Prayer:[1]
Help us God to be ready for the coming of your kingdom, help us to live each day according to your word to seek justice, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with you.
Help us each day to confess our weakness, to reach out to those around us who are in need, to forgive others as you forgive us, to serve others as Christ has served us.
Help us each day to first praise you and thank you for your goodness, and to first ask what it is you want us to do, and help us then to do it.
We thank you God for your promise of a world of peace, for your promise that Christ will reign and that he will judge favourably for those who are poor and those who oppressed, that he will smile upon those who are in need, and lift up those who are cast down.
Make us instruments of his grace and his power even now, before his kingdom comes in its fullness. Make us people who seek to bring your blessings of food and clothing - of shelter and warmth, of care and of compassion, of justice and of mercy to those who require it.
Thank you Lord for your many gifts. Help us accept them and help us share them with others. We ask it in the name of Jesus. Amen
Scripture:
Isaiah 41:14-20, Romans 15:14-21
“An Awareness of the Need”
God cares deeply for the poor and needy in our community, for the underprivileged and the marginalized . When He establishes everlasting peace all over the world, He promises to make all things well and never to forsake them. (Isaiah 41:17-19)
Although the universal peace of God is not yet a reality, His heavenly kingdom has already broken in on earth with the good news Jesus proclaims. In Romans 15:20, the apostle Paul makes it his ambition to preach the gospel where Christ was not known. God is deeply aware of our need for His salvation so He gave His son. Paul is keenly aware that the vast number of Gentiles have not yet heard the gospel. Who are those in and even beyond our community whose needs we are called to be aware of?
How beautiful on the mountains
are the feet of the messenger
who brings good news,
the good news of peace and salvation,
the news that the God of Israel reigns!
— Isaiah 52:7 NLT
Application:
Prayer Walk
In hundreds of cities around the world, God is helping Christians to pray as they pass through the streets of their communities.
As you prayer-walk, your prayers extend beyond your own concerns, focusing directly on the needs of others and opening yourself to see them with God’s eyes and heart.[2]
Be intentional as you engage in prayer walk today. While it does not have to be a long walk, pray for the leading of the Holy Spirit before you begin and be attentive to the things to pray for in your community. You can prayer-walk alone in your heart or audibly with a partner- many find that their prayers are more focused when expressed with a friend.
[1] Richard J. Fairchild, "Sermon and Liturgy for Advent 2 - Year A," Sermons and Sermon- Lectionary Resources, http://www.rockies.net/~spirit/sermons/a-ad02sm.php (Accessed on Nov 21, 2013.)
[2] Adapted from “How to Prayerwalk,” http://waymakers.org/pray/prayerwalking/how-to/ (Accessed Nov 21, 2013)
Showing posts with label peace. Show all posts
Showing posts with label peace. Show all posts
Friday, 9 December 2016
Thursday, 8 December 2016
December 8
Prayer:
Prayer: From the very beginning, O God, you have asked us to call you upon, to obey your gracious law, and to turn to you in times of trouble. We have often failed in this. Yet you, O God, have not failed us. We thank you, God, for continuing to reach out to us - for sending to us, in the fullness of time, Jesus Christ, your only Son, to intercede for us, and for pouring out upon us the Holy Spirit, to guide and lead and to comfort and to challenge us day by day. Help us Lord to turn to you, even as you are turned toward us.[1]
Scripture: Psalm 85
“Strife Closed in the Sod”[2]
The peace of God, it is no peace.
But strife closed in the sod.
Yet Christians, pray for but one thing:
That marv’lous peace of God.
— William Alexander Percy (1885-1942)
Strife closed in the sod. Well, I know that William Percy was a southern farmer, a plantation owner. Is it a farming image, pointing to the struggle and hard work, the blisters, the aching back that it takes to make the soil produce? That God’s peace is not a quiet contentment, but that it grows out of struggle and difficulty and pain and suffering? That peace, wholeness, comes after being cut in pieces?
I think so. Let me tell you more about William Percy, who lived nearly all of his life in Greenville, Mississippi… When the Ku Klux Klan came to Greenville, Percy spoke out against them vehemently. Percy raised three orphaned children, sent penniless young people to college, helped the jobless find jobs, and supplemented the salaries of black preachers in the area.
And remember, this is all in the 1920s and 1930s: forty years before the civil rights struggle. But that is how Percy followed God’s will. You know what that would have gotten him, don’t you? Conflict and struggle and pain and suffering… And yet that is where he found God’s peace, “the marv’lous peace of God.”
— Excerpt from Thomas A Renquist’s Topsy-Turvy: Living in the Biblical World: Gospel Sermons for Sundays After Pentecost, p.36.
Application: Praying the Scripture is one of the many ways that we interact with the Word of God. As a spiritual discipline, it helps us become more tuned in to the Father’s heart as we pray His words.
You are invited to pray through Psalm 85, a prayer for restoration from Israel’s national distress and defeat, in which the psalmist struggles to make sense of Israel’s recent suffering as he remembers God’s past mercy on Israel (vv.1-3); asks God to restore Israel (vv.4-6); recalls God’s promises (vv.7-9); and looks to the future God’s righteousness will bring (vv. 10-13).
One way to pray through Psalm 85 is to follow the psalmist’s pattern of prayer as outlined above— read the first section of the psalm, remember what God has done in your life and then pray it; after that, move on to the next section. Another way is to meditate on each verse and then paraphrase it to pray in your own words.
You might also want to continue the spiritual discipline of solitude. Scripture and solitude complement and strengthen one another. Solitude makes soul space to absorb Scripture, particularly when we devote hours to be alone and quiet before the Word of God. Praying Scripture gives us strength to endure and benefit from solitude.[3]
[1]Richard J. Fairchild, "Sermon and Liturgy for Ordinary 17 - Year C," Sermons and Sermon- Lectionary Resources, http://www.rockies.net/~spirit/sermons/c-or17sesu.php (Accessed on Nov 21, 2013.)
[2] Excerpt from Thomas A Renquist, Topsy-Turvy: Living in the Biblical World: Gospel Sermons for Sundays After Pentecost (Middle Third) Cycle C, (Lima, OH: CSS Publishing, 2000), 36.
[3] Bill Gaultiere, "Bible Reading," Soul Shepherding, http://www.soulshepherding.org/2012/08/bible-reading/ (Accessed Nov 21, 2013.)
Prayer: From the very beginning, O God, you have asked us to call you upon, to obey your gracious law, and to turn to you in times of trouble. We have often failed in this. Yet you, O God, have not failed us. We thank you, God, for continuing to reach out to us - for sending to us, in the fullness of time, Jesus Christ, your only Son, to intercede for us, and for pouring out upon us the Holy Spirit, to guide and lead and to comfort and to challenge us day by day. Help us Lord to turn to you, even as you are turned toward us.[1]
Scripture: Psalm 85
“Strife Closed in the Sod”[2]
The peace of God, it is no peace.
But strife closed in the sod.
Yet Christians, pray for but one thing:
That marv’lous peace of God.
— William Alexander Percy (1885-1942)
Strife closed in the sod. Well, I know that William Percy was a southern farmer, a plantation owner. Is it a farming image, pointing to the struggle and hard work, the blisters, the aching back that it takes to make the soil produce? That God’s peace is not a quiet contentment, but that it grows out of struggle and difficulty and pain and suffering? That peace, wholeness, comes after being cut in pieces?
I think so. Let me tell you more about William Percy, who lived nearly all of his life in Greenville, Mississippi… When the Ku Klux Klan came to Greenville, Percy spoke out against them vehemently. Percy raised three orphaned children, sent penniless young people to college, helped the jobless find jobs, and supplemented the salaries of black preachers in the area.
And remember, this is all in the 1920s and 1930s: forty years before the civil rights struggle. But that is how Percy followed God’s will. You know what that would have gotten him, don’t you? Conflict and struggle and pain and suffering… And yet that is where he found God’s peace, “the marv’lous peace of God.”
— Excerpt from Thomas A Renquist’s Topsy-Turvy: Living in the Biblical World: Gospel Sermons for Sundays After Pentecost, p.36.
Application: Praying the Scripture is one of the many ways that we interact with the Word of God. As a spiritual discipline, it helps us become more tuned in to the Father’s heart as we pray His words.
You are invited to pray through Psalm 85, a prayer for restoration from Israel’s national distress and defeat, in which the psalmist struggles to make sense of Israel’s recent suffering as he remembers God’s past mercy on Israel (vv.1-3); asks God to restore Israel (vv.4-6); recalls God’s promises (vv.7-9); and looks to the future God’s righteousness will bring (vv. 10-13).
One way to pray through Psalm 85 is to follow the psalmist’s pattern of prayer as outlined above— read the first section of the psalm, remember what God has done in your life and then pray it; after that, move on to the next section. Another way is to meditate on each verse and then paraphrase it to pray in your own words.
You might also want to continue the spiritual discipline of solitude. Scripture and solitude complement and strengthen one another. Solitude makes soul space to absorb Scripture, particularly when we devote hours to be alone and quiet before the Word of God. Praying Scripture gives us strength to endure and benefit from solitude.[3]
[1]Richard J. Fairchild, "Sermon and Liturgy for Ordinary 17 - Year C," Sermons and Sermon- Lectionary Resources, http://www.rockies.net/~spirit/sermons/c-or17sesu.php (Accessed on Nov 21, 2013.)
[2] Excerpt from Thomas A Renquist, Topsy-Turvy: Living in the Biblical World: Gospel Sermons for Sundays After Pentecost (Middle Third) Cycle C, (Lima, OH: CSS Publishing, 2000), 36.
[3] Bill Gaultiere, "Bible Reading," Soul Shepherding, http://www.soulshepherding.org/2012/08/bible-reading/ (Accessed Nov 21, 2013.)
Wednesday, 7 December 2016
December 7
Scripture:
1 Kings 19:11-12, Philippians 4:5-9
“The Lord is Near”
Few of us would experience the upheavals the prophet Elijah went through in his life of service to God and to the people of Israel. Elijah stood up boldly for God in a time when idolatry had swept his land. He pronounced God’s curse of famine on the land. He came face to face with the false prophets of Baal and called down fire from heaven. He And yet more than twice he had fled for his life.
At the end of his long flight from Mount Carmel to Mount Horeb, Elijah had a supernatural encounter with the living God. There was a whirlwind, an earthquake and a fire on the mountain, but the Lord did not appear to him in any one of them. Instead, the Lord spoke through a “still, small voice” (1 Kings 19:12 KJV). Would we hear God when he whispers to us, “What are you doing here?”
Would we recognize how much He loves us to have a care to just check on us? Would we let on everything that’s going on inside of us, as Elijah did (1 Kings 19:14)? Regardless of the situation we are in, God wants to draw near to us so that His peace, which transcends all understanding, will guard our minds in Christ Jesus. (Phil 4:7)
Breathe through the heats of our desire
Thy coolness and Thy balm;
Let sense be dumb, let flesh retire;
Speak through the earthquake, wind, and fire,
O still, small voice of calm.
— John Greenleaf Whittier (1807-1892)
Application: Solitude Paul’s final exhortation to the Philippians includes what they ought to think and do. Allow some time to immerse yourself in the reading of Philippians 4:5-9 when you practice solitude. What is God speaking to you through His Word? Our time spent in solitude has implications in our active life. It empowers us to love others: “if we’ve truly been with the God of love and his love is purifying us and putting us at peace then we’ll love others better.”[1]
Richard Foster writes, “the fruit of solitude is increased sensitivity and compassion for others. There comes a new freedom to be with people. There is new attentiveness to their needs, new responsiveness to their hurts.”[2]
This Advent week, as we willingly yield to the God of peace, may He enable us to think and act according to His Word in matters that concern others.
Prayer:
A Benediction. (You might consider reading it out loud at the end of your time of solitude to hear these words of blessing.)
Go in peace! Love and care for one another in the name of Christ, And rejoice in the Lord always; again I say, Rejoice! The Lord is at hand. Have no anxiety about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your request be made known to God. And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, will keep your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus; both now and forevermore. Amen[3]
[1] Bill Gaultiere, "Solitude and Silence," Soul Shepherding, http://www.soulshepherding.org/2005/08/solitude-and-silence/ (Accessed Nov 21, 2013.)
[2] Richard J. Foster, Celebration of Discipline: the Path to Spiritual Growth, (San Francisco, Harper & Row, 1988), 95.
[3] Richard J. Fairchild, "Sermon and Liturgy For Advent 03 - Year C," Sermons and Sermon- Lectionary Resources, http://www.rockies.net/~spirit/sermons/c-ad03su.php (Accessed on Nov 21, 2013.)
1 Kings 19:11-12, Philippians 4:5-9
“The Lord is Near”
Few of us would experience the upheavals the prophet Elijah went through in his life of service to God and to the people of Israel. Elijah stood up boldly for God in a time when idolatry had swept his land. He pronounced God’s curse of famine on the land. He came face to face with the false prophets of Baal and called down fire from heaven. He And yet more than twice he had fled for his life.
At the end of his long flight from Mount Carmel to Mount Horeb, Elijah had a supernatural encounter with the living God. There was a whirlwind, an earthquake and a fire on the mountain, but the Lord did not appear to him in any one of them. Instead, the Lord spoke through a “still, small voice” (1 Kings 19:12 KJV). Would we hear God when he whispers to us, “What are you doing here?”
Would we recognize how much He loves us to have a care to just check on us? Would we let on everything that’s going on inside of us, as Elijah did (1 Kings 19:14)? Regardless of the situation we are in, God wants to draw near to us so that His peace, which transcends all understanding, will guard our minds in Christ Jesus. (Phil 4:7)
Breathe through the heats of our desire
Thy coolness and Thy balm;
Let sense be dumb, let flesh retire;
Speak through the earthquake, wind, and fire,
O still, small voice of calm.
— John Greenleaf Whittier (1807-1892)
Application: Solitude Paul’s final exhortation to the Philippians includes what they ought to think and do. Allow some time to immerse yourself in the reading of Philippians 4:5-9 when you practice solitude. What is God speaking to you through His Word? Our time spent in solitude has implications in our active life. It empowers us to love others: “if we’ve truly been with the God of love and his love is purifying us and putting us at peace then we’ll love others better.”[1]
Richard Foster writes, “the fruit of solitude is increased sensitivity and compassion for others. There comes a new freedom to be with people. There is new attentiveness to their needs, new responsiveness to their hurts.”[2]
This Advent week, as we willingly yield to the God of peace, may He enable us to think and act according to His Word in matters that concern others.
Prayer:
A Benediction. (You might consider reading it out loud at the end of your time of solitude to hear these words of blessing.)
Go in peace! Love and care for one another in the name of Christ, And rejoice in the Lord always; again I say, Rejoice! The Lord is at hand. Have no anxiety about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your request be made known to God. And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, will keep your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus; both now and forevermore. Amen[3]
[1] Bill Gaultiere, "Solitude and Silence," Soul Shepherding, http://www.soulshepherding.org/2005/08/solitude-and-silence/ (Accessed Nov 21, 2013.)
[2] Richard J. Foster, Celebration of Discipline: the Path to Spiritual Growth, (San Francisco, Harper & Row, 1988), 95.
[3] Richard J. Fairchild, "Sermon and Liturgy For Advent 03 - Year C," Sermons and Sermon- Lectionary Resources, http://www.rockies.net/~spirit/sermons/c-ad03su.php (Accessed on Nov 21, 2013.)
Tuesday, 6 December 2016
December 6
Scripture:
John 14:27, 1 Thessalonians 4:1-12
“Garlands and the Cross”
What make our lives as followers of Christ different? People from countries that follow Eastern religions may comment that the peace their Christian neighbours have within them is what makes them stand out among others who frequent shrines and temples.
Garlands are offered, incense is burned, and libations are poured out. These gestures illustrate this world’s effort to secure peace and well-being from without.
Jesus promises to give us his peace— not as the world gives. His peace becomes ours to have with the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. We no longer strive for the things of the world but “strive for the things that bring peace and the things that build each other up” (Rom 14:19 CEB). As we make every effort to take up our cross, so the work of Christ may be complete in us, let us also build up our community of faith with the love of Christ. The cross of our Lord Jesus is most evidently witnessed in the lives of His people.
Drop Thy still dews of quietness,
Till all our strivings cease;
Take from our souls the strain and stress,
And let our ordered lives confess
The beauty of Thy peace. — John Greenleaf Whittier (1807-1892)
Application: Solitude, Christian living begins with transformation from within. The question is, are we willing to let go of our futile struggles and let God in? We need to learn to enter God’s peace:[1]
“Once you push through the initial discomfort and challenge of solitude you’ll find that it will bring the wonderful refreshment of God’s peace .Even when we’re in stressful circumstances we can learn to maintain a silent center, a stillness of soul that flows in God’s peace. We come into this peace by training with Jesus in silence and solitude. As we go into the solitary place with the Lord he purges our souls of the distractions, anxieties, and sins that rise to the surface. Then his Holy Spirit like a dove settles on us and leaves us with the gift of peace, a deep and soul-full sense of well-being.”[2]
Jesus calls us to be the salt and light of the world. When our lives manifest the beauty of His peace, all those around us will taste and see the goodness of God.
Prayer:
Gracious God, we thank you for gathering us together in the name of the risen Christ and for the many blessings that bless us with through him and the Holy Spirit.
We praise your most holy name for the life that you pour out upon us, for the love that you embrace us with, for the strength and the hope that you grant us. We receive your many gifts with a sense of awe and humility.
Be present with us dear Lord, and guide us in our time of prayer and meditation, that we might hear what you have to say to us this day, and hearing, might do as you ask. May our lives reflect your goodness and bring to you the praise of others, both now and forevermore. Amen [3]
[1] Bill Gaultiere, "Solitude and Silence," Soul Shepherding, http://www.soulshepherding.org/2005/08/solitude-and-silence/ (Accessed Nov 21, 2013.)
[2]Bill Gaultiere, "Solitude and Silence," Soul Shepherding, http://www.soulshepherding.org/2005/08/solitude-and-silence/ (Accessed Nov 21, 2013.)
[3]Richard J. Fairchild, "Sermon and Liturgy (2) for The Sixth Sunday of Easter - Year C," Sermons and Sermon- Lectionary Resources, http://www.rockies.net/~spirit/sermons/c-ea06sn.php (Accessed on Nov 21, 2013.)
John 14:27, 1 Thessalonians 4:1-12
“Garlands and the Cross”
What make our lives as followers of Christ different? People from countries that follow Eastern religions may comment that the peace their Christian neighbours have within them is what makes them stand out among others who frequent shrines and temples.
Garlands are offered, incense is burned, and libations are poured out. These gestures illustrate this world’s effort to secure peace and well-being from without.
Jesus promises to give us his peace— not as the world gives. His peace becomes ours to have with the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. We no longer strive for the things of the world but “strive for the things that bring peace and the things that build each other up” (Rom 14:19 CEB). As we make every effort to take up our cross, so the work of Christ may be complete in us, let us also build up our community of faith with the love of Christ. The cross of our Lord Jesus is most evidently witnessed in the lives of His people.
Drop Thy still dews of quietness,
Till all our strivings cease;
Take from our souls the strain and stress,
And let our ordered lives confess
The beauty of Thy peace. — John Greenleaf Whittier (1807-1892)
Application: Solitude, Christian living begins with transformation from within. The question is, are we willing to let go of our futile struggles and let God in? We need to learn to enter God’s peace:[1]
“Once you push through the initial discomfort and challenge of solitude you’ll find that it will bring the wonderful refreshment of God’s peace .Even when we’re in stressful circumstances we can learn to maintain a silent center, a stillness of soul that flows in God’s peace. We come into this peace by training with Jesus in silence and solitude. As we go into the solitary place with the Lord he purges our souls of the distractions, anxieties, and sins that rise to the surface. Then his Holy Spirit like a dove settles on us and leaves us with the gift of peace, a deep and soul-full sense of well-being.”[2]
Jesus calls us to be the salt and light of the world. When our lives manifest the beauty of His peace, all those around us will taste and see the goodness of God.
Prayer:
Gracious God, we thank you for gathering us together in the name of the risen Christ and for the many blessings that bless us with through him and the Holy Spirit.
We praise your most holy name for the life that you pour out upon us, for the love that you embrace us with, for the strength and the hope that you grant us. We receive your many gifts with a sense of awe and humility.
Be present with us dear Lord, and guide us in our time of prayer and meditation, that we might hear what you have to say to us this day, and hearing, might do as you ask. May our lives reflect your goodness and bring to you the praise of others, both now and forevermore. Amen [3]
[1] Bill Gaultiere, "Solitude and Silence," Soul Shepherding, http://www.soulshepherding.org/2005/08/solitude-and-silence/ (Accessed Nov 21, 2013.)
[2]Bill Gaultiere, "Solitude and Silence," Soul Shepherding, http://www.soulshepherding.org/2005/08/solitude-and-silence/ (Accessed Nov 21, 2013.)
[3]Richard J. Fairchild, "Sermon and Liturgy (2) for The Sixth Sunday of Easter - Year C," Sermons and Sermon- Lectionary Resources, http://www.rockies.net/~spirit/sermons/c-ea06sn.php (Accessed on Nov 21, 2013.)
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