Prayer

Understanding

/ The Pastor

The following prayer was inspired by Psalm 119:169-176.

Father God,
Many seek understanding through science.
Some seek understanding through logic.
Others seek understanding through philosophy.
Oh God, please give me understanding according to Your Word.
Many seek understanding through intellect.
Some seek understanding through debate.
Others seek understanding through experience.
Oh God, Please give me understanding according to Your Word.
For Your Word is
right
perfect
and precious.
You Word is my
delight
Life
and salvation.
All other understanding is fleeting, temporary, lost and flawed.
Nothing else can save.
So God, I long for You.
I long for Life,
I long to know.
I long to understand.
But I have gone astray and I am ashamed.
I have sought understanding in all the wrong places.
So in Your great mercy seek for me and hold me tight.
Bring me close.
Oh God, please give me understanding according to Your Word,
that I may not stray from You.

A Great Adventure

/ The Pastor / 2 Comments

Three and a half years ago, You called me to follow You on a great adventure.
I left a land I grew up in (Minnesota) and moved to a new land (Western Washington).
You called me from a congregation that I gave my heart to for 12 years and sent me to a “church in a box” – a people unknown to me.
To say that I was nervous is to put it mildly, but my family and me went and followed You — and You have been faithful.
The call was to help build a church – in more ways than one. In one way I have been doing that for 3 1/2 years, but now You, oh God, are getting all literal on me.
You are now calling me to new territory again: Moving a congregation to a different community and losing our “church in the box” description.
To say that I am nervous is to put it mildly, but I will go and follow You — and I know You will be faithful.
Oh God, as You led Abraham to an unknown territory so lead me.
As you have led this congregation for 10 years, please continue to do so.
I don’t know what I am doing but You know and that is all that matters.
Even though I confess my nervousness here and now, I know You won’t abandon me.
I believe, help my unbelief.
And so, oh God, I give this all to you.
Let us go, once again, on great adventure together.
To You be the glory, oh God, always and forever.
Amen.

First Day of School Prayer

/ The Pastor

Father God,
a new year of school is here and students are returning to the classroom.
So much excitement.
So much apprehension.
Please hear my prayer as our kids resume.
There will be reading and writing and arithmetic too.
Spelling, science and all things new.
There will be friends and lunch and games galore.
There will be all of that and so much more.
Routines will be changing.
Schedules will get busy.
Sometimes all of this can make one feel dizzy.
So, Father God, hear my prayer,
and bless our children here and there.
Bless their teachers.
Bless their year.
Guide them so they will not fear.
Keep them safe, Lord, every busload.
Bless all drivers who share the road.
Bless our children here and now.
May this year cause them to say “Wow!”
Amen 🙂

Praying the Psalms ~ Psalm 7:1-2

/ The Pastor

Psalm 7:1–2 (ESV) ~ “O Lord my God, in you do I take refuge; save me from all my pursuers and deliver me, lest like a lion they tear my soul apart, rending it in pieces, with none to deliver.”

I am not strong or smart enough to contend with those who pursue me.
I am not cunning or crafty enough to outwit them.
I am not bold or brave enough to stand up to them.
I am not able to save myself from those who would oppose you and thus me.
Save me, oh God, save me.
Many attack what I hold dear.
They speak against the Truth.
They accuse me.
Like a lion they are ferocious and merciless. Nothing of this world can shield me. Nothing and no one can defend me.
On my own I am lost,
defeated,
crushed,
Oh God, I thank You that YOU are my fortress.
You and You alone are my defender.
You and You alone has slayed the lion, through Christ Jesus my Lord.
You are my deliverer.
You have saved me.
You are my God.
Amen!

Found In You

/ The Pastor

My thoughts drift towards You, oh God, as I seemly gaze into another world. To others I look distant, disconnected and lost, but I know I’m found in You.
Through Jesus I am found in You.
You capture my attention as I leave the world behind. The world is persistent, though, as it continues to beckon for me to return, but it’s You for whom I long.
Only You.
The world moves and shouts but I stare right through it –
not noticing,
not paying attention,
lost in my found-ness
The world wants me but I want You more.
The world says its beautiful but it can not compare in the slightest to You.
Some call this daydreaming but You are not a dream. You are my reality. Some call this wasting time, but no time is wasted with You.
Oh God, the world is loud, so please hold my gaze that I may get lost in being found in You.

The Unknown

/ The Pastor

The congregation that I serve continues its discernment process concerning the potential purchase of a property in a neighboring town. There are still a lot of questions and fears about going forward with the purchase or remaining where we are at. Whatever the case, God will be with us. My prayer is that we cling to God no matter what the outcome of the vote is. After all, God is the one in control, not us.

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The unknown doesn’t have to be scary.
Nor do options that vary.
God is in complete control.
Therefore, fear is totally contrary.

My faith Satan always seeks to deflate.
My peace he seeks to negate.
I want to trust Jesus more.
Oh God, my spirit would you please elate.

May I walk with you into the unknown,
That I may not be alone.
I know that Your hand will guide.
I praise You that I am Your very own.

Oh God, please lead me so that I can see.
From You may I never flee.
It’s Your will that I’ll follow.
Oh God, In You I want to always be.

The Maze

/ The Pastor

I feel as though I am walking through a maze.
Walls and turns
Dead ends
Back-tracking
Trying to find a way.
Just when I think I am making progress, I have to turn back.
Try something new.
Find a new way.
But then I get lost,
again.
Now which way?
I need to get out of this maze.
But the more I try, the more lost I get.
I can’t see the whole picture.
I can’t see the way.
I need help.
Who will show me the way?
Who will be my guide?
Oh God, please show me the Way out of this maze.
Please show me the Way.

Bringing Peace Through Division

/ The Pastor

The Gospel text for today is Luke 12:49-56. My focus is on verse 51 where Jesus says that he did not come to bring peace but division. Actually, Jesus came to bring peace through division. More can be heard on our congregation’s website after the video of the sermon is posted.

So with that I wrote the following Holy Communion liturgy with the Gospel text in mind. To God be the glory. Amen.

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It is indeed right and salutary that we should at all times and in all places give thanks and praise to you, oh God. Through Jesus Christ You give us peace with You. Through the working of Your Holy Spirit we are being remade. Your Word is life. Your Word is truth. Your Word pierces our soul and will one day divide us from this world as we stand before you purified and holy. Oh God, may we not be seduced by the allure of worldly peace. May it’s beckoning song be ignored. May its deceptive appearance be uncovered. Oh God, we give you thanks that Jesus was born to die that we could have hope and one day live peacefully with You without interruption. And so, we join with the Church on earth and the hosts of heaven in singing Your unending praise…

Praying the Psalms ~ Psalm 119:81-88

/ The Pastor

These verses in Psalm 119 really struck home for me. The psalmist is pleading for help to remain true to God’s law and not be seduced away. There are many people twisting scripture to their own advantage. There are many pressuring the Church to become more “relevant” and thus the temptation to seek peace with the world. May I stand firm on the Truth of scripture as challenges come from all sides. God help me.

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It’s You that I long for, oh God.
It’s in You that I place my life.
But the world persecutes me, God,
And thus I have nothing but strife.

When will You come to my defense?
When will Your Spirit comfort me?
How long must I endure attacks?
Oh God, it’s You I long to see.

False teachers teach their own message,
And in Your Word they do not stay.
They preach a word that’s not from You,
So keep me true that I won’t stray.

They fight and shout and long to stop,
Your Word of hope – Your Word that saves.
But it’s Your love that gives me life,
So may I stand and be so brave.

When the world fights hard against me,
You’re my salvation and my shield.
It matters not what they can do.
My life is Your’s so I won’t yield.

The Doxology

/ The Pastor

As the Lord’s Prayer ends, we are taught to say “Amen”. Amen means, yes, it shall be so. When asked by the disciples about how to pray, Jesus said, When you pray, say… He gave us the words and thus it makes sense that God is pleased with the words we pray. It is like a teacher giving you the answers to the quiz. It behooves you to use them. Here, in this prayer, we can be confident that we will get that for which we pray. So when you pray, say with confidence: Amen!

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How should I pray?
You have given us the words;
words pleasing to You,
so we know we’ll be heard.

For You’re our Father,
Holy are You.
Your kingdom is coming.
Your glory is due.

And what do you want?
Our hearts to believe;
Satan’s schemes to be defeated;
Your Word to be received.

You’re the Great Provider.
The Forgiver of my sins.
May I forgive others,
and when tempted may I win.

And now I have the words,
to lay at Your feet,
pleasing to Your ears,
perfect and complete.

Yours is the kingdom,
the power and the glory.
Yes, it shall be so,
for I am in Your story.