Prayer for Friday, June 10

Scripture for Friday

Acts 14:20-28

20 But after the disciples had gathered around him, he got up and went back into the city. The next day he and Barnabas left for Derbe.

 21 They preached the gospel in that city and won a large number of disciples. Then they returned to Lystra, Iconium and Antioch, 22 strengthening the disciples and encouraging them to remain true to the faith. “We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God,” they said. 23 Paul and Barnabas appointed elders[a] for them in each church and, with prayer and fasting, committed them to the Lord, in whom they had put their trust. 24 After going through Pisidia, they came into Pamphylia, 25 and when they had preached the word in Perga, they went down to Attalia.

 26 From Attalia they sailed back to Antioch, where they had been committed to the grace of God for the work they had now completed. 27 On arriving there, they gathered the church together and reported all that God had done through them and how he had opened a door of faith to the Gentiles. 28 And they stayed there a long time with the disciples.


Prayer: Fruitfulness in Our Own Lives
Lord of the Harvest, we know that it is from the overflow of the heart that the mouth speaks. We pray that you will continue to cultivate the soil of our hearts so that our lives will produce much fruit for you. We desire to be the change we hope to see in this world; we long to live as citizens of the kingdom that is at hand and which we anticipate arriving in fullness. Only the Almighty God can bring about this kind of change in our hearts. When we've tried to produce this harvest ourselves, our efforts have been exhausting and fruitless. We turn to you, O Lord of the Harvest, as the one who brings growth. We call on you, the Faithful One, to do what you've promised. And we pray with confidence, knowing that you desire this more than we do.
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Final Thoughts
Today is the final day of our 7 weeks. I am so grateful that you've participated in this process with us. As I look at all that has happened since Easter Sunday, I am once again amazed by our God. As usual, things have not progressed as I anticipated...and as usual, I rejoice that God is at work beyond what I'm able to see in the moment. 7 weeks ago, I expected this Sunday to be the launch of fundraising for Intentional People and had no idea what sort of timeline we'd be working with regarding a new church plant...

Well, we've made a lot of progress with Intentional People, but we're moving the official fundraising launch forward to September, when we'll be participating in a Missional Church Conference in St. Louis. Yet, our new church plant, The Gathering, has already begun! The Christ Journey community encouraged us to move forward and three families decided to join us.

Since then, Brandy, a friend I met at Denny's nearly 3 years ago (who was quite uninterested in "church" at the time), has also joined us. Several months ago she moved to Fort Worth and with her work schedule hasn't been able to be part of our worship gatherings. However, Ron and Shandy Stogsdill (participants in The Gathering) were able to offer her a job with better hours and she told me yesterday, "Just so you know, I'm in."

Rachel Elder, another member of our community, invited her friend Paula to join us for a swimming party for the kids a couple weeks ago... This past weekend Paula made the comment, "I've never enjoyed being part of a church service like I did today." She was one of the first to sign up to bring food for our meal this Sunday... Thank you for your prayers, I believe God is hearing them.

Prayer for Thursday, June 9

Scripture for Thursday

Acts 14:1-7

1 At Iconium Paul and Barnabas went as usual into the Jewish synagogue. There they spoke so effectively that a great number of Jews and Greeks believed. 2 But the Jews who refused to believe stirred up the other Gentiles and poisoned their minds against the brothers. 3 So Paul and Barnabas spent considerable time there, speaking boldly for the Lord, who confirmed the message of his grace by enabling them to perform signs and wonders. 4 The people of the city were divided; some sided with the Jews, others with the apostles. 5 There was a plot afoot among both Gentiles and Jews, together with their leaders, to mistreat them and stone them. 6 But they found out about it and fled to the Lycaonian cities of Lystra and Derbe and to the surrounding country, 7 where they continued to preach the gospel.


Prayer: Fruit for the Poor and Oppressed
Lord of the Harvest, if our service in your name isn't good news for the poor in our community, then it isn't good news. You are the God who declares freedom for the captives, deliverance for the oppressed and hope for the hopeless. Almighty God, we pray that you will take our meager offerings and multiply them so that no one among us will go without. We pray for the faith to give generously and sacrificially and we pray that you will direct us to the places and people who most need to feast on the fruit that you have provided. Lord of the Harvest, we pray for you to send out workers into your fields; we long to be counted among those workers and we eagerly anticipate the new co-workers in your kingdom that are even now being prepared to serve alongside you with us.

Again, for weeks now, we've prayed for the poor and oppressed in our community. What have you learned from this process? What opportunities have arisen...were you able to respond? In the past month and a half my family has witnessed our son raise over $1000 for people in Japan; we've seen a young single mother get a new computer and a new job, a struggling family get a new car, hungry people receive food, thirsty people receive cold water...and each of these gifts came from regular people who would not normally consider themselves wealthy (at least by US standards). 

Prayer for Wednesday, June 8

Scripture for Wednesday

Acts 10:23b-48

The next day Peter started out with them, and some of the believers from Joppa went along. 24 The following day he arrived in Caesarea. Cornelius was expecting them and had called together his relatives and close friends. 25 As Peter entered the house, Cornelius met him and fell at his feet in reverence. 26 But Peter made him get up. “Stand up,” he said, “I am only a man myself.”

 27 While talking with him, Peter went inside and found a large gathering of people. 28 He said to them: “You are well aware that it is against our law for a Jew to associate with or visit a Gentile. But God has shown me that I should not call anyone impure or unclean. 29 So when I was sent for, I came without raising any objection. May I ask why you sent for me?”

 30 Cornelius answered: “Three days ago I was in my house praying at this hour, at three in the afternoon. Suddenly a man in shining clothes stood before me 31 and said, ‘Cornelius, God has heard your prayer and remembered your gifts to the poor. 32 Send to Joppa for Simon who is called Peter. He is a guest in the home of Simon the tanner, who lives by the sea.’ 33 So I sent for you immediately, and it was good of you to come. Now we are all here in the presence of God to listen to everything the Lord has commanded you to tell us.”

 34 Then Peter began to speak: “I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism 35 but accepts from every nation the one who fears him and does what is right. 36 You know the message God sent to the people of Israel, announcing the good news of peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all. 37 You know what has happened throughout the province of Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John preached— 38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him.

 39 “We are witnesses of everything he did in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They killed him by hanging him on a cross, 40 but God raised him from the dead on the third day and caused him to be seen. 41 He was not seen by all the people, but by witnesses whom God had already chosen—by us who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. 42 He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one whom God appointed as judge of the living and the dead. 43 All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.”

 44 While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit came on all who heard the message. 45 The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on Gentiles. 46 For they heard them speaking in tongues[a] and praising God.

   Then Peter said, 47 “Surely no one can stand in the way of their being baptized with water. They have received the Holy Spirit just as we have.” 48 So he ordered that they be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked Peter to stay with them for a few days.



The Global Community as a Harvest Field
Lord of the Harvest, as often as we overlook the harvest field in our own back yard, we are often even more unaware of how you are moving in distant lands. We confess that too often our focus in too narrow, our vision too clouded by our supposed limitations. Open our eyes Father, to ways that we can partner with others who proclaiming the good news of new life "over there," just as we are doing here. God, we pray that these connections will serve your advancing kingdom and that they will also serve to remind us that you are not a regional God. You are the Lord of the Harvest, at all times and in all places. We worship you as such.


During the last few weeks, we've been encouraged to connect with different resources and groups operating around the world. Have you taken the opportunity to communicate with anyone? If so, would you share their story with us? I plan to challenge The Gathering to partner with someone financially, to encourage them regularly and pray for them often - I challenge you to do so as well.

Prayer for Tuesday, June 7

Scripture for Tuesday
Acts 10:9-23

9 About noon the following day as they were on their journey and approaching the city, Peter went up on the roof to pray. 10 He became hungry and wanted something to eat, and while the meal was being prepared, he fell into a trance. 11 He saw heaven opened and something like a large sheet being let down to earth by its four corners. 12 It contained all kinds of four-footed animals, as well as reptiles and birds. 13 Then a voice told him, “Get up, Peter. Kill and eat.”

 14 “Surely not, Lord!” Peter replied. “I have never eaten anything impure or unclean.”

 15 The voice spoke to him a second time, “Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.”

 16 This happened three times, and immediately the sheet was taken back to heaven.

 17 While Peter was wondering about the meaning of the vision, the men sent by Cornelius found out where Simon’s house was and stopped at the gate. 18 They called out, asking if Simon who was known as Peter was staying there.

 19 While Peter was still thinking about the vision, the Spirit said to him, “Simon, three[a] men are looking for you. 20 So get up and go downstairs. Do not hesitate to go with them, for I have sent them.”

 21 Peter went down and said to the men, “I’m the one you’re looking for. Why have you come?”

 22 The men replied, “We have come from Cornelius the centurion. He is a righteous and God-fearing man, who is respected by all the Jewish people. A holy angel told him to ask you to come to his house so that he could hear what you have to say.” 23 Then Peter invited the men into the house to be his guests.

Tuesday Prayer

The Local Community as a Harvest Field
Lord of the Harvest, we thank you that in the midst of your concern for all creation you do not forget to respond to the cries of individuals. God, we confess that the same is not true for us. We allow ourselves to be consumed with our own drama or we become enthralled with stories of more exotic places. Father, if your kingdom can break in anywhere, it can break in here. We believe, forgive our unbelief. Holy God, open our eyes to the people who live across the street or who drop their children at the same school as ours; people who we have seen but not truly seen. Lord of the Harvest, give us eyes to see as you see. We pray that your name will be proclaimed in Burleson; we pray that the hopeless will find reason to rejoice and those in darkness will see your great light.

What does the gospel have to say to your neighborhood? For 6 weeks I've been asking you to look around with intentionality. What have you seen? WHO have you seen? What is the next step that you need to take in order to engage more fully as an ambassador of a kingdom that can literally change everything for those who will embrace it? Participants in The Gathering have already invited some "dechurched" friends to share life with us (and have already seen God producing fruit from those actions) - will you pray for us to continue living with this kind of intentionality?

Prayer for Monday, June 6

Scripture for Monday

Acts 10:1-8

1 At Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion in what was known as the Italian Regiment. 2 He and all his family were devout and God-fearing; he gave generously to those in need and prayed to God regularly. 3 One day at about three in the afternoon he had a vision. He distinctly saw an angel of God, who came to him and said, “Cornelius!”

 4 Cornelius stared at him in fear. “What is it, Lord?” he asked.

   The angel answered, “Your prayers and gifts to the poor have come up as a memorial offering before God. 5 Now send men to Joppa to bring back a man named Simon who is called Peter. 6 He is staying with Simon the tanner, whose house is by the sea.”

 7 When the angel who spoke to him had gone, Cornelius called two of his servants and a devout soldier who was one of his attendants. 8 He told them everything that had happened and sent them to Joppa.

Prayers for a Fruitful Church

Lord of the Harvest, we pray that your church will be fruitful. We do not want to be like the fig tree that didn’t produce. Our desire, O God, is for church to be vibrant and healthy; an organism that is growing and reproducing as you designed. Lord, as we begin the process of cultivating a new church, planting the gospel in our neighborhoods and community, we pray in faith knowing that you desire to bring about growth. We ask for the courage and faithfulness to serve as workers in your harvest field and we pray those you are even now preparing to send out as well. God, we pray that Intentional People will produce fruit for your kingdom as well. We pray for those with whom we will come into contact. We offer our lives and our efforts to your kingdom for the purpose of cultivating and equipping disciples who engage more fully in your mission. We desire, O Lord of the Harvest, to be a beneficial resource to your church. God, we offer ourselves to your service, use us as you see fit.

Our new house church met together for worship and a meal yesterday. 10 adults and 9.5 kids spent nearly 4 hours hanging out, discussing faith and what it means to be faithful, eating mountains of lasagna, studying Genesis...and going back for more lasagna. Afterwards a friend that was visiting with us made the comment, “I’ve never enjoyed being ‘in church‘ like I did today.” We made the decision to call our new church, “The Gathering.” We are harvesters and we are fruit from the harvest - God is gathering us together and we in turn are sent out to gather others in the name of Christ. Would you spend a few minutes today praying specifically for The Gathering? Pray that God will continue to produce fruit in our lives and that our growth in discipleship will be a compelling witness to our friends and neighbors.

Prayer for Friday, May 27

Partners and Community for Ourselves
God, Community of Love, you have created us to live in community rather than isolation. We pray, for our own continued health, that you will surround each of us with friends and family committed to a shared vision of following you together. We pray for the leadership of Intentional People, that these families will continue to cultivate trust and friendship, so that each will be nurtured and encouraged to continue serving others. We pray for our new church plant, that relationships will be strengthened and cultivated so that we will continue to move forward in discipleship with joy and passion. In both of these endeavors we continue to pray for those you are raising up to partner together in different ways. Grant us wisdom and discerning hearts to protect one another from those who would do us harm and guide us forward in cultivating community in the places where you have placed us.

Back on Sunday, we asked you to be praying for financial, prayer and ministry partners for both Intentional People and our church planting efforts. Has God put any names on your heart? If so, would you consider speaking with them about these ministries? Please also feel free to contact us with names of these potential partners. Are there ways in which God may be laying it on your own heart to join with us in some way or to take the next step toward deeper connection? Again, we are extremely grateful to you for joining us in this season of prayer. We thank God for your partnership in the gospel.

Prayer for Thursday, May 26

Cultivating Community with The Poor and Oppressed
God, Community of Love, we want to follow in the footsteps of Jesus. We want to be known as "friends of sinners," we desire to show solidarity with and developing community among the poor, the overlooked, forgotten and oppressed. Open our eyes to see these people which our society tries so hard to ignore and open our hearts to see them instead as you see them, as your beloved children. God we pray not only for opportunities to extend hospitality to the poor, but also for the grace to receive it. Grant us the honor of affirming the dignity of your image bearers who may have, this very day, been denied that birthright. God we acknowledge that among impoverished communities there is much darkness, sin and violence. We pray that you will bring light, repentance and peace to these places and that you will use us as your cracked and humble vessels in doing so.

Today, would you ask God to reveal ways in which Intentional People can serve as an encouragement to the poor and oppressed? We pray for partners and a growing community of people working together to eradicate the darkness around us through the Light of God that is within us. We have been blessed as part of Christ Journey to serve the poor in this area, and have cultivated some lasting friendships. We pray that this will continue as we launch out with our new church planting work as well.

Prayer for Wednesday, May 25

Cultivating Community in the Global Community
God, Community of Love, we are citizens of your kingdom which transcends national and ethnic boundaries. Teach us, Lord of Light, to see this world through your eyes and not be blinded by narrow, nationalistic thinking. Holy God, we pray that Intentional People will serve as a resource for inspiring those whom you are preparing to serve in various ways throughout the global community. We place our hands, our talents and our lives at your service to bless and encourage others wherever you may send them. In the same way, Father, we pray that our local church planting work will not lose sight of your love and concern for all people everywhere. Guide us in loving and caring for those who live across the street and together with them, in being mindful of those who live across the oceans. As citizens of your vast empire, God, Community of Love, erase from us any selfish desires or agendas for building empires of our own. We confess Jesus the Christ as both our savior and our Lord, to the glory of the Father and through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Do you know someone who is working to build community or bring hope amidst the global community? If so, we would love to connect with them and perhaps even interview them for the Intentional People Video Project or the Missional Monks podcast. As we pray together, we invite you to think about and approach God with us regarding those we can partner with to inspire others.

Prayer for Tuesday, May 24

Cultivating Community in the Local Community
God, Community of Love, we know that you bless us in order that we will be a blessing to others. We pray that your wisdom will guide us into the midst of our neighborhoods and communities to model and invite others into a life of community - with you and with one another. Father, teach us to see the ways in which you are already at work bringing people together and allow us to serve as your co-laborers and ambassadors. Lord, we ask that Intentional People will serve to bring people together in their local context, working alongside you in community. We pray that you will show us those you are raising up to work in your fields - we pray that your Spirit will cultivate those relationships and produce a great harvest. God, Community of Love, we pray that through our work of planting the gospel in north Burleson, we will be aware of the people you bring across our paths - give us eyes to see and ears to hear so that we may make the most of every opportunity.

Be intentional today about looking for people that God may be bringing into your life. Cultivate awareness of those around you - often the only thing that keeps us from being able to have a positive influence for the kingdom in someone else's life is that we simply aren't present in the moment. God is already at work all around us. 

Prayer for Friday, May 20

Discipleship and Spiritual Formation in My Life


God Who Forms, we praise you for forming us in our mothers’ wombs. We thank you for placing within us your very image and we thank you for continually forming us into the likeness of Christ. Lord God show us the paths that will lead to greater wisdom, maturity, compassion and love. Teach us the ways that we should go and encourage us as we travel those paths. You are the God Who Forms and we are the people who desire to be formed by you.

If you have never done so, I encourage you today to begin developing a Rule of Life - this is simply an intentional rhythm of spiritual disciplines and practices that you will commit to on a regular basis. It can (and probably should) involve daily, weekly, monthly, yearly and occasional elements. It can include things like prayer, scripture reading, sharing of resources and service as well as things like silence, spiritual retreats and communal meals. Remember to include both active and contemplative practices and personal as well as communal elements. If possible, consider developing a communal rule with others with whom you are sharing the life of faith.

Prayer for Thursday, May 19

Discipleship in Response to Poverty and Oppression


God Who Forms, we know that you hear the cries of the poor and oppressed. We know that you have compassion on the weak and mistreated. We trust that you care about those who have been denied justice. God we want these things to be true of us as well. If these matters are important to you Lord, they are important to us. Thank you Father. You are the God Who Forms good things. We pray for you to form, through us, communities of justice, pockets of resistance to the self-centered ways of the world and neighborhoods where no one goes without because everyone shares what they have.

It has been said that churches and individuals who focus on social justice tend to focus less on personal spiritual formation and faith and vice versa. I admit I’ve seen that played out...and I’ve also seen the two sides (action and contemplation) held together beautifully. One key to be a fully formed disciple is to recognize your natural tendencies and intentionally cultivate the other areas as well. So which are you? Is your default set toward Bible study and prayer? Or is your default set to social justice and action? Are you one of those rare people who naturally engages in both? Share your reflections and ask someone else about their own tendencies.

Prayer for Wednesday, May 18

Disciples in the Global Community


God Who Forms, you are the One in whom we live and move and have our being. You are the One who sent your disciples to proclaim the arrival of your kingdom in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria and to the ends of the earth. And you are the One who has allowed us to live in such a time that the ends of the earth are not nearly so far away as they once seemed. God we pray that we will be formed into people who are concerned and involved in your ministry of reconciliation wherever there are signs of alienation. You are the God Who Forms and we cry out to you with an intense hunger for your kingdom to not only advance but to fill and fulfill all corners of earth.

One very simple need for discipleship across the global community is the need for Bibles in native languages. There are ministries, such as Pioneer Bible Translators (www.pioneerbible.org) which are working to get Bibles into communities who are hungry for the Word. Check out PBT’s website and consider ways that you can encourage such ministries.

Stranger Than Fiction

This is week 4 of 7 in our season of prayer and preparation for the launching of Intentional People. We're also nearing the formation of a new missional community, planted out of Christ Journey in preparation for the starting of a new church planting movement in this area. By the way, I’m actually in the process of writing a short post describing the distinction between forming a new missional community (or house church, or whatever you want to call it) and the starting of a church planting movement.

Throughout this first month of prayer, I have been blessed to witness multiple examples of God working in our lives through this process. Timing that could only be described as divine; conversations and developments that I've been waiting and praying for...it has been amazing.

Last night was one such experience.

Our prayers this week are focused on spiritual formation and discipleship, and yesterday I posed the question to our praying community, "What specific spiritual practices have been beneficial to your own spiritual formation?"

I arrived at work last night (6pm to 6am security shift in Saginaw) a little flustered and frustrated. I realized about the time it was too late to turn around that I'd left my phone at home. This meant I'd have to borrow someone else's phone to clock in and out, and if there was anything to report to the police during my shifts, I'd have to rely on the other guard working with me.

To be honest, I wasn't really in the mood to spend much time talking to the young guy that I was working with from 6 to midnight. But...I tried to check my attitude and give him my attention when he rolled over to talk.

He started asking questions which arose from a conversation he'd had with another employee the night before. This other employee is a Christian and was telling him that if a Christian sins, there is forgiveness through the blood of Jesus. But if they willfully sin, knowing its wrong and doing it anyway, there's nothing left for them because they're in open rebellion to their Lord.

He wanted to know what I thought about that...and phrased it in very hypothetical terms.

I asked him if God holds us to a standard that God isn't held to. We are told by Jesus that if our brother commits a sin against us repeatedly and comes back asking forgiveness, we should offer it, not even seven times but seventy times seven. If this is the case for us, how much more so is it likely to be true of God? However, this is not a license to sin (which is the point behind Paul's whole argument regarding whether we should continue to sin so that grace may abound...by no means!)

The danger comes in when we stop caring that we sinned. When we give in to our weakness and afterwards, rather than feeling remorse and seeking forgiveness...we just  don't care, we feel nothing.

He was quiet for a minute and then said, "What do you do when you've fallen into that kind of rut? What if you want to get out, but don't know how? What if your faith just doesn't seem to matter any more...but you want it to?"

Suddenly our hypothetical theology conversation had a whole new air about it.

So I asked him, "Is this still hypothetical, or are we talking about you now?"...

And so here, on this day, of all days, he asked me what practices could help cultivate and rekindle his spiritual formation.

Over the course of the rest of his shift (with frequent intermissions so that we could do our job) we talked about the need to pray and meditate on Scripture, worship and share struggles with others are trying to take Jesus seriously, and to devote ourselves not only to studying and talking about these things, but actually getting out and living this kind of life on mission with God.

I encouraged him to find others who were asking similar questions and who would be willing to participate in this kind of life together. He responded by saying that sounded like a great idea but he didn’t have the first idea how to go about finding such people.

I shared several stories from our experiences in prayer and discernment where we prayed that God would bring us into contact with someone in whom God was at work and that day, “randomly” someone would come stumbling up asking questions. I suggested that he spend some time each day for the next week asking God to bring him into contact with people who asking similar questions - and then open his eyes expecting an answer. “This isn’t the kind of prayer that you have to wonder whether or not God is going to answer affirmatively,” I told him.

He became very excited, but then stopped and said, “But, even if I find other people, how will we even know what to do when we get together? What if we just end up being something unhealthy and cynical? I don’t know how to lead a group like that.”

In my head, I was shouting, “Seriously God? This is a bit over the top, don’t you think? He asks about spiritual practices and then asks about church planting?” To him, I happily grinned and said, “If you’ll pray and be willing to bring together the folks that God connects you with, I’ll help y'all figure out what to do next.”

He was shocked that I would be willing to drive to Denton to do so, and eagerly agreed. As he left to head back home, he’d already thought of 2 or 3 people he wanted to talk to about it all - though an hour before he didn’t know anyone who might fit this description.

All I could think as he drove away was, “Wow. Didn't see that one coming...but I probably should have.”

Prayer for Tuesday, May 16

Discipleship in the Midst of the Local Community


God Who Forms, give us eyes to see our community the way that you see it; lead us to opportunities to display your love, grace and compassion. Lord we know that our discipleship is not for us alone, we are blessed in order to be a blessing to others. God grant us, as your image bearers, the wisdom and courage to love the people you love. We believe in your ministry of reconciliation. We believe that if life with you can happen anywhere, it can happen here in our town, on our street, in our coffee shop. You are the God Who Forms and we pray that you will continue to form connections we can see and threads we can follow in order to not only display but also witness your transformation in this place.

So often the spiritual practices we engage are either private or something we pursue in a “safe” context with other Christians. But our faith is meant to be experienced in the midst of the world. What is one spiritual practice you could participate in “out there”?  If you’re interested, ask me about using Lectio with something other than Scripture.

Prayer for Monday, May 16

Discipleship and Spiritual Formation in the Church

God Who Forms, your Church and your Kingdom will not be stopped, because they are yours. We recognize this and praise you for it. And yet Father, we also confess that the temptation toward the path of least resistance is powerful. It is not easy or painless to conformed to your image, because of our desires for instant gratification and the hold that sin has on everything around us. But you are the God Who Forms! To you we turn for our salvation, our transformation. By your grace, strengthen your Church to live boldly as a community of discipleship; as those who are committed to continual spiritual formation.

Its unavoidable: anything we do as humans is going to be flawed. The Church is a partnership between God and humanity. God is no fool. If the Lord chose to invite people into the mix, flaws were always going to be part of the story. But that doesn’t mean that we don’t continue striving for perfection in the image of God (which is only achieved through authentic, full connection to and relationship with God)- what else would be a worthwhile goal? So, as you have time today, make note of practices which have benefitted your own process of discipleship and those which may have had less of an impact or were even detrimental. Please share these! FB, comments here, email messages, twitter, text, smoke signal, whatever!

The Embodiment of Christ

I recently heard someone say that they tend to refer to the Church less as the Body of Christ and more as the Embodiment of Christ. Subtle difference, maybe one you don’t care for, but it struck me. It is beyond understatement (and should be extremely obvious) to say that there is nothing wrong with the phrase “Body of Christ.” This scriptural description of the Church is a vital corrective to more settled and institutional understandings.

However, embodiment carries an active sense that resonates with me. It is not active in the sense of trying to accomplish something, but rather active because it is alive. To be the Embodiment of Christ in our world is astounding; it simultaneously declares our existence and our mission, our calling and our sending.

I’m looking forward to seeing a friend this weekend. In fact I’m looking forward to the opportunity to once again worship with and learn from her. In preparation for our worship gathering I’ve been thinking about the concept of hospitality – the theme for this Sunday and a topic that has been on my mind in a special way for the past few weeks.

When we arrived here in Burleson a few Wednesdays ago, the community of Christ Journey surrounded us. They showed up to help unload the trucks, to stock our new pantry with food, to shower us with hugs and laughter and greetings…and to share a meal with us. It struck me that people showed up at OUR new house and showed US tremendous hospitality.

This reminded me of Eugene Peterson’s powerful retelling of the story of the road to Emmaus where Jesus joins weary travelers on the trip from Jerusalem to Emmaus (check out Luke 24 if you’re unfamiliar with this passage). I’ve included part of this story on this blog before, but here’s the part that came back to me when our new friends gathered around us, which was highlighted even more after our friends in Mandeville had so lovingly surrounded us during the days and weeks before our departure.

As you enter Emmaus, you are actually feeling calm and almost your old self. You left Jerusalem three hours ago whipsawed by emotions. And now, thanks to this stranger, you are feeling almost normal.

It’s late in the day and time for supper. You’ve been away from home for a week, maybe over a week. There is nothing to eat. Passing a bakery stall you buy a loaf of bread and invite the stranger in for supper. After some coaxing, he comes in. You get out a bottle of wine. The three of you sit down to a simple supper of bread and wine. The stranger then makes a move that takes you aback momentarily. HE takes up the loaf and blesses it. The guest you invited to supper becomes the host offering you supper. After blessing the bread, he breaks it and gives it to you and to Cleopas. Then, and only then, you recognize him. It’s Jesus, alive. It’s resurrection.” (from Eugene Peterson’s, Living the Resurrection. pg 65)

While it isn’t the full expression, giving (and receiving) hospitality is a powerful embodiment of Christ in this world. Hospitality goes beyond feeding the hungry; it sits down at the table and shares the experience of the meal with them – extending not just grace, but love, dignity and community. Hospitality goes beyond merely saying “God loves you,” and even beyond, “I love you.” Hospitality says to someone that our lives would be more impoverished without them.

This isn’t about fixing a fancy dinner and making sure the children are on their best behavior (though feasting can also be a powerful embodiment of Christ). Hospitality is about sharing life together. It is what was expressed by Paul in 1 Thessalonians 2:8 “We were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God, but our lives as well, because you had become so dear to us.”

While I won’t suggest that we begin going into people’s homes and taking charge of the meal time ritual, as Christ did with the companions from Emmaus, I do love this idea of the one invited extending hospitality. It reminds me that often we approach a relationship assuming that we are the host and we find ourselves in the place to instead receive. There may well be a temptation to resist and forcefully maintain our place as the one setting the agenda or bringing the food (literally or metaphorically).

I was blessed while we lived in Louisiana to experience the incredibly humbling experience of receiving hospitality from those “less fortunate” than me. Few encounters in life have impacted me quite as deeply as when someone who I know struggles to pay the electric bills and the continuously mounting medical bills gave a very loving and sacrificial gift to my children. The gift was powerful for several reasons. For one, it is a gift that this person has given to all his grandchildren – thus it was his way of communicating to us the depth of love, commitment and connection he feels with our family…we’re part of his family.

This same family, on a Sunday when Rachel and the boys were in Texas, invited me to their house for lunch because they didn’t want me to have to eat alone…especially on Sunday.

In the past I struggled with accepting hospitality from certain people because I didn’t want to be a burden. In truth this was the lie that hid my pride and ego which preferred to sit in the position of one who offers help to those in need. It is one thing to eat a meal with the poor…it’s another thing all together to be fed by the poor.

Another time I grew frustrated with a person who each month struggled to pay bills and yet she regularly “wasted” money buying people gifts or giving to others who didn’t really need it. I wanted her to be more responsible with her money.

My internal hesitation to bless God for these gifts began to sound a lot like the disciple’s indignant complaint that perfume poured on the head of Jesus could have been sold and given to the poor. What’s more, I began to realize that in my arrogance I was assuming that my giving was less ridiculous. My assumption was that I am a “have” and others are “have nots” instead of the truth, as David Wray has been known to say, “I’m just one hungry beggar sharing bread with another.”

The offer of hospitality is not merely an opportunity for the “haves” to bless the “have nots” - though that is certainly appropriate. It is a way for each of us to embody Christ in a very real and significant sense, and to acknowledge that we all serve from a place of need in anticipation of the day when Jesus himself will fully satisfy those needs.

For some of us, and for different reasons, receiving hospitality may well be more difficult than offering it. Perhaps it is pride, perhaps it is insecurity or perhaps it is a fear of being indebted to someone. In any case we must ask ourselves whether our inability to accept hospitality can negatively impact our ability to embody Christ.

What would have happened if Jesus was unable to receive the anointing of perfume and tears from the “sinful woman” in Luke 7? I don’t have room to go into it here, but I believe that it was in part Jesus’ ability to receive hospitality from the “poor” (whatever kind of poverty they were experiencing) that enabled him to be truly hospitable. Jesus himself declared that he did not come to be served, but to serve – perhaps that’s why people rejoiced when they had the opportunity to serve him!

Say-What-ical?

Chappotin and I have been discussing for quite some time my need for a period of sabbatical before launching into “work” with the Christ Journey community. There is a sense in which my mind is going through a bit of a rebooting process right now. For the first time in many months I actually have a list of topics I’d like to blog about in the near future!

I’ve had mixed responses from folks regarding this. Some have approached me in one way or another and proactively suggested something similar; others after hearing the plan have been unimpressed… “So you get a vacation before you start your new job? Must be nice.”

For many people, the concept of sabbatical – or even Sabbath, from which it comes – is very foreign and sounds quite privileged and even lazy.

First let me say that sabbatical is not the same as vacation. The point of such a time, at least in my view, is for an extended period of study, meditation, worship and preparation. For preachers sabbatical can be a time to research and develop the scope of the next year’s preaching schedule; for professors it can be a time to do research and work toward publishing articles or even books. The point is for those who teach, preach or serve in these ways to avoid the danger of giving/leading from a place of emptiness.

Typically when I describe it in these terms people can see the value – not just for the one going on sabbatical but also for those served by that individual. Given these conversations I thought it was interesting to hear Randy Harris say in support of sabbaticals for preachers, “I don’t really like listening to a burnt-out preacher.”

And yet last night I was reflecting on the numerous folks who hear this defense and still say something along the lines of, “So what? The rest of us have to suck it up and do our jobs, what makes you so special?”

What’s really at stake here? What is the real issue that drives such emotionally charged responses?

One of my first sermon series at Tammany Oaks was about Sabbath (recorded for posterity on this blog - Sabbath Series part 1, Part 2 Enemies of Sabbath, Part 3 Embracing Sabbath , Part 4 Sabbath Feasting). Right before we left Mandeville I heard someone talking about how those messages still resonate deeply with her. And yet I can also remember with vivid detail the (surprisingly humorous) moment following one of those sermons when an elderly man told me that out of the near 10,000 sermons he’s heard in his life, this was hands down, the worst!

How can we have such a varied reaction to the concept of Sabbath?

I’m not going to go into the need or significance of Sabbath – you can read the four posts mentioned above for more or I’ll be happy to point you to several resources which will do a much greater job than I could.

However, as I was rereading these posts, I was reminded that in the act of creation, the first Sabbath took place on humanity’s first full day of existence. We do not earn our right or need for Sabbath; it is the gift of God. It’s cosmic permission to eat your dessert first!

I remember once witnessing a mother allow her children to eat dessert first. We were at a banquet/dinner and dessert was on the table before the meal came…it was less an act of compassion toward the children as it was toward the rest of us! The children didn’t realize that though and they spent the next 10 minutes joyously singing praises about their mother.

How appropriate is that image?!!

I have 11 days of Sabbath/sabbatical. I plan to spend a day at a retreat center in prayer, I plan to play karate with my boys in the living room, which I would do anyway…but I’m certainly not giving it up during this time!!! I have several books I want to read, I want to do some writing and preparation for writing. And all of this is taking place, as some friends have pointed out, right now at the beginning of this ministry – when I haven’t really earned it. I have no delusion that my great service has earned me the right to spend time worshiping and growing closer to God.

My prayer is that this time will cultivate a setting where I am more likely to allow the God of all comforts to heal and restore me. I want to relish in my primary identity as a child of God and a citizen of the Kingdom of Heaven. Secondly I hope that this connection to our source will enable me to love my wife and children more completely – I truly believe that the more I look like Jesus, the more I will bless and love my family. And of course I also trust that this time spent in Sabbath with the Lord will continually bring me back to community. I pray that this will enable me to serve my neighbors, to share with them not only the Gospel of God, but my life as well.

I also pray that whoever you are, wherever you are, whatever you are doing you will look for ways to cultivate a rhythm of Sabbath in your life. If Jesus could walk away from his work of healing the blind and the lame in order to spend time in prayer, then there are certainly important things in our lives that can be set aside for a time as well. A good friend used to ask me whenever I developed too much of a messiah complex, “Are you the one who was prophesied, or should we wait for another?”

Well…are you?

Hermitage

A recent article in Discipleship Journal, titled “Drawn to the Desert,” caught my attention. Given the desert/wilderness theme that has been running through my head lately, the first line of this article had me hooked:

In my experience, when most Christians hear the words wilderness or desert in relation to their lives with God, thoughts of trials and testing come to mind.

What’s the purpose of desert/wilderness wandering? For Abraham it was the difficult path to discover his calling, for the Israelites it came as a consequence of their lack of faith, and for Jesus it allowed a time of testing. But for the Desert Fathers and Mothers; for the Monastics, going to the desert meant something different entirely.

In her article, Christy Tennant describes a time of spiritual desert in her life. “I felt empty, guilty, and hopeless in my attempts to be a living sacrifice…” In an attempt to reconnect with God and perhaps identify the source of her dry season, she set aside a morning to for solitude and prayer.

Tennant says that as she began reading she felt compelled to spend time in Song of Songs and to her surprise began to suspect that the purpose and cause of this season of desert was not the result of sin, or a period of trail to lead to greater growth and maturity – the Lord had called her to the desert to be alone with her.

He led me into the wilderness to clarify who I am in His eyes. He drew me to the desert so He could tell me how he feels about me. And he did.

The desert mystics retreated to this solitary – apparently barren – landscape and found instead the beautiful sound of silence, the lack of distractions, a chance to be alone with God.

Perhaps when we find ourselves in a desert season we should take time to speak with the Lord – even if it seems strange and foreign at first. Listen for stillness. It may be that the Lord wants to remind us that we were fearfully and wonderfully made. Maybe we’ve bought into the lie that we are filthy worms long enough and God wants to remind us that we were created in His image, that he chose us and called us. It could be that we’ve forgotten that Jesus said, “I no longer call you servants…I have called you friends.”

Then again, it may be that once we’ve waited out the wind, the earthquake and the fire the Lord will ask us, “What are you doing here?” And we’ll find ourselves being sent back to civilization, finally aware that we wandered out into the wilderness without being invited! But, hey…at least at that point you’ve been reassured of your mission.

Maybe we are called to the desert to learn how to pray in the first place. I don’t exactly come from a faith tradition that values hermits and monks living alone or in small cloisters in the desert. In fact more often than not monasteries are disdained as the ultimate symbol of selfishness and laziness. Over the past few years, I’ve come to a different understanding.

Many monasteries are open as a refuge to weary travelers. Many serve the poor. All are places of prayer. You see, here in America and in my faith tradition we apparently have a very limited view of what it means to serve and minister to others. We talk a lot about prayer and how powerful it is, how important and effective it is, how necessary a ministry…but someone dedicates their life to prayer and we call them selfish and uncommitted! So, do we think prayer is ministry or not?

Perhaps we are called to the desert to learn to do more than just talk to or at God, but rather to cultivate a listening heart that actually waits for a response. How often do we sit down to pray, through up a string of unending questions and requests and then when we finally have to stop talking long enough to take a breath, we look around and…Amen, peace I’m out.

We don’t have to be in solitude to pray, we don’t have to be in the desert to listen, but perhaps that’s a good place to learn. You don’t learn how to drive by getting into a car and immediately merging into rush hour traffic – but once you learn how to drive, you realize rush hour is just a really long parking lot, no big deal.

Maybe I’ve had way too small a view of the desert.

...Into the Wilderness

Remember the Normandy scene from Saving Private Ryan when the gates on the US transport ships were lowered and chaos erupted in an instant? Sometimes reality comes crashing in and people find themselves in the midst of an incredible trial with no warning or preparation.

Rookies in the NFL often talk about how much faster the game is compared to college. For those who make it and become a star, there is this magical moment – if you are an avid fan you can almost tell when it happens – when the game suddenly slows down. An event which yesterday, or even five minutes ago, was a blur of insanity and pain suddenly falls out of warp speed and operates in normal time or perhaps even slow motion. With the exception of freshman phenoms like LT or Adrian Peterson, everyone experiences this acclimation process – some go through it quickly and with ease while for others the transition is painstakingly slow, or never completes at all.

When I was in 6^th grade my math class was held in the room where 8^th grade Algebra met during the previous hour. I remember one day toward the end of the year I walked in and the Algebra teacher’s class notes were still up on the chalk board…yes we had chalk boards, with real chalk.

I looked at those unholy scribbles (letters or numbers people, choose one!) and knew that I would never comprehend that subject. There was no way that those ridiculous equations actually meant anything intelligible.

The next year I took pre-Algebra and the following year there I was…and it was easy! By easy, I of course mean that I hated it and never really got most of it, but I was able to pass my tests and move on. Yet looking ahead at the material, prior to being prepared it had seemed impossible.

Sometimes it is precisely the lack of preparation that makes a feat accomplishable. There have been times when I was hunting or camping that I came upon a difficult terrain at night. Not having a clue at all what I was trying to get over, across or through, I just trudged ahead and made it. When I returned in the light of day I could plainly see that there was no possible way to get through…I certainly wasn’t going to try to return the way I came, how could I? Yet the night before, not realizing it was impossible, I’d managed to cross with only minor difficulties (which suggests that perhaps we’re capable of much more than we realize).

When I think about the trials we face, these metaphors are somewhat helpful. In my previous post I talked about the difficulty of leaving the comfort of home for the wilderness only to turn around and find yourself leaving the comfort of the wilderness for the desert…so what’s next?

Sometimes we are blessed to go through the wilderness before the desert because we have an opportunity to begin getting acclimated or prepared rather than being thrown straight into chaos. The misery of Texas football two-a-days was somewhat less horrible for me and some others in our small town because we spent our summers in the hayfield instead of the air-conditioning. Those who went straight from (as our coaches would say) cartoons and Kool-Aid to 100 degrees and nearly 100% humidity had it pretty rough for the first couple weeks.

So I bless God for our time in the wilderness – it prepared us for the desert.

I mentioned before that when you enter the desert you have two basic choices for survival. The first is to find an oasis, which represents a place of rest and refreshment in the midst of the barren terrain. A blog shared with friends; a coffee shop where the barista knows your drink order; a new friend who enjoys hot wings and will allow discussion of the Dallas Cowboys in the midst of Black and Gold country…any of these can be an oasis.

Secondly, if there is no oasis, or if you just don’t know where to look, or even if you have managed to find one, you may need to discover or be discovered by Bedouins. Bedouins are native to the desert, they’ve learned to make their home in an environment that seems uninhabitable to outsiders…and if they don’t kill you, they can mean salvation! Your desert may come from moving into a new geographical location or it can be a purely spiritual desert, right at home. Either way, you will be blessed if you find people who understand this foreign terrain.

Locals who know the great places to eat, the great places to fish and the great places to launch your kayak that is currently sitting unused in the garage; people who can point out the things they love about their home turf can help you cultivate an appreciation for the landscape.

If your desert is spiritual it may be just as difficult to find your Bedouins. Even though you may be surrounded by people you’ve known for years, you may have no idea who’s been in the spiritual desert where you find yourself pitching your tent. But, trust me, they’re there. You just have to stay alert.

But there is another option besides dying in the desert that I wasn’t even thinking about until I read an article in Discipleship Journal – finding a hermitage or monastery. I’ll say more about that, and elaborate on another possible reason for desert/wilderness experiences in my next post.

Out of the Wilderness

There are few things in our lives that are more terrifying than “wandering in the wilderness.” The feeling of being lost…out of control…unsure of absolutely everything…

This wandering is often referred to wistfully by those who’ve never personally experienced it. Those who’ve been home safe for many years may still shudder - or they may have rewritten the experience into a tale somewhat akin to Swiss Family Robinson...or Lost if they aren't a million years old. (Do you remember reading the book, Hatchet ? I loved that book).

But those who are presently wandering...

Have you ever been actually lost in the wilderness - for real, not metaphorically? I have. At first you’re calm enough, “surely if I just keep going this way I’ll get out of here.” Then you start wondering if you’ve seen that tree before. Soon the panic is clawing at you and you’re struggling to keep your breathing even – especially if there is someone “not lost” with you. Every imaginable worst case scenario is now running through your head and hope is beginning to seem like a quaint relic of another time and place.

I began working on this post in January of 2007. For over a year it sat as a draft waiting for the day that I felt able to come back to it. As I prepare to hit publish, I feel like it could sit and cure for another year. It still doesn’t quite say what I want…But I think that posting these thoughts will enable me to take one more step toward grasping their significance.

When we moved to the New Orleans area in April after “the storm” many people here looked at us like the hired guns; reinforcements if you will. We were supposed to be full of energy, excitement and optimism. In truth, by this point were already well into the most difficult season in either of our lives. We had spent 9 months wandering in the wilderness waiting for God’s calling. During this time I strung together 9 different jobs in an attempt to stay in North Texas. When the call finally came it was undeniable. And it was not at all what we were expecting…

During our first year in Mandeville, Rachel was repeatedly drawn to the story of Abraham. We often talk about Abraham’s calling…a call to GO which as Rachel began to discover, was the beginning of his difficulty rather than the result of and blessed release from struggles.

What is wilderness wandering like? Fear, insecurity, rummaging and foraging for food; trying to appreciate the potential benefits and dangers of this alien flora and fauna; learning to find shelter in new ways.

There are indeed few things more terrifying and difficult than wandering in the wilderness…except for wandering in the desert. When you find yourself in a barren and desolate wasteland you begin to think longingly of the underbrush, poison ivy, torrential rains and mosquitoes…well, maybe not mosquitoes.



You think about the lush and wonderful environment that allowed for foraging, shelter, and of course water. The desert makes the wilderness seem like civilization. I haven't done a thorough study, but from what I can tell Scripture seems to use wilderness and desert interchangeably to refer to a place of trial and testing. So I'm not offering this metaphor as a commentary on Scripture so much as noticing how the metaphors of Scripture provide the foundation for commentary on my life.

There is a scene from the movie Lucky Number Slevin that I think is wonderful. Slevin is “visiting” the Rabbi (why is he called "The Rabbi” you ask? …Because he’s a Rabbi - stay with me here) and mentions his bad luck. The Rabbi wisely points out that luck is a matter of perspective. Yesterday Slevin did not owe someone a large sum of money, yesterday his life wasn’t in danger. But did Slevin appreciate his good fortune? Nope. Not until his fortune took a turn for the worse. “People always want what they had” the Rabbi points out.

What do we do when we've come out of the wilderness and into the desert? When the wilderness suddenly looks good? What do we do when the desert sun is blinding us?

I’m not sure.

I do know that while being lost in the wilderness may have seemed bleak, the desert quickly teaches us to appreciate it…which begs the question, what will we find ourselves learning to appreciate tomorrow?

After wandering out of the wilderness and into the desert it doesn’t do much good to think about bounty of the forest nor the barren nature of the present locale. It doesn’t do much good to long for the security of slavery in Egypt, to long for Ur, or to remember the Alamo. All that matters is finding shelter; your choices in the desert don‘t go much beyond finding an oasis, get yourself discovered by some Bedouins or die. Philosophy and reminiscing are best suited for Trinity Hall over a pint of Murphy’s Red…

But look at what life has come from the desert – prophets and patriarchs learned to depend on God; often this deadly and harsh landscape was refuge and sanctuary for faithful people whose lives were in danger.

Life coming from the desert seems paradoxical at best. But it fits. There is only one who has the power to bring about life from death, bounty from barrenness, blessing from curse. One does not emerge from the desert unchanged. The fire-tested life is a full life, it just doesn’t feel very full until AFTER the period of testing.

The initial exposure reveals a harsh, barren desolation. But over time one realizes there is a tenderness beneath that harsh exterior and what was first seen as barren and desolate is eventually cherished as beautiful. It is beautiful because of what it reveals. It is valuable because of what it forges. The bitter shrubs of the desert become sweet and fragrant flowers. But not quickly, not for a while.



Perhaps there is room for hope in the desert. Maybe there’s reason for rejoicing when the wilderness looks good…

to be continued