High Tide Prayer

Prayer has been a focus for me lately. Perhaps that sounds odd to you coming from a pastor, you might think we pray all the time…for hours on end. And though we are all called to “pray continuously”, the reality is that sometimes my prayer life is more God-focused than it is at other times. Of course, I pray every day, but the act of truly being in communion with God during this focused and uninterrupted private time has been a priority for me. I realize now how far I was from this ten years ago, and perhaps ten years from today I will look back and realize how far I am from it now. That is part of the beauty of growth in our Christian life, and the never-ending aspect of relationship with our God.

                As I am writing this I am sitting on the balcony of our condo at the beach. This is my family’s annual vacation week to Oak Island, NC. The beach is one of my favorite places. People keep telling me that if I lived here I would miss the mountains and want to be back in East Tennessee…maybe, but I’d be willing to give it a shot. The beach is also one of my favorite places to pray, well, actually, in the ocean is one of my favorite places to pray. Because sometimes praying in the ocean is hard.

                                I like praying in the ocean because of the sound. I am an easily distracted person. It took me 15 minutes to write the paragraph above because I was watching a seagull. My wife likes to say that she doesn’t have ducks and they’re not in a row because she has squirrels and they’re at a rave….that’s another whole story though, and I think I once again have been distracted.

Back to the ocean. The sound of the ocean helps drown out the other sounds that constantly seek my attention. I need this when I pray. I need the other sounds quieted so that I can focus on and be with my Lord. The ocean is my prayer closet.

                There is also a rhythmic sound to the ocean. It is soothing to me, and there is a beautiful repetition that helps me focus on the eternal and unchanging qualities of the One I am spending this time with. This is soothing to me. There needs to be a rhythm to our lives, not a monotony, but a sacred rhythm of who we are and how this life all makes sense. There will be plenty of things that happen that seek to upset this rhythm; death, unemployment, natural disaster, terrorism, illness, disease, injustice. So a sacred rhythm to life is important. If you don’t have this rhythm yet, talk to someone you know who does. It will make all the difference when interruptions come. The rhythm of the sound of the ocean reminds me that there is a rhythm to my life, even if it may seem chaotic at the time.

                I also like praying in the ocean because of the water. This may seem rather obvious, but the water splashing over me is a prayerful reminder of God’s grace. As I begin my prayers I first ask God to forgive my sins, both known and unknown. I think this is important for me to take care of the elephant in my spiritual room so that my Lord and I can get on to our time together. But the importance of this is paramount to me. Sin is what stands in between me and God, and I know that when I ask for forgiveness that He is faithful and just to forgive me because Jesus has already paid the price for my sins, both those I have committed in the past, and those that will be committed in my future, both those sins of commission and those sins of omission, all my sins of thought, word, and deed. So during this time I let the waves just wash over me. Cleansing me. And I praise God for this.

                But sometimes praying in the ocean is hard. Yesterday I went down to the beach about 5:00. It was high tide, so there were not many people on the beach, since there wasn’t much beach to sit on at that time of the day. The ocean waves had made their way as close as they were allowed, sneaking up to the edge of the dunes for the second time of the day. They weren’t going to come any further than that today, their journey  onto the beach had been limited by their Maker. And so I waded into the waters, and there began my prayer. During high tide the waves are a little rougher, they crash a little harder, they move you around a little more, and it’s harder to keep your balance and stay in the same spot. This is a good reminder for me of all the things distracting me, and my need to stay focused and stand firm in my prayer, in my faith, and in my life.

                Today be strong in your prayer. Hold on. Stand firm. And if you are getting knocked around a little by the rough waves today, just remember that high tides don’t last forever.

               

Blessed are the meek

Part 3 of an 8 part series

            Jesus said, “blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth” (Matthew 5:5).

            If you’ve been reading along in this series with us so far, you will remember that these “beatitudes” that Jesus spoke to the people were complete reversals of what they were used to, and what seemed natural. Today’s statement is no different.

            The meek will inherit the earth. A good definition of the word ‘meek’ is ‘gentle or humble’.

            For the people of Jesus’ day hearing this part of their meekness was as an oppressed people, and the idea of inheriting the earth would have been understood literally in terms of their homeland. But as in the rest of these sayings, Jesus is obviously talking about something more than just the temporal and physical.

            The reversal here is in terms of power and control. It is the strong and powerful that are doing the possessing. It is the wealthy, militaristic that make the decisions for the meek to follow. I am not an economist, but I read an article that half of the world’s wealth is owned by 1% of the people[i].

            But meekness is not something imposed upon us by others, meekness is an attitude characteristic of the soul. It is having a gentle and humble nature, not being a doormat for anyone to walk all over, but a meekness that permeates who you are and into the lives of the others.

            Jesus lived this. Later in Matthew we hear Jesus saying, “take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart” (Matthew 11:29a).

            Being meek is about being more like Jesus. It is seeing in others the image of God, and loving and forgiving them in spite of their actions.

            Meekness is not weakness. It is power under control.

            The whole “inheriting the earth” thing is what the people hearing Jesus probably liked to hear. These people had been living a promise expecting that as they awaited a Messiah who would save them. Ironically, that Messiah was standing right in front of them, but for many of them what they wanted saved from was different than what Jesus was going to save them/us from.

            They wanted a military messiah to take their land back, and bring back power to the people. Jesus, on the other hand, is talking about meekness to inherit the earth.

“Inherit”.

            That’s an interesting word, too. To inherit something means that it has been passed on to a future generation from someone who owned it, or possessed it.

            At the church where I pastor, there was a wonderful woman of God who made plans to leave her house and land to the church when she passed away. She didn’t have any children, so this was how she wanted her legacy to be remembered. It was her house, so she could do with it as she liked. In a sense, the church “inherited” this gift from her.

            Throughout the Old Testament we read of inheritances being left to children by their fathers. These were gifts that were passed on from the person to owned them to the next generation. It had nothing to do with power, simply family.

            Inheriting the earth is not about power, but rather about something that is handed down from the One who owns it and can pass it on to His children. So it’s not about power, it’s about family.

            A meek and gentle spirit does not come naturally to us. It is when we spend time with Jesus in prayer, Bible reading, and service to others that we learn from Him and begin to become gentle and humble in heart ourselves.

                                                              

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[i] https://www.theguardian.com/money/2015/oct/13/half-world-wealth-in-hands-population-inequality-report

A morning in Psalm 5

I have been trying to start each day by reading a Psalm, or a portion of a Psalm. Lately I have been enjoying this time more and more. It is preparing me for the other Scripture I read (which right now is Jeremiah), and it helps guide my day in prayer.

                The Psalms really are our oldest prayer book. They contain the praises, laments, joys, and concerns that we all experience. And this time of starting here, and praying these words back to Jesus, has been helpful to me.

                Here is a verse from what I read today:

“In the morning, Lord, you hear my voice, in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait expectantly” (Psalm 5:3)

What a way to start the day, right! It is morning now. I have taken the kids to school, and I am having a cup of coffee. I have a test to take in an online class to take today, and make some calls to people I need to visit today, finish up the Bible study I am leading tonight, post in a Philosophy class forum, put out signs for our fundraiser breakfast Saturday, get some prices on new tires for my Mazda, etc, etc, etc.

I could have started the day with any of those other things, and many times unfortunately I do. It takes practice and focus to start here in the Psalms. The other things are all screaming for my attention, and the Psalms lie here quietly, waiting.

                You hear my voice.

That is a fact of our relationship with God that gives me goosebumps when I really let that thought sink in. Today, right here as I start my day in prayer with coffee, God hears my voice, knows my voice, and listens to my voice. I just need to talk, letting my Father know what is on my mind, and asking Him what is on His. Telling my Father all I have to do today, and asking Him what He wants me to do instead.

                I lay my requests.

 Lay ‘em down. Here they are, Lord. Sometimes I write them down, sometimes I speak them aloud, sometimes I can’t put words to them, or mere words just can’t seem to express the desires of my heart so I breathe them out. Just breathe a prayer, exhaling what I am laying down, and inhaling God’s grace and love. This is what is burdening my heart and warping my mind today. This is what I really feel like I need. What do you think?

                I wait.

This isn’t natural for any of us, I know. We don’t live in a culture that rewards waiting. It is almost seen as a sign of weakness to have to wait, and our to-do list is piling up every second we spend waiting. That’s really a shame. Not that I love waiting, or anything like that. But I am growing to appreciate it a little more. For one thing, I try to have a book with me most of the time. This makes waiting easier, whether in line to pick up the kids or in the waiting room waiting for an appointment. Waiting can also be a great time to talk to God. Living in Telford I have found that there are days when I can spend quite a bit of time waiting on trains. This used to create frustration in me, now I am learning to take this time as a gift, a little respite with me and Jesus. And being in the Psalms this morning helps with the waiting, too. The natural and rhythmic flow of the words in the verses calms me before the craziness of the day starts. Waiting doesn’t necessarily mean doing nothing.

                But I am not just waiting, I am waiting “expectantly”.

That added word creates a sense of anticipation. Something is going to happen….and something IS gonna happen today. I have just lifted up my voice to the God of all creation, who has heard me and listened to me. I have laid my requests for Him and sought His guidance. Now I wait “expectantly” for Him to act. Whether in word or deed, God is moving in all this today. The rest of my day can be looking for what God is doing, wide-eyed wonder as He shows me His direction and His love today.

“Spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may rejoice in you” (Psalm 5:11)

                Have a wonderful day, be blessed and rejoice in the One who is protecting you.

Don't Forget Your Jewelry

Not many days go by in our house that we don’t mention jewelry at least once. Part of that is because Heather really, really likes jewelry, and she wears it so well 😊

            The other part of that is that we are blessed to work with Premier Designs, a company that promotes biblical truth, the inherent worth of all people as God’s creation and beloved, and strives to enrich the lives of everyone they come into contact with. Training meetings and award ceremonies are more like a praise and worship time with Scripture, testimonies, music, prayer, and lots of excitement.

And, they just so happen to sell jewelry, too.

            So today I came across this little gem in Jeremiah, “does a young woman forget her jewelry?” (Jeremiah 2:32).

(Nice little “gem” pun, right?)

            I have read Jeremiah several times. This is one of my favorite Old Testament books of the Bible, so Jeremiah and I are like old friends, we know a lot about each other and have shared a lot together. I know this verse has always been right there in the 2^nd chapter, but today I just really noticed it.

            Now context is important, I say this every time I am sharing God’s Word with others. And the context here is that Jeremiah has been called by God as a prophet to go and tell the people of Judah that they need to change their ways. They have become lazy in their actions, indifferent in their relationships, cold in their worship, and have turned their backs on the God who created, provided, cared for, and sustained them. So, the Lord goes through a list of things that the people have done, and one of those things is that they have forgotten Him. They have become so busy with their own lives, their own agendas and their own goals, that they have neglected their first great Love.

            To show how crazy this should seem to them, God asks Jeremiah, “does a young woman forget to put her jewelry on before she goes out?” The obvious answer for Jeremiah to that question would have been, “Absolutely not!”

            And the same is true for my wife and these great jewelry ladies we have met over our last year with Premier. When they get together there is a lot of bling going on!

But today I looked at Heather’s jewelry sitting on the table. This has helped make an impact in many lives, and most of them I will never know the stories of personally.

            The people of Judah had gotten too busy with other things.

            We know how that is too.

            So they had forgotten.

            We know how that is too.

            I am not making an excuse, but I know it happens. Life gets busy and there are some days we are just trying to hold on for the ride and not get slung off. Maybe we feel that way at times because we are forgetting.

            I wonder if every Premier lady (and Premier man…and everyone else for that matter) could put on their jewelry each day and use this as a time to remember. Remember your first Great Love. Remember you are created in the image of God and you are greatly loved. Remember the One who hung the stars and spoke creation into being is the One who cares deeply for you and desires your love, worship, and relationship. Remember that today you will be given an opportunity to bless others. Remember that God is in control, and part of that means we are trusting in Him first.

            I wonder if this will help us to not forget?

            “Will a Premier lady forget to put her jewelry on?”

Absolutely not!

            But put on each piece as a time of worship, a time of preparation, and a time of remembering who you are.

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[i] https://www.premierdesigns.com/gettoknowus.html

Pragmatic Problems and Persistent Prayer

Here is a picture of one of my problems.

Actually, this is much prettier than my real problems. This was an illustration from a sermon I preached for a Johnson City District United Methodist Women gathering last month. I had several of these "problems" that I laid on the rail of the alter at the end of the sermon, trying to make a visual connection with what laying our troubles before the Lord looks like, compared to just laying them there while we were at church and then picking them up again when we left.

Last night Heather and I were talking about prayer. Well, we were talking about death. Another friend from our home church where she grew up, and the first United Methodist Church that I had ever attended, passed away last night from cancer. Death and prayer are often closely related topics. Heather had mentioned that I am always saying to pray about a problem, then leave it there at the alter. But there are times in Scripture when we are told to not stop praying, and she prays daily for her own dad, who is with the healing power of Jesus, battling cancer in his life.

Here is what I think about this. I am not a renowned theologian, just a man seeking to better know Jesus daily and to live this crazy life with some sort of purpose and passion while showing love to as many people as I can. Maybe you have different thoughts, and if so please share them with me. We are in this together.
So here goes....

Jesus tells a parable found in Luke 18:1-8 that we call the "parable of the persistent widow". The story is about a widow who went to a judge to get the justice she deserved in a certain legal matter. The judge really didn't care about the woman or her needs that much, but she didn't give up. She went back day after day after day after day and brought her request to the judge. Finally the judge agrees to give her what she wants. Then Jesus says that if that uncaring judge gave the persistent woman what she wanted then "will not God give justice to his elect, who cry out to him day and night?" Here is what is really interesting about this. Jesus opens the parable by stating this is an example that we should "always pray and never give up" (18:1), and ends by asking, presumably based on this persistent, faithful, and expectant model of prayer, "When the Son of Man returns, will he find faith on earth?" (18:8).

Jesus tells another parable of a persistent friend that is found in Luke 11:5-13, which also ends with an equation that we serve a Good Father who will take care of His children and takes pleasure in giving them what they need ("need" is a key word here, not want, and not anything and everything).

"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find, knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened." (11:9-10)

There is obviously something here as Jesus was teaching us to pray with faith and to pray with persistence. To not give up and to not stop praying.

Jesus also said, as recorded in Matthew 6:11 "give us this day our daily bread". So there is an indication this prayer is as daily as the need for eating is daily. Jesus modeled this frequently with his disciples by getting away by himself to pray.

And there is one of my favorite verses, 1 Thessalonians 5:17, "pray continually".

So how does this tie in with leaving your prayers at the alter? Well, I would say you leave the problems and worries that you are praying about at the alter. Leave the feelings of anxiety, stress, uncertainty, and fear at the alter. And then keep praying about the situation. But pray with the faith of one who is asking his or her Father for a gift. Pray expecting something to happen.

"But when he asks (for something in prayer), he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind" (James 1:6).

And keep praying, and don't give up. And if perhaps the answer to the prayer is "no", then talk to your Father about that. What is He wanting to do in your life that is different and better than what you had asked for. I think is what the apostle Paul was referring to in 2 Corinthians 12. Paul refers to a "thorn" that he has been dealing with, but never specifically says what it was. And Paul prayed about it. In fact he said, "three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me", but God didn't do that. I don't think Paul gave up after three times praying about, that isn't consistent with what Jesus taught us about prayer. But I think Paul got his answer, and in his case the answer was "no", so Paul went on knowing that God had a bigger plan and purpose in place than perhaps he could see at the time.
God's dream and purpose for you is beyond the confusion of today.

So don't stop praying. Pray continually. Pray in God's will. Pray for His will to be done and that you are in line with that. Pray expecting something to happen. Pray and give thanks for what God will do that you just haven't seen yet. Pray thanking God for what He is doing now that you just aren't seeing right now.  Prayer is good. Prayer is our life source to our Life Source. Stay connected.

But leave the other stuff at the alter. The stuff that is weighing you down and causing you to forget who (and whose) you are. Leave those hangups and problems at the alter. Lay 'em down, and walk away. That is baggage you don't need, and were not intended, to carry along in life.

So for me, that's the difference between pragmatic problems and persistent prayer. What do you think?

Clean Plates and Clean Slates

Years ago when I played baseball I was a catcher. I got to play not because I was a good hitter, in fact I was normally about 30 points below what would be considered an "average" batting average. I played because I was good defensively. I knew the fundamentals and was good at them because of the hours I spent having baseballs bounced into the dirt so that I could block them with any part of my body, anything to keep the ball in front of me.
I was also good at talking, so I could usually calm down a frustrated or nervous pitcher, occasionally get in the head of an overzealous batter, and always have a good chat with the man behind the plate.
Even with everything going on in a game, I always made sure that the umpire and I were on good terms, because he was the one calling the pitches. I also made sure that he always had a good view of the plate. Most umps had their little ump-brush that they would use to brush dirt off the plate before each inning, but I would wipe the corners of the plate at least after every batter. I wanted the umpire to see just how big and how wide that plate really was, and maybe if there was a pitch just off the corner a tad that he would call it a strike, because after all that plate was clean and white and wide.
As we are coming into a season of Lent, I have been thinking about home plate a little more.  Lent is a 40 day time of the year leading up to Easter Sunday (you don't count Sunday's in the 40 days because every Sunday is a ""mini-Easter" where we are celebrating our risen Lord). Most people think of Lent as a time to give something up, like chocolate or cussing. I know a lot of kids who want to give up school and homework for Lent, but I don't think that's gonna happen. Some people try to pick up something for Lent, like starting a good habit such as exercising or eating healthier. All of these are good things, especially the giving up homework idea, but they don;t really capture what Lent is about.
That's why I've been thinking more about home plate.
See, during a baseball game the plate gets dirty, there is dirt that is blown, kicked, and swiped onto it. Not because anyone wanted to intentionally cover up home plate with dirt, well, maybe there are some batters that want to do that, but that isn't the norm. Home plate gets dirty because there is a game going on, and there is dirt everywhere in the infield, and during the course of the game dirt gets on the plate.
The important thing for me as a catcher was to see the dirt and to get the dirt off when the plate got dirty.

Psalm 51 was written by David after a time that there had been a lot of dirt in his life. And with the help of a man named Nathan, David recognized the dirt. He also recognized the fact that he couldn't get rid of the dirt that was already there, and that he needed God to do that, but he also needed to keep other dirt from getting into his life where he was able.

"Wash me thoroughly...cleanse me" (Psalm 51:2)
"Purge me...and I will be clean; wash me and I will be whiter than snow" (Psalm 51:7)
"Create in me a clean heart" (Psalm 51:10)

This Lent, allow God to create a clean heart and a right spirit within you. The word "Lent" comes from a Latin word for "spring", so maybe a little spring-cleaning is in order spiritually.

Let's have a clean plate and clean slate as we prepare ourselves during Lent. Not just that we are preparing for Easter, though that is part of it. But more importantly that we are prepared daily for the return of Jesus, that we are living our lives in line with what we say we believe, that today could be day! And that we are ready.
Live into a Holy Lent over the next 6 weeks, and know regardless of how dirty home plate may be, there is nothing that can separate you from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus. Because God is good, all the time. And all the time, God is God.

Grace&Peace this Lenten season,
Michael


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Blessed are those who mourn....