagine the heartbreak of knowing that it was your own stubborn will that made the choice as to which place to live, because you didn't fully realize the implications of your choice at the time.
  Sin reigns over us, and while at times we think that sin can provide joy, in reality it only more deeply enslaves us, all the while deceiving us into thinking that we can be happy without God.  We choose our lot, despite knowing that there is a better way, because the better way seems difficult and uncertain, and we crave certainty.
  Grace reigns through Christ Jesus, and he has made a way through out of the dreary and deathly land of sin, so that we may be redeemed and live in the Kingdom of God forever.  May we rejoice as we realize what an incredible & free gift this is, for our hearts are free to hope and our lives are free to serve the God who makes true life possible!

A Prayer for Wednesday, August 12

Holy Lord,
  When I barely have the strength to stand, be there for me, reminding me that it's not about what I can accomplish, but the daily task of devoting oneself to striving for faithfulness, finding the strength of Christ is more than enough to compensate for my weakness, seeking the will of God when my own mind cannot determine the best choice.
  Discipleship is a thousand tiny choices, Lord.  Help me choose wisely, that I may choose the wiser road, dependence on you.

Amen

Romans 5:12-17

Romans 5:12-17
English Standard Version (ESV)

 God's free gift of grace isn't like the sinful death we chose.  Sin condemned us to die due to our folly, but the gift of life that comes through Christ is so overwhelming, so transformative, that it dwarfs the sinful choice that preceded it.  It would have been easy for God to keep score, to require us to atone for each and every sin -- but instead God chose one act, a selfless gift of love from the only perfect man, and wiped out all of sin with it.  One sin lead to death, and one sacrifice canceled out generations of sin and leads to life.
  You have been extended the peace of Christ, available as a free gift.  Will you choose to embrace the gift, and the giver, and live as though this is the most important thing in the world?  Will you ignore it, wondering what difference it will truly make?  Will you halfheartedly embrace it, keeping it in a confined place and not giving it the air to breathe that will allow it to change you?  Will you keep it as plan B?
  God desires abundance for us all, and in this life we take steps into that rich and marvelous life he has prepared for us.  May we embrace God and give thanks for the sacrifice that makes it all possible.

A Prayer for Tuesday, August 11

Holy God,
  As I go throughout this coming day, may I reflect on the interactions I have with others.  May I realize that you love them, that you have died for them, that you pour yourself out for them, that you dwell in me so that I may love others.
  I spend a lot of time reflecting on myself... and not much time thinking about the spirit of God and how it would have me act and love and serve and live.  Guide my heart and my thoughts, O Lord, so that they may rest in you and, in doing so, may learn how to live well and faithfully in this life, shunning the pursuit of wealth and fame for its own sake, and simply pursuing the things that bring honor and glory to your name.

Amen

Romans 5:6-11

Romans 5:6-11
English Standard Version (ESV)

 This is the passage upon which so much of our hope rests.  It reminds us that Christ didn't wait for us to clean up our lives before saving us -- Christ reached down into our sinful lives and died for us, proving that the pure love of God is truly unselfish, wishing the best for the other, serving at great cost to self.  Paul reminds us that we have been reconciled to God through the death of Christ while we were still enemies of God -- if God was willing to do so much for us while we were actively opposing the will of God, how much more shall we be saved now that we have turned to him and rejoiced in his life?  We have been saved -- may our songs rise to the heavens, and may our lives reflect our eternal joy in the grace and mercy of Christ!!

A prayer for Monday, August 10

Holy and awesome God,
  Thank you.
  You have painted incredible amounts of beauty into my life.  You have surrounded me with a house, given me plenty to eat, and there are people in my life who love me.  All of this is amazing to me.
  Yet, the most beautiful thing in my life may be the patches you have placed over the places where I made foolish choices and strayed far from you.  Scars remain, yet you tenderly mended my broken places, even when they were choices I made willingly.  I have been stubborn, and yet your patience remains, over and over again, and you are willing to heal, forgive and repair.  When I look back at the hurt I have caused and see the healing you have done, I am astounded at the beauty you have made through forgiveness of some of the darkest areas of my life.
  Thank you.

Amen

Romans 5:1-5

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

  Peace with God.
  Such an idea should be laughably far from reality, due to the sin humanity has racked up.  We shouldn't be able to find peace with a God we have continuously disregarded and damaged through our idolatry and insistence on self-rule.
  Instead, God reached out to us in love and offered justification and peace.  The old life has gone, the past has been decimated of its power, and sin can no longer hold us!  We can rejoice in a hope rooted in God, and his love will guide, protect and keep us in all we do.  We have started a journey, rooted in the hope of Christ Jesus, and even our sufferings need not derail our hope, because all of life, even the most challenging and darkest nights of the soul, will lead us to hope, because hope need never depart from our innermost beings.
  We have peace with God through the love and death of Christ Jesus our Lord.  May you never, ever lose hope.

A Prayer for Friday, August 7

Lord,
  There is much that divides us.  At times, it feels as though we are the Red Sea, parted by the arms of another, far apart and ready to crash into each other, hoping to conquer those who oppose us.
  I know that you have called us to be united around you, to be one church for your greater glory, but it is hard to set aside our differences and be as one people.
  Forgive us, Lord, for allowing our differences to divide us, for assigning roles as 'us' and 'them' to people, even though we are all in the same boat.  Forgive us, Lord, and help mend our broken structures.  We are imperfect, but you are lovely, perfect, and ready to use us as we are.  Help us catch your greater vision for your holy church, that we who have failed might get excited about what your Holy Spirit can do through us, for your Kingdom, rather than our own small kingdoms.

Amen

Romans 4:18-25

Romans 4:18-25
English Standard Version (ESV)

  If you try and convince me to do something difficult, I can often come up with many reasons as to why this will never work.  I think about how I'm not good enough, about how I don't have the resources, about how I lack some critical element that will lead to success.
  Abraham, a man advanced in age, did not weaken due to the thought of his own shortcomings.  He focused on God, and what God can do, and in return God did amazing things through him.  Abraham was willing to trust that Almighty God could do amazing things through imperfect and feeble people.
  I don't know what God can do through me or you, but I do believe that it is far greater than we could accomplish on our own.  God channels his wisdom and might through us, using the lives of humble people to accomplish great things for God's glory.  It is our responsibility to trust in God and to focus on his strength, rather than our own weakness.

A Prayer for Thursday, August 6

Holy God,
  Calm my anxious heart.  I find so many things to worry about, so many items to get concerned about.  My vision is often so short-sighted, and I lose track of you.
  Help my mind settle down, that I may climb into your arms, and to allow you to comfort me.  I am in your arms for eternity, and nothing in this world can change that.  Help me breathe you in and out, that I may find rest in you, O Lord, and that your peace may guide this life.

Amen

Romans 4:13-17

Romans 4:13-17
English Standard Version (ESV)

 God keeps each and every one of his promises, but he doesn't keep them because we earn them--he keeps them because it is part of who God is, and because it is one of the many ways he pours out his extravagant grace.  It's a free gift--you haven't earned the right to eternal life.  You don't deserve it -- God gives it, and he has been giving this gift freely for centuries.
  God gives life to the dead.  He creates by his very word.  We cannot fathom how great our God is, and we cannot wrap our minds around how he works, but we can give thanks from the bottom of our hearts that God loves us so completely, so freely, and so wonderfully.

A Prayer for Wednesday, August 5

Lord,
  Your love is perfect.  You are the strong and mighty God, perfect in every way, loving and kind.  You have infinite wisdom and kindness.
  In Scripture, Daniel was thrown into the lions' den, but you were there already, at work to prepare a place for him that would be safe.  It must not have felt safe, but he trusted that you were there, that your kindness and power was at work, and that you had greater plans for him.
  In Scripture, Moses fled from Egypt, and you were already in the wilderness, ahead of Moses, preparing a place for him, preparing him as a shepherd for the people he would later lead.  You were there, working around him, whether or not he was aware of it, and you had greater plans for him.
  When Peter denied knowing you and fled in tears, you were already there, going ahead of him, a way prepared for him to return to a place of grace, a path forward already in mind that was so much more than he could have imagined in that tearful moment.
  There are so many instances where you are at work ahead of people.  Even Jonah, fleeing from your presence and your call, fled into your arms.
  Lord, remind me that you are at work all around me, that no matter which direction I go, you are already there, working, ready to lead me along a faithful path, even if it requires some difficult journeys backwards first.  I cannot run from your presence, for even if I made my bed in the depths, you are there.
  You have greater plans, and you can do immeasurably more than I ask or imagine.  May I trust in your will, O Lord, this and every day.

Amen

Romans 4:9-12

Romans 4:9-12
English Standard Version (ESV)

  Nothing like starting the morning with a discussion on circumcision...
  The reason for this conversation is that it was at the heart of the debate between Jews who believed that Christ was the Messiah who brought grace as a free gift to all who would receive it and Jews who believed that there had to be gates & markers for people to pass through on their way to faith.  There was a belief that someone had to undergo a certain ceremony in order to be categorized as true believers, and until they went through it, they simply couldn't advance to true belief.
  Paul, however, is going through Scripture and pointing out that faith has always been a gift from God.  There have been markers in the community, buy they come after the gift of faith from God.  First we receive, and then we respond.
  This is why it is important that we create room in our lives to hear from God.  God is always ready to speak before we are called to act.  God is always eager to lead us, but we need hearts willing to be led.  God loves you, and we need to hear his voice before we rush into our human busy-ness.
  So let us be careful how we schedule ourselves, so that we may make room to receive what God has to give us.

A Prayer for Tuesday, August 4

Holy and awesome God,
  I can be so dedicated at times.  When I want to exercise, or finish a book I'm caught up in, or in the midst of a project at work, I can pour countless hours and all my focus into that project.  And yet, when I try to focus on faith... it's so easy to be distracted, to welcome any opportunity to do something other than pray, something other than turn to you.  Forgive my weak will and my wandering heart and mind, and help me learn to sit calmly at your side, to learn how to rest in you, to trust in you and be led deeper into relationship, so that I may be transformed by your love and walk in your ways, for your glory, now and forever.

Amen

Romans 4:1-8

Romans 4:1-8
English Standard Version (ESV)

  Me?  I don't measure up so well.  When I compare myself to Abraham, to Daniel, to Jeremiah, to Paul... I have a lot of flaws.  I have weak faith, and my will is not so strong.  If getting into heaven depends on me imitating the spiritual giants, I'm in a boatload of trouble.
  But even Abraham didn't earn his way into God's good grace.  It was a gift, given by faith.  Abraham needed this gift.  So did Paul and Jeremiah and Pope John Paul II and everyone else who has ever lived.
  I need grace.  You need grace.
  The Good News is that we have grace, through Jesus Christ our Lord, our Savior, who freely gives the grace we need so that we might find forgiveness and hope.

Romans 3:27-31

Romans 3:27-31
English Standard Version (ESV)

  Paul gets pretty confusing sometimes, but remember what he's trying to do -- he's trying to help the Jews understand how thousands of years of history have led to this point, and now he's asking them to set aside many of their traditions and take up a new way of life.  He's asking them to change how they've been living for a long time, and change is hard.  It's easy to see why others should change.  It's much harder to allow ourselves to be changed.
  But Paul is teaching us that we don't earn God's grace -- it's a free gift, and God is the good giver, and this grace he's giving is in the same tradition, but it looks different.  The reason it looks different is because over the years, our lens become clouded, and we can't see as clearly as we once did, and so we need to be sure that we are following God with our whole hearts, ensuring that our traditions bring us closer to God, lest our traditions become the end in themselves.
  So let us humbly examine what we do, and make sure we are doing it for the right reasons.  Let us pursue God with passion and faith, and may we listen wisely when people we trust are advising us.  They often have our best interests at heart, and the more we listen, the more we will hear areas of our lives which we need to change.

Don Quixote

  The other day I finished reading Don Quixote by Miguel De Cervantes.  My overall impression:  it's a pretty long book.  And it feels long.  I read it on the Kindle, so I don't know exactly how long it is, but it's close to 1,000 pages, and there are a lot of side stories in it, so it's frustrating because it feels like it could be easily condensed into a much shorter novel.  But I endured to the end, and I'm glad to say that I have read it.
 
  While there isn't much about the nitty-gritty details that stick with me, the overall theme of the book fascinates me.  Don Quixote spends so much time reading tales about knights that he becomes convinced that he, too, is knight, to the point that he leaves his old life behind and goes out into the streets to live as a knight, inventing gallant adventures that often involve him attacking innocents unaware because he has convinced himself that there is something far more nefarious going on.  It's painful to read at times, simply because Don Quixote and Sancho Panza, his faithful squire, end up embarrassing themselves time after time after time.

  And yet, there is something inherently noble about Quixote's quest.  He has this strong urge to make a noble impression, to engage his life in a fight for chivalry and justice.  He longs to be involved in a larger struggle, to fight for good and aid those in need.  This urge is so strong and often so mis-directed that he goes beyond the bounds of common sense, but I can't help but be inspired in a way by his passion for living a noble life.  He wants to contribute to the greater good with such energy that he convinces himself that every encounter is an opportunity to do some grand deed for another.

  It's easy to disregard Quixote as a quack who doesn't recognize his small place in the world.  It's much harder to struggle with the idea that it's worth striving for a noble life and sacrificing for the good of others.  There is obviously wisdom in paying attention to the voice of reason and not attacking innocent bystanders and windmills, but perhaps it is wise for me to examine my own life and see if I don't too easily discard the paths of those who seek noble causes, criticizing them from my comfort rather than seeking the betterment of the world, even if embarking on such a journey may raise criticism from others.

A Prayer for Monday, August 3

Good morning, Lord --
  A week awaits.  I know not what it holds, what encounters I may have, what wonders I may discover, what struggles await.  I have no idea what lurks beyond the present, and yet you know.  You know all that awaits, all that is yet to come, and your hand holds all of it.
  Lord, may I trust that I will be prepared for it, and in the middle of it, whatever it may be, may I be content to rest in your peace, to know that your love is guiding me.  Even in moments that are bigger then me, when all the world seems to swallow me up, may I believe that you hold me in your hand, and that I will emerge from that moment into the next, still in the palm of your hand, still living by your Word and your will.  Teach me to trust you, O Lord, in all I do.

Amen

A Sermon on Mark 9:14-29

Mark 9:14-29

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How many of you have ever packed for a short trip somewhere and discovered that you have brought way, way too much?  Perhaps you’ve been headed somewhere for a 3 day trip and you realize that you have enough in your suitcase to stay for a week?  Or you’re packing the car for the weekend and can’t quite figure out why the trunk is packed and there is stuff bursting out the windows?  I think this happens to all of us – I’ll get home from a trip and be unpacking my suitcase and realize that I didn’t wear 2/3 of the things that I packed.

How does this happen?

It’s a natural human tendency.  We want to prepare for every eventuality.  We want to be ready, in case the unexpected happens.  We want to be prepared for any and all situations.  It’s like the doctor I went to see – every time I left, he’d offer me a prescription for antibiotics, even if it didn’t seem like I needed it.  ‘Just in case,’ he would say.  I often didn’t take them, but I was comforted to have them, just in case.  If plan A falls through, we want to be ready for plan B.

While that’s certainly helpful in some situations, it’s dangerous when it comes to faith, because what happens is that we don’t end up trusting fully in Jesus Christ.  We proclaim that we believe in God and trust him for everything on Sunday, but then we spend Monday through Friday living as though we don’t really believe this claim, and Saturday is often a recovery from our exhaustion that piles up through the week.  By Sunday morning, we recognize the folly of trying to make it on our own, but come Monday morning, we’re ready to try once more.

Here in Mark 9, we come to one of the most honest professions in the Bible, and it’s on the heels of one of the most dramatic events of Jesus’ ministry.

Mark 9:2-13 is the story of the Transfiguration.  Peter, James and John ascend a high mountain with Jesus, where they see him transfigured before their very eyes, watching him converse with Elijah and Moses.  The divinity of Jesus is striking, and Peter is ready to stay in this moment forever.  Imagine what it must have been like, seeing Jesus with two of the giants of Judaism, hearing the voice of God proclaim that Jesus is the Son of God.  All doubts would have been erased, and every thought would have been centered around awe of Jesus Christ.

From this holy moment, we descend the mountain and are thrust directly back into the humanity in which Jesus Christ lives.  The dichotomy of Christ’s ministry is clear – the holiness of God collides with the messiness of human reality.

The disciples have apparently been trying to cast a demon out of a boy, but we can gather that they haven’t been doing this through prayer, apparently trying their own hands at seeing if they are powerful enough to heal this boy.  The boy has a spirit that seizes him and thrashes him about, and when Jesus hears about the whole situation, his exasperation becomes clear.  Imagine it from his perspective – he has been with Elijah and Moses, and now he’s in the midst of an argument between the scribes and the disciples and there’s a sick boy who needs his help. 

In the midst of all of this, the father looks at Jesus and says, “If you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.”

To this, Jesus replies with shock, “If you can!  All things are possible for one who believes.”

Here, the man gives an incredibly honest reply:  “I believe, help my unbelief.” 

From this man’s perspective, his answer makes sense.  He’s surely heard the stories about Jesus and his power.  He wants to believe, but he also looks around and sees his son, who has been tortured by this spirit since childhood.  He’s certainly prayed over this before, but for many years nothing has changed.  Is it any wonder that there is some doubt that lingers in his mind about whether anyone, even God, can or will help him now?

Friends, if we’re honest, we’re all in this man’s shoes. 

We know the story of the Transfiguration.  We know the true identity of Jesus Christ, son of God, fully God and fully human.  We believe what Scripture has to say about him.

But we also look at the world around us.  We see the imperfections, the brokenness, the hurt and the pain.  We see the constant violence, the wars that never seem to cease, the suffering that grips so much of humanity.  We see poverty that is unimaginable.  We see sickness and conflict.  We see divides in our own neighborhoods, we see inequality and hunger and hopelessness and drug use.  We see greed and envy.  We see brokenness in ourselves, and we have hurt and pains that we hide, or that we sometimes cannot hide.  Our lives are far from perfect.

So we believe in God, but at times we wonder if that belief makes a difference.  At times we wonder if God pays attention to us, if God notices, and if God is truly going to intervene for us.  We have big questions, and often it feels as if no one is listening.  We have Transfiguration moments, but so often the reality of life comes crashing into us with such velocity that we depart the holiness of the mountaintop and find ourselves in the valley, reeling from life’s blows.

So when we do pray, we do so with questions in our hearts, wondering if there is still grace and mercy enough for us.

I get it.  I’m there, too.  We all are, in some ways.  We believe, but we can’t help but have unbelief, too.  That’s what we spend so much of our lives working on – trying to provide for ourselves in case God doesn’t come through, because there are times and places in which it seems like God doesn’t.  We pray for healing, but we know that healing may not look like we want it to look.

And so what happens in this Biblical story?

Jesus doesn’t really answer the man.  When the crowd is coming running, he rebukes the demon, and the boy cries out, terribly, and lays there as though he is dead.  Only then does Jesus take him by the hand and lift him up.  Then, the disciples and Jesus retreat to a private room, when the disciples wonder why they could not intervene.  Jesus tells them that this particular demon could be rebuked only by prayer.

Friends, we are often in the same boat.  The things that stalk us, that threaten us, that worry us, can be driven out only by offering ourselves fully to God.  This is hard, and I don’t have a prescription for it, other than to dedicate ourselves fully to the task of living single-minded.  I believe that Jesus can cast these demons from us, and I am struggling with the part of me that wonders if he will.

As we go about our lives, we must consistently remember that the God who dwells in holiness, which seems so far from us at times, is the same God who intervenes in our lives, who is constantly reaching down, reaching out, to demonstrate his love.  This God is the one who comes in the person of Christ Jesus and doesn’t simply dwell on the mountaintop.  He descends from the mountain and enters our everyday lives, offering us the peace we so dearly desire.  He does not shy away from our uncertainty, but rather encounters us as we are, pointing to a different way, a better way, and inviting us to lay down our burdens and trust fully in him.

I do believe, and am certain, that at one point I will be cleansed of all my struggles.  At that time, many may look upon me and say that I am dead.  But in reality, this is the moment when Jesus takes me by the hand and lifts me up, offering me the healing that can come only when we pass through the veil of death.  At that time, we will find true life, life that is only available through faith in Christ Jesus, our Lord.  To that end, let us trust that we are in his hands.

Let us pray