Invocation

Holy One,

Draw us close to you.

Speak life into our lives.

Move the mountains of injustice in our world. 

Calm the storms of hate and fear.

Draw us together by the power of your Holy Spirit.

Build us up in humility and hope.

Guide our steps.

Give us courage to live like Jesus.

By the power of the One who was,

and is,

and is to come. 

Amen. 

Invocation

Imminent and transcendent God, 

We welcome you to our church today.

Center our hearts and our minds.

Help us devote ourselves fully to you.

Help us surrender our agenda and our will to yours.

Send your Holy Spirit

to bless and convict us.

In Jesus' name we pray,

amen. 

Prayer of confession

Based on the temptation in the desert

Lord God,
We confess we have been tempted.
In the desert places where all we saw was all we didn't have and couldn't get.
In the high places where we needed you to show up, to know you are real, for you to take our side.
And on mountain tops where the world was ours for the taking.
We regret that sometimes we took the bait.
We chose short-lived satisfaction,
the things that tested you,
 and the successes that made us look good.
For all the times we failed to be faithful and choose you,
we ask for your forgiveness.

What you have to offer is so much greater and durable than the things of the world.
Help us to remember that.
Help us to cling to you.
Give us holy wisdom.
Give us self control.
Give us humility.
So that we may become more like Jesus with each choice we make.
Amen.

Guided Meditation

Make yourself comfortable. Close your eyes. Take a deep breath.  Relax your shoulders.  Lay your hands in your lap.  Take a deep breath.  Breathe in the breath of God. Breathe out your worries,  your fears,  your pain and your doubt.  

You find yourself sitting in a comfortable, overstuffed arm chair in front of a big picture window.  To your right is a big fire in the fire place. In front of you through the window, are the rolling hills of the Palouse, covered in fresh snow.  

You are comfortable. You are warm and you are relaxed. 

You have a hot drink and can simply enjoy the beauty of the scene in front of you.  

As you look out you notice a handful of robins just outside the window,  eating berries from a tree. You are reminded of God's word to trust in God's provision as God even provides for the birds in the dead of winter.  How true it is.  Most of the plants are covered in snow,  and yet here are the birds eating what God has provided.

You are encouraged to trust God...even when things seem barren.  The Holy Spirit speaks into your heart showing you how God wants you to trust.  

Take a deep breath and listen to what the Spirit is telling you.  (Pause 15 seconds)

You focus on the birds awhile longer.  They play and eat and the simplicity of their task makes you smile.  You yearn for some of that simplicity in your own life.  If only you had less on your plate.  

You take a sip of your drink, savoring the flavor.  Then another deep breath. Breathe in the Holy Spirit. Breathe out your stress. You invite God to show you what you might let go of.  

Listen to God’s answer.  

Take another deep breath. Notice the air in your lungs. Take a moment to reflect on what God has shown you today.  

Breathe deeply. As you are ready, open your eyes.  

Prayer for preparation

Lord God,

Things are busy and my mind is racing.

 Life is full and there is always something more to do.  

There are lots of things to get done 

and it's hard to stop the noise and sense your power and presence for the work at hand. 

I invite your Spirit to move in my heart and my mind. 

Give me focus to see and hear the Christmas story anew.  

Guide my thoughts. Inspire my ideas.  

Renew my energies, 

so that the time of Advent would be a blessing and a gift in the life of the church.  

In your holy name I pray,

Amen. 

Easter prayer

Merciful God, 
thousands of years ago, 
in the dark of the morning, 
in the midst of profound grief
[Mary/the women] drew near to the tomb.  
Her heart broke as she came to say goodbye to her rabbi and friend.  
But instead of the stench of death she breathed in the gift of new life.  
Jesus was alive! 
The gift of resurrection is mysterious and confusing--
As are the ways you touch the dark and dead places in our lives.  
Where we have failed you forgive us. 
Where we sin you redeem us. 
Where the darkness threatens to overtake us,  you shine your light. 
And where death steals our joy, you proclaim I give joy abundantly. 

We thank you this day for new beginnings,  second chances,  and resurrection from death. 

Hallelujah!
We praise you in Jesus' name, 
Amen.  

Easter prayer

O God of death & resurrection,
we come today rejoicing in the fact of the empty tomb. 
Jesus Christ is risen! 
Hallelujah!
Where death and darkness threatened to overcome your promise of grace, mercy, & justice you stand victorious. 
We can't deny the power of sin or the presence of suffering in our lives.  
But because of Christ,
We know they don't have the final word. 

So we praise you.  
Hear us now as we lift our voices in thanks & praise 
for all you do & all you've done,
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
Amen.

Preachers' Prayer

Lord God,
This week is big in church life. 
It's hectic. 
It's demanding. 
It's blessed. 
It's holy. 
And it's exhausting. 
For all the pastors preparing sermons & liturgy,
Give energy,  stamina,  inspiration,  health,  and help. 
Bless them so that they might experience the truth of the Gospel as they proclaim it to/for others. 
Be big. 
Be bold. 
Empower and use your faithful servants. 
In the mighty name of Jesus,
Amen. 

Prayer of preparation

Loving God,
Still and focus my mind that I might hear from you. 
Help me as I read your Word.
Guide my thoughts so that what I write and what I plan would speak to your people. 
In Jesus' name, amen. 

Daily Prayer

Precious Lord,

Prepare my heart to hear your voice. 

Help me to be a faithful listener.

Guide my heart to the place you are calling.

Speak into my places of fear, doubt, and anxiety.

Give me instead your perfect peace.

This I pray in Jesus' name, 

Amen.

Experiencing God: Hearing God speak

 I’ve written a couple of posts on experiencing God (hugs & heat), and I think it’s important to keep uncovering the various (tangible) ways we can experience God.  One of the more recent ways is through prophetic* people in my life. 
 

I’ll start by saying I’m wary of those who tend to try and predict future events.  I knew one guy who studied the “Bible Code” (which he did in English…if you believe in the Bible Code (read messages hidden within the scriptures) I’m pretty sure you should believe they were hidden in the original biblical languages and not some random English translation, but what do I know? I’m just a biblical scholar and a theologian.).  This man would send me letters of his predictions.  I was pregnant with our first child when he told me it would be a boy and we were to name him “John Allen”. Turned out it was a girl and we named her Ruth.  He told me there would be a HUGE earthquake of the coast of California causing a giant tsunami on December 22^nd of that year causing destruction all the way into the Inland Empire and that we needed to have the church fitted with reinforced steal (which needed to be purchased from a very specific company, by the way).  Needless to say, we didn't buy the steal and no such earthquake or subsequent tsunami happened. Which is all to say, if you say you’re a prophet, I take it with a grain of salt.  

However, despite some crazy experiences with people that I do not believe were hearing the Word of God directly, I have known others whose words have been tested and proven in time.  My spiritual mentor has spoken prophetically into my life and my ministry on a couple of occasions and I have a prayer partner who has also been given prophetic words for me.  It doesn’t happen all the time, but every once in awhile, when I ask her to pray for me, she says “Call me” and ends up having a very specific scripture or word that seems to be from God.  

In January of last year I had asked her to pray for me.  I was struggling because we really wanted a second child. It took us a long time to get pregnant again and then we miscarried.  It was heart breaking and we kept praying that we would be able to have another child.  And it seemed like forever, and I wondered if it would ever happen.  I asked my friend to pray for me.  And then she said, “Call me.” And I did.  And then she shared a message, which included that God would answer my prayer as he had answered Hannah’s. I wasn't sure how long it might be before God answered "as he had Hannah" but I was grateful for the hope.  And it turns out, we were pregnant in about a month.  You could call it coincidence, but it was more than that for me.  

Later that year, I again asked for prayer, as I had many times, and this time, she said "Call me." So I did.  Again, she had specific words for me (sort of like when I prepare a sermon and it all just flows, I don't have to think to make it work, it just comes...from God...it's clearly not mine).  She had very specific words for me that addressed my current situation in ways that were uncanny, since I hadn't told her what was going on. I'd only asked her to pray.  Her words have brought me comfort, they have brought me hope, they've given me direction and instruction.  And I am grateful that God gave me someone (actually multiple someones since it's happened with other people, often in the form of "hey, I just had you on my heart today and felt the need to do tell you ________).  

God does speak. God speaks through the scriptures. God speaks through giving us peace, comfort, and hope. And God speaks through other people.  It might be simple. It might be vague or it could be specific.  To be sure, there are "false prophets" and we should be wary about believing everything people say is "from God", but just because there are some folks who are pretty far out doesn't mean there are no modern prophets who genuinely hear from God to offer God's truth into our lives. 

*It is HUGELY important to understand that when I say “prophetic” I’m not talking about fortune tellers, or future predictors.  A prophet (in biblical terms) is a truth teller—they are a messenger from God, sent to tell God’s truth.  If you read the Old Testament prophets, you might be inclined to think they are future-tellers, but really they are more like doctors in that they are diagnosing a condition and explaining likely outcomes.  For instance, if you keep acting unjustly and selfishly, you will end up struggling with famine.  That sounds like future-telling in a way. But it’s also diagnostic…if you keep being selfish and not thinking of others, or the big picture, this way of life is going to land you in a heap of trouble.  Much like if a doctor says “if you keep failing to exercise and eating the way you are, you’re likely to have a heart attack.” The doctor isn’t a fortune teller, she’s a diagnostician…she’s studied likely outcomes of certain behaviors and knows there’s a direct correlation between diet and exercise and heart related issues.  So, when I say “prophet”, what I mean is someone who listens for God’s voice and is offered a message to share.  The legitimacy of said message can be measured by how it holds up against the truth of the scriptures. 

We Can Ask God...

...for anything God wants to do.

That's what Ruthie said the other day. She had made up a song about being strong and courageous but that no one is stronger than God.  After she sang, or maybe as part of the song, she said "We can ask God to do anything God wants to do."  And I thought that might be the wisest interpretation of prayer I've ever heard.  We can ask God to do anything God wants to do. 

In the Gospel of John, Jesus says, "You can ask for anything in my name, and I will do it, so that the Son can bring glory to the Father. Yes, ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it!" (New Living Translation)

There have been lots of interpretations of that verse over the years.  

Does it mean whatever we ask?  To win the lottery?  For someone to love us?  For our team to win the big game?  Does it really mean whatever?

Does "in my name" mean we just put the Jesus stamp on whatever we pray and it will happen?  

I think most of us know the answer to those questions is "no."  We've prayed for things and said "In Jesus' name" and those things didn't happen.  And clearly we've prayed for "whatever" (*well, if not us, certainly someone has) and whatever hasn't happened.  So, there must be some other, deeper, meaning to Jesus' words "whatever you ask in my name".  

And I think Ruthie sort of nails it..."we can ask God to do whatever God wants to do." In other words, if we ask for things that are a part of God's will, then God can/will do it.  Just saying that makes me know it's a sticky wicket, because after all....we believe God wants what is good for us, what draws us to wholeness, what makes us more Christ-like and surely we (or others) have asked for things that meet those qualifications and seemingly some of those prayers haven't been answered either.  So it's not so simple. 

But there is wisdom in Ruth's words.  Certainly, asking God for what God doesn't want to do isn't likely to work out in our favor.  And while the formula isn't perfect (or really set), we are invited to pray and ask for anything (that lies within the will of God).  The easiest retort to that is "Well, what is it that God wants?"  And while we may now know those specifics either, we do know the general categories. God wants what is good for us and good for others. God wants justice. God wants peace. God wants mercy. So, if we pray for those things, maybe God will give them since we can ask God to do anything God wants to do. 

Prayer for Lent

By Howard Thurman

Listen to the long stillness:

New life is stirring

New dreams are on the wing

New hopes are being readied:

Humankind is fashioning a new heart

Humankind is forging a new mind

God is at work.

This is the season of Promise.

Experiencing God: Feel the Heat

I’ve been thinking a lot about the different ways I experience God, and I thought it would be good to write about it…to share the ways God can (and is) tangible to us.  I will preface by saying, I was raised in the church, a traditional United MethodistChurch, which is to say, we didn’t really talk about how we might “feel” God.  We believe God is real. We believe in the traditional doctrines (you can get a sense of those from the Apostle’sCreed).  We believe Christians are to live their faith and to become more like Christ as they do that.  And, in practice, we were “reverent” (read: quiet, well-mannered, didn’t clap in worship, didn’t speak out of turn, etc).  And in that tradition, my faith grew. I learned the stories of the Bible. I learned to care for others (even if I didn’t like them). I learned generosity. I learned selflessness.  I learned to pray.  And I learned to have a “thinking faith” where it was ok to ask questions, to have doubts, and to explore the historicity of the Bible and how that converges with faith.  

But what I didn’t really learn is how you “feel” God.  I think the closest tangible expression of God that I might have asserted is feeling peace in difficult circumstances.  But as I grew and developed in life and in faith, I started to learn that there were other ways, tangible ways, we could experience God.  God wasn’t just in our head or our hearts, but God is also around us in the form of the Holy Spirit and can be felt. 

The first time I remember experiencing this was at Santa Paula UMC.  It was a bilingual congregation and my brother (a UM pastor) had been asked to preach.  He had some Spanish, but not really enough to do a full sermon. So, he asked me to do the translation since I had just finished a full year of study abroad and came back bilingual.  Before the service, our mom came and talked with us and offered to pray for us.  She put a hand on each of us and began to pray…and her hands were hot on our backs/shoulders.  She wasn’t feverish, and to touch her hands in general, she wasn’t hot, but as she prayed, heat transferred to us. And I understood that heat to be the presence of the Holy Spirit. God could be felt…tangibly, physically. 

It was a small thing, heat during a prayer, but it became a big deal…an entry point for the other ways God would become manifest in me and in others confirming the power and presence of the Living God. 

Prayer for sermon preparation

Lord, be in my mind that I might find your truth in the words of scripture.  Guide my thoughts that I might express your message for your people. Through Christ I pray, amen.

Prayer to be led

As a pastor, I am often in charge. I'm generally good at being in charge. The only trouble is that when it comes to following, I'm so used to leading that I don't always follow well. That was true this last week and so I wrote this prayer:

Gracious Lord,
Teach me to follow. Give me a humble spirit to be led and taught by others. Help me to lead where you are calling. Help me to step back so that others might grow as your leaders.
In Jesus' name,
amen.

Sermon Prep Prayer

Lord, humble me to do your work.

 Clear my mind. 

Heal my heart. 

Give me the energy and inspiration I need to hear your voice

 through Scripture and liturgy and to share you with your people.

  Give me grace 

and give me the courage to receive it in its fullness. 

 Through Christ our Lord, 

amen.

The Power of Prayer

Over the years (I'm nearing the completion of my fifth year here), we have done a lot with prayer in worship and in workshops at my church, Wesley United Methodist Church.  We have learned about healing prayer, talked about asking the Spirit to be a part of our prayers, and also talked about using blankets, or handkerchiefs, or even teddy bears to be the bearers of our prayers.  Once or twice, we have talked about standing in someone's place when we are unable to pray with them face to face.  

This last Sunday during worship, we had only a few prayer requests shared aloud.  Two were praises with hope for continued prayer and one was for a teenage boy struck by a severe illness called Stevens-Johnson syndrome. 

When it came time for prayer, I thought, we should pray specifically and intently for this young man.  So I called up the person who shared the concern and asked him to stand in the boy's place.  I also invited up anyone who wanted to lay on hands.  And invited others to lift their hands (or leave their hands down, whatever their preference) as we prayed for this boy.  

I prayed aloud and led us, but could hear others who had come forward uttering their own prayers for healing.  It was powerful and as I prayed, I could feel the stand-in begin to tremble.  I've been experiencing the charismatic side of faith for nearly a decade, so I knew not to worry, assured that the Spirit was at work.  After I finished I looked around the congregation and saw many wiping the tears from their eyes. It was truly powerful.

What was more powerful was what was shared later by the stand-in. He had gone that afternoon to see the boy and had shared what happened during church and that we were praying for peace and complete healing.  Then he prayed with the boy and said that as he did he could feel the Spirit of God pass from him to the boy.  

Since Sunday we have received a couple of updates and praise reports.  1) The boy's eyesight, which was at high risk, has been spared.  2) He was able to come off the breathing tube and was able to speak some.

I am grateful to be part of this type of church, one that prays, one that cares, one that is willing to let the Spirit move.  They have always been faithful and prayerful, but not always ready to be a part of the charismatic side of church.  But it is powerful (and affirming) to see God work in these ways.