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A Prayer about Being Extraordinarily Ordinary

by | Apr 17, 2021 | Bible study, Daily Prayer, Gospel living

A Prayer about Being Extraordinarily Ordinary

Father,

What an amazing true story!

The leaders of the council were angry 

because Peter and John had healed a man. 

They told them to not “speak to anyone in Jesus’ name again” (Acts 4:17). 

But Peter and John boldly refused, 

“Do you think God wants us to obey you rather than him? 

We cannot stop telling about everything we have seen and heard” (Acts 4:19-20). 

In the end, the leaders let them go 

because they were afraid of starting a riot if they punished them (Acts 4:21-22).

May we become extraordinarily ordinary people: 

May we be bold as Peter and John,

May we be ordinary people 

who, though we have no special seminary training, 

are recognized as extraordinary 

for one reason only—because we have been with Jesus. 

In Jesus’ risen name. Amen. 

Read Acts 4:1-22.

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A Prayer about Peace When We’re Afraid

by | Apr 15, 2021 | Daily Prayer, Gospel living

A Prayer about Peace When We’re Afraid

Risen Lord,

Thank you for the details you give us in Scripture.

Today, or this week, we’ve probably all been afraid of something—

letting someone down, getting a scary diagnosis, not getting a job soon…

[Ask the Lord to show you if there’s anything you’ve been afraid of this week….]

The disciples were gathered behind locked doors, 

afraid that the Jewish leaders 

might come after them next. 

And suddenly you appeared in their midst

 and spoke four simple but life-changing words:

“Peace be with you” (John 20:19). 

Locked doors can’t keep you away from us. 

Neither can our sin, guilt, or fear.

You love us. You died for us. 

You freed us—from sin, from guilt, from fear. 

You were raised to new life 

so that we might have peace with you. 

Help us to breathe deeply of your everlasting peace 

today and every day.

In your resurrected name. Amen. 

Read John 20:19-23.

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5 Ways to Keep Living the Resurrection

by | Apr 13, 2021 | Easter, Gospel living, Weekly Gospel Meditation

5 Ways to Keep Living the Resurrection

Is your resurrection wonder fading fast?

It is two weeks after Easter, and as always, Resurrection wonder is in danger of fading as fast as the pretty pastel eggs.

What do we do when the celebration of new life gets lost in the drudge of daily life? Remember the story!  As we look back at what the followers of Jesus did post-resurrection, we re-discover the joy of living the resurrection.

5 Ways to Keep Living the Resurrection

1. See the Lord and be glad!(John 20:19-20). Some might object, “But we can’t see Jesus the way the disciples could!”Jesus insists that with the Holy Spirit’s help, we can see him as well as the first disciples did. Read a book or passage of the Bible and remember the day you first understood it. Remember a story of how Jesus changed your life when all appeared lost.

2. Run to tell others (Matt 28:8). In 2014, the year after the Boston marathon bombing, the Boston Athletic Association, rather than decreasing the number of people allowed to run, increased the registration limit to 36,000—over 30,000 people entered to prove that “terror will not triumph.” We stake our lives on an even more astonishing message: Jesus rose from the dead. He defeated violence, sin, and death—the final enemy (Hebrews 2:14-15). We should walk, not run, to tell others this good news.

3. Risk to tell others (Luke 24:11)Will you risk mockery, apathy, or even pity for sharing this story of great news? The women ran back from the empty tomb to tell their own community, and those dense disciples thought their words were an “idle tale.” It is, admittedly, hard to believe this story, but we must tell it anyway!

4. Doubt and disbelieve; then stop disbelieving and believe (John 20:27). Poor “doubting Thomas,” who has been much maligned throughout history for demanding to see and touch Jesus’ scars before believing he had risen. How did Jesus respond to Thomas’s doubts? Simply, warmly. “Put your finger here…place your hand in my side.” “Do not disbelieve, but believe.” If you, like Thomas, feel the need to see the proof, persevere. And—look out—the Holy Spirit will sow belief into your heart. Do not disbelieve, but believe.

5. Feed his sheep (John 21:1-21). Reread Jesus’ loving encounter with Peter on that beach. Have you failed Jesus? (Yes.) Have you betrayed him? (Yes.) Are you sometimes a rotten friend like Peter? (Yes.) Then there’s good news! Jesus wants you to share the only story that will satiate the starved sheep of this world. This, as Romans 12:1 says, is our spiritual service of worship!

A Prayer for Living the Resurrection

Lord Jesus, We believe, help our dry, stale, unbelief. Help us to continue living in resurrection wonder, awed at the goodness of our God, awed at the kindness of the cross, awed at the gentleness of our Jesus. Thank you for feeding us your abundant grace; empower us to feed others with this good news. In Jesus’ resurrected name! Amen.

Further Encouragement

1. Read John 20:19-20; John 21:1-21; Matthew 28:8; Luke 24:11.

2. Listen to “Power in the Blood”.

For Reflection

1. Which of these ways of living the resurrection resonates with you today? What ways do you see God calling you to continue living the resurrection?

Love and Sacrifice in Our Many-Splendored Kingdom

by | Feb 23, 2021 | Devotional, Gospel living, Weekly Gospel Meditation

Love and Sacrifice in Our Many-Splendored Kingdom

….and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation,

And you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth.” Revelation 5:9-10

Dr. Irwyn Ince, in his beautiful book, The Beautiful Community: Unity and Diversity and the Church at Its Best, recalls the day he first learned that his skin color differentiated him. The ten-year-old New Yorker had traveled with his family to Disney World for the first time. He was playing in a hotel pool with another young boy. The boy asked Ince to use his float, and Ince readily agreed. But when Ince asked his new friend if he could borrow his float, the boy said flatly, “No. You’re colored.” Ince, who grew up in a multiethnic neighborhood and had not known his color could be a hindrance, told his Indian-American teacher about the incident. She replied simply, “Well he doesn’t know that he’s colored too. White is also a color.” (The Beautiful Community, 13).

The story demonstrates an essential truth sometimes forgotten by the white Euro-Christian culture: the many-splendored kingdom of God will be  multiethnic, multiracial, and multi-variegated. There is, in fact, no dominant culture status in our heavenly kingdom. In order to begin growing more fully into our identity as priests of this kingdom, many of us need to do two things: first, search our hearts in prayer to see if there be any “grievous way” in us (Psalm 139:23-24), and second, spend more time imagining this many-splendored kingdom.

Some of us may need to hear and heed Frederick Douglass’ piercing observation: “Between the Christianity of this land, and the Christianity of Christ, I recognize the widest possible difference.”.⁠1  For example, as a white American Christian, I need to ask, “Do I prefer my dominant culture status?” Probably. Do I prefer the comfort and familiarity of “my way”  of doing church? Probably. Am I willing to experience discomfort for the sake of the current minority, so that our community reflects the beautiful community in which we will one day dwell forever? I hope so. As I humble myself in confession, the Holy Spirit reshapes me, making me more suited to dwell in the many-splendored kingdom of priests.

In addition to praying and searching our hearts, we also need to immerse our imaginations in this kingdom of priests composed of colorful characters from every tribe, language, people, and nation. As we read Revelation 5:9-10 and Revelation 19:6-9, we imagine the multicolored priests of the kingdom heading to a kingdom feast. A coffee-colored New Delhi woman robed in a turquoise and silver sari strolls arm in arm with a pale Okinawan woman robed in a scarlet and gold kimono. A midnight-black Nigerian woman decked out in a tangerine-colored tie-dyed wrapper is escorted by a sun-browned Mexican vaquero sporting his best black cowboy boots. The kingdom feast features a lavish spread of the most delectable foods in the world—Turkish delight and fried turkey, seaweed salad and Salade Niçoise, peanut curry and collard greens, snowflake cake and apple strudel.

Dear friends, extraordinary wonders await us in the many-splendored kingdom. Let’s remember that we’ve already been recreated by Christ to be priests in this kingdom. And as we await the day when God’s kingdom will be fully consummated, let’s prepare for eternal life there by building beautiful communities made up of wildly diverse people with wildly diverse tastes. By God’s grace, may we taste of this kingdom delight today.

Prayer

Father, forgive us for the ways we seek comfort in our smaller stories of church and community. Open our eyes to see the beauty of your kingdom and prepare our hearts to worship in this many-splendored kingdom you are creating. In Jesus’ name. Amen

Further Encouragement

Read Revelation 5:8-10, 7:9, 11:9, 14:6; Ephesians 1:10.

Listen to “O for a Thousand Tongues to Sing.”

 For Reflection

In what ways does your church and community reflect the many-splendored kingdom of God? In what ways could it grow in becoming more like this many-splendored kingdom?

The Beautiful Community is an affiliate link. That means I make a few cents if you purchase it after clicking on that link.

1 Quoted in “The Radical Christian Faith of Frederick Douglass,” D.H. Dilbeck,

https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2018/january-february/frederick-douglass-at-200-remembering-his-radical-christian.html

A Prayer about Doing Justice

by | Feb 11, 2021 | Daily Prayer, Gospel living

A Prayer about Doing Justice

Heavenly Father,

I will never forget the time the Reverend John M. Perkins spoke in our high school chapel,

the stories he told, his book we read, “Let Justice Roll Down.” 

He challenged us as he challenged himself to search our hearts 

to see if we truly understood what was good. 

Today I am rereading his book, 

his call to deep repentance and forgiveness, 

his own example of deep repentance and forgiveness 

of the people who brutalized him. His words call me to pray:

Lord, you have shown us what is good. 

[Name some of the things Jesus has shown you about what is good.]

Lord, what do you require of me?

[Spend some time in silence, listening to the Lord speak to you.]

You call me to do justice. 

How do you want me to do justice?

[Spend some time in silence, listening to the Lord speak to you about doing justice].

You call me to love mercy. 

What does it look like for me to love mercy?

[Spend some time in silence, listening to the Lord speak to you about loving mercy].

You call me to walk humbly with my God. 

What does it look like for me to walk humbly with you?

[Spend some time in silence, listening to the Lord speak to you about walking humbly with your God].

May we, in the power of the Spirit, truly do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with you.

In Jesus’ justice-fulfilling name. Amen.

Read Micah 6:8; Amos 5:24, 5:15.

A Prayer about Holy Sexuality in a Sexually Insane World

by | Feb 9, 2021 | Gospel living, Prayer, Weekly Gospel Meditation

A Prayer about Holy Sexuality in a Sexually Insane World

This week, the week of Valentine’s, seems like a good time to pray about sexuality in a sexually insane world. Please join me in this prayer of confession and hope, and please share this prayer with others. 

“This explains why a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one. Now the man and his wife were both naked, but they felt no shame.” Gen. 2:24-25, NLT

“Let there be no sexual immorality, impurity, or greed among you. Such sins have no place among God’s people. Obscene stories, foolish talk, and coarse jokes—these are not for you. Instead, let there be thankfulness to God.” Eph. 5:3-4

Most merciful, Creator God, we come to you, weighed down by the sexual insanity of this world, deeply broken over our own deceitful lust and greed, and profoundly thankful for your everlasting mercy.

We praise you for your creation of holy and exuberant sexuality.

We praise you for your exquisite design of sexual love expressed in the context of marriage—two sinner-saints joined together in lifelong covenant. You knew that there would be inexpressible joy coupled with heart-shattering grief. You knew the man would fail the woman in silence. You knew the woman would try to take life into her own hands. You created and redeemed sexual love in marriage for your glory.

Lord, we confess that not one of us is free of sexual immorality. Some of us let our eyes linger long on someone else’s spouse; others darken our minds with words and images that have nothing to do with your holy sexuality. We consume others, not caring how our lust may wound them or grieve you.

Lord, we also confess that we have failed to protect our young.

We don’t know what to do with a culture of adolescents that sext and hook up in school hallways, so we give reprimands but refuse to enter hard conversations.

Rather than recognize and respond to the horrifying news of young children being sexually trafficked, we change the channel to something more soothing.

We tell women and men who have suffered sexual abuse that what happened wasn’t really a big deal or that the other person didn’t really mean it.

In the midst of all of this sexual insanity, Lord, we bow before you, marveling at your mercy and forgiveness.

The apostle Paul had it right when he offered thanksgiving as the holy alternative to sexual immorality.

We thank you…

for creating holy sex.

We thank you…

for your healing love that meets us in the midst 

of our sexual brokenness.

We thank you…

for your compassion and mercy for the abused, the oppressed, and the addicted.

We thank you…

for never shaming or humiliating us, 

but inviting us to flourish in the healing mercy of our faithful and ever-loving Savior, Jesus Christ.

In his precious and holy name we pray. Amen.