Prayers for hurtful comments...

Bind it. Remove it.

Reveal it. What is done in darkness may be brought to the light. Pray that God would reveal hidden agendas.

My Heart Hurts

It's advent, so we're supposed to hurt a little.
We're supposed to confess and be helpless--leaning on our saviour.

But it just plain aches when you know someone who is desperately sinking in the midst of addiction.

...and their partner can't carry the struggle
because they don't have any more trust to lose.

And it's awful when folk come to the church broken and beaten by life
...when pregnant mothers lose their jobs, but still have four kids to feed

 ...when women who make JUST enough to pay the rent can't pay the other bills
(and don't qualify for aid because they aren't technically homeless)

I can't fix it.

I can't heal it.

God, it hurts to even touch it!

In my heart, the words of Habakkuk echo:

How long, LORD, must I call for help, but you do not listen?
Why do you make me look at injustice?
Destruction and violence are before me; there is strife, and conflict abounds.

And God answers:
""Look at the nations and watch-- and be utterly amazed. For I am going to do something in your days that you would not believe, even if you were told."

Maranatha, Lord Jesus. Maranatha.

The scent of Holy

I opened my Bible this morning and found that the pages still smell like anointing oil from yesterday's baptism (frankincense and myrrh). 

...Holiness tends to linger, doesn't it?

·     

· Scriptural Images for anointing oil:

  Exodus 30:22-30 (God commands special oil for marking things as holy in the tabernacle)

·         Psalm 45:7, Hebrews 1:9 –Old testament and New testament image for anointing with “oil of gladness”

·         Psalm 23:5 -- who doesn’t love the 23^rd Psalm? There’s anointing here, too.

·         Luke 4:18, Isaiah 61:1 –Jesus Christ, the anointed one. Notice that he is anointed in order to do good works. Izzy will be anointed in order to participate in Christ’s work.

·         **2 Corinthians 1:21-22** This is the perfect image for baptismal anointing: God marks and seals us in Christ by the Spirit.
    (click here to read them online)

Blessed Are the Poured in Spirit

Then afterwards
   I will pour out my spirit on all flesh;
your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
   your old men shall dream dreams,
   and your young men shall see visions.
Even on the male and female slaves,
   in those days, I will pour out my spirit. 

~Joel 2:23-32

Art and Preaching Project

One of my contingencies assigned by the BOOM is to do an "independent study incorporating art and preaching." I'm still entirely sure what that means, but I have an incredible mentor to work with and I know that I need to get started. So....Inspired by The Painted Prayer Book, I've decided that one element of this project will be adding art to my exegetical process for sermon prep.  (total disclaimer: I'm more of a dabbler than an artist, so these pieces are more about exploration than expression).

Since starting, I've preached four sermons:

"Hydration" based on Jeremiah 2:4-13

 *for this sermon, I made sure to have a pitcher and glass of water....pausing to drink throughout.*

"99 Problems and a Sheep on the Run" based on Luke 15:1-10

"The More Excellent Way" c.f. 1 Timothy 6:6-12, 17-19

"Prayers for Babylon" Jeremiah 29:1, 4-7

Luke 11:1-13 (Sermon Leftovers)

• The friend is a little grumpy about waking up (understandably, so—it’s midnight and the home is likely a one-room place. If you’ve ever tried to get several children and animals to sleep, you can imagine how complicated it would’ve been to get everyone to sleep. He would’ve had to get up, light a lamp, unbolt the heavy door, get bread... It makes total sense for the sleeping man to say something like, “Seriously? I just got the kids to sleep—I’m not waking everyone up just because you didn’t plan ahead for your guest...”) ---BUT, Jesus says, “I tell you, even if he doesn’t give bread for the sake of friendship, because of his persistence he will get up and give him whatever he needs.”   
• Persistence. I’ve also seen this word translated as “shameless impudence” or “unembarrassed boldness” “extreme, excessive perseverance”…In other words, Jesus says that the grumpy sleeper might not hand bread over for the sake of friendship, but he’ll at least do it to make the annoying guy go away. That cracks me up.
  ...And in verse 9 where Jesus says to seek, ask, knock and the door will be open—he seems to mean the same kind of boldness. The ‘knock’ Jesus uses—it doesn’t mean that it happens once. The verb actually means “keep knocking” ---*knock******** and the door will be opened.
• “Be persistent in prayer” is one interpretation of this parable (kind of like the widow and the unjust judge in Luke 18)…  “You want to learn how to pray?” says Jesus, “Then pray. Keep praying at all hours. Pray at midnight, pray in the morning, pray in the car, you can even pray in the bathroom…just keep praying.”
  
• Compare Luke 11:1  (“teach us to pray!”) to Luke 5:33 where Jesus’ disciples are accused of NOT praying: “John’s disciples fast and pray,” said the Pharisees, “but your disciples eat and drink….”    àon this note, it’s interesting that the disciples are just now—in Luke 11--asking Jesus about prayer. They have already done some intense things thus far (healing, preaching, casting out daemons, etc…) The question of prayer here in Luke 11 might be linked Jesus’ response to the Pharisees back in chapter 5 (“The days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast in those days…’). Perhaps this inquisition about prayer foreshadows and anticipates Jesus’ departure.
  
• The prayer that Jesus teaches here in Luke 11 (the Lord’s Prayer)  is one that brings us together as a church through time and space…but this way of praying also lines our hearts and prayers up with Jesus.
  
• In a small group this past week, someone admitted that prayer is something they often take for granted: “It’s often something we do maybe once a month in church and we’re good; but prayer needs to be a part of our whole life. Something we actually do on a regular basis. My wife and I prayed together this past week and it made a huge difference in our lives.”
  
• There isn’t an easy answer for how to pray. There’s no singular step-by-step process which lines out the ‘right way.’ Nor, I believe, is there an authentic ‘wrong’ way.

“Our Father who art in heaven, Daddy, Abba, help us to honor your name. Establish your ways here on earth just like they are in heaven. Give us food for today—and forgive us because we are forgiving other people too. And protect us from evil and temptation.”

On the topic of grief

...the content in this video is really good. Who doesn't love the skit guys?* I just wish the film quality didn't feel like a wanna-be Nooma film (background sounds, slo-mo sequences, etc...).

*note:I'm slowly learning that there ARE certain points where my theology and the skits guys' diverge (like a few lines from 'The Parachute') but I'm mostly a fan.