Friday, November 27, 2015

Try This: Get Specific

Often at Thanksgiving when I make my list of the things I am thankful for, it becomes a list of general statements... family, friends, health, etc... and that's a good list.

But what would it be like to get specific? What about this year making a list that names names, that spells it out, that really says for whom and for what I am thankful?

I challenge you this year to get specific in our gratitude.
For whom are you grateful this year?
What relationships do you give thanks to God for?
List them by name:



What life opportunities are you grateful for?
List them by name with details:



What realities of your health are you grateful for?
List the details here:



What else do you need to say, "Thank you" for?
Get specific and list them here:




Now read those lists.
Pray through those lists.
Lift each one up to God.
Get specific with God.

God knows each hair on your head,
it's about time you got to know
each blessing God's given you.

Thursday, November 26, 2015

A Thanksgiving Psalm

Some time ago when I was small, my mother started a tradition in my family at Thanksgiving. At the start of the big meal, we read together Psalm 100.  As my brother and I have grown, married, and added children to the family, the ritual continues. 

The ritual is a reminder of who we are as the Grateful People of God.  It is a passing of our faith in a Faithful God from one generation to another.

I invite you to join us praying this ancient prayer of Thanksgiving to God:

Psalm 100
1 Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth.
2 Worship the Lord with gladness;
come before him with joyful songs.
3 Know that the Lord is God.
It is he who made us, and we are his;
we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.

4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving
and his courts with praise;
give thanks to him and praise his name.
5 For the Lord is good and his love endures forever;
his faithfulness continues through all generations.

Mighty God,
by your power you created us,
and by your goodness you call us to be your people.
Accept the offering of our worship
that every race and nation 
may enter your courts,
praising you in song;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. 
Amen.

prayer from the Book of Common Worship

Wednesday, November 25, 2015

GRIEF and SADNESS at Holidays

Lord,
Thanksgiving (and other Holidays) are not so easy.

Old wounds buried deep still hurt.
Seats are empty
because of death,
or divorce,
or divisive words.
Our old disagreements still linger.

Try as we do
mistakes will be made
words will be said
turkeys will be dry
hurt will be felt
tears will fall.

Lord,
at this holiday season
give us an extra measure of grace
a little more patience,
a deep breath to calm us,
a minute more to hold our tongue,
a listening heart that seeks compassion,
a shoulder to cry on,
a loving embrace...

And if it's not asking too much, Lord,
give us a precious memory
to hold
to remember
to celebrate
that will illicit from our lips
a whispered, heartfelt,
"Thank you."
Amen.

Monday, November 23, 2015

I GIVE THANKS.

Lord,
how fortunate we are
in the United States
to have a holiday
designated to say,
"Thank you!"

It is one of my favorite holidays,
not because of the food,
not because of the football,
not because of the black Friday sales...
I love Thanksgiving because I need to say,
"Thank you."

Thank you to my family for loving me.
Thank you to my friends who stand beside me.
Thank you to my church for challenging me to grow in faith.
Thank you to my mentors who show the way.
Thank you for all the goodness that is mine to share.

And THANK YOU to You, Lord,
for all...
all that I am,
all that I have,
all that I can do,
all that I enjoy,
all that I take for granted.
All.
All is from you,
a gift to me.

So, Thank you.
With my words,
with my actions,
with how I use my abilities,
with how I use my resources,
with how I love,
with how I treat my neighbors,
with how I love my enemies,
with every breath and heart beat:
Thank you, God.

Not just on Thanksgiving Day,
but everyday you give me:
THANK YOU!
Amen.

Friday, November 20, 2015

Jesus the King

Sunday, November 22 is Christ the King Sunday.
As that day approaches, I have been reflecting on the Three-fold office of Christ: Prophet, Priest, and King. This week's prayers will reflect on how Jesus is for us all three: Prophet, Priest, and King.

JOHN 18:33-37
Then Pilate entered the headquarters again, summoned Jesus, and asked him, "Are you the King of the Jews?" Jesus answered, "Do you ask this on your own, or did others tell you about me?" Pilate replied, "I am not a Jew, am I? Your own nation and the chief priests have handed you over to me. What have you done?" Jesus answered, "My kingdom is not from this world. If my kingdom were from this world, my followers would be fighting to keep me from being handed over to the Jews. But as it is, my kingdom is not from here." Pilate asked him, "So you are a king?" Jesus answered, "You say that I am a king. For this I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice."
Lord Jesus,
You are King of Kings
and Lord of Lords!
You are enthroned among the heavens,
King over all creation.

Jesus, our King, you
govern us by your Word and Spirit.
You guard us and protect us
keeping us always in the freedom
you have won for us in victory over life and death.
You uphold justice in your righteousness.

And even now you are accomplishing
your kingdom come
your will be done
on earth as it is in heaven.

Of your kingdom, Lord Jesus,
there is no end.

Today, Lord Jesus,
I bow my knee
to serve you, my King,
the King of Peace,
the King of Righteousness,
the King of Grace,
the King of Reconciliation,
the Servant King.
To you, and you alone,
do I pledge allegiance.
You reign in power and grace
on the throne of my life.
Thanks be to God!
Amen.

The Heidelberg Catechism 
Question 31: Why is he called "Christ," meaning "anointed"?
Answer:
Because he has been ordained by God the Father and has been anointed with the Holy Spirit to be
our chief prophet and teacher
who perfectly reveals to us
the secret counsel and will of God for our deliverance;
our only high priest
who has set us free by the one sacrifice of his body,
and who continually pleads our cause with the Father;
and our eternal king
who governs us by his Word and Spirit,
and who guards us and keeps us
in the freedom he has won for us.

Thursday, November 19, 2015

Jesus the Priest

Sunday, November 22 is Christ the King Sunday.
As that day approaches, I have been reflecting on the Three-fold office of Christ: Prophet, Priest, and King. This week's prayers will reflect on how Jesus is for us all three: Prophet, Priest, and King.

Hebrews 4:14-16
Since, then, we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast to our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who in every respect has been tested as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
Lord Jesus,
you are the Great High Priest.
You stand before God
interceding for us,
praying on our behalf.

You hear our confession
and declare to us the words of God's forgiveness.
More than that you yourself enact forgiveness!
Through your perfect sacrifice on the cross,
our sins are forgiven;
our lives are made new!

You, Lord Jesus,
are the Great High Priest.
Pray for us now
and at the hour of our death.
Amen.

The Heidelberg Catechism 
Question 31: Why is he called "Christ," meaning "anointed"?
Answer:
Because he has been ordained by God the Father and has been anointed with the Holy Spirit to be
our chief prophet and teacher
who perfectly reveals to us
the secret counsel and will of God for our deliverance;
our only high priest
who has set us free by the one sacrifice of his body,
and who continually pleads our cause with the Father;
and our eternal king
who governs us by his Word and Spirit,
and who guards us and keeps us
in the freedom he has won for us.

Tuesday, November 17, 2015

Jesus the Prophet

Sunday, November 22 is Christ the King Sunday.
As that day approaches, I have been reflecting on the Three-fold office of Christ: Prophet, Priest, and King. This week's prayers will reflect on how Jesus is for us all three: Prophet, Priest, and King.


John 14:8-11
Philip said to him, “Lord, show us the Father, and we will be satisfied.”  Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and you still do not know me? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?  Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own; but the Father who dwells in me does his works. Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; but if you do not, then believe me because of the works themselves..."

Lord Jesus,
you are
the Great Prophet
in word and power.

Just as the prophets of old,
in your words you speak to us
the voice of God, 
the Word of God,
the wisdom and teachings of God.

You show us God.
You reveal to us the nature of God.
Just as the prophets of old,
You point us 
beyond yourself to the very heart of God.

You act on behalf of God
giving blessings,
calling for repentance,
challenging unfaithfulness,
calling forth justice & righteous from our lives.

You, Lord Jesus,
are God's Prophet.
Speak again to your people.
Open our eyes to see God at work.
Call us to repentance and faithfulness:
"Seek first the kingdom of God and God's righteousness."

Speak, O Great Prophet,
we are listening!
Amen.


The Heidelberg Catechism 
Question 31: Why is he called "Christ," meaning "anointed"?
Answer:
Because he has been ordained by God the Father and has been anointed with the Holy Spirit to be
our chief prophet and teacher
who perfectly reveals to us
the secret counsel and will of God for our deliverance;
our only high priest
who has set us free by the one sacrifice of his body,
and who continually pleads our cause with the Father;
and our eternal king
who governs us by his Word and Spirit,
and who guards us and keeps us
in the freedom he has won for us.

Monday, November 16, 2015

Prayer in Times of Violence

A prayer for Paris, Beirut, and Baghdad

God of mercy, whose presence sustains us in every circumstance,
in the midst of unfolding violence and the aftermath of terror and loss,
we seek the grounding power of your love and compassion.
In these days of fearful danger and division, we need to believe somehow that your kindom of peace in which all nations and tribes and languages dwell together in peace is still a possibility.
Give us hope and courage that we may not yield our humanity to fear.., even in these endless days of dwelling in the valley of the shadow of death.

We pray for neighbors in Paris, in Beirut, in Baghdad, who, in the midst of the grace of ordinary life--while at work, or at play, have been violently assaulted, their lives cut off without mercy.

We are hostages of fear, caught in an escalating cycle of violence whose end can not be seen.

We open our hearts in anger, sorrow and hope: that those who have been spared as well as those whose lives are changed forever may find solace, sustenance, and strength in the days of recovery and reflection that come. We give thanks for strangers who comfort the wounded and who welcome stranded strangers, for first responders who run toward the sound of gunfire and into the smoke and fire of bombing sites.

Once again, Holy One, we cry, how long, O Lord? We seek forgiveness for the ways in which we have tolerated enmity and endured cultures of violence with weary resignation. We grieve the continued erosion of the fabric of our common life, the reality of fear that warps the common good. We pray in grief, remembering the lives that have been lost and maimed, in body or spirit.

We ask for sustaining courage for those who are suffering; wisdom and diligence among global and national agencies and individuals assessing threat and directing relief efforts; and for our anger and sorrow to unite in service to the establishment of a reign of peace, where the lion and the lamb may dwell together, and terror will not hold sway over our common life.

In these days of shock and sorrow, open our eyes, our hearts, and our hands to the movements of your Spirit, who flows in us like the river whose streams makes glad the city of God, and the hearts of all who dwell in it, and in You.

In the name of Christ, our healer and our Light, we pray, Amen.

Prayer by the Rev. Dr. Laurie Ann Kraus
Coordinator, Presbyterian Disaster Assistance, PC(USA)

We also remember Burundi and South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo and Yemen and Syria and the Central African Republic and the United States and all places where violence recently occurred that did not make the news.

Shared from: https://www.pcusa.org/blogs/swords-plowshares/2015/11/13/prayer-paris-beirut-and-baghdad/

Sunday, November 15, 2015

COMMIT: Giving ourselves to God

Today is Dedication Sunday at Elizabethtown Presbyterian Church.
In worship, the congregation will be invited to Commit themselves to God.

Together as we worship, we will process forward and place our pledge cards of time, talent, influence, and money on a table. Our action is significant.

The table that will receive our commitments is the historic communion table of the congregation.  It dates back to 1834.  At this simple table, God's people have been nourished on God's grace offered in the broken bread and poured out cup reminders of Christ's sacrifice for us.

We return to this table of grace to dedicate ourselves, to commit to God, to say, "Thank you."

The question of stewardship is NOT:
How much the church needs to receive?
but rather:
How much do you need to give?

We give thee but thine own,
Whate'er the gift may be,
For all we have is thine alone,
A trust, O Lord, from thee.
May we thy bounties thus
As stewards true receive,
And gladly, as thou blessest us,
To thee our firstfruits give.

Thursday, November 12, 2015

Is God Really in Charge here??

MARK 13:1-8
As he came out of the temple, one of his disciples said to him, "Look, Teacher, what large stones and what large buildings!" Then Jesus asked him, "Do you see these great buildings? Not one stone will be left here upon another; all will be thrown down."
When he was sitting on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter, James, John, and Andrew asked him privately, "Tell us, when will this be, and what will be the sign that all these things are about to be accomplished?" Then Jesus began to say to them, "Beware that no one leads you astray. Many will come in my name and say, 'I am he!' and they will lead many astray. When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed; this must take place, but the end is still to come. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; there will be earthquakes in various places; there will be famines. This is but the beginning of the birthpangs.
Lord,
you catch me
standing,
staring,
mouth open,
amazed at the grandeur
of technology,
wealth,
a wide world made small,
the accomplishments of human ingenuity.

You remind me that
it all will be thrown down.

And you give me a warning:
"Beware that no one leads you astray..."
There will be false prophets;
there will be wars and threats of war;
nations will rise up again other nations;
there will be earthquakes and famines...

You tell me all this will happen,
and in the midst of it all,
you say to me:
"Do not be alarmed;
this must take place..."

Your words are a reminder
that even in all of this chaos,
even in all of this warring madness,
even in all of this sickness unto death,
in spite of all the evidence to the contrary:
You, O Lord, are in charge.

You are still, Lord of ALL.
So today
in the midst of loneliness,
in the midst of pain,
in the midst of illness,
in the midst of death,
in the midst of political debates,
in the midst of wrangling of words,
in the midst of wringing of hands,
in the midst of the grandeur
of technology, wealth, a wide world made small,
the accomplishments of human ingenuity
You, O Lord, are in charge.

Your purposes cannot be stopped.
Your love WILL continue to reach out
to the ends of the earth.
This is just the beginning
of what you are doing!

Today, Lord,
I stand in the confidence
that YOU ARE IN CHARGE.
I am glad I am not.
Help me do what I can
to extend your love
among my circle of influence
and beyond.
Amen.

Tuesday, November 10, 2015

Prayer for Veteran's Day

Lord,
today I lift up
to you
all those who have served
and continue to serve
the United States as soldiers.

Thank you for their commitment
to uphold the constitution of this great nation
and to defend us from every enemy.

Thank you for the sacrifices
their families make everyday
so that I can enjoy life freely
without thought of our nation's safety.

Growing up in a military town,
I remember well the families
with one member
so far away
in danger
facing the real possibility
of never coming home.

O God,
I join with your faithful
longing for a day
when our industry will be
in making tools of hospitality and welcome
instead of war and destruction.

Until that day, O God
Be the rear guard for our soldiers.
Be the stronghold
for their families.
Bring them home soon.
Amen.

Saturday, November 7, 2015

COMMIT: Giving richly

Mark 12:41-44
He sat down opposite the treasury, and watched the crowd putting money into the treasury. Many rich people put in large sums. A poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which are worth a penny. Then he called his disciples and said to them, "Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the treasury. For all of them have contributed out of their abundance; but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on."

Yes, I'm among the rich 
in this story, Lord.
I too contribute out of my abundance.
It's is an abundance you give me,
a gift of grace that I do not deserve.

Sure I work hard.
But even the ability to work,
the gifts I have in my work,
the opportunities I have through my work...
They all come from you, Lord.
Thank you.

But I wonder:
What would I give if I gave like the widow?
How would life be different 
if I became more conscious of my dependency on you?
I pray daily, "Give us this day our daily bread."
Would I complain less?
Would I be more grateful?
Would I not want so much more?
Would I silence the voices 
telling me I need more to be happy?
Would I be content?
Would I share more with others?

Lord,
help me gain a new perspective.
Reset my desire for more.
Give me a desire to give generously
giving richly out of my dependence on you.
Amen.

Thursday, November 5, 2015

Be Present with God

Lord,
I am often caught between
longing for the joys of my college days
(good friends, good learning, strong mentors, spiritual growth)
and my imagined future
(deeper friendships, financial security, life changing ministries).

You know I struggle to be
in the present fully
enjoying what you, Lord,
have put right in front of me.

I was reminded this week in a blog post from: http://mattham.com/2015/11/distant/
Matt Ham writes:
"I believe God seems distant to so many of us because the modern-day plague of our culture is the abandonment of the here and now. We eagerly trade every gift of the present for some far-off future promise—we live in constant pursuit of the rainbow's end. Or, we abandon the opportunity of the present for the regret of the past.
Inevitably, we spend our days relishing in the past or relentlessly chasing our future. It's no wonder God seems distant."
Lord,
remind me
to look right in front of me
and be present in this moment,
your moment,
the place where 
"once was" and "will be" 
collide.
Amen.


Be present to God today:
  • Turn off your cellphone
  • Be still
  • Watch the sunrise
  • Pray
  • Take a walk outside
  • Read Psalm 46
Richness and rest
intimacy and peace
contentment and joy
can only be found in the present.
_______________
thoughts in this prayer adapted from http://mattham.com/2015/11/distant/

Put GOD first!

PSALM 127:1-2
Unless the LORD builds the house,
those who build it labor in vain.
Unless the LORD guards the city,
the guard keeps watch in vain.
It is in vain that you rise up early
and go late to rest,
eating the bread of anxious toil;
for he gives sleep to his beloved.

Lord,
the psalm writer is clear:
Put the LORD first!

Work, rest, eating, toil,
building, guarding...
it is all nothingness
if You, Lord, are not first in all things.

Today, Lord,
I will put You first,
so that at the end of my days
I will rest forever in your embrace.
Amen.

Tuesday, November 3, 2015

BIG Questions: What should I do?

BIG QUESTIONS:
What does the future hold?

I pray often for students
who are in college,
for young adults
asking the questions:

What should I do?
What should I major in?
What is next for me?

These are BIG questions!
They are the questions of purpose, of vision, of "why?".

The answers to these questions can drive the next few decades of life! If the questions are left unanswered, or at least never wrestled with, then the future will be unfulfilling and unsettled.

Below is a link to a video in which I share some thoughts on what God says about our future.



BIG Questions: What Should I Do With My Life? from Etown Presbyterian Church on Vimeo.

Monday, November 2, 2015

HUMILITY and compassion

MARK 12:38-40
As he taught, he said, "Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes, and to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces, and to have the best seats in the synagogues and places of honor at banquets!They devour widows' houses and for the sake of appearance say long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation."
Lord,
I too like my robe.
It's my doctoral preaching robe--
the one with red pipping
around the velvet stripes.
It reminds me
of the ones worn
by many of my mentors.

Why do I wear the robe?
Because I'm proud of my doctoral studies?
As a symbol of my office as minister?
To gain respect from others?
Maybe a little...
But mostly I wear the robe
to cover up
an act of humility
so that it's not what
I'm wearing that matters
but the Word of God that I proclaim.

Lord,
your warning is not
just about robes is it.
There are so many things we put on
to seem important:
the car we drive,
the title on our resume,
the names we drop,
the shirts we wear
from our exotic vacations,
the labels on our clothes,
the names of our neighborhoods...
All symbols of how we want to be perceived.
Seeking respect,
the best seats,
the places of honor.

But, Lord,
you show us a different way.
You dress in compassion.
Instead of dropping names,
you drop to your knees to serve.
You live among the poor.
Your friends are the least of these.
Not symbols,
but the reality
of your kingdom come
your willing being done
on earth as it is in heaven.

Teach us to put away our symbols of success
and take up your cross.
Help us commit to loving you
and loving others.
Working together to make a difference
in the lives of the people who surround us.
Amen.