A Prayer for the End of the Year

Spirit of God that surrounds us,

Praise to you, Creator, Action, and Love.

In the coming year,

Let this world know your love through us

As we do your will.

Provide for your people.

Give us the power to overcome our weaknesses,

So that we can help others

And love the unlovable.

Keep us safe annd protected

As this year unfolds.

You are core of all life.

Above all, you are.

Your Kingdom Come

This day I pray that your kingdom comes
And comes quickly.
Almost two thousand years have passed
Since you walked this earth.
You sent the Holy Spirit to comfort us,
But sometimes I feel so alone,
I must remember to
"Wait for the promise of the Father."
I will still my thoughts
Focus on your love and sacrifice.
And pray that I will know your will.
I will wait.

A New Years's Resolution from Philippians

"Finally, brethren, what ever things are true,

Whatever things are honest,

Whatever things are just,

Whatever things are pure,

Whatever things are lovely,

Whatever things are of good report:

If there be virtue, and if there be any praise,

Think on these things."

These words from Philippians

Form a ready-made New Year's Resolution.

I resolve to cleanse my mind this year

By focusing on the

Honest,

Just,

Pure, and

Lovely.

I will refuse to

Read smut,

View the vile or

Contemplate evil.

Blessed are they that Mourn

"Blessed are they that mourn;

For they will be comforted."

These are the words of Jesus

In the Sermon on the Mount.

Are they true today?

I believe so.

Those that mourn are those

That have cared for another.

They feel the pain of separation.

Their comfort comes because

Having loved once,

They can love again.

Holiday Sadness

Dear Lord, I feel sad today.
The holidays are over.
Family and friends have departed.
I am alone.
What did you say, Lord?
"I am with you always."
I must remember that;
Hold those words for comfort
As I face the the coming year.
You are the great "I am."
Thank you for my very being.

God's Color

Kittens tumble across the floor.
Black, white, and orange.
They see no difference in color.
Why cannot we be more like cats
And see only the humaness is all of us,
Not the color of the skin?
What color were you, Lord?
Not the pale hue of northern climates.
In a land scorched by the sun,
You were dark-eyed,
Skin neither white nor black.
We cannot choose the color of our skin,
But you could.
Why do we forget?

Happy Birthday Jesus

Dear Lord, we have much to thank you for:
For a baby born two thousand years ago,
For the man, Jesus, that baby became,
For his sacrifice on the cross,
For the resurrection,
For the Holy Spirit that dwells with us.
Thank you for the food, family and fellowship
We will share this day.
Let us not forget why we celebrate this day,
Happy Birthday, Jesus.

Advent Christmas Tree

A
Star
On top of
A tree trimmed
With objects held dear.
Erected in remembrance of God,
Festooned not with glitter and glitz
But with hope and the promise
Of

Love

Advent: Hallelujah Chorus

Christmas carols fill the air.

The Hallelujah Chorus rouses us from our seats

As we follow a tradition set by an earthly king.

Christians say we acknowledge no king but Jesus.

Do we really know Christ as our sovereign?

Does God govern our lives?

Let me understand the sovereignty of God,

And understand that in His kingdom

No one is diminished who bows before Him.

Mark's Advent

"And it came to pass, in those days,

That Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee,

And was baptized by John in the Jordan."

So in the Gospel of Mark we encounter Jesus

For the first time

At the start of his ministry,

A man grown.

And God speaks:

"Thou art my beloved Son,

In whom I am well pleased."

Jesus always knew he had God's love,

But how wonderful to have it confirmed.

My wish at Christmas is that we all

Know God's love

And have that love confirmed.

The Word at Advent

"In the beginning was the Word,

And the is Word was with God,

And the Word was God."

"And the Word was made flesh

And dwelt among us..."

These quotes from the Gospel of John

Speak the message of Advent to me.

Christ is God in action,

The instrument of creation,

And the instrument of salvation.

He shed his majesty to experience

the World He created

As one of those made in His image,

And to know death as we do.

Resurrected, He showed us there can be

Everlasting life.

What greater gift can there be?

How many wise men?

"Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea

In the days of Herod, the king,

Behold there came wise men from the east..."

The Bible does not count the wise men,

But we do.

Why?

Are we so determine to quantify the world

That we fail to know the quality of our surroundings?

Is a person's worth counted in dollars or

How well they serve others?

I fear the answer, so I pray.

"Lord, make me a servant in your image,

today, tomorrow and eternity."

There were three gifts:

"Gold, and frankincense,

And myrrh."

As Christmas comes,

Let me offer gifts to God:

Generosity,

Faith,

And mission.

Simeon Speaks on Advent

"Simeon was devout and righteous,

Waiting for the consolation of Israel..."

Can anyone claim that today?

Christ promised to return,

But do we believe He will?

Are we devout and righteous,

Waiting for the Second Coming?

I can only pray that it be so,

And remember the joy of Simeon

As he held the baby Jesus in his hands.

"For mine eyes have seen thy salvation,

Which thou hast prepared before the face of all people;

A light to lighten the Gentiles,

And the glory to thy people, Israel."

These are the words of Advent for me:

Christ comes for all.

Advent Today

"And the angel said unto them,

Fear not; for behold,

I bring you good tidings of great joy,

Which shall be to all people.

For unto you is born this day

In the city of David

A Savior,

Who is Christ the Lord"

The words of Luke's gospel echo through the ages.

In this season do we hear that echo?

I fear not.

Carols fill the halls and malls of commerce

Until we no longer comprehend the words.

Today,

I will listen with my heart to Luke,

And know the Christ excludes no one from his love

For he came "to all people."

That is the message of Advent.

A Baptist Advent

Christmas approaches.

The city is covered in glitter and lights.

We search for gifts amid the crowds.

Shouldn't we search for the Bethlehem babe?

Shouldn't we listen for the angel's message?

"Peace on Earth."

Let us remember that a child born two thousand years ago

Changed the world.

His message is simple and unadorned.

Love God

And Love your neighbor.

Fear of God

I do not understand God's ways.

I pray for relief, but receive no answer,

So I wrap myself in aloneness and fear.

Then like today, I pray,

and the answer comes so clearly that

I am afraid.

Thank you God for your answer this day.

Take away my fear.

I know you said,

“Fear not,”

But I still shrink in terror.

Give me strength to walk without fear

When I do not hear God's answer

And when I do.

Spiritual Healing

I hold a purring cat in my lap.

A cat that looks to me for life and love,

As I look to you for life and everlasting love, Lord.

Let me feel Your healing touch upon my soul

As this cat feels my stroke,

So that I may raise my voice in praise

As did the Psalmist.

“The Lord is gracious, and full of compassion:

Slow to anger, and of great mercy.

The Lord is good to all:

And his tender mercies are over all his works.

All thy works shall praise thee, O Lord;

And thy saints shall bless thee.”

A Prayer for Today

Our Mother who lives in all and is all,

Thank you for your lovingkindness.

May your Word be manifest.

May all on earth know your love

As those with you already know it.

Set your bounty before us.

Teach us how you love us in our weaknesses,

So that we may love others in their weaknesses.

Guide our faltering steps

As a mother guides her toddler,

So that we may not fall.

For you are the light within us

Nurturing forever.

Amen

Deceit

The world around me seems built on deceit.

No one speaks the truth, only half-lies.

How do I survive in this place?

I know I must honor God

If I claim to be Christ's follower.

I will trust in God's lovingkindness

To deliver me from evil

As did the psalmist.

"The Lord is my rock,

And my fortress,

And my deliverer;

My God,

My strength,

In whom I will trust."

Fruit of the Spirit

Let me harvest the fruit of the Spirit,

Not the wealth of humanity.

I know that

"The fruit of the Spirit is

Love,

Joy,

Peace,

Longsuffering,

Gentleness,

goodness,

Faith,

Meekness,

Temperance."

We only need dwell with the Spirit

To partake of the fruit.

Let me pick just one fruit this day to nourish my soul.

Help me choose wisely and understand Your Word.

So that I can walk with the Comforter today and always.

Prayer for Today

Dear God, Master of Infinity,

May all humanity raise their voices in your praise;

May your glory abound,

And your will be manifest

In all dimensions.

Nourish our souls with your presence.

Let us know our weaknesses,

And understand those weaknesses in others.

Let the Comforter be a barrier to the evils of this world,

For you are Existence.

Amen

Ancient Hymns

Hymns bring memories and a sense of hope.

Old ones remind me of my childhood

With family gathered around the piano to sing together.

New ones make me part of today and the future,

Part of the ever woven fabric of Christianity.

The greatest hymns are very old:

The Psalms.

I shall read a Psalm today

As I listen to a hymn,

So that the music in my ears

Is echoed in my soul.

Christian Exclusivity

We had an enlightening discussion in Sunday School last week on whether belief in Jesus Christ is the only way to God. Most of my classmates stated that belief in Jesus Christ was the exclusive prerequisite for eternal life. They took literally Christ's words: "I am the way, the truth, and the life; no man cometh unto the father but by me." So do I.

I believe that Jesus was not imparting a message of exclusivity, but one of mechanism. Jesus was telling us that no matter how we as humans describe God or what we believe about who God is, we will reach the after life by one conveyance. All will come to God after death through the manifestation of God that is God's word in creation, that is God in action in our dimensional reality, and I believe, is most clearly revealed in Jesus Christ. All have the opportunity to know God and life after death. God doesn't care how we find him, what we call him, only that we do.

As to atheists, I think they are closer to God than they believe. Atheists actively protest the existence of God, but in doing so they confront the concept of God. I think this brings them closer to God than those who are indifferent. In the end, I believe everyone will know God and will be able to choose or reject a relationship with God.

For me, Jesus represents the truest revelation of God and the mechanism by which we reach God no matter what we believe.

The Great Banquet

Today, I read the parable of the great banquet.

How those that were invited did not come,

While the lame, the blind and the poor did.

Is that the problem of this world?

Has God invited us to the banquet,

Only to find that we are too busy with our own lives

To partake of the everlasting repast?

Let me heed God's invitation,

That I might sit at the Almighty's banquet table

And feast my soul in God's presence.

Lost Sheep

"The Lord is my Shepherd..."

Those words echo in the soul of every Christian.

There at too many times when I feel

Like a sheep that has wandered astray:

Alone,

Lost,

Afraid.

Let me be a sheep in God's fold:

Warm,

Secure,

Surrounded by others.

If that cannot be,

Then let me remember

The parable of the lost sheep:

That the Shepherd will leave the ninety and nine

To look for the lost one.

Look for me, O Lord.

The Gladness of the Moment

"This is the day the Lord hath made.

Let us be glad and rejoice in it."

I quote these words as I rise each morning.

But can I follow this biblical command?

Sometimes I find it difficult to be glad,

Sometimes I find it impossible to rejoice.

Was it difficult for Jesus

When He stood on the hill over Jerusalem

And contemplated the tragedies to come?

"Jesus wept," the Bible says.

Did God weep that day for Jerusalem

Or for all humanity?

Where was gladness that day?

I know the answer to that question:

With Jesus as He entered that great city,

And palm fronds fell at His feet.

Let me feel the gladness of the moment,

Even if I know the sorrow of tomorrow.

Loving Others

Some days I find it difficult to follow God's Commandment

To love others as we love ourselves.

When I am not lovable, how do I then love others?

Perhaps a start is the simple courtesy of Colossians:

"Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt,

That ye may know how ye ought to answer every man."

I shall strive to be courteous to everyone I meet today,

So that I can truly say

Thy will be done.

God's Portrait

How do I picture God?

As the great figure in the Sistine Chapel?

As Father?

As Mother?

We personify our Creator to make him more reachable,

But when we do, we lose the sense of God's power and glory.

Jesus is the only personification of God that I can understand.

For a portrait of the Creator, I must turn to the words of John:

"God is light and in him is no darkness at all."

God is light...

Lord, let me embrace the Light.

Holy Spirit

My thoughts turn to the Holy Spirit,

The Comforter Jesus promised.

Does that Holy Spirit dwell in me?

The Bible tells me it must be so.

Let me feel the Spirit

And know that God's promise is fulfilled.

What is that Spirit,

But the Love between the Creator and the Son.

Let me bask in the Love of God

And be filled with the Holy Spirit.

Listening for God

Lord, I need to know Your will.

I pray, but do not hear Your voice.

Perhaps I am so busy babbling

That I do not hear You.

I will try to listen for Your answer.

I know that it may not come in words of fire

Or even in whispers of smoke,

But through the actions of those around me

Or chance encounter with a stranger.

All I ask is that I know when I receive that answer.

Fear of the Lord

These words from Proverbs echo in my mind.

"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,

And the knowledge of the holy is understanding."

Is that the answer to the problems of our age?

Have we lost our fear?

Not soul-wrenching terror that drives out reason,

But the awe of God's power and glory,

The knowledge that all life flows from God

And would not exist without God.

Help me to know the fear of the Lord

And so gain understanding.

Forgiveness

I ask for God's forgiveness often,

For my sins, for my omissions.

Do I offer forgiveness to those who wrong me?

Seldom, I fear.

Forgive me for my inability to follow in Jesus' footsteps

And to obey the words of the model prayer:

"Forgive us as we forgive those who trespass against us."

I know that alone I cannot forgive,

So I ask God not only for forgiveness,

But for the power to forgive.

Friends

I contemplate the story of the healing of the paralytic.

How his friends tried to bring him to Jesus,

But were blocked by the crowds.

How they made a hole in the roof of the house that Jesus was in,

And lowered the paralytic to Jesus who healed him.

I would have such friends,

Friends of faith and of deeds.

But more I would ask of God:

Give me the strength to be such a friend.

The Trinity

Christians speak of God as One

And yet as Three.

How can this be?

Perhaps we are like some two dimensional creature

That beholding a cube sees only a square.

Is that the answer?

We perceive only part of You

Confined as we are by space and time.

When we die is that barrier removed?

I pray that it is so.

Heaven

Where is heaven?

I have studied the grand emptiness of space,

And I see not the face of God,

But only the miracle of Creation.

Where do You dwell?

I know that question has many answers.

I seek only the answer that brings me closest to You.

For now, I must be satisfied with the words of Your Book,

And the knowledge that You are present everywhere,

In every moment of my life,

I must trust that death is the gateway to heaven,

And someday I will hear You say,

"Welcome home."