Prayer for Friday, May 13

Faithfulness and Courage in My Life

God of Faithfulness, we confess that in so many ways we’ve failed to live the full and adventurous life of faith that you have prepared for us. We confess that we have not loved you with all our heart, soul, mind and strength and we have not loved our neighbor as ourself. Our lack of faith and courage are displayed more often than we’d like to admit. Almighty God, pour out your spirit of boldness so that we will go forward today in great faith. When the darkness surrounds us, Lord we will look to you for light and follow you deeper into the heart of darkness. We know that you are with us, we believe that you are at work in this place. We reach out to take hold of the courage to have faith that your Kingdom is indeed at hand. O God of Faithfulness, grant that we catch a glimpse of this Kingdom so that we will be encouraged to continue forward until the light of dawn finally opens our eyes to all your greatness.

Spend some time reflecting on the ways in which you have NOT acted out of faith and courage. Then lay these specific things before God in prayer and LEAVE THEM THERE. Once you’ve released these failures to God, spend a few minutes in silence asking God to fill the void left by that baggage with courage and faith to move forward into a new day. Trust that God has the desire and the ability to transform your life in this and many other ways.

Prayer for Thursday, May 12

Faithfulness and Courage in the face of Poverty and Oppression

God of Faithfulness, the problems of poverty and oppression are so great. We believe that you are greater, help us in our unbelief. God we long for it to be said that no one in our midst was in need. We know that everything we have is yours, give us the faith to use the resources we’ve been entrusted with accordingly. Almighty Father, give us the courage to stand boldly in solidarity with the oppressed against the systems and structures of oppression. In all things, O God of Faithfulness, teach us to align ourselves with your values so that the people we encounter will praise your name.

What would it mean for you to show more solidarity with the poor and oppressed, whether near or far? What is one thing you could do or one thing you could stop doing to stand with the least of these? Whatever this one thing is, no matter how great or small, share it with someone else and ask them to help you put it into practice.

Prayer for Wednesday, May 11

Faithfulness and Courage in the Global Community

God of Faithfulness, we pray for those who are working even now to proclaim hope in the darkest regions of this world. We pray that you strengthen and encourage them. Thank you God for allowing us to live in such a time that we are able to hear stories of transformation from the far reaches of earth. O God of Faithfulness, give us faith to see the ways in which we can lend our voices, our hands and our resources to join with and support these works, and give us courage to do so.

Who do you know (or have heard of) that has stepped out in courage to do something about the darkness and brokenness in some place beyond their hometown? Consider contacting them to ask 1) how you can pray for or encourage them and 2) what brought them to the point that they were willing to take such a bold risk? Spend a few minutes in prayer for such boldness in your own life, whether it leads you to the other side of the world, or the other side of the street.

Prayer for Friday, May 6

Prayers for Wisdom for Ourselves


God of Wisdom, we praise you and we ask you to grant us a full measure of discernment through your Spirit. Let us not despair when we encounter chaos, for we walk in confidence at your side. We offer you our doubts, insecurities, fears and confusion, and we pray that you sanctify these offerings and return to us a spirit of power and self-confidence. We pray for wisdom in order that we may experience continued transformation into the likeness of Christ. We know that this transformation is not for ourselves alone; we know that you bless us and expect us to bless others in return. Create in us clean hearts of discernment, O Lord, so that we may be equipped to bless others in your will. We thank you, Father, because we know that our sincere requests for wisdom will not go unheeded. We confess the presence of our false and impure motives and ask that you purify our intentions. Thank you, O God of Wisdom.

Look back on the issues you identified on Sunday. Have you received any clarity? If so, rejoice and thank God! Take the opportunity to share these stories with others. Post them on facebook, twitter, at missionalmonks.com or on my blog, where these prayers are posted daily (www.ancientjourney.blogspot.com). Those who are part of Christ Journey will have an opportunity to talk about them in our gathering Sunday - if you are part of another congregation, seek out ways to share with your worshiping community.

If you don't feel any closer to the response to this issue, consider bringing it to your community for continued prayer seeking wisdom and discernment.

Prayer for Thursday, May 5

Prayers for Wisdom in Caring for the Poor and Oppressed


God of Wisdom, you know the human heart in ways we cannot fathom. We believe that you are grieved and angered at the way the poor are exploited and the marginalized continually oppressed by the powerful. We pray for wisdom in how to serve the least; in how to show solidarity with the forgotten and overlooked. There are poor among us and this should not be. Lead us in paths of Christlike discernment regarding the sharing of our resources. We confess that we desperately need your wisdom just to keep ourselves from being co-opted by the ploys of those who seek personal gain behind a facade of concern for others. Only in you can we find the guidance to navigate these waters, O Lord. You have the Words of Life, continue to translate them on the hearts of your people for the benefit of others. Hear the cries of the oppressed and open our ears as well, O God of Wisdom.

Assisting the poor is often a complicated issue; pray for wisdom regarding how best to work on behalf of the poor in this area and beyond. If possible, contact someone who works with these people on a daily basis. Pray for wisdom in their service and ask them what is going unaddressed. If the answer is something you can do, do it. If its a larger systemic issue, add this to the list of matters you bring before God in prayers for wisdom in our leaders.

Prayer for Monday, May 2

Wisdom for the Church
God of Wisdom, we ask that you continue to pour out your wisdom on your Church. Raise up, from among the harvest, wise workers who are able to discern your ways and share their insight with others. We ask, God, that you will remove from us the virus of that pseudo-wisdom heralded by the present systems of power and coercion. We pray that your Church will be known as a people who possess discernment that leads to reconciliation. We continue to pray, as Jesus taught us, for your will to be done on earth as it is in heaven. Grant us the wisdom to not only discern your will, but also to know how to join with you in bringing it to pass in this place. may your Kingdom come in fullness, O God of Wisdom.

Take a few minutes today and look through the list of congregations in your community (you can search for "churches" on google maps, or I've also heard that there are these printed books with yellow pages that also list such things). Lift up the names of these congregations to God, asking for wisdom on their behalf as they discern how to incarnate Christ in this place.

Season of Prayer - Week 1

Scripture Passage for Daily Reflection

Acts 1 - 2:4 (NIV 2011, via biblegateway.com)

Thoughts for this week

After Jesus was raised from the dead, he spent time with his disciples...erasing their fears through his presence. But then he ascended to be with the Father. And of course for the disciples, after three years of intense discipleship training followed by a post-graduate seminar in resurrection, the logical next step would be to launch the global expansion of the gospel, right?

Nope. They sat around in Jerusalem for seven weeks.

What did they do while they were waiting for the Spirit that Jesus promised? Well, we don’t know everything that happened during that time, but we do know a few things. They spent time together. They worshipped together. They prayed together, a lot. They continued preparing themselves for the life Jesus had called them to. They lived in Jerusalem what would soon be lived throughout all Judea, Samaria and to the ends of the world.

This is precisely what we intend to focus on over the next seven weeks. As Christ Journey prepares to launch us out on a new church planting effort and as we prepare also to begin fundraising for the Intentional People ministry, we feel convicted to spend an intentional season in prayer and worship to the One Who Is Risen!

During this first week our prayers center on the issue of gratitude and joy. As people who worship the Risen Lord Jesus, we indeed have much to be grateful for. The tomb is empty and the Kingdom is at hand! We express gratitude for the ways in which we are being formed into the image and likeness of Christ as individuals and as a community. We rejoice in the friends who are hearing the gospel with new ears and those who are listening for the first time. We are grateful that the God in whom we live and move and have our being has seen fit to invite us in as junior partners in God’s mission to restore and reconcile all creation.

We are grateful for a community of faithful friends and co-laborers whose partnership in the gospel has already been a source of encouragement and support for the ministry of proclaiming the light of Christ in the dark places.

We rejoice in the Bread of Life that provides sustenance, even in the desert; the Rock which provides shelter, even in the wilderness.

We are grateful that by taking the risk of moving out on a limb in faith, we are provided with a more unobstructed view of God’s work in our own lives and the lives of those around us.

We rejoice and we are grateful, because the God of Love is teaching us to love others.

Thank you for joining us in this season of prayer.

Prayer for Easter Sunday

Lord we are grateful that you saw fit to create a vast and expansive universe. We are grateful that you formed humanity and placed us within this place to bear witness, through our very existence, to The One Who Makes All Things New.

We are grateful that you sent your only Son to conquer death, break the cycle of sin and repair the brokenness of creation. We are grateful that you have not left us to wander alone, but have sent the Holy Spirit as our guide and counselor. We are grateful that you hold together your people, the Body of Christ, to strengthen one another and lift a voice a praise. We rejoice and are extremely grateful that your power was displayed over death...we thank you, God, that the tomb is empty!

We rejoice because He is Risen! Lord, continue to open our eyes, our ears and our hearts so that we can see, hear and be moved to rejoice at the good things you are doing.

Spend a few moments in prayer today expressing gratitude for the Risen Christ; for God’s involvement in creation, in the ongoing story of humanity and in our very lives.

Season of Prayer

We have recently begun the process of developing a new organization called Intentional People. This ministry will serve to foster:

1) Collaboration in missional life by creating space for conversation, online community and inspirational stories of whole-life discipleship among "normal" people.

2) Cultivation of missional disciples through training, resources and spiritual formation practices.

Before we attempt any fundraising or official beginning for Intentional People, we want to be people who are intentional about prayer and following the leading of the Spirit. We have invited a group of family and friends to join us over the next seven weeks - from Easter Sunday to Pentecost Sunday - for a season of communal prayer. Each week I'll be sending out a scripture passage for reflection, a weekly devotional and daily prayers. I am also posting them all here and I invite you to join us as well.

Each week during this season of prayer we will focus on a different theme. Each day we will approach that theme from a different perspective. Here are the themes we'll use for the next 7 weeks.

Week 1 - Gratitude and Joy

Week 2 - Wisdom and Discernment

Week 3 - Faithfulness and Courage

Week 4 - Personal Discipleship and Spiritual Formation

Week 5 - Partners and Community

Week 6 - Mission and Commission

Week 7 - Fruit and Harvest

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Sunday - God

Monday - Church

Tuesday - The Local Community

Wednesday - The Global Community

Thursday - The Poor and Oppressed

Friday - Ourselves

Yep, I got a tattoo...

I’ve been wanting a tattoo for a long time, but refused to permanently engrave something that didn’t have deep significance to me. Unfortunately the two most obvious choices, a cross and the Celtic Tree of Life have been extremely overplayed recently...

A while back I decided that a prayer labyrinth would be an appropriate tattoo. For those who aren’t aware, labyrinths have been used by Christians throughout the centuries as a tool for prayer and reflection. The center of the labyrinth represents the presence of God.

They are not mazes, there are no dead-ends or false trails. There are however many switchbacks in the path. Early on (in this particular labyrinth) the person walking is very close to the center and then later finds themselves moving further away. However, if we are moving forward we are drawing nearer to God, even when it may at first glance appear otherwise. The long paths around the outside of the circle can seem never-ending, but they are a necessary part of our journey...and after pressing through, the center is that much more appreciated.

The significance of prayer in my own life has increased greatly over the past five years. We have found ourselves on a journey through the wilderness that has at times seemed to contain a inescapable darkness and struggle. We have learned that prayer - both personal and communal - is more than just a requirement or chance to apologize for the ways we’ve “blown it” with God. Sometimes prayer is the only tangible reminder of brighter days. Honestly, sometimes prayer is a desperate cry when we aren’t sure the light even exists.

I’ve had the opportunity to walk prayer labyrinths on several occasions...and this simple act has had tremendous impact in my life. Whether it was a path of tiles in a small enclave at SMU, a bunch of rocks piled on the shores of Lake Texoma, a well worn path at a small monastery in south Dallas, or even a temporary set-up at a youth minister’s convention - this journey of prayer has tapped into moments of deep reflection in my life of faith.

This tattoo is placed on my forearm (which was actually my brother’s idea) so that I will see it regularly and be called to pray continually. When needed I can actually “walk” this labyrinth by tracing it with my finger (once my skin stops hurting!)

However there is another significance in carrying this labyrinth with me everywhere I go...

A LIVING LABYRINTH

As a disciple of Jesus, I am called and equipped to be, in a sense, a living labyrinth. Wherever I go, I carry with me the story of The Journey. This story, which began before creation and has a culmination that transcends time itself, also includes the small and seemingly insignificant story of me. People who spend time walking with me SHOULD have the opportunity to encounter moments of reflection and prayer. If I am committed to the calling I’ve received, then I will serve as a living labyrinth to those around me.

I’d be lying if I tried to pretend this is an accurate description of me...but I want it to be.

My life is meant to be more than a proclamation of morality. I am a disciple of the true Revolutionary; the One who is in the process of remaking and restoring all creation. My life is a participation in that reconciliation...The labyrinth will be a useful tool until God’s will is done on earth as it is in heaven. When that day arrives fully I will finally reside fully in the center of the labyrinth...which will then serve as a reminder of the path that I never walked alone.

Two Stories

For the past couple months we've been involved in a 40 day commitment to scripture reading and prayer. It has been truly amazing. Rachel and I have talked about our reading together almost daily - and I have loved that. Chris, Heidi, Rachel and I have sent countless emails back and forth - this process of being transformed by scripture together has had the added impact of deepening our friendship.

We've had some great conversations on Sundays with our worshiping community and I have been blown away by the ways in which God has clearly answered our prayers for miracles and for the request of Luke 10:2 ("beg the Lord of the Harvest to send out workers...") Our suspicion about that verse is that its answer comes by way of connection with people "from the harvest." The stories of conversations that have fallen into our laps with people who don't yet believe, or perhaps want to believe but are skeptical of Christians... There's no denying what's been taking place in the lives of those who threw themselves into this relatively small commitment.

Today is the last Sunday during our 40 days - we conclude on Tuesday. Our time has been so powerful that the Chappotins, Rachel and I have decided to do this again with a new set of readings during Lent.

It wasn't easy to read 5 chapters of scripture a day, six days/week but it was a worthwhile challenge. I don't think any of us made our exact goal every day - and that isn't the point. The point was to immerse ourselves in God's Word regularly, and that was/is a worthwhile goal.

So, as we draw this time to a close with the reading of the gospel of John (we read 1-10 on Fri-Sat and will read the 2nd half Mon-Tues), I'd like to post a short section from a sermon I preached in August of 2007 in Mandeville. I did a series of lessons on the life of Jesus and many of the sermons came from John's gospel. This one, which focuses on the stories of Nicodemus and the Samaritan woman at the well in John 3 and 4 respectively, was inspired in part by Eugene Peterson's, Christ Plays in Ten Thousand Places (great book). If you've read it, you should notice that this section I'm including draws very heavily from the book.

I've been greatly blessed by this time of commitment to Scripture and Prayer in community - thank you to all who've participated with us, both locally and from a distance. May God continue to bless us, transform us and reveal miracles through his Word at work in our lives.

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...But here’s the interesting thing about these two stories. They are incredibly accessible. Nicodemus was a scholar and minister – but that isn’t what made him able to believe…in fact, he seemed much more confused than the Samaritan woman had been! The metaphors are incredibly common – birth and water.

The first story is about a man; the second about a woman. There is no preferred gender in the Christian life.

The first story takes place in the city, the second on the outskirts of a small town. Geography has no bearing on perception or attitude.

Nicodemus is a respectable member of a strictly orthodox sect of the Pharisees; the woman is a disreputable member of the despised Samaritans. Racial background, religious identity, and moral track record are neither here nor there in matters of spirituality.

The man is named; the woman unnamed. Reputation and standing in the community are not important.

Nicodemus opens their conversation with a spiritual comment; the woman allows Jesus to kick things off with a simple question of drawing water. It doesn’t seem to matter who gets things started, Jesus or us, or whether the subject matter is earthly or heavenly.

In both stories there is risk – Nicodemus risks his reputation meeting Jesus, Jesus risks his by speaking to this female Samaritan. So…

A man and a woman

City and country

An insider and an outsider

A professional and a layperson

A respectable man and a disreputable woman

An orthodox and a heretic

One who takes the initiative; one who lets it be taken

On named, the other anonymous

Human reputation at risk; divine reputation at risk

In both stories Jesus is the central character. Everything that happens to bring life has Jesus working in the center of it – Jesus is more active than any one of us; it is Jesus who provides the energy. And this is what life in the Kingdom is about. It is about God. It is about Jesus. It is not about elitism. It is not about looking right, smelling right or dressing right. It is Jesus himself that is at work to introduce everyone to this kingdom.

On Bayou Cane

Jimmy Moragne has been telling me about this great place to launch my kayak for months now. This past weekend Jimmy, his cousin Leland and I took our boats (a small aluminum boat w/ a 25 hp outboard, a pirogue and a kayak, respectively) out to Bayou Cane. There are lots of great little bayous around here. The cool thing about this one is that on one side you have Fontainebleau State Park and on the other Big Branch Marsh Natl Wildlife Refuge…very scenic, plenty of wildlife and once you get away from the highway you can’t hear anything but nature. I lost track of how many alligators we saw (most were pretty small but there was one…wow).

We paddled and trolled down the bayou to the lake (Pontchartrain) and fished for a while. We caught several croakers (which I took home and had for lunch!) and some other little stuff. It was a great day – I wish I had been more intentional about taking Jimmy up on his offer to go out a long time ago!

This morning was a really good one for me. I got up early…okay, not really that early, but this is my story, leave me alone. I took my kayak back out to Bayou Cane (that's when I took the picture at the top of this post...floating in the middle of a particularly wide stretch of water). Jimmy and I had talked about how perfect a place this would be to get out early and spend some time in silence and prayer. It was great. (An added benefit, I found out that 1 hour of kayaking will burn about 520 calories…bonus!)

I love the outdoors. I love camping, hunting, fishing, hiking and most recently kayaking. I love to simply sit or walk out in the woods with no real goal or agenda. I used to make fun of bird watchers but I’ve grown to enjoy looking for new birds. I saw an osprey flying by with a fish the other day – that was cool. Not long after that I paddled my kayak right over an alligator that was about 6 inches below the surface, eating a fish (not a good day to be a fish…).

If you’ve spent much time out you know, everything tastes better in the woods (or on the lake, river, whatever). Coffee tastes better. Jambalaya tastes better (living here has affected me in several ways). Fresh fish always tastes good, but cooked outdoors 15 minutes after being caught…

And there is nothing BUT outdoors around here! True we’re just outside New Orleans…but it’s 24 miles across that lake, and up here alligators outnumber people. Within 10 minutes driving distance from my house there’s Riverbend State Park, Fontainebleau State Park, Big Branch Refuge, the Tchefuncte River, countless bayous and of course Lake Pontchartrain. But do I get out and enjoy it very often? No.

Starbucks is a great place for me to study because there are plenty of people there and I get to interact with them. But when I need time for solitude and silence do I head out to the lake front or float the river? Nope…I usually waste time and then as I’m laying down at night I think, “I wish I’d used my time better today.”

Isn’t that interesting? It’s not that I wasted my time doing unimportant things – contrary to popular belief, as a preacher I work a lot. I spend a good deal of time studying, preparing lessons, talking and praying with people, counseling and listening to folks in the midst of crisis…

And I’m usually exhausted; often I’m giving out of my emptiness rather than abundance. Our first year in LA was extremely rough for a lot of reasons. The past year has been much less drama-filled but I’ve struggled with a deep sense of loneliness – its not that we haven’t made friends; we’ve actually made some very good ones. But it’s been hard to be alone in ministry.

Truth be told, much of this is really my own fault. Not that I could’ve done a much about the lack of coworkers, but I haven’t been intentional enough about handling the small things I can do something about. Eating right, exercise, getting outdoors to read and pray (early in the morning when it isn’t a million degrees and the mosquitoes haven’t begun hunting…); all of these things could have really helped. An hour in the kayak once or twice a week could have been doing wonders…if I would just get up early enough to do it!

Okay, what’s the point here? This isn’t just meant to be a rant or self-disclosure. I think that for many of us – especially those in ministry who spend lots of time reading and teaching about spiritual formation – there is a need to remember that God created a beautiful earth (in part) for our sanity and health. We can and should spend a great deal of time and energy serving and investing in others. We can and should be concerned about being a voice of hope to the poor and oppressed. We can and should have disciplined times of study. But perhaps we should also hike or kayak or sit on the porch…or whatever it is that you enjoy. Floating down the bayou didn’t seem like work; didn’t feel like practicing a spiritual discipline, but it was an important opportunity for God to work through his creation to begin refilling my ridiculously empty tank.

Some recent events around here have raised my anxiety and frustration level. I've been trying to shake 'em but it has been very difficult. This morning I didn't think about those things...and when I began to I'd just paddle harder and my less-than-skinny self didn't have enough energy to stress out.

It doesn't make sense that God would create a place as beautiful as this and not desire for us to stop and enjoy it from time to time. I'm going to start doing that more. What about you?