Thank You, Lord, for Listening. And for Answering.

I call on you, my God, for you will answer me; 

     turn your ear to me and hear my prayer. 

Show me the wonders of your great love, 

     you who save by your right hand 

     those who take refuge in you from their foes. 

Keep me as the apple of your eye; 

     hide me in the shadow of your wings.

(Psalm 17:6-8)

O Lord, my God,

you are Sovereign Lord over all the world,

and yet you know me by name.

What joy fills my heart

at the knowledge that

I am precious to you!

I know that not a word I pray,

  not a thought I have,

    not even an un-uttered inner groaning

fails to capture your attention.

Whatever I pray,

however I pray,

you will always answer.

Sometimes your answer is, “Yes.”

Sometimes your answer is, “No.”

Sometimes your answer is, “Trust me.”

But always, you answer me

according to your infinite wisdom

and your steadfast love.

Because you hear my prayers

and answer them,

I continue to cry out to you:

Show me your steadfast love,

protect me from harm,

shelter me in your loving arms.

Thank you, O Lord, for loving me.

Thank you for listening to the cries of my heart.

Thank you.

That is all. No answer required this time.

But still, I know you will.

Because that’s who you are.

Amen.

During the season of Lent, I am "Praying with David," using prayers found in the psalms as inspiration for personal prayers.

When You Can't Pray, God Hears You Anyway

O Lord, all my longing is known to you; 

     my sighing is not hidden from you.

(Psalm 38:9, NRSV)

Sometimes I can’t find the words to pray, O God.

My heart is heavy, weighed down.

The emotions and feelings swirl in dizzying chaos.

I’m sad – our world has been turned upside down.

I’m afraid – this is a really big deal. 

   (I know, you tell me not to be afraid. But this stuff is scary).

I’m anxious – no one has ever faced this before.

I’m angry – people are hoarding toilet paper. TOILET PAPER!

I’m worried – 

  for my wife and children, 

    for my parents and in-laws,

      for my siblings and extended family, 

         for my church,

            for my community,

         for the newly jobless,

      for strained and closed businesses,

    for the nations of the world,

  and even for me.

I’m restless – what can I do?

I’m on edge – what’s going to happen next?

I have all these things swirling around

in my heart and my mind, O God.

And I can’t put them into words.

But then, I realize that you already know.

O Lord, all my longing is known to you;

     my sighing is not hidden from you.

You know the deepest thoughts of my heart – 

the ones I hide from everyone else,

even the ones I have never been able to admit to myself.

When I can’t find the words to pray, it’s okay,

because your Spirit intercedes

with sighs too deep for words.

When my sighs and groans are all I can offer you,

you hear me still.

And you know.

Thank you, Lord, for listening to my heart

even when I don’t know what to say.

Thank you, Lord, for answering the prayers

that I don’t even know how to lift up.

Thank you, Lord, for knowing me through and through,

and for loving me eternally.

Amen.

During the season of Lent, I am "Praying with David," using prayers from the psalms as inspiration for personal prayers.

To You, O Lord, I Give Myself in Gratitude Today

I will give thanks to you, Lord, with all my heart; 

     I will tell of all your wonderful deeds. 

I will be glad and rejoice in you; 

     I will sing the praises of your name, O Most High. 

(Psalm 9:1-2)

At the beginning of the day, O Lord, 

I am determined to live with gratitude. 

Nothing has happened yet, 

except that I have awakened and risen with the sun. 

But I know that the day will be filled 

with blessings from you – 

because you’re that kind of God: 

gracious and compassionate, full of steadfast love.

Open my eyes, Lord, 

  to see your goodness all around me.

Open my heart, Lord, 

  to embrace the beauty and 

  grace which you shower upon me.

Open my mind, Lord, 

  to know that every moment is a gift from you, 

  and that every person I encounter 

  is one of your precious children.

But why should I speak in the future tense: 

“I will give thanks to you with all my heart,”? 

Indeed, even now I give you thanks. 

Even now, before another moment passes, 

I praise your name, and I rejoice in you.

Because I love you, 

and I know that whatever happens today, 

in the midst of it all I will experience your goodness.

To you, O Lord, I give myself in gratitude today.

Amen.

During the season of Lent, I am "Praying with David," using prayers found in the psalms as inspiration for personal prayers.

Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep

My soul is satisfied as with a rich feast,
    and my mouth praises you with joyful lips
when I think of you on my bed,
    and meditate on you in the watches of the night;
for you have been my help,
    and in the shadow of your wings I sing for joy.
My soul clings to you;
    your right hand upholds me.

(Psalm 63:5-8, NRSV)

"Now I lay me down to sleep,” I pray to you, O God.

But before I go to sleep, 

I take a look back on the day

that you gave to me.

And my heart wells up with gratitude.

Indeed, “My soul is satisfied as with a rich feast,”

because I can see how your goodness and mercy

have followed me – indeed, even led me – 

all the day long:

  in the people I have met,

    in the ways you have protected me from evil,

      in the ways you have strengthened me to

      be faithful to you,

        in the new things I have learned,

          in the successes and, yes, 

          even in the failures I have experienced – 

indeed, all of these things and so many more

point to your blessing upon my day.

Now I lay me down to sleep with a full and grateful heart,

for I have reviewed the events of this day,

and I am convinced that you have been my help.

Now I lay me down to sleep,

and my soul is at peace.

For as you have blessed me faithfully

by your providence through this day;

and so I rest in confidence 

that I will experience your faithfulness

again tomorrow.

Now I lay me down to sleep,

embracing you with all my being,

knowing that it is you who sustains me.

When I am asleep, as well as when I’m awake,

I belong to you; I am yours.

And because of that,

tonight I will truly rest in peace.

My soul clings to you, for you are my Savior.

Amen.

During the season of Lent I am “Praying with David,” using prayers found in the psalms as inspiration for personal prayers.

Teach Me to Look Back, Lord

The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;

     surely I have a delightful inheritance.

(Psalm 16:6)

Teach me to look backwards, O Lord.

Teach me to look back at my life 

as I have lived it thus far.

I don’t want to relive the “good old days;”

I’m not looking for a “do-over”

for the mistakes I have made;

I don’t long for happier times.

That’s not why I want for you to

teach me to look backwards, O God.

Teach me to look backwards,

so I can see how you have blessed me;

teach me to look backwards,

so I can see your providential hand

upon all my days.

If I look back at my life, O God,

surely I will see that 

the boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places.

If I look back at my life, O God,

surely I will see your love in more abundance

than I ever realized.

Hindsight is twenty-twenty, or so they say.

Give me eyes to see

how you have blessed me beyond measure,

and how you have brought me to today.

Teach me to look backwards, O God,

so I can live today with gratitude,

and so I may have hope for tomorrow

and all the tomorrows thereafter.

The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;

surely I have a delightful inheritance.

Teach me to look backwards, O God,

that I may praise you all of my days.

Through Christ, my Lord. Amen.

During the season of Lent I am “praying with David,” using prayers found in the psalms as inspiration for personal prayers.

Keep the "Memorial" in Memorial Day

Grave marker in the Clinton City Cemetery (North Carolina),
honoring one of the more than a million soldiers who have
given the life in the service of this nation.

"Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his faithful ones..."- Psalm 116:15

May 26, 2019.

Today in church I asked some people to stand for recognition and honor.

I don’t do this very often, but for occasions that call for us to honor the men and women who put their lives on the line for the security and freedom of this nation, I feel compelled to extend gratitude for the tremendous sacrifices they have made. And so on occasions like the Sunday closest to Veterans Day, I will ask that all people who have served in the armed services to stand, so that we can thank them. I do the same on the Sunday nearest July 4, because our independence as a nation has come only at the cost of countless human lives.

But today was different, because on Memorial Day the honorees aren’t present. They have died – in battle, in training exercises, in accidents while in uniform. The people we honor on Memorial Day are those who have died while still in uniform.

They paid the ultimate price for our freedom.

And so I asked for people to stand who have known soldiers who have died while in active service. Someone needs to stand, so that we can remember. And so we can give thanks for those who have made the ultimate sacrifice.

Jesus said, “No greater love is there than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” (John 15:13) Then Jesus demonstrated his love by dying for us.

By choosing to wear the uniform, the men and women of the armed services implicitly make their commitment to that teaching of Jesus – they are willing to lay down their lives for you and me, and for our freedom. And some – many, in fact – have fulfilled the greatest love completely.

Memorial Day is a holiday. It’s a day of rest, of relaxation by the beach, or in the mountains, or at the park. It’s a day of family gatherings, cookouts, and parties.

But please, also remember that this day is possible because of those who can’t join us.

And remember that for every woman or man who has died in the service of our nation, there is a family for whom this particular day is both a source of pain as well as pride. If you know a Gold Star family, reach out to them and let them know you are thinking of them. If you know a soldier, thank him or her.

The Psalmist says, “The Lord is near to the brokenhearted, and saves the crushed in spirit.” (Psalm 34:18) Often the most tangible way that the Lord draws near to the brokenhearted is through people like you and me. If you have the opportunity, let yourself be used in this way.

Enjoy Memorial Day. Those who have paid the ultimate price in order for you to have this holiday would want nothing more.

But also make sure you pause in humility and gratitude, and remember.

Lord, I Want to See

“Lord, I want to see...” (Luke 18:41)

The other day I just had to get outside and walk around. So I went to a nearby botanical garden, hopeful that there would be some winter flowers in bloom. At one point, I walked down the trail that goes along the edge of the Cape Fear River. It was an area of the botanical garden property that had been completely submerged in the aftermath of Hurricane Florence in September, 2018. Flood stage on the river is 35 feet. In September, the river crested at 61.4 feet, threatening the main area of the botanical garden. Everywhere along the trail I saw evidence of the flood – downed trees, debris that had washed up in the waters, muddy water marks on the trees way above me.

The trail was closed on one end, so I turned around and walked back the way I had come down. As I made my way back up, I noticed a beautiful carpet of new green growth coming from the saturated ground. I stopped to take a picture (because that’s what I do when I see something beautiful), and then continued the hike back to the main gardens. Later that day I posted several of my pictures on Facebook (again, because that’s what I do when I have captured something beautiful on my camera).

The next day I was reviewing the “Likes” I had gotten on my pictures (because – you guessed it – that’s what I do…), and I saw someone had “liked” the picture with the green growth. Now, from a photographer’s perspective, there really isn’t anything spectacular or notable about the picture – the lighting is not very good, and in general all the trees in the background make for a busy picture.

But when I was looking at this picture again, suddenly I saw something that I hadn’t seen before. I really don’t know why I hadn’t seen it – probably because I was in a hurry when I took the picture. But there it was, and now I can’t un-see it. It’s a cross, formed by a limb that was swept onto a dead tree.

It’s not a “perfect” cross, because the limb has an offshoot branch. But still, it is a cross. It is an unmistakable reminder of God’s goodness and love.

It got me to thinking: How many times every day do I fail to notice signs of God’s mercy and redemption? In my everyday busy-ness, am I so focused on getting from point A to point B, that I fail to see the beauty God gives me along the way?

In the Gospel According to Luke, a blind beggar calls out to Jesus. While some of the crowd with Jesus thinks the man is acting rudely and inappropriately, Jesus calls the blind man to him. “What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus asks. The man replies very simply: “Lord, I want to see.” And then Jesus restores the sight of the blind man.

“Lord, I want to see.” What a beautiful prayer! Shouldn’t that petition be a regular part of our prayer repertoire? We know that blindness is not limited to a physical condition; indeed, all of us are blind to a myriad of things, either by choice or unintentionally.

I don’t want to miss the glory of God in the everyday things I encounter. Lord, I want to see.

I don’t want to fail to see the image of God in the person who comes to my office to talk about life. Lord, I want to see.

I don’t want to pass up an opportunity to help a person in need. Lord, I want to see.

Open my eyes, that I may see

glimpses of truth thou hast for me…

Open my eyes, illumine me, Spirit Divine!

Open the eyes of my heart, Lord.

I want to see you.

Let us pray:

Lord, I want to see. Amen.

Home

Mercy, peace and love be yours in abundance.Jude 2

Home

Thank you, Heavenly Father, for home.

Thank you for the place where I

  feel safe, and secure.

Thank you for the place where I know

  I will encounter the love and affection of my wife,

 day after day after day... after day...

    ...and where I can reciprocate her love.

Thank you for the place where we have made

  lasting memories with our children,

  watching them grow into beautiful adults.

Thank you for the gift of the familiar:

  the tables where we have feasted,

  the beds where we have slept,

  the sofas on which we have laughed and cried together,

    and held each other.

Thank you for the four walls and roof

  that keep us warm and safe.

But to thank you is not enough.

I also invite you into my home,

  to be my Lord and my Savior

  day after day after day... after day...

Because without you,

  my home is no home at all.

Thank you for home.

This Day Is a Gift

This is the day that the Lord has made;              let us rejoice and be glad in it. (Psalm 118:24)

This Day Is a Gift

This day is a gift, O God.
It is a gift you have given to me.
This day is a clean slate, a blank canvas,
  nothing but opportunity ahead of me,
  abundant blessings waiting to be received.
I look forward to the encounters with your grace,
  your mercy,
    your steadfast love.
I expect your goodness, because that's who you are.
This day is a gift, O God.
Thank you.

This day is a gift, O God.
It is a gift that I offer to you. 
I dedicate myself today to your service:
  to be an instrument of your grace,
  to offer help to your people in need,
  to manifest your loving kindness,
  to speak words of hope and encouragement,
  to chip away at divisions and barriers that separate,
  to welcome the stranger,
  to extend your comforting presence to the lonely.
I will use the clean slate 
  and the blank canvas you have given to me,
  to make something beautiful for you.
That is my prayer, for I love you.

This day is my gift to you, O God.

Lord, I Want to Be Like My Dog

"You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might." (Deuteronomy 6:4-5)

Lord, I Want to Be Like My Dog

Lord, I want to be like my dog.
She loves me, totally and unconditionally.
She wags her tail with joy at hearing me call her name.
She jumps on me and gives me a dog-hug when I get home;
  she is excited to see me.
She seeks the comfort of my presence
  when there is a storm.
She sleeps in peace at the foot of my bed.
She is grateful that I feed her every day.
She loves to go on walks with me.

Lord, I want to be like my dog
  in my relationship with you.
I want to love you, totally and unconditionally.
I want to rejoice at hearing you call my name.
I want to be excited to know that you are with me.
I want to seek you in times of trouble.
I want to have peaceful rest in my soul.
I want to be grateful for your providential care.
I want to walk with you.

Lord, I want to be like my dog.