A couple of collects for this week:

Ascension Day

Almighty God, whose blessed Son our Savior Jesus Christ ascended far above all heavens that He might fill all things: Mercifully give us faith to perceive that, according to His promise, He abides with His Church on earth, even to the end of the ages; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, in glory everlasting. Amen.

Grant, we pray, Almighty God, that as we believe Your only-begotten Son our Lord Jesus Christ to have ascended into heaven, so we may also in heart and mind there ascend, and with Him continually dwell; who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Seventh Sunday of Easter: The Sunday after Ascension Day

O God, the King of glory, You have exalted Your only Son Jesus Christ with great triumph to Your kingdom in heaven: Do not leave us comfortless, but send us Your Holy Spirit to strengthen us, and exalt us to that place where our Savior Christ has gone before; who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, in glory everlasting. Amen.

These prayers really draw us into the story of the risen and victorious Lord Jesus! He has died, He is risen and these are true and they are historical facts with profound, world-changing effect today. But here, in this prayer, we acknowledge Christ’s current activity in History. In this prayer, we acknowledge that Jesus is now ascended, now seated at the right hand of the Father, and now our Advocate who constantly intercedes for us!

The Te Deum, an amazing fourth century prayer invites the Church to join in the worship that is now eternally happening around the throne: “You are God: we praise You… we acclaim You… all creation worships You… all angels, all powers… apostles… prophets… martyrs praise You.”

Check out how present all that worship is! How privileged we are to be invited to join in that worship, to praise, along with those fully alive in Christ’s glorious presence, our Savior Jesus who is, even now, upon the Throne…

The Ascension calls us to, as Chris Rice sings so simply, “circle up, circle up around the throne, old and young, saints of every history…”

Sixth Sunday of Easter

O God, You have prepared for those who love You such good things as surpass our understanding: Pour into our hearts such love towards You, that we, loving You in all things and above all things, may obtain Your promises, which exceed all that we can desire; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen.

This one kind of sneaks up on me. At first, I see a prayer to ask God for trust that He will provide.

But then, it hits me: “Pour into our hearts such love towards You, that we, loving You in all things and above all things…” Whoa. This is a prayer asking that we would love God so much that whatever He gives us will pale in comparison to the fact that He gives us Himself! Again, whoa. Boy, do I need that kind of love, that kind peace and satisfaction in God alone.

The cultic Word of Faith (or Prosperity) movement, a group that has run full-speed away from Christianity, wants you and me to reject this. They want you to be utterly unsatisfied with God alone. But “godliness with contentment is great gain…” (Check out 1 Tim. 6:6-8). Having God and being at peace with Him and what He provides is the key.

I think we’ve all had those brief moments in which the peace of Christ really did surpass all our understand, and in which the circumstances we faced were no biggie, because we knew our position in Christ and Christ’s stance with us. The prayer for today asks God to make that our lifestyle.

I pray we will all be so filled with the love and peace of Christ this week!

All right… I’m late today.

Fifth Sunday of Easter

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, forever and ever.  Amen.

What to say… what to say…

This prayer seems at once to pack less theological “punch” than last week’s, and yet upon a second or third glance, as you worship with it a bit, reveals perhaps even more facets than originally noticed.

I’m just gonna glance at one or two of the shimmering facets I see.  You comment and add your own perspective:

a) “… whom truly to know is everlasting life.”  Never mind the archaic word order; soak that in!  To truly know God = everlasting life.  Not “to die and go to heaven is everlasting life.”  Everlasting life, while not in its fullest form, has begun for all who are in Christ!  I have everlasting life!  That is so cool, especially on days when I feel like the world’s worst missionary, wussiest husband and lamest dad ever.

b) The Father grants “us so perfectly to know [Jesus] to be the way, the truth and the life, that we may steadfastly follow His steps in the way…” With all the mythologies in Christianity about “finding God’s will for your life” filling us with worry and uncertainty (thanks, James MacDonald, for that insight), ain’t it good to know we can trust the Father to grant us to “perfectly know Jesus… [and] steadfastly follow…”  He keeps us straight and He corrects us, because He loves us.

I ramble.  Let me go ahead and post this.  I’m sorry I wasn’t more focused today, but sometimes there’s just too much to treasure.  What do you see as you gaze at this gem?  Comments are most welcome!

All I know is that, regardless of which thought most resonates with you (or if another pops into your head I had missed), the collects and other written prayers (old and new), are teaching me to pray in a focused way, with confidence before the throne, and with great effect!  Amen to that!