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A Prayer about How Christmas Disturbs Our Self-Made Shalom

by | Nov 27, 2022 | A Woman's Story, Advent, Christmas, Daily Prayer, gratitude, Seasons & Holidays

A Prayer about How Christmas Disturbs Our Self-Made Shalom

But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. Luke 1:29

Wondrous God, 

Even though this verse isn’t usually 

the subject of memes or cross-stitched wall-art, 

we need to ponder it.

It reminds us of just how disruptive 

the birth of Christ really was, 

how Christ in fact came 

to disrupt any self-made shalom, 

any peace we’ve gained on our own terms, 

any security and significance 

that doesn’t come from you. 

We can imagine how confused 

Mary must have been, 

how disruptive the news 

of her imminent pregnancy was to her.

After all, what would Joseph, 

her betrothed say?

And yet, she doesn’t quarrel 

with the angel Gabriel. 

Instead, she wonders, “How can this be?”

Lord, in this season of Advent, 

draw us to wonder 

about the disruptive grace 

of Jesus Christ. 

Make us sit and rest and ponder 

the enormity of this question, 

“How can this be….” 

In Christ’s wonderfully disruptive name. Amen.

Read Luke 1:26-38.

 

Get Elizabeth’s Advent devotional for free here: https://dl.bookfunnel.com/34no8c805q.

 

How to Share Your Story of Grace

by | Jun 1, 2021 | A Woman's Story, Learning Story, Weekly Gospel Meditation

How to Share Your Story of Grace

O my people, listen to my instructions.
    Open your ears to what I am saying,
     for I will speak to you in a parable.


I will teach you hidden lessons from our past—     

stories we have heard and known,
    stories our ancestors handed down to us.

We will not hide these truths from our children;
    we will tell the next generation
about the glorious deeds of the Lord,
    about his power and his mighty wonders.

Psalm 78:1-4

The Psalmist Asaph exhorts us to share our stories for the sake of growing in faith (turning away from idols and turning toward God), hope (believing that God will redeem and restore again), and love (sharing the mercy God has shown us).

If you’ve ever wanted to write or tell one of your stories of grace but weren’t sure how to begin, this post is for you. Today, I’m going to walk you through a simple way to do this in a story feast setting. If you’re not yet ready to share your story with others, you can follow these instructions to write some of your stories.

If you’d like 20 summer story prompts for free and a “pretty” version of the instructions for story feasting to use with a group, make sure you sign up to be a Living Story Subscriber. You also might want to check out the free YouTube series on sharing stories at https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL7Ye1tLnHUSbOfvV5rUDUpesurZutmADb. 

Why Story Feast?

God has written his very image into your story. He has sent you as his ambassador to tell his story. As you share your story with others and listen to others’ stories, you will grow closer to your sisters and brothers in Christ and open doors for the hurting world to hear the gospel. A Story Feast is an intentional way to gather a group together to share stories.

Food for the Feast

Invite everyone to bring something. You can choose a theme or just go with pot luck. Do an entire meal or make it simpler with apps or desserts. Some of my favorite recipes have come from story feasts, and the cool thing is you often get to hear a story related to the food:-)!

Story Topics

If you want 20 summer story prompts on printable cards, be sure to sign up here. Otherwise, there are as many story topics as there are stories, but here are a few to get you started:

• best/worst school story

• a story of rescue

• traditions of holidays: Thanksgiving, Christmas, etc.

• first job story or work story

• stories of waiting

• vacation stories

Our Bible study group used to choose a theme related to our Bible study and take a break from our regular study to have a story feast. 

Help People Write Their Stories

Here is one way to approach writing a story to share:

1. Set aside 15 minutes. Brainstorm by writing down topics/titles that come to mind.

2. Set aside 30 minutes. Choose a topic, and answer a few questions about it. Here are some questions to consider:

Describe the senses — what you heard, tasted, felt, saw, smelled…etc.

Who were the people involved?

What happened? Was there a conflict? Was there a resolution?

What did you or do you see about God in the story?

Is there any redemption or revelation in the story?

3. Set aside 30 minutes again. Using the questions above, write out the story. Try to keep it rather short — around two pages. Sharing time is usually limited to around 10 minutes at the feast.

Plan the Feast

Although sometimes stories just come out as we linger around the table or living room together, often the time needs to be a little more structured.

  1. Allot a certain amount of time for eating, then gather to share stories.
  2. Give an allotted time — usually around 10-15 minutes works well. (Tell your guests ahead of time, so they will know they won’t have time to share every detail).
  3. Consider beginning with a brief gospel-centered devotional or by reading a Scripture related to the topic. 
  4. Remind everyone that they aren’t “required” to tell a story (tell them this when you invite them, too — more people will come!) Then remind them it will be fairly dull if no one does. Usually one brave soul begins, and often others decide to tell their story or remember one to tell if they haven’t before.
  5. Share stories.
  6. Provide a little time for feedback or observations. Remind people that they don’t need to try to fix anyone’s problem, just listen carefully, especially for hope and redemption.
  7. After the feast, within a day or so, return to the story and jot down a few new things you noticed after telling your story.

And that’s all it takes to have a story feast. If you have questions about this process, please feel free to contact me. Also, don’t forget to sign up for 20 summer story prompt printable cards!

For reflection and discussion:

Have you ever written or told stories of your life? What was that experience like? 

For a Prayer about Stories of Grace, Click Here.

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Freedom from Racial Brokenness: 5 Black Female Voices

by | Jul 21, 2020 | A Woman's Story, Book Reviews, Gospel living

Freedom from Racial Brokenness: 5 Black Female Voices

 

Is it even possible to be freed from racial brokenness? Is there hope for healing? Listen to five female black voices writing about the brokenness as well as the true hope for healing. With Vanessa K. Hawkins, Lisa Robinson Spencer, Jasmine Holmes, Trillia Newbell, and Jackie Hill Perry.

Beyond the Roles

Vanessa K. Hawkins

(MDiv, Covenant Theological Seminary) Director of Women’s Ministry at First Presbyterian Church in Augusta, Georgia. Women’s Ministry as Diversity Adviser, PCA.

 

Vanessa K. Hawkins, From her article “On Oneness, Lament, and Seeing with Compassion” at the EnCourage blog:

“Looking Isn’t Always Seeing

While it is necessary to look in order to see, looking doesn’t always equate to seeing. Movement from blindness to sight is a metaphor used repeatedly in Scripture to talk about our inability to fully see. “For now we see in a mirror dimly…” (1 Cor 13:12). While we don’t see perfectly, it doesn’t mean that we can’t see or shouldn’t try to see to the best of our ability. Spiritual sight is Spirit-dependent and is part of our growing in the likeness of Christ.

Most of us would openly and wisely admit that we have blind spots, and that’s great awareness to have. But to know we have blind spots and not seek to overcome them is reckless at best. Having blind spots is not a neutral state but dangerous to the one you can’t see. The inability to see is not a matter of if I injure someone, but when.

This is also true for colorblindness. I have heard well-meaning people claim colorblindness as a way of communicating their refusal to discriminate based on skin color. While not discriminating is a noble idea, colorblindness is a sight problem. To not see color is to not fully see those endowed with beautiful melanin by a Creator who calls what He made very good (Genesis 1:31).  To not see color is to deny the race-based, systemic ills that snuffed out the lives of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, and way too many others to name. The Father isn’t colorblind. He celebrates and redeems our ethnic differences (Rev. 7:9).

Good vision affords us the ability to see and celebrate our ethnic differences, not just tolerate them and certainly not despise them. Colorblindness is not a virtue; it’s dysfunction. Scripture calls us from blindness to sight. Our cry should be that the Lord help us see and move us from blindness to sight.”

Jasmine Holmes

Teacher, Author

Mother to Son: Letters to a Black Boy on Identity and Hope

Mother to Son by Jasmine Holmes

From Mother to Son:

“I set out to write a series of letters to Wynn, not just about the racial climate of the country that he lives in, but about the conversation surrounding this racial climate. I want to remind him that his identity is firmly planted in the person and work of Christ Jesus and that because of that he has incredible significance to the King of the universe. I want to remind him of his dignity as an image bearer and to encourage him to respond out of that dignity, even to a topic as emotionally charged as racial reconciliation. Even when the topic concerns the brown skin that he lives in.

But more than that, I want these letters to be a testament of a mother’s love for her son and of a sister’s love for the body of Christ. Because when I speak about these topics, I want to hold my brothers and sisters in the Lord close to my heart, as I do my own son—my own flesh and blood. They are my blood-bought family in Christ, redeemed by the God who took on flesh to save them.”

Beyond the Roles

Lisa Robinson Spencer

(ThM DTS), Executive Director of Local Colors

From Lisa’s article

Some thoughts on the church and racial reconciliation efforts

So when we talk about racial reconciliation efforts–whether it be a panel discussion, workshop, books, blog posts, the goal should be to create a more harmonious Christian fellowship that is centered in the work and person of Jesus Christ. I can honestly say that I’ve seen this at work in healthy and productive ways. When racial reconciliation efforts starting rising in the evangelical scene, this is what it was intended to be. As someone who has been invited to speak and write on these issues, have attended events where racial reconciliation something to be tackled, and engaged in numerous conversations, I am staunchly committed to keeping this goal so that Christ’s body is strengthened. Jesus broke down the walls of hostility but in our embodied experiences, we need to bring this truth to life for hostility that has been created.

 

Trillia Newbell

Acquisitions Editor at Moody Publishers

Author: United: Captured by God’s Vision for Diversity

Cover: United by Trillia Newbell

From United: Captured by God’s Vision for Diversity

“Perhaps it seems that the country is moving toward unity, but it’s a façade—just check your local news. And though our society may want to move on, we can’t, and neither can or should the church. Maybe our churches remain segregated simply because it’s comfortable with “our own.” (You won’t get far in this book before you’ll see that I believe ‘our own’ needs a new definition.)

But maybe it’s because diversity and racial issues are scary. Talking about race and racial reconciliation can be downright terrifying. No one wants to offend, and in our politically correct society, who would blame you? If you say the wrong thing, ask the wrong question, or call someone by the wrong name, will they be angry? Are you black or African-American? Chinese or Asian? Hispanic, Latino, or Mexican? This is an explosive topic, and sometimes it seems that the wisest course of action is to avoid it at all costs.

There is a richness in knowing—really knowing—someone who is different from you. I bet you have (or have had) a relationship in your life that confirms the truth of this. God thought it important to let us know in His Word that every tribe and tongue and nation would be present on the last day, worshiping together. Shouldn’t we desire to reflect the last day before He returns?”

 

Cover:Gay Girl, Good God

Jackie Hill-Perry,

Poet, Hip-Hop Artist, Author

Gay Girl: Good God

From Jackie’s article on “Gospel Diversity for the Next Generation” at The Gospel Coalition

“Show them what it looks like to be a peculiar people that belong to God. We don’t really belong to this country. We don’t really belong to a political party. We don’t belong even to our economic status. Heck, we don’t belong to this world. We are a people for his own possession.

And that’s what God has done. The next generation would follow in our footsteps and then they would come to realize that as they did, they were actually following Jesus, and not a God made in America’s image. They would come to see that as you set your mind on things above where Christ, he is seated at the right hand of God, the place he went after he did what was just and right, the seat he sat down on after dying and raising on behalf of people, that he died [to purchase] for himself [a people] from every tribe, tongue and nation. They would see that because you set your mind up there where he is, that they can, too.

When we set our eyes on Christ instead of setting our eyes on our fathers’ idols and everything else that keeps us from gospel diversity, you can be sure that is when we begin equipping the next generation for gospel diversity.”

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A New Woman’s Story

by | Mar 3, 2020 | A Woman's Story, Gospel Coaching, Gospel living

A New Woman’s Story

A New Woman’s Story for International Women’s Day

What’s new? As March begins, we’ll be considering the theme of “new” things, and today, in honor of International Women’s Day (March 8), I’m going to tell about a new – very old – way of understanding a woman’s story. It is new because it challenges many of the current understandings of a woman’s story. It is old because it is the first story ever told about women.

Let’s look at the structure of the Biblical story to see how God has written a woman’s story.

1.  Creation (Gen. 1:26-31; Gen. 2:18-23). Women were created with dignity and purpose for God’s glory.

  • God created women with dignity, differentiation, and dominion. God created women alongside men to join together in praise and purpose.
  • If you are a woman, you, together with man, are created in the image of God – you reflect God’s glory.
  • God created women different from men, described in Hebrew as  “ezer kenegdo” (Gen. 2:18), which literally means “helpers as corresponding to” a man. (To give you an idea of the strength implied by the word “ezer,” take note that the word is used mainly to refer to God in Scripture).
  • Women, with men, have a crucial mission, summarized in the mandate, “be fruitful and multiply and have dominion over the earth.” While being fruitful and multiplying does refer to childbirth, it also refers to multiplying God’s majesty on earth. Women can be fruitful and multiply as scientists, missionaries, housecleaners, firefighters, mothers, and wives, among many other things.

2.                  Fall (Gen. 3:1-19). Women are sinners who have fallen short of the glory of God (Rom. 3:23).

  • Women sin. (Men are complicit in woman’s sin when they fail to speak into their lives and lead as God instructed (Gen. 3:6)). Women (like men) are easily seduced by things that seem pleasing to the eye, things that promise to give us the control we desperately want, things that we think will crown us the Queen of our Own Universe.
  • Women feel shame (as do men). Women feel shame over their sin and want to hide from God (Gen. 3:7).
  • Because of the Fall, women also at times experience shame for sins perpetrated by others; emotional, physical, or sexual abuse cause deep wounds.
  • Women suffer from a curse – physical and emotional pain in our bodies, relational pain resulting from loneliness, and the temptation to control and manipulate the men in our lives (Gen. 3:16).

3.                  Redemption (Gen. 3:8-9; 2 Cor. 5:17-21). God has redeemed women and freed us to live our stories for his glory.

  • God pursues women (and men) in our sin. He goes looking for us in hiding, even when he already knows where we are (Gen. 3: 8-9).
  • God dignified a woman with the mission of bearing the offspring that will defeat the evil one once and for all (Gen. 3:15; Matthew 1:18).
  • He covers our shame, both with clothing (Gen.3:21), and through a Savior who will die for our sins and cover us with his righteousness (2 Cor. 5: 21).
  • When women realize our own works are rubbish (as are men’s) (Phil. 3:8) and turn to Christ as our only Savior (repentance and faith), we are freed from the shame that has defined us. No longer “not enough,” we are made “more than enough” in Christ.
  • Redeemed women now live for Christ as new creation – yes, struggling with sin until the day he returns (Romans 7:18-19), but nonetheless new and becoming more like him every day (1 John 3:2).

4.                  Consummation (Rev. 21-22). God will one day fully restore a woman’s peace, and we will rest and enjoy his honor, glory, and love.

  • One day, Christ will return to claim the church as his bride (Rev. 21:2). God will be with women and men, and he will wipe every tear from our eyes (Rev. 21:3-5).
  • At the end of the story, when sanctification is completed in glorification, we will begin a new and unending story of living as we were created to live (Rev. 21:5). Women and men will no longer be divided; no longer will we suffer from our own selfish demands. We won’t murder our friends or family with mean words. We won’t be tired by our exhaustive efforts to please people; we won’t be torn by our desire to be known and our fear of being known.
  • We will love to be loved and we will love to love.

A Prayer for a Woman’s Story

On this week leading up to International Women’s Day, let’s take time to pray for the women of the world and the women in our lives.

Creator God,

We thank you for the way you created the first woman, Eve, and endowed all women with strength and dignity, dominion and purpose. We are glad you made women and men different; we praise you for creating male and female in your image.

Women: Forgive us for the harm we have done as women — seeking our own way, trying to manipulate and control our worlds, grasping for power that was meant for You alone.

Men: Forgive us for the harm we have done as men — misusing authority to oppress and suppress women, failing to honor the wisdom and unique insight of women, and even demeaning women by treating them as our objects rather than Your subjects.

Thank you that you are redeeming and renewing us as women and men day by day. Thank you for writing a new story in a woman’s heart, for freeing us from slavery and clothing us with your righteousness. Thank you for creating us anew and giving us a fresh vision for who you have called us to be!

We pray for restoration for all of the women of the world. We lift up especially women who are abused and trafficked, women who do not have equal opportunities for education, women who are treated in ways Jesus never would have treated them. Bring hope to the dark places of women’s lives. Come Lord Jesus, come soon, to complete your renewing and reconciling work among all the women of the world.

In the name of the Savior who loved women perfectly we pray,
Amen.

 

Photo by Priscilla Du Preez on Unsplash

How to Laugh at the Days to Come

by | May 8, 2018 | A Woman's Story, Bible study

How to Laugh at the Days to Come

She laughs at the days to come…

Last week, I wrote about “what your mother really wants for Mother’s Day,” and that made me think about being a woman who “laughs at the days to come.”

Strength and dignity are her clothing;
She laughs at the days to come.” Prov. 31:25

A short story of not laughing

Several years ago, we had a series of events involving broken appliances and water. Here is the story of one of them.

One morning at approximately 6 o’clock, I stumbled sleepy-eyed into the kitchen, where I discovered, fortunately not by stepping in it, a small puddle of water spreading from our refrigerator.

I did not laugh. Not at all funny. The last time we had an event that involved water and this appliance, I ended up like one of those cartoon characters with my finger trying to stop a spray of water shooting from behind the built-in.

I believe my response was something like, “Oh, great!” highly titered with sarcasm.

Since the water was not spraying and only expanding if I measured carefully, which I did not, I decided to go on with coffee and letting the dog out and sitting down to today’s reading.

She laughs without fear of the future.

The NLT translates Prov. 31:25:
“She is clothed with strength and dignity,
and she laughs without fear of the future.”

It made me think…

What does it look like to laugh…

  • when we see refrigerator puddles?
  • when unexpected bills arrive in the mail?
  • when a dire diagnosis comes?
  • When a friend makes a cutting remark?
  • when we think about the job interview or lack thereof?

What if, when we think about the days to come, or just the day to come, we laughed?

Not the cynical laugh of a mocking, sarcastic woman: “Oh, great!”;
nor the naïve laugh of the giggly schoolgirl, “Oh, I won’t worry about that;”
nor the troubling laugh of the insane movie character, “Mwahahaha!” (to quote my children☺).

The gospel makes us laugh

We could only laugh in the way Proverbs describes as women clothed in strength and dignity, women who laugh because we remember and hope.

We remember:“the wonderful miracles of the Lord,” and “his awe-inspiring deeds” (Ps. 145)(which do not always include refrigerator water evaporating nor sadly, tumors mysteriously disappearing).

We hope. We laugh at the future because we have hope. We look forward to the coming when Jesus will complete the restoration work he has begun. In that day, doubts will never assail us; our capacity to rest in God’s love will be perfect; and community will flourish day after day in unbroken praise of our Creator. (Revelation 21-22).

Yes, until that day, we will be assaulted by the trials and travails of the fallen world, but because of the wild reality of the resurrection of Christ, anything can happen. Anything.

A Prayer about Laughing at the Days to Come

Dear Lord, Sovereign God of the universe,
Help us to be women who find our strength not in our own power but in your strength made perfect in our weakness. Forgive us for trying to run the world on our own terms, for forgetting to look for you in all circumstances. Help us to have photographic memories of your mercy and grace. And in each day, let us be confident and creative, looking at each moment as a gift from you and an opportunity to know your love more deeply.
In the glorious name of the One who saves us from all fear and fretting. Amen

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What Is Prudence, and Do You Want It?

by | Apr 24, 2018 | A Woman's Story, Bible study, Spiritual Growth

What Is Prudence, and Do You Want It?

Whatever happened to prudence?

As I mentioned last week, I’ve been wondering about wisdom, so I turned to Proverbs. In my reading, this word prudence keeps popping up. Wisdom and prudence walk hand in hand:

“I wisdom, dwell with prudence,

And I find knowledge and discretion.” Proverbs 8:12

Does anyone want to be prudent in the 21stcentury? What does prudence mean, anyway?

A little dictionary exploration led to this discovery:

Prudence = “caution or circumspection as to danger or risk” (Merriam-Webster.com)

Prudence defies current bestseller wisdom.

In that case, prudence is definitely not the in-thing in the 21stcentury: we’re supposed to be dangerous, bold, and risky! At least that’s what the titles in the self-help section urge us to do: Dare Boldly! Own the Day, Own Your Life!Or, if we’re not being dangerous and bold, we should do things that involve what my grandmother always called four-lettter words: “How to not give a…” or “Make [stuff] happen”…In other words: Be reckless…be care-less!

Such is the bookstore wisdom of the 21stcentury. Here’s a thought, maybe even a modern-day proverb:

It's not a good idea to be bold and risky unless you're also wise and prudent. Share on X

A Prudent Woman

What does the ancient wisdom of Proverbs teach us about prudence? I looked at a few of the Proverbs as well as some other biblical wisdom and came up with this sketch of a prudent woman:

  1. She’s knowledgeable but restrained.

Prudent people don’t flaunt their knowledge;
talkative fools broadcast their silliness.  Proverbs 12:23, The MSG

Even if she’s been married for 35 years, she resists giving marriage counsel to her newly engaged daughter, unless she specifically asks for it, and even then, she proceeds cautiously.

2. She doesn’t have a quick temper.

Fools have short fuses and explode all too quickly;
the prudent quietly shrug off insults. Proverbs 12:16, The MSG

If her co-worker jabs her with a snarky remark, she either responds graciously, inviting the insulter to be kind, or she remains silent. Wisdom tells her when to speak and when to remain silent.

3. She’s appropriately cautious.

A prudent person foresees danger and takes precautions.
The simpleton goes blindly on and suffers the consequences. Proverbs 22:3, NLT

The prudent woman may choose to be a firefighter, but she will never try to fight a fire without the covering of both protective gear and protective prayer.

4. She receives correction humbly and openly.

A fool despises his father’s instruction,

But whoever heeds reproof is prudent. Proverbs 15:5, ESV

When her husband tells her she’s not pressing the right button on the remote, she doesn’t flip out on him – she thanks him and asks him to show her which one to press. Or, more importantly, when her husband tells her he was hurt by her sarcastic remark about his driving, she apologizes and asks God for help guarding her tongue.

5. She recognizes the hope of the gospel.

For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 1 Corinthians 1:18, NIV

A prudent woman is neither proud nor self-righteous. Her signature humility and grace derive from her understanding that she is a sinner richly forgiven by God and made wonderfully new by his work.

Prayer: Lord, help us to grow in prudence, to be patient and kind, wise and humble, bold but aware of danger, open to correction and ready to repent. Grow us up in the wisdom of the Cross. In Jesus’ wise name we pray, Amen.

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