To Share or Not To Share?

Today's Reading:
AM - Psalm 75 and 76
PM - Psalm 23 and 27
Gospel - John 7:1-13

For reflection: Are you more likely to be cautious about sharing your faith with family? Why or why  not?

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During Jesus’ life on earth, he had a very polarizing effect.  You either believed in him or you didn’t.  No middle ground.  But wouldn’t one have expected that his own family would have been in the camp of those who believed?  After all, who knew him better than his brothers and sisters?  Who had spent more time with him?  Who had better opportunity to observe him in every possible situation?  And yet scripture says “even his own brothers did not believe in him” (John 7:5) and “they said, He is out of his mind” (Mark 3:21).  It truly seemed a situation where familiarity bred contempt.  They just couldn’t accept that the one they had shared chores with, played games with, and perhaps enjoyed a bit of sibling rivalry with, could actually be the Christ!

Perhaps that is also why we can sometimes be more reluctant to share our faith with close family than with people we have known only a short time.  Will they think we are acting “high and mighty”?  Perhaps we’re afraid that our past bad actions, which our family will remember only too well, will stand in the way of proclaiming that we now belong to Jesus?  Are we afraid of starting an argument?  Afraid of being rejected by those we love the most?  And yet the paradox is that we may avoid sharing the best possible gift with those we most care about!  After all, the “rest of the story” is that at least two brothers of Jesus, James and Jude, not only came to believe in him, but wrote two books of the Bible!!  I want all my family and friends to have the same opportunity to come to a relationship with Jesus.  How about you?

- Steve Klemm

Knowing God

Today's Reading:
AM - Psalm 69
PM - Psalm 73
Gospel - John 5:30-47

For reflection: How can you use Scripture to cultivate the love of God in you?

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“By myself I can do nothing.”

Those aren’t words you are used to hearing from Jesus. The One who made the seas still, the lame walk and the deaf hear is hardly someone who could say “I can do nothing.”  He is without doubt the most influential and world changing figure ever to step on the planet. We date our calendars from his birth and the world stops to remember his resurrection. 

Yet there are those stubborn words staring at me from my Bible.

The first time I came across them I remember how stunning they were. But in the context, I see Jesus giving me a great truth:  He points me towards dependence on his Father. Throughout his ministry Jesus makes clear that his job is to point mankind to God. Twelve chapters later in John’s Gospel he will say in prayer that eternal life is “Knowing God.”  On the same occasion he tells the disciples that if they have seen him they have seen the Father.  

He came so we could see God.

But even more, He came to show us what dependence on God looks like.  “Co-dependent” is an ugly word in our culture, describing an unhealthy addiction to another person. And being totally dependent is just about as reviled. We want to be independent people who can make our own decisions and pull ourselves up by our own bootstraps.

Yet Jesus describes himself as just the opposite:  “By myself I can do nothing; I judge only as I hear, and my judgment is just, for I seek not to please myself but him who sent me.”

It’s those last words that give me my goal:  I want to be so dependent on God that my goal is not to please myself but to please Him. He becomes the center of my world and the heart of all my desires. His directions become my marching orders and his desires become my wants.

Now if that sounds kind of weak and milk-toasty, just remember who promoted that life style:  the most powerful person who ever lived – Jesus Christ.

May God make us more dependent on him this Easter season as we daily seek to BeThe Gift to those whom he places around us.

- Jeff Walling

Praises in the Storm

Today's Reading:
AM - Psalm 70 and 71
PM - Psalm 74
Gospel - John 5:19-29

For reflection: What is the Father doing through Jesus in your life?

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Where do you turn in times of trouble?  The past few weeks I have encountered many people in my life, brothers and sisters in Christ, who are experiencing all kinds of pain and earthly devastating events.  This has weighed heavy on my heart causing me to go about deeply burdened.  I was encouraged by reading Psalm 70 and 71.

David was pursued by Saul.  He was torn away from his home and his family, and how does he handle it?  He cries out to the Lord in Psalm 70.  He acknowledges his desperation and seeks the Lord's help.  He blesses those who walk in the ways of the Lord and humbles himself before his God.

The author of Psalm 71 is anonymous.  Here the Psalmist clings to the Lord as his refuge and fortress, requesting deliverance from his enemies.  The other thing I noticed here is his praise for the Lord.  I'm reminded of the Casting Crowns song, "I Will Praise You in this Storm."

Today I had the opportunity to attend a mini retreat and entered in my burdened state.  We began with a time of praise.  Standing before the Lord, I understood that the only way any of life's struggles could be truly survived is by knowing the Lord is in control.  "In all things God works for the good of those who love him who have been called according to his purpose" (Romans 8:28).  In knowing the Lord and trusting in Him, how could one not sing and shout His praises just as our Psalmist does.  

So no matter what you face today, praise God as this Psalmist does:

"My lips will shout for joy when I sing praise to you- I, whom you have redeemed."

- Renee Preston

Excuses! Excuses?

Today's Reading:
AM - Psalm 72
PM - Psalm 119: 73-96
Gospel - John 5:1-18

For reflection: What is the closest Jesus has come to saying to you, "Get up! Pick up your mat and walk!"

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The pool of Bethesda could have been the first account of mismanaged health care systems.  People with known ailments would wait endlessly for an opportunity to be healed.  So for those of us fed up with current healthcare red tape and legalism, this is nothing new.  In those days there was a man who had been ill for thirty-eight years.  He was lying by the pool waiting for an opportunity to be the first in the water.  When Jesus saw him he asked, “Do you wish to get well?”  In response the man doesn’t answer “yes." Instead he gives an account of how he has no one to lower him into the pool.

Imagine the frustration of the Savior walking among the people.  All He wanted was to bring healing.  And all He faced was health care red tape.  The Son of God is in the house, and everybody wants to quote Him the rule book.  He knows the rule book.  He was there when it was written.  Still He showed love and compassion to a sick man, who was consumed with customs of his people, more than being healed; and to the religious leaders who were more focused on laws and traditions, than a man’s well being.

Listen closely and you can hear His footsteps today.  Here comes the Master yet again.  This time He is asking these questions:  Are you ready for what’s NEXT?  Isn’t it time you GET REAL?  Do you want to fill the EMPTY CHAIR? 

Stop!!! Don’t do it! 

You almost answered with excuses of red tape. You started to quote the rule book of customs and traditions to the author of the universe.  Step back.  Reach down.  Pick up your pallet. Now, start walking.

No need to answer, your steps will say it all.

- Ross Brashear

Lead Me to the Rock

Today's Reading:
AM - Psalm 61 and 52
PM - Psalm 68
Gospel - John 4:43-54

For reflection: When you bring your problems to God, do you tend to accept His word or to keep fretting and worrying?

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As I read the 61^st Psalm, I am intrigued that the prelude of that song of David (in the NIV) says:

For the director of music. With stringed instruments. Of David.

Most folk who know me can imagine why that intrigues me, since I am a strong lover of folk/bluegrass music (especially as rendered as the “bluegrass gospel” genre).  The Psalm that follows brings me to the old favorite of my genre “Lead Me To The Rock That Is Higher Than I” and the sentiment and meaning in that song:

I just imagine David as he looked around at all the rocks within view and asks God to lead him to the one that I bigger than him!  He didn’t want a little rock – those were for slings, medium sized were for sitting, but big ones were for hiding behind.  That was what David was after!

Don’t we all want a secure place of protection?  I sure do!  Don’t tell me that you don’t want to hide at times.  We all do - a protection from the words and onslaughts from well-meaning friends as well as enemies.

Even as King, David needed a secure place to hide – B'rer Rabbit had his briar patch, David had his rock and we all have access to our God and His promise of a secure place from ALL problems.

Here is David’s Psalm:

For the director of music. With stringed instruments. Of David.

 1 Hear my cry, O God;
   listen to my prayer.

 2 From the ends of the earth I call to you,
   I call as my heart grows faint;
   lead me to the rock that is higher than I.
3 For you have been my refuge,
   a strong tower against the foe.

 4 I long to dwell in your tent forever
   and take refuge in the shelter of your wings.[b]
5 For you, God, have heard my vows;
   you have given me the heritage of those who fear your name.

 6 Increase the days of the king’s life,
   his years for many generations.
7 May he be enthroned in God’s presence forever;
   appoint your love and faithfulness to protect him.

 8 Then I will ever sing in praise of your name
   and fulfill my vows day after day.

- Hal Gross

A New Recipe

Today's Reading:
AM - Psalm 56, 57, and 58
PM - Psalm 64 and 65
Gospel - John 4:27-42

For reflection: What do you learn from this woman about telling others about Jesus?

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My mother hated to cook.  While her meals were always delicious, the process was not a joy for her.  In order to balance the necessity of food preparation with her dislike of all things culinary, she had some hard and fast rules about recipes.  She would not even consider making a recipe that had more than six ingredients.  While I love to cook, I do think that she was right about simple recipes.  Many times in cooking, as in life, simple is best.

That is why I love the pure and simple recipe for evangelism that is given to us in John 4.  Jesus is doing what he always does: focusing his attention on the person in front of him.  In this case, it is a Samaritan woman.  She has lived a rough life and is in desperate need of a Savior.  As she encounters the Living Water, her path is forever altered, and she returns to her village bubbling over with the good news.  The woman explains that Jesus had told her everything she had ever done.  The villagers are amazed and urge Jesus to stay with them.  In the following two days, they soak up the words of the Master.  The villagers become convinced that Jesus “really is the Savior of the world” (verse 42).

What a wonderfully simple recipe for evangelism!

1 part Truth of who we are – sinners in need of a Savior

1 part Truth of who He is – the Savior of the world

Mix these 2 parts of the Truth and tell everyone you meet.

Add God’s Word so that they hear the words of Christ for themselves.

Let rise in the warmth of the Holy Spirit.

The Father has given us a simple recipe for sharing the good news.  Let’s get cooking!

- Kathleen Tatro

Listening for the Voice of Jesus

Today's Reading:
AM - Psalm 24 and 29
PM - Psalm 8 and 84
Gospel - Mark 3:31-4:9

For reflection: What "worries of life, deceitfulness of wealth, and desire for other things" might hinder your ability to produce a bountiful crop?

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In Mark 3:31 and Mark 4:1 Jesus is surrounded by people to whom He is teaching life lessons life.  I was struck by the fact that He is wanting to be heard and that the crowds were straining to hear what He had to say.  I found myself dwelling on the thought that Christ wants us to listen to His teachings so that we can follow them.  Just listen first... then follow. 

How hard that is for us in this technological age we live in.  We are surrounded by gadgets that get our attention just because we have access to them.  They are everywhere...in our homes, our cars, our classrooms, our work spaces, our hands, and even in our eyes.  They have cool screens and buttons that attract us like bees to honey.  We desire to have the next best thing with all the bells and whistles.  What competition for our attention!   We have all had the experience of trying to get someone's attention when they are wrapped up with email, TV, video gaming, or text messaging.  It can be very frustrating! 

It's difficult to just listen and have our hearts touched by Jesus when when are so caught up in this world of stuff which keeps us connected to everything about this world! 

How are we to produce the life that Jesus is asking us to live if we can't hear His voice? 

How are we going to teach others Christ's words if we can't hear His them clearly? 

We all need to unplug and give our attention to what really matters in life... Jesus' words. 

- Cathryn Walling

Someone to Watch Over Me

Today's Reading:
AM - Psalm 55
PM - Psalm 138 and 139
Gospel - John 4:1-26

For reflection: What are you constantly thirsting for and how has Jesus satisfied you?

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Ever seen one of those movies where the lead character finds out someone is constantly watching them, knows every step they make, seems to know every thought in their head?  I think that’s how David felt when he wrote Psalm 139.  But it wasn’t scary to him.  It didn’t worry him.  In fact, he took comfort that Someone knew him intimately, down to every cell and thought and action and minute of his life.

Jesus was very determined and intentional in how He spent His time during His ministry.  Every step He took was towards Jerusalem, towards Golgotha, and towards the cross.  And God the Father knew every move.  Jesus even made statements along the way so his followers would know that His Father was already aware of his next step.  I believe Jesus took comfort in the fact His Father was never surprised, never caught off guard, never bewildered by what was about to happen.  God doesn’t sit in heaven thinking, “Wow, I never saw that one coming!” 

Fortunately, I have a God who loves me, cares about me, and knows everything about me.  He knows the number of the hairs on my head and the number of days in my life.  He knows every thought I have before I think it.  He knows how I’ve sinned and how I will sin.  He knows when I try to please Him and when I just don’t bother to try.  And I take great comfort in knowing He will never leave me nor forsake me, even though He knows all that stuff about me.  How about you?

- Lee Thrasher

A Living Testimony

Today's Reading:
AM - Psalm 40 and 54
PM - Psalm 51
Gospel - John 3:22-36

For reflection: What is your testimony about Jesus?

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John the Baptist was a man with a mission; to prepare the way for Jesus.

Even though Jesus said of John the Baptist," Among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist...", he did not allow his greatness to get in his way of teaching and glorifying

Jesus. Can we have this same attitude about self' and about Jesus? Can we have the same testimony about Jesus as John the Baptist said in verse 30, "HE (JESUS) MUST BECOME GREATER; I MUST BECOME LESS."

I do not know about you but I sometimes have a problem allowing "self" to get in the way of serving Christ. That reminds me of an old song we use to sing "None of Self and All of Thee." The song starts out in verse one of all of self and none of thee, progressing as we mature to more and more of Jesus and less and less of self.

May we all attain that same testimony about Jesus as John the Baptist. May others see in our lives less and less of our self and more of the LOVE of Jesus. May we be a LIVING TESTIMONY of Jesus. Then we can say as John the Baptist in verses 29-30, "That JOY is mine and it is now complete. He(Jesus) must become greater; I must become less."

- Charles Dowdy

A Citizen of Heaven

Today's Reading:
AM - Psalm 50, 59 and 60
PM - Psalm 19 and 46
Gospel - John 3:16-21

For reflection: When did you begin to see God as saving you rather than condemning you?

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John 3:16-21

¹⁶ For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. ¹⁷ For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. ¹⁸ Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. ¹⁹ This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. ²⁰ Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. ²¹ But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God.

Reflection:

God has given us the opportunity to be saved, rather than condemned. We were already condemned before accepting Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. As the scripture in John 3:18 says, I never thought I was going to be condemned (I was already condemned); I thought I deserved it all, even heaven. How wrong I was!

The Scriptures remind us we should not love this present world so much that we would not want to leave it. God has called us to believe in Him and love Him above everything. Our citizenship is in heaven, as stated in Philippians 3:20, and we should long for the day we will join our Savior in the place he has prepared for us.

Do you hope for heaven? This should be our goal. Let us ask the Lord to give us the eternal perspective so that we all look forward to the day He returns to make us perfect and complete. Praise our Lord Jesus Christ!

- Armando Perdomo

Seeking God

Today's Readings:
AM - Psalm 119:49-72
PM - Psalm 49 and 53
Gospel - John 2:23-3:15

For reflection: What point is Jesus making when He compares spiritual birth to the wind?

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It does seem like denial of God is all around us. Not only is evil everywhere, but people who are doing evil things often seem to prosper.

I cry out like the psalmists for justice and deliverance, and then I think, "Does God see me as wise? Am I seeking Him as I should be?"

Father, I thank you for deliverance through Jesus Christ, and I pray that I will be wise by continuously seeking You.

- Lisa Dudley

The Truth of the Matter

Today's Reading:
AM - Psalm 45
PM - Psalm 47 and 48
Gospel - John 2:13-22

For reflection: If you compare your spiritual life to rooms in a house, which would Jesus want to clean up? Library (reading room), dining room (appetites and desires), family room (relationships) or closets (hangups)?

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As a Christ follower explaining to a non-Christ follower why Jesus was justified in getting ticked off and flying off the handle can be a challenge.  When I read this passage, I think of Jack Nicholson on trial in the movie A Few Good Men.  “YOU CAN’T HANDLE THE TRUTH!”  Can you hear it? 

Now imagine Jesus saying, “Get these out of here! How dare you turn my Father's house into a market" in the same vain.  Tables are slung, chickens are flying, sheep are baying, words are screamed, money is clanging, and tempers are flaring.  Just the thought of this scene makes me want to get in the fetal position in a corner and rock. 

Wait a minute…can a Christian get angry?  I thought we were to exude “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness…” How do you explain this passage?  I thought Jesus was perfect.  This doesn’t seem to be a perfect response on His part.

The first thing we have to look at is the context of this moment.  What was going on in this environment that Jesus was in?  Jesus was in the temple court, the place right outside the terrace called the Court of the Gentiles (see the illustration below).  This is the place the “swindlers” had taken over to exorbitantly sell the sacrifices and unfairly change money. 

Pause for a second.  Do you remember this passage…

(Mat 15:24-27 NIV)  He answered, "I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel." {25} The woman came and knelt before him. "Lord, help me!" she said. {26} He replied, "It is not right to take the children's bread and toss it to their dogs." {27} "Yes, Lord," she said, "but even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters' table."

Have you ever thought about who the dogs were?  That is right, they were the Gentiles and if you look at the illustration, they weren’t even allowed into the temple (aka, the House of Prayer).  So, the Gentiles – the people that didn’t know God – could only eavesdrop from the courtyard to hear a word from the Lord and come to know him.

Jesus was ticked off because the place for the Gentiles (the lost) had been taken away by the “swindlers.”  Jesus’ anger was not motivated out of something done to him.  Jesus anger was motivated out of the LOST not being able to hear the message of God.  Jesus did not come as a doctor for the healthy, but for the sick (lost).

By the way, who are we in this story?  Most of us do not have Jewish family lines.  That would make us the Gentiles…the dogs.  Jesus' anger was motivated by injustice.  He was an advocate for God’s mission, God’s word, the gospel getting shared. 

So, can a Christian get angry?  I guess so…when they are looking out for the interest of sharing the Gospel and protecting people.

Now that is truth I CAN HANDLE.

- Brad Childers

From the Ordinary to the Best

Today's Reading:
AM - Psalm 41 and 52
PM - Psalm 44
Gospel - John 2:1-12

For reflection: How could Jesus bring celebration back into your life?

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In John 2:1-11, Mary mother of Jesus, Jesus and His disciples attend a wedding in Cana.  Mary tells Jesus, “They have no more wine.”  Jesus has the servants fill six stone water pots normally used for ceremonial washing.  Jesus turns the water in the pots into wine and has a sample of the wine taken to the master of ceremonies who declares the wine to be the “best saved until now”.  And the wedding celebration continues.

“This miraculous sign at Cana was Jesus’ first display of his glory and his disciples believe in him.”  John 2:22 (NLT)

Surprising!  Exciting!  Jesus takes the ordinary and turns it into the best.  Why not look to Jesus for the surprising and the best?  Just as the wine Jesus made was the best, He can take elements of our lives from empty to better to best!  Just don’t wait until the “last” to trust Jesus for the best! 

John 10:10b….. “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”

- Gretchen Dowdy

Bursting Old Wineskins

Today's Reading:
AM - Psalm 63 and 98
PM - Psalm 103
Gospel - Mark 2:18-22

For reflection: How has the "wine" of Jesus burst your "old wineskins"--your religious rituals and ruts?

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It's been said that the person who is forgiven much, loves much. The psalmist put it like this,

"Praise the Lord, O my soul,

and forget not all his benefits--

who forgives all your sins

and heals all your diseases,

who redeems your life from the pit

and crowns you with love and compassion,

who satisfies your desires with good things

so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's."

I have been forgiven much.

Redeemed from a pit of my own making and healed in the deepest parts of my soul. Thank you, Jesus.

That's how Jesus' "new wine" burst my "old wineskins". His healing was so dramatic in my life that I am not able to contain the joy and thanksgiving for what He has done. That's why I raise my hands when I sing...because I can't keep them down even if I try. That's why I say "Amen" or "That's right" during sermons...because I can't agree with God's word silently even if I try. His redemption has snatched me back from the very edge and my gratitude can't be contained.

How about you? How are your old wineskins being burst by the work of Jesus in your life? Who do you need to spill joy and love all over today because it just can't be contained inside you any longer?

- Holly Barrett

How did you come to know Jesus?

Today's Readings:
AM - Psalm 30 and 32
PM - Psalm 42 and 43
Gospel - John 1:43-51

For reflection: What was your motive for initially following Jesus? Has that changed in any way over time?

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This question can be answered in many different ways. Some of us grew up going to a church, others had someone share their faith with them, some were simply invited, and others started attending because of a crisis in their life.

It is my belief that God has created within each of us a void that needs to be filled and it is His desire that we fill that void with Him. However He has given us the choice to fill it with whatever we choose. I have been told that my grandfather, my mother’s dad, was a leader in a Methodist congregation. My dad’s parents were very active in a local Catholic congregation. I was raised Methodist so going to church was just something you did. It wasn’t until I was invited as a teenager, by a friend, to attend Central Church in Kenton, Ohio that I began to have a real encounter with Christ. It has been a journey and continues to be one that will only end when I pass into eternity through death or Christ’s return.

I am also convinced that if one is seeking Jesus/God, He will reveal Himself to you. We must begin by listening for Him. This could come through a person or as we take time to read His word and meditate on it. The Psalms, Proverbs, and the Gospel of John are a good place to start. Read Psalm 30, Psalm 32, and John 1:43-51 and you will quickly get a glimpse of what I mean.

Life is a journey that takes one on a roller coaster ride with many ups and downs. It is only as we spend time with God and fellow believers that our faith and trust in God grow. It is this growth that will carry us through the deepest valleys and produce heightened joys.

- Ken Brueshaber

What Do You Want?

Today's Reading:
AM - Psalm 95 and 31
PM - Psalm 35
Gospel - John 1:35-42

For reflection: What does it mean to you personally that Jesus is the Messiah?

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I find this brief snapshot of a moment in the lives of two of Jesus’ disciples quite interesting.

First, they switched allegiance from John the Baptist to Jesus in a heartbeat.  No hesitation, no time spent thinking about it, no asking others for permission.  They trusted their current teacher’s proclamation that they needed to leave his company and join up with Jesus.  Would I have been so willing to make so significant a decision based on trust?  Does God sometimes ask me for immediate obedience, yes or no?

When they come up to Him, Jesus asks them “What do you want?”  Can you imagine being asked that question by God the Creator?  By the Savior and Lord of the universe?

The disciples don’t answer.  Instead, they ask Jesus where He is staying.  Maybe they were caught off guard by the question.  But I believe running through their heads was the thought, “Um, this might take a while to really explain what I want, what I dream of, what I long for.  Could we come hang out at your place for the evening?”

What do you really, really want from Jesus?  Acceptance?  Forgiveness?  Another chance?  An explanation?  Someone to love you even though He knows what you’ve done and where you’ve been?  He is ready to give you that and more.

- Lee Thrasher

The Lamb of God

Today's Reading:
AM - Psalm 37:1-18
PM - Psalm 37:19-42
Gospel - John 1:29-34

For reflection: What does it mean to you that Jesus was the Lamb of God?

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Lent reminds us that we are human.  We hear humanness in the refrain for Ash Wednesday: “Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” We experience humanness in traditional Lenten practices. If I give up a certain food or a meal for Lent, for example, I inevitably discover my attachment to eating what I want, when I want it—a process that serves to remind me both of the God I aim to desire more than food and my fellow humans who don’t have regular meals. From the time we are born to the time we return to the dust, life is filled with humanness—strength and weakness; beauty and ugliness; despair and rejoicing; excitement and boredom; love and sin.

Sin. As humans, we have all had our encounters with sin.  We have been mesmerized by its sparkling exterior. We have recoiled at seeing it lurking in our own hearts.  We have witnessed its crushing effects.  It is such a powerful force that the first words John the Baptist exclaims upon seeing Jesus for the first time in the gospel of John are, “Here is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” He takes away the sin of the world: pride, selfishness, greed, and along with it injustice and oppression.  He takes away the sin that infests our lives and plagues our societies so that we may learn to live the human lives God intended for us.

- Tera Harmon

Performance Prayer

Today's Reading:
AM - Psalm 95, 32 and 143
PM - Psalm 102 and 130
Gospel - Luke 18:9-14

For reflection: What lesson about our prayer attitude is Jesus teaching here?

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I suppose its natural…but it’s still weird.

Many folks see prayer as a performance.  Just listen in church or at state occasions to those who step to the podium and offer a blessing.  Some folks write them out.  Others seem to memorize them.  And the language can be down-right Shakespearean!  I know folks who can get every “thee” and “thou” in the right spot in a way that would make the Queen of England proud.

In fact some are so intimidated by great “prayers” in church that they refuse to attempt it all together.  They just don’t want to compete in that arena.

Funny.  Jesus seems to feel just the opposite.  He affirms a simple, one line prayer with the greatest prize you could…well, pray for:  God hears this prayer.  It is offered by a humble tax-collector and comes from a clearly broken heart. In contrast, the spiritual bragging of the professional religious athlete doesn’t even get past the ceiling.  His words are beautiful and full of lead.  If he could see them from God’s point of view he would have been so embarrassed.  Yet he was too prideful to consider the prayer that God approves:

“Be merciful to me, Lord, a sinner.”

Jesus points me to this simple prayer to get my mind off of the flowery language or powerful verbiage I might tend towards.  Instead, he challenges me to be simple and honest to God.  Rather than cover anything up, Jesus calls on me to let it all hang out.

Try it as you walk this pilgrimage to Easter:  keep your prayers simple and honest.  Pray them as you might with a second grader.  And start where this man did, with our own inadequacies and faults.

“Be merciful to me, Lord, a sinner.”

Strangely enough…it’s an award winning prayer.

May God bless us as we reflect on His word as we walk toward the cross.

- Jeff Walling