Standing Here Wondering...

My Lord God, I have no idea where I am going. I do not see the road ahead of me. I cannot know for certain where it will end. Nor do I really know myself, and the fact that I think I am following your will does not mean that I am actually doing so. But I believe that the desire to please you does in fact please you. And I hope that I have that desire in all that I am doing. I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire. And I know that if I do this you will lead me by the right road though I may know nothing about it. Therefore will I trust you always though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death. I will not fear, for you are ever with me, and will never leave me to face my perils alone.

Prayer of Thomas Merton

Divine Suffering

“The Lord fulfill his purpose for me”

Psalm 138:8

It has never been completely understood by human reasoning how divine suffering develops a deep level of holiness or spirituality. It is hard to go so deep in the things of God without a season of great suffering. At its end, a person may emerge no longer asking God for deliverance but praying not my will but thy will be done.

Let us pray:

Lord, whenever a season of divine suffering overtakes our lives, help us to suffer without becoming discouraged. We desire to move beyond our worse case scenario imaginations to the calm place of “all things work together for the good of those who love him.” (Romans 8:28) We walk out of own strength, our own ideas, our own wisdom, our own plans into the blessings of total submission to you, the Lord being our helper. In Jesus name make the quietness of eternity keep our hearts, minds, souls and body. Amen.

VMM

Do Justly

The Psalmist speaks across the centuries to remind us of a time when “kindness and truth shall meet; justice and peace shall kiss;.(Psalm 85: 11) It has been called a the classic summary of what Yahweh asks in covenant of all humankind. It is what Dr. Martin Luther King jr. calls the “Magna Carta of prophetic religion. (Micah 6:8) God asks this of us: to act justly, to love tenderly and to walk humbly with your God. These three mandates (act justly, love tenderly and walk humbly) cannot be separated according to Thomas H. Groome in “Sharing Faith” as people do justice with loving kindness, their faith as right relationship with God is realized.” So as it was then, so it is now.

Let us pray:

Remind us once yet again o God, the brave dreams of freedom and justice that were born in the hearts of our ancestors. They were willing to work for freedom often granted in policy but not in praxis. They were willing stand, sit down, march and picket in spite of the dangers. We stand on their shoulders today.

Now Lord, shine your light in us in such a way that we see all of humankind as brothers and sisters; shine your light through us to bring a new vision of equality... help us to see that our freedom doesn’t demand the enslavement of others; shine your light on us so that others can see that even though we are marred and broken vessels you still use us as channels of your grace to bring mercy, joy and peace into the lives of our fellow pilgrims on this journey of life. We seek the pure light of thy holiness that we may find our way in this world to do justly, love mercy and walk humbly. In Jesus name, amen.

Do It All!

Happy New Year!

Surely the Lord has blessed us to start a new chapter called 2012. As we stand at the threshold of the unknown and unexpected, we hold tightly to our faith in Jesus Christ who is the same, yesterday, today and forever more. As we begin the journey of a new year, be sure to do all to the glory of God.

"...do all to the glory of God"

I Corinthians 10:31

In the quiet moments of prayer, we sincerely reach out to you O Lord, our God in the midst of cultural pluralism that presents challenges to the way we see and hear you. Thank you for your persistent love that transcends the troubles of this world to sustain us in seasons of joy and sorrow.

Forgive us for giving our best to the wrong things. Forgive us for giving our best efforts to trivial pursuits and our meager contributions to major kingdom service. Forgive us when we fail to do all to the glory of God whether in desire, drink, dress, conversation, thought and action.

Guide us so that we will know what is important and unimportant. Empower us to do the things that truly matter so that the things that don't matter will not occupy too much of our time. In Jesus Name, Amen.

VMM