Therefore confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. The prayer of the righteous is powerful and effective. ~ James 5:16

Going on in James 5, verses 19 and 20 are good reminders about prayer for wanderers. This reminds me that jail ministry colleagues will be headed into the jail this Sunday morning for worship, and that some of the people they will worship with may have been part of recent violent and/or hateful acts where they have moved from the path Jesus would encourage.

May the peace of receiving prayers and mercy transform many of us, including those in jails (both those jailed and those caring for the jailed.)

Enjoy the day, filled with the Spirit and knowledge that God’s mercy is available to us all…

Lectionary Texts for Sunday, September 30, 2018:

• Esther 7:1-6, 9-10; 9:20-22 and Psalm 124
• Numbers 11:4-6, 10-16, 24-29 and Psalm 19:7-14
• James 5:13-20
• Mark 9:38-50

“And every tear I’ve cried
You hold in your hand
You never left my side
And though my heart is torn
I will praise you in this storm”

The lines above from the song I Will Praise You in This Storm by Casting Crowns are especially meaningful for me. Our family has been through some health and family passing storms lately.

Prayers from others, music and inspirational stories can help when passing through stormy times. Family and friends have been strengthening and guiding our family in many ways, including with cards, emails, phone calls and in person. They have been some of God’s ambassadors, pulling for us in the midst of the tears and hurts. God never leaves our sides, as the Footprints story and song reminds us.

POTENTIAL ACTIONS:

• listen to the lyrics and melody of I Will Praise You in This Storm on YouTube HERE (the video includes scrolling lyrics.)
• think about a friend going through one of life’s storms right now. Pray for that friend and consider whether he/she might appreciate hearing I Will Praise You in This Storm and/or Footprints messages right now

PRAYERS: God, thanks for holding our tears in your hand, walking aside us and carrying us. Strengthen us when life gets so difficult that it becomes hard to feel your presence. Help me to be your ambassador to another person today in word and deed. Amen

Enjoy the day, filled with the Spirit!

Lectionary Texts for Sunday, September 30, 2018:

• Esther 7:1-6, 9-10; 9:20-22 and Psalm 124
• Numbers 11:4-6, 10-16, 24-29 and Psalm 19:7-14
• James 5:13-20
• Mark 9:38-50

Rick Hamlin’s recent Guideposts article (HERE) highlights three prayer tips he attributes to Mister Rogers:

• Give Up All Judgments
• Honor Silence
• Your Own Pain Can Be Your Strength

ACTION: sometime today, go to a quiet place and pray. Consider praying for someone you may be judging.

PRAYER: God in us, move through me today to brighten the lives of others the way Mister Rogers so regularly did – – by judging less, honoring silence and allowing for vulnerability. We pray for strength and for mindfulness of such practices. Amen.

Enjoy the day, filled with the Spirit!

Lectionary Texts for Sunday, September 23, 2018:

• Proverbs 1:20-33 and Psalm 19 or Wisdom of Solomon 7:26 – 8:1
• Isaiah 50:4-9a and Psalm 116:1-9
• James 3:1-12
• Mark 8:27-38

Train children in the right way, and when old, they will not stray. ~ Proverbs 22:1–21

HERE is  “Go and see: a better peace for our children,“  yesterday’s  devotional from the PCUSA Missions team. Embedded within the article are action items and a prayer.

Here’s hoping you enjoy the article as much as I did and can find in the actions and prayer something that will move you to a more peaceful day.

Enjoy the day, filled with the Spirit!

Lectionary Texts for Sunday, September 23, 2018:

• Proverbs 1:20-33 and Psalm 19 or Wisdom of Solomon 7:26 – 8:1
• Isaiah 50:4-9a and Psalm 116:1-9
• James 3:1-12
• Mark 8:27-38

Richard Rohr’s article on Taoism and Buddhism (quoting Paul Knitter heavily) is informative for Christians like me who know relatively little about Buddhism. This distinction is helpful:

“If Christians insist that “if you want peace, work for justice,” the Buddhists would counter-insist, “if you want peace, be peace.”  ”  ~ Richard Rohr’s Daily Meditation article

The contrast – work vs. be – was particularly apparent when my mom and I were in Myanmar where contemplative influences were much more evident. That highly Buddhist culture teemed with spiritual influence, highlighted for tourists by the visibility, reverence for, and number of monks and nuns.

ACTION: The article emphasizes creating/finding peace in your heart. Spend a few minutes with a peace-enhancing approach you already practice periodically (or maybe look for a new one like contemplative prayer, if you don’t already do that?)

PRAYER: God, in this day ahead, help me to look more and more through a lens as you would have me do. May I find the peace that passeth all understanding through contemplation, action and closer union with you…

Enjoy the day, filled with the Spirit!

Lectionary Texts for Sunday, September 16, 2018:

• Proverbs 1:20-33 and Psalm 19 or Wisdom of Solomon 7:26 – 8:1
• Isaiah 50:4-9a and Psalm 116:1-9
• James 3:1-12
• Mark 8:27-38

One periodical I read pretty much cover-to-cover every month is Guideposts. It’s been a gift to me from my mom for many years and a gift I’ve given to others since.

This nice article written by Jim Gash on A Spiritual Adventure comes from Guideposts. Just after his article, Jim also shares these suggestions. I really like the one

“Take a leap of faith. … What are you doing right now that requires faith?” 

ACTION: Does the quote above trigger a response? If so, what’s holding you back?

PRAYER: God, empower me to act with a mindset of Jesus and renewable energy of the Spirit.

Enjoy the day, filled with the Spirit!

Lectionary Texts for Sunday, September 16, 2018:

• Proverbs 1:20-33 and Psalm 19 or Wisdom of Solomon 7:26 – 8:1
• Isaiah 50:4-9a and Psalm 116:1-9
• James 3:1-12
• Mark 8:27-38

Have 4 minutes for a good listen? HERE is a recent Our Daily Bread (ODB) devotional in audio form.

It’s great when the Spirit works in mysterious ways. This ODB devotional fits our life very well. Today, Kim and I hit another growth spurt in life – melanoma procedures for me as outpatient surgery. In this ODB devotional, Randy Kilgore mentions an important message his wife shared:

“I think God wants us not to forget in the light what we’re learning in this darkness.”

In a somewhat similar messaging, the song Blessings shares this message: “What if trials of this life, are your mercies in disguise.”

Our faith is made stronger because of our experiences and those our elders and mentors shared – and are sharing – with us. I hope and pray that the growth spurt Wednesday at the hospital (and the recovery days that follow) will make me a better instrument of Christ’s love here on earth too!

ACTION: Reflect on a recent darker period of life. What are some positives that arose?

PRAYER: Creator God – strengthen me. Christ – guide me. Spirit – MOVE ME! Amen.

Enjoy the day, filled with the Spirit!

Lectionary Texts for Sunday, September 9, 2018:

• Proverbs 22:1-2, 8-9, 22-23 and Psalm 125
• Isaiah 35:4-7a and Psalm 146
• James 2:1-10, (11-13), 14-17
• Mark 7:24-37

Song lyrics and tunes can invade our lives when we least expect them. Marchaé Grair in the UCC devotional “Whisper a Prayer,” is reminded of this tune and lyrics. A nice reminder about prayer morning, noon and evening!

There are many impactful sentences in Marchaé’s devotional, but these closing ones are particularly good:

Setting aside time for the renewal of the mind through prayer is a revolutionary act. It gives us the spiritual capacity to seek revolutionary change in the world by first healing and transforming ourselves.

A nice reminder to be revolutionary in a very different way…  🙂

Enjoy the day, filled with the Spirit!

Lectionary Texts for Sunday, September 2, 2018:

• Song of Solomon 2:8-13 and Psalm 45:1-2, 6-9
• Deuteronomy 4:1-2, 6-9 and Psalm 15
• James 1:17-27
• Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23