Nope.  I’m not early.  As I have been appreciating more and more, the beginning of the blessed season of Advent is the beginning of the Christian year.  As we quiet down our hearts each evening, dimming the lights, lighting the candles and bathing our minds in the promises of scripture (every last one of which is fulfilled in Christ!), we begin our year anew, one year closer to the new heaven, the new earth, the heavenly city come to earth, the drying of every tear, the healing of the nations and the answering to all of creation’s groanings!

As the year is made new, Christ’s faithful presence with us makes us new.

So, as this year brings us closer to the glorious return of Jesus and the Resurrection that is our hope, may this year bring each of us closer to the Author and Finisher of our Faith.  May God richly bless you this year.

In His Hope,
Tom

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!

Hi again; a blessed Lord’s Day to you all.

Fourth Sunday of Easter

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, forever and ever. Amen.

You know, for so long, hearing Jesus’ voice just seemed to be something so uncertain, so esoteric. Are only special people, with special hearing, able to “hear” Jesus calling? In one sense, I suppose, yes; Jesus said, “He who has hears, let him hear…” so I guess we need have a readiness to hear God. I recall not being ready to hear what Jesus had to say for many of my early years; I was just closed off to Him. But then, gradually, I was… ready… I had ears to hear.

But it wasn’t some audible voice, and it wasn’t by some lightning bolt from heaven. God the Father gave me ears to hear His Son Jesus when, one summer, lonely from having just moved across Ohio from Cleveland to Dayton, I read the ratty old 70s New Testament that my neighbor in Cleveland had given me when I moved. I read the Gospels and Acts I don’t know how many times.

And slowly, reading by reading, I developed ears to hear Jesus.

So, if you are a believer, or a not-yet-believer, and you feel deaf to Jesus, you may just need to pick up a dusty Bible and read… and read… and read… asking the Father to give you ears to hear his Son, your Shepherd. ‘Cause He’s got lots He wants to say to you!

I’ve gotten away from praying and sharing the collects (prayers) of the Church. However, Easter is a time for starting anew. Great. Here goes:

Third Sunday of Easter

O God, whose blessed Son made Himself known to His disciples in the breaking of bread: Open the eyes of our faith, that we may behold Him in all His redeeming work; who lives and reigns with You, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

Emmaus – an ordinary town hardly mentioned in the Gospel narrative. But there, in one of the most powerful post-resurrection eyewitness accounts recorded, our risen Lord Jesus did an amazing thing. He walked and talked with dejected, depressed disciples, people whose dreams of an earthly military kingdom had been shattered by Christ’s death on the cross. He heard them. Then He taught them, showing through the Scriptures how His ministry had always been to die. Then He sat with them at table. And finally, in the breaking of the bread, He revealed Himself to them! They saw the Master, the one who had last broken bread as He taught about His body broken for them. They saw Him for who He was.

Then He was gone. And they were gone, too, flying back to the other disciples with resurrection joy flooding their hearts! He’s alive! He’s alive!

As you pray this week’s prayer, alone or with the Church, let your heart burn within you with the certainty and the overpowering joy of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

(The collects can be found in The Book of Common Prayer, pp. 211-261)

I tell myself, I know Easter is not just a day; it’s a season. I remind myself, Our daughter’s got a fever of 102; staying home makes sense.

But, right or not, it’s odd to spend Easter Sunday walking to the Supermarket, eating Chef Boyardee, playing online Catan with your friend in Ohio, playing with your 3-year old (she really likes to give fake injections), and doing logic puzzles.

But there you have it. Easter 2008.

Being a parent makes odd things happen to your traditions. Granted, new and sometimes better traditions arise as you are introducing a young one to the Savior and teaching her the faith; but others seem a bit more flexible, changeable, even disposable.

I can’t wait to share with Avery and her mom Anne the joy this Easter season. After an especially blessed and challenging Lenten season, the excitement of living out the Resurrection will be great. Can’t wait.

But, for today at least, she and her mommy nap, and I ponder this darn logic puzzle sitting next to me…