A Prayer for our churches and our cities and communities for Pentecost 2019; based on Psalm 104, Genesis 11:1-9, Acts 2:1-21, 1 Cor 12:3-13, Romans 8:14-17, John 20:19-23, John 14:8-27, and the Collect and Preface for this Sunday from the BCP

Almighty God, on this day, through the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, you revealed the way of eternal life to every race and nation: Pour out this gift anew at our churches and in Oklahoma, that by the preaching of the Gospel your salvation may reach to the ends of the earth; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
Bless the LORD, O my soul! O LORD my God, you are very great! And we thank you for all your mighty works in the world, in our cities and communities, and at our churches. You created the world in the beginning, and you are over everything that happens in it, and so we look to You, O LORD. We praise you, O LORD for what you do, what you are doing, and what you will do here in our cities and communities and at our churches. May we never think so much of ourselves that we try to rise to your level. Protect us from the temptation of Satan, the temptation of Babel, the temptation to think we here at our churches are so great, but instead let us humbly rest in the fact that YOU are so great and loving and trustworthy and sovereign! May we at our churches and in our cities and communities this day see people hear the gospel and turn to Jesus in faith. On the day of Pentecost nearly 2000 years ago you brought thousands to yourself in the city that day. Would you work the same miracle here in our cities and communities through our churches and all the churches in our cities and communities today?
Lord, we thank you for the gifts you give your church for ministry, and we ask that you provide all those gifts to our churches so we may minister to our cities and communities well. We especially thank you for Doug and Casey and the elders and pastors and deacons of City Pres, and ask you to continue to use them to lead our churches forward in ministering to our cities and communities. Enable especially Doug and Casey today as they preach and lead, that our churches would hear that by the Spirit we also get the privilege of calling you not just our LORD, but our FATHER! Thank you, Father. Thank you, Abba! Holy Spirit, would you bear witness to our souls this Sunday (and every day) through the worship and through the Word that God is our Father, Jesus is our Savior, and you Holy Spirit live in us, so now we are in union with Christ! Jesus in us and us in Jesus, just as Jesus in his Father and the Father in Jesus. Wow, we’re not even totally sure what that means, but it’s amazing and we thank you we have this incredible truth to lean on and consider and enjoy! Thank you Jesus, that because of what you did on the cross for us, we are not orphans, but rather we have seen the Father, and he is OUR Father. Holy Spirit, continue to teach us here at our churches, bringing to our minds remembrance of what Jesus has taught, giving us peace, keeping our hearts from being troubled or afraid, as we prepare to go out to serve our cities and communities in your name this week.
May the glory of the LORD endure forever; may the LORD rejoice in his works here in our cities and communities! We will sing to the LORD as long as we live; we will sing praise to our God while we have being. May our meditations here at our churches be pleasing to you, for we rejoice in the LORD. Bless the LORD, O my soul! Praise the LORD!
Through Jesus Christ our Lord; according to whose most true promise, the Holy Spirit came down from heaven, lighting upon the disciples, to teach them and to lead them into all truth, giving them boldness and fervent zeal constantly to preach the Gospel to all nations; by which we have been brought out of darkness and error into the clear light and true knowledge of you, and of your Son Jesus Christ. Amen.

My Prayer for our churches, cities, and communities for the 5th Sunday of Eastertide 2019; based on Leviticus: 19:1–18, Acts 11:1-18, 13:44-52, 14:21-27, Psalm 145, 148, Revelation 19:1-9, 21:1-6, and John 13:31-35

Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, I thank you for your work in the world. You have been at work since the beginning, you are at work in your People, and you will be at work until the day that all nations, tongues, and peoples worship you. You are at work right now in our churches and our cities and communities. Praise the LORD! Glory be to your name. Lord, Glorify your name through our lives. Holy Spirit, help us, help me, help our churches , help us to be a witness to the world by how we would love one another, and how we would live lives of blessing our cities and communities and their people, and may we see many join us in praising your name, being washed by the blood of the Lamb who was slain. Help us to honor you in all we do, worshipping you in ways that you are pleased with, serving our cities and communities and welcoming others in ways you are glad to use to make the name of Jesus known. Bring many to salvation, this salvation you opened up to all who repent and believe. We ask that you would be with us and help us to bring honor to you, help us to love our neighbor as ourselves, let us see your Holy Spirit raining down on our churches and on our cities and communities, that others would join us in saying, “Praise the LORD!” We thank you for the blessings you have given and will give our churches and our cities and communities. We look to you, for we know this is all your work. Let us be a part of it, because we love you. I especially pray that you would use the worship of our churches this Sunday to prepare us to live lives like this for you and for blessing our cities and communities in the week to come. (My Prayer for our churches ND our cities and communities for the 5th Sunday of Eastertide 2019; based on Leviticus: 19:1–18, Acts 11:1-18, 13:44-52, 14:21-27, Psalm 145, 148, Revelation 19:1-9, 21:1-6, and John 13:31-35) But chiefly we are bound to praise You for the glorious resurrection of your Son Jesus Christ our Lord; for he is the very Paschal Lamb, who was sacrificed for us, and has taken away the sin of the world; who by his death has destroyed death, and by his rising to life again has won for us everlasting life. (Preface from BCP for Eastertide) Almighty God, whom truly to know is everlasting life: Grant us so perfectly to know your Son Jesus Christ to be the way, the truth, and the life, that we may steadfastly follow his steps in the way that leads to eternal life; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.(Collect from BCP for 5th Sunday in Easter)

My Prayer for Churches for the Fourth Sunday of Easter 2019

Father, I thank you for our churches and that you are our great shepherd. I thank you that your sheep always respond to your call because the Lamb who was slain has bought our salvation. I ask that you be at work in our cities and communities this Sunday and guide them to lie down in green pastures, that you would indeed make their cups overflow so that would enjoy you all the days of their life. I thank you, Jesus the Good Shepherd, that you love us so much that you would shepherd foolish sheep like us. Guide our churches to the under-shepherd you are leading to be their pastor, whether it’s me or another, that our churches may more and more be about your word, serving our cities and communities, and the world, calling other sheep home (may they see many lost sheep put their faith in Jesus even this Sunday and this week) and may your name be glorified through their worship and through their whole lives this coming week. Holy Spirit, be at work helping the people of our churches and our cities and communitieshear the voice of Jesus this coming week, and use their worship to start just that. Be with us all and guide us. We know you will, and we love you for that Lord. We pray together, in Jesus’s name. Amen. (My Prayer for our churches and our cities and communities on the Fourth Sunday of Easter 2019, based on Acts 9:36-43, Psalm 23, Revelation 7:9-17, John 10:22-30)
O God, whose Son Jesus is the good shepherd of your people: Grant that when we hear his voice we may know him who calls us each by name, and follow where he leads; who, with you and the Holy Spirit, lives and reigns, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. (BCP 4th Sunday in Easter)

Working to the Glory of God and Boasting: Inspiration from the Bible and Steve Jobs

Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not as for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are a servant of Jesus Christ.(Colossians 3:23-24 ESV)

Whatever you do, in word or deed, do all things in the name of Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him. (Colossians 3:17 ESV)

So, whether you eat or drink, do all things to the glory of God. (1 Corinthians 10:31)

In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in Heaven. (Matt. 5:16)

So, I’m working at Homeland now as a Produce Stocker. And while I’m there during the day, it’s actually incredibly easy to use my time to memorize Scripture. So, I’m carrying around a baggy with Scripture cards in it, and I just switch them out as I get them memorized. I memorize it, think about it, pray through, then review, and start the next one.

But these texts which I memorized today really leave me pondering a lot of things. What does it mean to do all things to the glory of God? What is Produce Stocking to the glory of God? Or Produce Stocking in the name of Jesus Christ? How will it affect me if I work as for the Lord and not as for men.

Well, I started exploring that. And, it makes a difference, I’m not sure how or why, but especially I started asking, How is God writing my story? Why am I here? I’m really struggling with why I’ve been rejected at every job I’ve applied for except this one that someone else got me and I didn’t even apply for? Why is this happening? Why am I here? Can God really be using this to help compel me towards ministry, how is God using this in my life?

And I found a strangely compelling answer as I read The Innovation Secrets of Steve Jobs. Jobs spent a good part of his life seeking out new experiences. He went to India, took a calligraphy class, even worked on an apple farm (that’s actually how Apple became, well, “Apple”.) Innovation, the books says, is spurred on by having new experiences, by doing things you wouldn’t normally do.

Produce stocking is definitely something new for me. What’s more, I’m getting experience that many of the people I will some day pastor, whether I become a vocational pastor or not, will have had, or will be having. What’s more than that, frankly, it’s humbling me, because I don’t feel like I should be here. Anyways, I want to reflect and write more, but I have to go back to work now. Ugh.

Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring. Proverbs 27:1 ESV

I feel like this is part of what God is trying to teach me right now. This Proverb keeps coming up. Whether I run into in a book, on the internet, or the Lord just sees fit to bring it to my mind all the time.

            And maybe it’s not as much the “about tomorrow. . .” part that God is trying to teach me, though that is certainly in there. I think it’s more the “Do not boast” part that God is trying to get through my thick skull.

            But, you know, I boasted I was going to seminary, I am, eventually, but it’s getting put off a little longer than I thought. I thought I was going one great job after another, and pretty confidently told people I was going to get this job or that job without knowing, and you know what? They all fell through, I’ve gotten none of them so far, I’ve been rejected by all of them, and so am stuck at Homeland as a Produce Stocker (which isn’t terrible work, don’t get me wrong, but that minimum wage just doesn’t work without the budget we planned on with a baby on the way.) I’ve thought I was going to do lots of things, whether it was things I’d do at CtK, things I’d do with City Pres, things I would do in music, jobs I thought I’d get, things I thought I’d do, and things just have this way of falling through on most things which I tell people I will do. And then God keeps bringing this to me. And I wonder if he isn’t trying to teach me something.

            And you’ve got to understand, I’m not saying, well, if you tell people what you’re going to do, God will thwart you, I’m saying God is teaching me not to BOAST. I keep BOASTING about what it is I am going to do. I want to impress people. I want people to like me. I want people to think I’m great. I want people to want me to be a part of their stuff and think I’m cool. And I constantly hurt my relationships, because I’m afraid people won’t like me. I fear not being liked. I have a fear of man. Being liked, well liked, and having people think I’m awesome and good at stuff is an idol, and I spend a lot of time serving it in any way I can, do anything I can think of to get people’s approval. That scares me a lot, because, that could destroy a ministry. That could destroy me as a pastor. God, GOD, I need help. Please help me. Oh dear God. Help me! This is the first time I think, you know, I’ve known it, acknowledged it before, but right now is maybe that first time I’ve ever felt the “fear of God” over it. Oh, dear God, Lord Jesus, Help me. Please, break this idol in my heart, Holy Spirit soften my heart, rip out my idols, and place Jesus there. Please, draw me close Jesus, comfort me. And your will be done, not mine, as much as I hate, use me how you see fit, even if it’s not how I want to serve you, use me as you have designed me. Lord, I ask for peace, but more than I that, I just pray will be done. . . But Lord, take this idol away, so I can be a godly man. I desire to serve you, and I think I’m called to be a pastor, oh, I don’t know. Lord, just, please, give me more of yourself. That’s what I ask, draw me close and your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.

Passion in the Theology of Steve Jobs

So, what is interesting is that you delve into every person's theology, even if the book you are reading is a perfectly "secular" book. Since I think God is in control of everything, and Jesus cares about everything, and the Holy Spirit is at work in everything, even the most "secular" thing I think is perfectly "spiritual" and can be related to the gospel. Take the book I'm reading now, for instance.

Steve Jobs is the guy who co-founded Apple. And when Apple was crashing was brought back (after being fired from the company) and saved the company through innovations that have changed our world, including the iPod, iPad, and Macintosh computer.

In Carmine Gallo's The Innovation Secrets of Steve Jobs this guy looks at the things that made Steve Jobs so successful. Right now, in particular, Mr. Gallo is talking about how passion, doing what you are passionate and excited about, is a main factor in success.

Now several times in the book there are various quotes about how there will often be setbacks. A recognition of the Genesis 3 curse on work? Maybe. There is a recognition of the frustration of work, how often what you do to make a living and what you have a passion for might not line up for a time, but you have to keep striving for it, and doing what you love, because only that will really drive you. It recognizes the beauty of hard work. And that through keeping hope, through working through things, eventually, there is work you love, created, frustration, not being able to make money at it, frustration, fall, and eventually, through hard work towards the thing you love, success, redemption. Very gospel, really.

But, of course there is a dark side to all this. Now, I will assume that if asked if it will always work out if you follow this formula, Mr. Gallo would probably say that, of course there are no guarantees in life. Or maybe not. I don't know. But the book, anyways, seems to say that really, as long as you are doing what you love, it will all work out. So, it really doesn't take entirely into account the fall, and the frustration of work. Because sometimes you really are just stuck doing something you don't love, for the rest of your life.

So what can save us? What is the answer? How can we love what we are doing, or at least, bear with it, and not just be utter failures because we don't have passion? Well, I think here we must once again look to the gospel. If we have a passion for Jesus Christ, then we will be looking to build the Kingdom wherever we go. Which means in our workplace. And a big part of that will be working as unto the Lord (Colossians 3:23-24: Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ. ESV)

I realize there is much more depth to drawn out of this, but speaking of jobs where I have to work unto the Lord, I have to go be a produce stocker at Homeland tomorrow, and need to go to bed, so, pray that I would be a godly man, who honors Christ, and honors said passage above, because I don't have very much passion for stacking potatoes.

Reflections on Humility from A Godly Man's Picture by Thomas Watson

Monday, June 27, 2011

            A Godly Man is Humble.

            This is terrifying to read through and I hate it, and it makes me want to stop reading. Not because I don’t think it’s true, but because everything he talks about here, but what a man who is not humble is, describes me.

            And what’s worse, as I read, as moments or general attitudes are brought to mind by reading this, I immediately try to justify them, or make them not as bad in my mind. Or even try to deny, go, well, I guess I’m not actually this way, because this and this and this, but there I’m just justifying it again.

            But then, I really do have to go, where is that line? And, I know lines are a bad thing to look for, that’s just the best language I know to use, but, like, in business or the church, part of the way you get ahead IS by showing people how great you are, by making sure people know you’re good at what you do. So, then, I get lost in the mire of what is sin and what is legitimate in gaining positions I desire?

            But mostly, I don’t have to ask those questions, I’m just angry, and sad, and frustrated at myself, because I know how much this describes me and desperately don’t want it to describe me. But, get this, I want it to not describe me so I’ll be BETTER, so I gain more position, so I’ll be better qualified, so I’ll be better at what I do. Now, is that legitimate, I want to be godlier, so I can be a better pastor, a better man, or is that in itself not humility. And I know the answer lies in deeper motivations. Wanting to honor God and minister to his people, good. Just wanting to gain position, well, not sure, depends on why I want to gain it, for recognition and credit and the awesome factor, bad, but to serve God’s people, good.

            And I guess that is the one redeeming and encouraging factor (that I really only found as I wrote this, back when I started writing this, I was basically just despairing and sad and angry, but the one redeeming factor, I DO want to be godlier to honor God, I DO want to be better so that I can serve the Church better, I DO think I’m called to be a pastor and think these things are important and I do want to be good at them. So that is redeeming.

            But, I also know how dark my heart is. To say with Paul that even if someone else getting more credit than him because of their preaching, he’s find because Christ is being preached, I cannot say that at this point. I want people to think I’m awesome, to think that I’ll be the next Tim Keller, or better. I want to be the best. I’ve spent my whole life trying to be the best, trying to come out on top, and have done a pretty good job of moving that direction. But now, that is no longer supposed to be the motivation. Now it’s about being as good as I can be because I want to serve God and love people better, because God has loved me so much (1 John 4:19), and because Jesus calls me to love my neighbor.

            Of course, what if a more altruistic motive had motivated me in trumpet playing. What if I’d wanted to be better so I could be a better teacher, instead trying to do it so I wouldn’t have to teach? What if I’d wanted to be better because being a fine trumpet player who was a Christian was what I thought of as most God glorifying, rather than because being better made me better than others? What if I’d done it so I could share my gift, rather than because I wanted people’s praise and approval? Maybe I wouldn’t have stopped being a trumpet player. Maybe I’d still be pursuing that today. Maybe I would have approached it very differently and loved it a lot more than I did. Because I mostly pursued it because people thought I was awesome, and I loved that. It didn’t have near as much to do with me loving music that much.

           

Lord God, humble, yet mighty and great God. How wont I am to boast. How often I glorify my own name. How proud a man I am. How quick to ridicule others. How quick am I to search for praise. How much do I trumpet my own name, and search for praise from others. How quick am I to not trust you and think that you’ve put me in too lowly a place for someone as good as me. How little do I magnify Christ. How slow am I to stoop to meet those lower than myself. How often do I complain of the lowly estate you lead me to. Lord, I am a wretched man, and I forget it so easily. Oh, this evil heart of unbelief. I don’t think that I am bad, and evil, I forget who you are and who I am, I sin against you and I sin against others. I am a proud and arrogant man, and desperately need to be humbled. And not just to be humbled, but to receive the blessed gift of a humble heart. To not just be humbled, but to be humble, to be given a humble heart of flesh in place of this arrogant, proud, heart of stone I currently have. Lord, I invite the greatest gift you can give to me right now, and it’s a gift you only give to those you love, it’s a gift that I could only interpret as love by clinging very much to Christ, and knowing that He is my savior, and that all you do is sanctify me. So, I ask you Jesus, cling very tightly to me as I ask for this. Holy Spirit push me very close to God. God, be merciful to me. Forgive me, but Lord, I pray that you would rebuke me for my arrogance and Pride. A wise man loves godly rebuke, make me a wise man, make me a humble man. And Father, draw me very close to you as you do this, for what you might have to do to change me heart, scares me a lot, because I’m afraid it will feel like more than I can bear. But this is truly a request, and truly a time, which you ACTUALLY meant Philippians 4:13 to apply to. So, Lord, I know I can do all things through you, so, God, hold me tightly, rebuke me wisely. Give me a humble heart. I ask this, in true, a very true understanding, of fear and trembling. In Jesus name, Amen.

The Jesus Community

Getting saved is easy, becoming a community is hard.
In Eugene Peterson's Christ Plays in Ten Thousand Places, he looks at community, specifically, Jesus community, in the final section of the book. God actually says a lot about community. Because one of the big parts of Jesus' work, one of the big parts of his death on the cross and his resurrection, is the creation of community.
Yikes, there is just too much going on in my brain, too much to think about, to really turn this into a blog post. I'll say this.

The 10 Commandments give us a lot of guidance for community. Particularly how to live in community, and how much we need help to be a community.

Prayer, as Jesus teaches prayer, teaches us a lot about community. It teaches us that the Jesus community is inclusive, because anyone can go to God and anyone can belong in the Jesus community. It teaches us that the Jesus community is honest, with one another and God, and humble. And prayer let's us participate in what God is doing. And prayer changes us.

The Holy Spirit is absolutely necessary, indispensable for Jesus community. And the Holy Spirit creates community. In fact, when we see true community being formed, we should immediately know that the Spirit is present, because real community is impossible without supernatural help. Real community is the sign of the Spirit.

Community takes place in the real world, and it's dirty.

Jesus and Paul were not impressed with famous people, and didn't spend much time trying to get the powerful into the Jesus community (though that certainly doesn't mean we should neglect the famous and powerful, he certainly loved Nicodemus, Joseph of Arimathea, Paul was powerful in some ways, so, that's not to say we shouldn't love or include or evangelize the famous and powerful, we should, but it should always be relational, and it should be because God opened those doors for us.)

Community is important. We don't have enough community, I don't work hard enough for community. We should all pray that the Church would cultivate more Jesus Community in the world.

God, Lord God, I come to you with a short and to the point prayer. Create more Jesus community in the world. Bring more people, whether they're the famous and powerful, but especially the wretched, wounded, and sinful, into a Jesus Community of grace. Grow your Community, your Kingdom, to the ends of the Earth, and use us to do that. Use us by helping us love others, loving them so much that they would know it must be a supernatural love, and let us point them to Jesus, the lover of our souls, the Redeemer from our sins, and the one who sent us the Holy Spirit. Holy Spirit, help us create more gospel community, more loving community, more community, more Jesus Community. We ask this, in his name. Amen.

Salvation in the Everyday

One of the interesting concepts that Eugene Peterson talks about in Christ Plays in Ten Thousand Places is this idea that salvation is actually working itself out in the every day. Every moment and every thing that happens is a part of salvation working itself out.

Knowing this should actually change the way we live. Because, you see, knowing this puts us in a place to always be looking for where Jesus is at work. To always be asking "How is Jesus working out salvation right in this place, in these people, in me?" And to then try to interact with it, be a part of it, enhance it. Not that we can save ourselves, or that we bring about salvation, but certainly Jesus invites us to participate in salvation, both ours and those around us. So asking this question, looking for these opportunities, this is really the best way for us to develop a "ministry mindset" if you will.

By the way, when I talk about a "ministry mindset" I'm NOT talking about what I should be cultivating to be a successful pastor. I'm talking about what EVERY Christian should be cultivating. I'm talking about what YOU should be cultivating. Because ministry isn't something that professionals do. It's something that anyone who calls on the name of Jesus Christ does. If you are a Christian, YOU are in ministry. Full-time ministry. Whether you are  a cook, an engineer, a musician, a stay-at-home mom, if you are a Christian, you are in ministry.

And so now you can look around this world, in your life and the lives of the people around you, in your community, but also in all of history, and see Jesus working out his salvation in the world.

One note, Peterson makes the point that conversation is a lost art, and that Jesus did most of his ministry over meals. This is where conversations happen and the loss of meals together, whether it's family meals or meals with friends, is a terrible loss. We need to eat more meals together. But we also just need to be a people who make more and more ministry opportunities. Who have one another into our homes and into each others' lives more and more, whether it's having more game nights, more movies night, more coffee, more beer, or just more meals together, we need to live, as Dietrich Bonhoeffer called it, a Life Together. We all need to cultivate Christian community, because THAT is where salvation takes place.

Lord, make us a people who minister as you have ministered in us. Lord, teach us all, your entire Church, to love, and to bring your salvation to every part of creation. Help us to get over old and bad paradigms about how there's clergy and laity, and instead help us all see that being followers of Christ means living salvation lives. Help us all be on the look-out for and see opportunities to bring healing, to bring truth, to bring tears, to bring restoration, to bring resurrection. To bring salvation to all those around us. Not just by sharing the gospel with unbelievers, but by lovingly applying the gospel to lives of our family and friends around us every day. Encourage us to be a people who eat together, who make more and more opportunities to live out the gospel together. Lord, bring your salvation. We cannot make salvation, we can't save each other and we can't save ourselves. We are not God, only you, Jesus are God. Please bring your salvation to us. We ask this in your salvation bringing name. Amen.

Shalom

I'm really starting to think a lot about Shalom. Especially thinking about, if Jesus is really at work, creating, in everything, in the smallest thing, and we're called to always be Shalom bringers. Yikes, like, I just can't wrap my head around it, and I definitely can't capture it all in 5 minutes of blogging.

What really got me is when I started thinking about, we're called to be building the Kingdom in EVERYTHING, even my broken alternator that I'm replacing, is a chance for bringing Shalom. It's a ministry opportunity. It's so hard to see everything, even a broken alternator in a car, as a chance to bringing the Shalom of Jesus Christ into the world. But that's how big Jesus is, and that's how small a level he is working at.

I need to develop this sort of ministry mind set.

Lord God,
You've called me, and I thank you. You have brought and are bringing true peace, shalom, into my life, by freeing me from sin, forgiving me from sin, but also healing my pain. And now you've called me to be doing that, freeing the world from sin and healing pain, in everything. And I do not do well at seeing those opportunities, I don't do well at looking for those things. Teach me. Teach me, Lord. This is a paradigm changing idea about life, and about ministry. Lord, WHEREVER I have wrong paradigms, would you change them, would you give a teachable heart that's ready and willing to learn and be changed, by you, especially through other people. Lord, help me to bring Shalom. And help me remember that it's never me bringing Shalom. All the glory goes to you. Help me remember that for I often forget. Use me, Lord, to bring shalom in this world, help me see those opportunities in every moment, in the most "unspiritual" things, help me see you at work. I ask this with a willing and thankful heart that could only have been a gift from you, and in your Son's giving name. Amen.

On Christ Being Everywhere

It's weird to think that all of creation was made by Jesus. And that now his glory is ever present in creation. In fact, Jesus is still creating, and we are a part of it.
If you don't know this, Christians, biblical Christians anyways, think that the world matters. We think that the physical is important. We think pain is real.
But what I really have a hard time wrapping my head around it the fact that everything that happens, in every place, Jesus is always there, and we can always be glorifying him.
It is hard to believe I could be glorifying Jesus if I were a janitor, or a mechanic. It's almost easier to believe I'm glorifying Jesus when I'm unemployed because then, at least, I can say all sorts of spiritual things about how Jesus is growing me through this time. He's teaching me to wait. That God is at work this. And, all that stuff is true, it's not like its a lie, or I don't believe it. In fact, I need to believe it. I'm just saying, it's weird to think about how much God cares about the incredibly orindary things in life.
God cares about everyday. About Everydayness. That's a good word. (Thank you, Eugene Peterson.)
So how do I remind myself every day about the glory of his creation? Why is it so easy to miss? But it was all made (and still is) so glorious.

God, I thank you that your creation is so glorious!! Please forgive me for how I often do not honor and appreciate you and the great glory of what you have created. God, Lord, would you help me begin to be aware of Jesus in the every day. Jesus entered in with humans 2000 years ago, he lived our life, in fact, lived a perfect life, so he could suffer and die on the cross for us. But now today, Jesus, you live and meet us in the everydayness of life. Would you help me have eyes to see you in the ordinary, and would you meet me every day in this life, in this story which you are writing? I ask this in your precious name. Amen.