Sunday Psalm

Note: As the observance of Lent does not technically include Sundays, instead of a prayer I will offer verses from the Psalter. 

Psalm 121:1-2 

I lift up my eyes to the hills --
     from where will my help come?
My help comes from the Lord,
     who made heaven and earth.

A Prayer for Those Who Wonder Where God Is

My tears have been my food day and night, while people say to me continually, “Where is your God?”    

(Psalm 42:3) 

“Where can I go from your spirit?    Where can I flee from your presence?”    (Psalm 139:7)

A Prayer for Those Who Wonder Where God Is

O God from whom no one can hide,

  no one can flee from your presence,

    no one can escape your loving attention:

Today I pray for those who wonder where you are.

   

The ones who feel all alone. Because nobody notices their suffering;
The ones who think you have betrayed them with the death of a loved one;
The ones who cry out with heart-rending anguish every day, but they cannot hear you answer them;
The ones who have done all the right things, but still bad things happen to them;
The ones who want to know why you have let them be ravaged by sickness.

Today I pray for those who wonder where you are.

Communicate your presence to them.Let them know that you are with them. Always. Let them know that you are for them. Always. Awaken their hearts with glimpses of your kindness.

Today I pray for those who wonder where you are.

As they awaken in the morning, give them hope. As they go to bed in the evening, let them look back on the day and see evidence of your goodness. Give them reasons to thank you for your love.

Today I pray for those who wonder where you are.

I offer myself as an instrument by which your presence can be made known. Help me to be an expression of your love. Help me to be a means by they will experience your grace. Help me to manifest your kindness.

Today I pray for those who wonder where you are.

Let It Snow

“Come, now, let us reason together,” says the Lord. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow...” (Isaiah 1:18)

Let It Snow

Let it snow, O God.

I love the snow, 

   especially when I don't have to drive.

The snow is beautiful as it covers the ground, 

   the trees, 

      the bushes.

The pure whiteness of a freshly-fallen snow 

   stirs my heart with awe and wonder 

   at your majesty and glory.

The light of the sun is magnified tenfold 

   when the snow reflects it; 

   its brilliance is stunning.

Let it snow, O God.

Let it snow on my heart.

Cover my sins with a blanket of purity.

Make my heart beautiful as the freshly-fallen snow.

Take my life, 

   and make me into someone 

   who reflects your light to the world around me.

Let it snow on my heart.

Let it snow, O God.

Thank You for Winter Flowers

“Flowers appear on the earth; the season of singing has come...”Song of Songs 2:12

Thank You for Winter Flowers

Thank you, God, for winter flowers.

When the sky is gray, and the grass is brown in its dormancy, and the bushes and trees have lost their leaves – thank you for winter flowers.

Thank you for splashes of color that pop out against the drab wintery background.

Thank you for the daffodils, and the camellias, and the I-don't-know-whats-but-they're-really-pretty.

Thank you that when all seems lifeless and dreary, there are signs of new life.

Thank you for winter flowers.

When my life feels gray, and in its dormancy, and lifeless – thank you for winter flowers.

Thank you for words of encouragement randomly spoken.

  For kindness shown by friends and strangers.

    For a warm embrace given for no reason.

      For the belly laughter of a baby.

        For the kiss of a puppy.

          For the silent presence of a friend.

For the still, small voice that says, “I have loved you with an everlasting love; there is nothing in all creation that will ever separate you from my love: Not. One. Thing.”

Thank you, God, for winter flowers.

Remember that You Are Dust

“...for dust you are, and to dust you will return.”

(Genesis 3:19)

The Necropolis -- literally, "City of the Dead" -- in Glasgow, Scotland, UK

A Prayer for Ash Wednesday

“Remember that you are dust, and to dust you will return.”

These are the words of the day, O Lord. These are the words that invite me to reflect on my mortality, my sinfulness, my need for a Savior.

Oh, I remember. I really do.

Every time I let someone down, I remember that I am dust.

Every time I think impure thoughts, I remember that I am dust.

Every time I withhold kindness out of fear, I remember that I am dust.

Every time I fail to seek justice, and love kindness, and walk humbly with you, I remember that I am dust.

Every time I look suspiciously and fearfully upon people who are of a different race or culture, I remember that I am dust.

Every time I judge another person to be unworthy or of lesser value because of their particular manifestations of their sinfulness (which I, conveniently, don't manifest in my own life), I remember that I am dust.

Every time I fall short of loving you with my whole heart, soul, mind, and strength -- and loving my neighbor as myself -- I remember that I am dust.

Frankly, O Lord, every time I breathe, think, speak, act, I should remember that I am dust.

For dust I am, and to dust I will return.

I remember that I am dust. I really do.

But I also remember that you don't treat me as my sins deserve, nor do you repay me according to my iniquity;

for as high as the heavens are above the earth, that's how much you love me; and as far as the east is from the west, that's how far you have removed my sins from me.

I also remember that you broke bread, and shared the cup.

And you told me that the bread was your body, given for me;

and the cup was your blood, shed for the forgiveness of my sin.

I also remember that when you hung on the cross, you said “Father, forgive them...”

I remember that I am dust. That's what the ashes are for.

But I also remember that you do not leave me in the dust, for you come to me in love.  That's why the ashes form the sign of the cross.

So I remember, O Lord. I really do.

Thank you for the reminders.

Amen.

Let's Do Lent

“...a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.”

(Psalm 51:17b)

Here we go again. The season of Lent is already upon us, again. And that's a good thing. I love the season of Lent.

Last year at this time I began an experiment of sorts that melded two passions of mine – photography, and devotion to God's word – into this blog I call “Picturing My Faith.” Frankly, I was surprised at the impact that this blog had on me personally, and on so many of you who took time to read my devotions. It made such an impact on me that I decided to continue the blog after Easter (though not on a daily basis – whew!, it was a challenge to write something every day during Lent!).

Photography has given me a unique lens (pun intended) through which to view the world from the perspective of faith. When I take pictures of the everyday, ordinary things we encounter in the world around us, something stirs within me. I am moved by what I see in the photos, because with each picture I discover amazing new things about God, and myself, and the world in which we live. My photography has been God's gift to me, to help me see things anew and afresh, and to appreciate God all the more.

I write this blog because I want to share my amazement at God and God's world with you.

So let's do Lent together. This year instead of sharing stories and devotions with you, I have chosen to use my photography as the springboard for daily prayer. So, technically, I won't be talking to you in my blogs – I will be talking to God. But I invite you to listen in on my conversations. Just so you know, my prayers are pretty basic – I thank God a lot, I pray for help, and I stand in awe of God's majesty, glory, and grace. Or as Anne Lamott wrote, the three essential prayers are “Help,” “Thanks,” and “Wow.” Most of my prayers will probably fall into one of those three categories.

Prayer is also listening to God. So sometimes my prayers may simply be words from Scripture that I (we) need to hear.

Let's do Lent. Let's take advantage of the forty days between Ash Wednesday and Easter (not counting Sundays) to recognize our need for salvation, to anticipate the amazing love Jesus shows to us on the cross, and to try to understand what it means to rely fully upon God for life – true, abundant, eternal life.

Let's do Lent.

Let us pray...

P.S. If you want to receive these posts in your email, you can put your email address in the box at the upper right hand side of this page. Some email filters think it's spam (maybe they're right!), so you might want to check there if you aren't getting the daily emails. I also share them on Facebook, so you can click on the link there, too.

On Being Faithful

“Who then is the faithful and wise servant...?” Matthew 24:45

“Will you be a faithful teaching elder, proclaiming the good news in Word and Sacrament, teaching faith and caring for people?”Ordination Vow #9, Book of Order, Presbyterian Church (USA)

It's been a busy season in my life. I ended 2017 by concluding my time as the pastor of the Georgetown Presbyterian Church in Georgetown, South Carolina. It was tearful good-bye to a wonderful congregation full of people who loved and nurtured the Wilkins family for over 12 years. The people God put in my life during those years will forever remain precious in my heart.

January not only ushered in a new year, but also a new call in ministry. We packed up our house in Georgetown (no small feat, I assure you), loaded up the moving van, and made the three-hour journey up the road to Clinton, North Carolina, where I am now serving as the pastor of the Graves Memorial Presbyterian Church. The move itself was a major task – and probably will be referenced at some point in a blog later on. But after four weeks, we are unpacked, organized (somewhat), and jumping full steam ahead into the busy life of the church and our new town. In the short time we have been in Clinton, we have already come to love this new congregation. From the get-go, we have been embraced by our new congregation with warmth and kindness.

On Sunday, February 4, I was “installed” as the pastor. That's church-speak for “I was made official” by our Presbytery (our regional governing body). The installation took place in a worship service on a rainy afternoon, but no amount of rain could dampen the mood that we felt that day. The handbell choir had put in extra time practicing for the service. The choir had rehearsed a special anthem that had been written by our music directors as a commissioning hymn (full disclosure: they had written it for another occasion a few years ago, but it served very well for my installation). Guests from the Presbytery came to celebrate with us. A friend and colleague gave an excellent and inspiring sermon. And the women of the church put together a beautiful reception with an amazing spread of food.

The installation portion of the worship service consisted of several questions to which I must provide an affirmative answer, as well as a few questions to the congregation seeking their affirmation, as well. It's a kind of marriage ceremony, if you will – we promise to be together as pastor and congregation through all seasons and circumstances.

The last question I was asked was, 

“Will you be a faithful teaching elder (Presby-speak for pastor), proclaiming the good news in Word and Sacrament, teaching faith and caring for people? Will you be active in government and discipline, serving in the councils of the church; and in your ministry will you try to show the love and justice of Jesus Christ?”

Will you be a faithful teaching elder... proclaiming good news... teaching faith... caring for people... Will you try to show the love and justice of Jesus Christ? This is where the rubber meets the road for me in ministry – faithfulness in all things for the sake of manifesting Jesus Christ.

Faithfulness has always been a special goal of mine. I long ago gave up perfection. I long ago decided that I didn't need to be the most popular or charismatic pastor. I settled for faithfulness.

Actually, faithfulness is not something for which we are content to settle. Faithfulness is a daily striving to live into the claims of the gospel. Faithfulness is pouring myself into everything God calls me to be and do. Faithfulness is being available, and present. Faithfulness is demonstrating that the trust given to me by my congregation and my Lord is not given in vain.

I want to be faithful, because I have been loved. I have been loved by God, and I have been loved by the people I have served as a pastor – from Cleveland, North Carolina, to Midland, Texas, to Georgetown, South Carolina, and now in Clinton, North Carolina.

When Jesus asks, “Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom the master has put in charge of the servants of his household to give them their food at the proper time?”, I want from the depth of my heart for Jesus to be able to look at me and say that I answered that question in the affirmative through my life and ministry.

At the installation service, an elder from the Presbytery gave the charge to the pastor. She referenced the passage at the end of the Gospel According to John, where Jesus says to Peter, “Feed my lambs... Take care of my sheep... feed my sheep.” If I am faithful in ministry, I will feed the sheep with whom God has entrusted me. Even more, if I feed the sheep entrusted to me, I will be faithful.

Lord, help me to be the faithful and wise servant. Help me to feed your sheep. Help me to love your sheep. Help me to be faithful. Amen.