{This one from previous years is well worth repeating …}

Do you remember the old “NesTea Plunge” commercials like this one?

Richard J. Foster talks about this commercial as an example of how a fellow did a Prayer of Relinquishment one time…

“Strange as it may seem, he prayed a commercial. He described a popular advertisement of the day for NesTea in which different people, sweltering from the summer sun, would fall into a swimming pool with a thirst-quenching sense of ‘ahhh!’ on their faces. He then invited this man to fall into the arms of Jesus in the same way.” ~ Prayer: Finding the Heart’s True Home, page 48

Foster later describes the fact that this prayer will come through lived experience and then goes through 5 prayers to help get there. Lots of good material in this book!

Foster then concludes the chapter by describing the beauty of getting to these Prayer of Relinquishment moments

“From every human viewpoint at times it looks like we have fallen over the precipice to our death. But we know better. We know that we are only falling into the arms of Jesus fully satisfied, fully at rest.” ~ Prayer: Finding the Heart’s True Home, page 56

ACTION: Perhaps today is your day for a “Prayer of Relinquishment plunge,” falling into the arms of Jesus?

May we feel comfortable enough with our Christian lives that at least on certain days – and increasing the frequency all the time – we are fully willing to take the plunge…

Enjoy the day, filled with the Spirit!

Lectionary Texts for this Sunday, August 20, 2017:

• Genesis 45:1-15 and Psalm 133
• Isaiah 56:1, 6-8 and Psalm 67
• Romans 11:1-2a, 29-32
• Matthew 15: (10-20), 21-28