Reflecting on the Lord's Prayer

 The disciples asked Jesus to teach them to pray and Jesus taught them the "Our Father" or what we often call The Lord's Prayer.  The petitions in the prayer are all encompassing and cover all of life.  

The petition "deliver us from evil.."  has always given me pause.  What is evil ?  

One definition of evil is "causing distress or harm."  Though we can make a good case against drugs, criminals and the boogey man, I  find that I am the biggest source of evil in my life.  I cause distress and harm to myself!  Yes, with ill chosen words and thoughtless deeds I manage quite nicely to create distress in my life.  

The Good News is that Jesus has come to bring transformation into my life!   He wants to work in my life and change ill chosen words to healthy, life-giving words and thoughtless deeds into deeds of thoughtfulness.  

To remind  me of this invitation to have Jesus live in my life, I have condensed the Lord's Prayer to this simple plea "Lord, deliver me from myself."  Short and sweet and sincere. 

The next time you pray the Lord's Prayer think about each petition and when you come to "but deliver us from evil," pause.  

Take that moment to confess and receive new life so " the kingdom and the power and the glory, forever and ever," can reign in your life, too.  

Amen, come Lord Jesus, Amen.

(Pictured below is the view from an open-air chapel called "Pretty Place" at a YMCA camp in South Carolina. www.campgreenville.org   Only 45 minutes from our North Carolina home.)

The Light of Christmas Eve, 2016

"In Him was life and that life was the Light of all people.  The Light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it."  (John 1:4-5)  

It was Christmas Eve 2016 at the First Congregational Church in Essex, Vermont.  Mark and I were attending the family service with our son Tony, daughter-in-law Laura and our two beautiful granddaughters, Betty (4 and three-quarters...as she will say) and Lily (2 1/2.)

It had been a busy day.  Mark and I were leaving on Christmas Day so Christmas Eve was the day to open presents, munch on goodies, read books, play with toys and savor every minute together.  The Family Service was at 5 pm designed especially for those with little kids.  The pews were filled to overflowing with moms and dads, grandparents and supportive parishioners and many, many kids of all ages and of every size.  The service was designed to be casual and interactive.  There were carols to sing and the pastors were dressed as storytellers to tell the Christmas story to the younger wiggling, wriggling congregational members.  It was joyous commotion.  Mark and I were very comfortable sitting in the back row taking it all in.

And as most Christmas Eve services go, whether 5 pm or midnight, it soon was time for the closing hymn - the ever popular and most holy of Christmas songs, "Silent Night" complete with the passing out of candles to be lit one by one as the sanctuary lights are systematically shut off.  The congregation is cast into darkness.  The wiggling, wriggling little ones freeze as if on cue looking about in wonderment.  What happened?  What's different?  What's going on?  What is going to happen next?  

Little necks crane to see over the pews.  Little ones snuggle up to moms and dads.  Heads swivel to and fro to make sense of the once brightly lit place now dark and different.  And there is silence.  Yes, silence.  All those loud whispers and chatty voices and crying babies are amazingly quieted..for a moment.  For a very short time.  Then our Lily announces in a crisp, clear voice for everyone to hear "It's dark!"

A wave of quiet chuckles ripples throughout the sanctuary as a ribbon of light begins to spread.  At the front of the darkened room one lit candle is shared.  Slowly and very carefully the candles up and down the pews are lit.  The flames begin to flicker and create dancing designs against the ceiling and the walls. Betty and Lily lean forward and then eagerly receive an unlit candle with an upside down plastic glass surrounding it.  Their faces are bright and expectant!   What is this?  What is next?

And then the light nears their pew.  Row after row has received the light and there is a nervous excitement permeating the very air!  As Tony holds Lily and Laura helps Betty, the girls receive the light.  Their candles are lit!  

The pianist softly plays a few introductory notes.  The singing begins 

"Silent Night, Holy Night, 

All is calm, all is bright...."

And it was.  It was just that.

Mark and I were so blessed to share this Christmas Eve with little girls that are growing into their gift of faith.  They are just little but they know when there is darkness and as they held their candles high, they know, too, what is light.  

"Radiant beams from Thy Holy Face.  With the dawn of redeeming Grace..."

Oh, the power of light.  The darkness is chased away.  The light brings the power of hope - hope that cannot be extinguished.  Hope that empowers, that enables, that grants dreams and wishes and prayers.  Hope that sustains and strengthens.  Hope that grows a faith with roots of great depth and branches of great reaching. 

"The people living in darkness have seen a great Light! (Isaiah 9:2, Matt 4:16)

"But you are a chosen people....that you may declare the praises of Him who called you out of the darkness and into His marvelous Light!   Once you were no people.  Now you are God's people!"  (1 Peter 2:9)

"Jesus said, I am the Light of the world.  Whoever follows Me will never walk in darkness, but will have the Light of Life!"  (John 8:12) 

May the Light of Christmas be with you this new year.  May His redeeming Grace surround you and sustain you today and every day.

"For all the saints who from their labors rest...."

November 1 is "All Saints Day" and at Grace Lutheran Church in Hendersonville, NC, we celebrated as a congregation the saints on Sunday, November 6.  Lighted candles on the altar burned brightly throughout the service to remind us of all who have gone before us and that we are "surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses."

So many country churches have their cemeteries flanking the church, some even surrounding the building so that those coming to worship literally are "surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses."   And at the church when we came forward to receive communion, as we knelt at the rail that surrounded the altar, we communed with those witnesses as well.  It is an awesome thing to commune not only with the flesh and blood about us, but also with those who have gone before us.

When I go to communion ANY Sunday, not just All Saints Sunday, I am communing with my dad, with my grandparents,
with my Sunday School teacher Sis,
with my drill-sargent-like confirmation teacher Mr. Liebert,
with my in-laws, Margaret and Bernard (yes, Catholics and Lutherans can commune together!)
with my dear neighbors Jerry and Linda,
with over 1,000 residents of Emmanuel Nursing Home, Lamplighter Manor and Madison Apartments who were part of my "flock" as I served as their chaplain for almost 20 years,
with.....oh, my, how do I end this list!

I also commune with the Apostle Paul,
the disciples of Christ,
Dietrch Bonhoeffer
and the Kennedys!

The body of Christ is indeed massive for it includes the saints, the believers, those made in the very image of Christ from all the ages who now from their labors rest along with those of us who are walking this earth, living our faith (fragile though it may be), and praying for the Kingdom to come in its fullness.

The fullness will be full!  And as we draw near to Thanksgiving all I can say is "Thanks be to God!"
Now and forevermore,
Amen.

You OK?

You OK?  You good today?  How is your day going?  How are you? 

It seems that every day, whether on the phone talking to family/friends or walking the neighborhood and being greeted by neighbors, this is a standard greeting.  I have to say that I live within a caring world of family and friends and most often my response is: "Doing well!  Yup, good today.  Things are going great!  I am fine."  And, for the most part I mean it.

However, like the picture so clearly reveals, the answer to "You OK?" can sometimes take a bit of time to "untangle" and the reply may be be more than the asker is bargaining for!

Thank you, George Peters, for this great cartoon.  I have kept it tucked in my Bible and never tire of reflecting on it!  It makes me smile.  It makes me laugh!  It also makes me reflect on the tangles, knots and mess in my life that aren't so easily seen by the naked eye.

There are days in my life when I feel all snarled up.  When the tangles of questions, answers, decisions and responsibilities are all tightly held together with no clear beginning or end.  There seems to be nothing but a snarled up ball of life moments and I am stuck in the middle of the whole mess.

So, what can we do when this picture is an accurate picture of our current state of mind? What can be done when we feel like we are in the middle of snarled up tangles that are overwhelming and that leave us stuck?  

First, as the picture so clearly shows - share with a friend.  The value of a friend can never be  overstated.  A friend, of course, may not have any more answers than you do, but a friend can stand with you as you undo the tangles and straighten out the snarls.  A friend can encourage and support plus prove to be a great helper in times of trouble! 

Secondly, be a friend to yourself.  Allow yourself time to sift and sort, to undo tangles and restore your line to what it was meant to be.  Practice positive self talk:  "I can do this.  I am smart.  I can figure this out.  Rome wasn't built in a day - this may take some time, but that's OK.   I can ask for help.  I will ask for help!"  

Thirdly, celebrate each step going forward!  Cultivate thankfulness and gratefulness.  Find the blessing in each tangle, every knot, no matter the circumstance, 

"Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)

and lastly, Pray.  You have a Friend who is close than a brother (yes, that is a name to a wonderful Gospel hymn!)  Jesus will always stand with you and be available to you.  His eye is upon you and He loves you.  He has promised to hear every prayer and He offers guidance and strength to persevere through the tangles and snarls of this life.

Verses from Psalm 119:
"My eyes fail, looking for Your promise;  I say, 'When will You comfort me?'....'How long must Your servant wait?'.......Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path....I have put my hope in Your Word...Sustain me according to Your promise, and I will live; do not let my hopes be dashed......Deal with Your servant according to Your love and teach me Your decrees....The unfolding of Your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple.....Direct my footsteps according to Your word;.....Make Your face shine upon Your servant and teach me...."

You OK? 

However you answer that question today, be assured the Lord Jesus is with you and He desires for you to be OK.  

In His Name and for His sake, I pray this day that you are and will be forever OK.  Amen.

Shining Faces

For my morning devotions I read a prayer written by Pastor Charles R. Flanders of London, Ontario, Canada from:

"God's Minute, A Book of 365 Daily Prayers Sixty Seconds Long for Home Worship"

Portions of the prayer include:

"Our Father, teach us how to speak to Thee.   May Thy Spirit lead us into the light, for we know so little about Thee and are so dull and slow to learn.....Bless our home today and all who are in it.  May we always be gentle and loving, and seek to make all about us happy.  

Help us to have a shining face

and especially when we meet Thy other children who are sad and in trouble.  ...."

A shining face.

Moses had a shining face when he came down from the mountain after having a face to face with God.  In Exodus 34, it tells us that the people were afraid of Moses and his shining face.  Moses then put a veil over his face so he could share with the people the Words of God.  And the people believed.  

Jesus came to this earth and walked as the presence of God.  He was light and He even stated in the Gospel of John "I am the LIght of the World."  The Gospel of John begins: "In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God.  He was with God in the beginning....  In Him was life and that life was the Light of men.  The Light shines in the darkness....."

To me shining faces are faces that look to the Light of God, to those that hear His Word, to those who reflect His love.  When I first read the prayer and read the petition "help us to have a shining face," these two pictures came immediately to my mind:

My granddaughters, Lily and Betty certainly have shining faces!  They radiate love and joy, happiness and life itself!  I believe that these shining faces come about because Lily and Betty know that they are loved and cared for.  They have experienced delight and joy and are safe in that keeping therefore they reflect the light that results in all that love and care.

I, too, desire to reflect God's Light of love and care.  I, too, desire to show forth a shining face, a face that reflects the Light of God.  That is my prayer today.  

Thank You, O Heavenly Father, for Your unfailing love and care.  For Your many blessings, for Your watchful eye over me and my family.  Thank You.  Now, make me a reflection of Your Light, Lord.  Make my face shine forth of Your love and goodness, Your healing and hope, Your forgiveness and transforming power.  Grant me a shining face, all for Your glory,  Amen.

Precious and Priceless, Apple Picking in Vermont

This picture was taken at an apple orchard in Vermont.  I am holding our youngest granddaughter, Lily (age 2...or, "big," in her words) and she is picking apples.

Of all the pictures that were taken on our last visit, I keep going back to this one.  The two heads together - one head with short, woman-made curls and startling white hair; one head with long, natural wavy curls and soft auburn colored hair  

and the two arms - one bigger and stronger wrapped in bright plaid supporting the smaller body and providing a way to reach higher; the other arm smaller and wrapped in soft fabric with stripes that intimately holds close where it is safe so the other arm and can reach out and explore.  

Two bodies - one older; one younger- sharing a task, sharing moment  - a holy, sacred moment in time.  A moment that cannot be recaptured though there will always be apples to pick.  

Precious and priceless are these moments that are shared with loved ones.
Precious and priceless are these moments that make up our memories and make us smile.
Precious and priceless are these moments that create a foundation for love to grow.
Precious and priceless are these moments that sustain us when moments are not so precious.

Today I pray you will have opportunity to partake and make a few precious and priceless moments of your own.  Hands holding hands.  Hearts holding hearts.  

May the Lord bless you and keep you,
May the Lord make His Face to shine upon you and be gracious unto you,
And may the Lord look upon you with His favor and give you His peace,
In the Name of the Father, in the Name of the Jesus, His Son, and in the Name of the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

Bless the Lord, O my soul!

"Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless His Holy Name!"
Psalm 103:1 (NKJV)

(This picture was taken at the Concordia College Daycare years ago when friend, Cara Bjornlie was working in the 0-18 month room.  A sweet picture that says so much about friends looking out into the world together!  This picture has blessed my heart!)

Oh, how I love hearing a song sing Scripture.  Matt Redman wrote and sings the praise song, "10,000 Reasons (Bless the Lord)" and it mirrors the Scripture verses of Psalm 103. 
(If you go the Youtube website and type in "10,000 Reasons (Bless the Lord)"  it will take you to a music site to listen to the song.)

 The chorus is:

"Bless the Lord, O my soul, O my soul;

Worship His Holy Name.

Sing like never before, O my soul;

I'll worship Your Holy Name."

Verse 1:

"The sun comes up, it's a new day dawning,

It's time to sing Your song again

Whatever may pass, and whatever lies before me,

Let me be singing when the evening comes..."

Whatever may pass, and whatever lies before me....

I believe it takes courage to sing that, to proclaim that, to believe that.  The day holds the unknown.  Every morning as I listen to the news, people around the world have met all kinds of things that have come to pass and met them on their daily path - storms, accidents, tragedies, violence along with comfort, friendship, celebrations and accomplishments.  

What does your day hold?  What does my day hold?  Not sure.  But, I am convinced that it is very important and imperative that the day begin with a prayer acknowledging the Lord who has promised to go into the day with me.  

One of the prayers from last Sunday's bulletin ( I keep all the bulletins and continue to pray those prayers throughout the week) prepares one for the day:

"Just and Gracious God,

we come to You for healing and life.

Our sins hurt others and diminish us; we confess them to You.

Our lives bear the scars of sin; we bring these also to You.

Show us Your mercy, O God. 

Bind up our wounds, forgive us our sins, and free us to love,

for the sake of Jesus Christ, our Savior, Amen."

Yes, show us Your mercy, O God, that we may continue to sing the song into its second verse:

"You're rich in love and You're slow to anger.

Your name is great and Your heart is kind.

For all Your goodness, I will keep on singing;

Ten thousand reasons for my heart to find.."

May you find 10,000 reasons to sing, to care, to grow in faith, to love yourself and one another.  Whatever your day may hold, know that you are not alone.  

Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless His Holy Name.
Amen.