My Prayer for Me!

There is something simply joyful about working with children and youth. The innocence…the expectation…the wonder in their eyes…I am not sure I can pinpoint any one thing, but there is something joyful. That is why I so thoroughly enjoy church camp, VBS, and other activities geared toward children and youth. Some say it is what keeps us young…I am not so sure about that (you should have seen this old man early this morning!), but it is what gives me hope. My prayer for me is that God will allow me to enjoy working with children until the day I die. I have seen people who outgrow that enjoyment (or perhaps they never had it?) and I do not want to be like them. I further pray that should I ever cease to enjoy it, God will either (a) have me to realize the joy is gone and have me quit, or (b) give me another ministry so the children would never know I have ceased to enjoy their presence. That is also my prayer for those of you who work with children and youth...even occasionally. When working with children, I am constantly reminded of Jesus’ words, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them…” (Luke 18:16). I can think of no greater hindrance to a child/youth than a person working with them who lacks joy.

Persevering to the End!

You may recall James’ words, “Consider it pure joy whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you that the testing of your faith develops perseverance” (1:2-3) from last Sunday’s sermon. I cannot tell you the pure joy that welled up within me yesterday as I sat waiting with my son-in-law for his immigration hearing to start (pure sarcasm!). Part of me wanted to scream…we waited nearly 2 ½ hours for his hearing to start…another part of me felt compassion for the immigrants who were trying to cope with a system that is obviously broken. To be forced to wait 2½ hours past an appointed time for a ten minute hearing is an injustice, pure and simple. And while I fully realized that could happen (I have had dealings with our legal system before!), what about those who are trying to comply with the regulations and quirks of that same broken system? Should we wonder why there is a problem? Regardless, Eulalio and I will go back again next week…keep us in your prayers. With the perseverance I have gained, I am sure it will only seem like a two-hour wait! Regardless...back to James; our testing has a purpose and it is not to frustrate us. Verse 4 says that same perseverance that aggravates us so (or at least me) must finish its work so that we will be “mature and complete, not lacking anything.” Completion has a price.

Things that Go Bump In the Night!

Last night as the thunder rumbled and lightning flashed, two sets of footsteps ran into our bedroom in perfect unison, as together they screamed, “I’m scared.” There was no danger. We were safe in our home, but they sensed a threat. For the girls, the flashing and the noise conjured up visions of scary monsters. I am not sure where that came from…I am certain we’ve never read a book to them about scary monsters. I am positive I’ve never told them stories about scary monsters in Sesser. But somewhere they have been introduced to scary monsters (perhaps from Hannah!). As I reassured the girls that there were no scary monsters; that the thunder and lightning were not going to hurt us; and reminded them that Jill and I were there and that nothing bad would happen to any of us, I was reminded how we often run to God. In a frenzy, we fear something: the scary monsters lurk everywhere! Fact is, God remains on the throne, is never surprised by our circumstances, and remains ever ready to comfort us in those times of need. And even when one might expect God to say, “You’re afraid again?” he doesn’t, but instead reaches out to us with the loving touch of a parent who longs to protect. God is good all the time!

Siblings

At times I struggle with people. Some are not very kind to others, some are not very patient, and some are just plain mean to others by constantly mistreating and degrading them. The problem is that these are children of God…not only those who are being mean, but also those who are mistreated. I cannot imagine God is very happy when his children act badly to one another. I know it frustrates me as a parent when my children squabble with each other, it must be much the same for our heavenly Father. I also think God is saddened when we look at others and treat them as if they are not his children. Max Lucado wrote in “A Gentle Thunder,”
We are God’s idea. We are his. His face. His eyes. His hands. His touch. We are him. Look deeply into the face of every human being on earth, and you will see his likeness. Though some appear to be distant relatives, they are not. God has no cousins, only children.
We are incredibly the body of Christ. And though we may not act like our Father, there is no greater truth than this: We are his. Unalterably. He love us. Undyingly. Nothing can separate us from the love of Christ (see Romans 8:38-39).
Once we realize this, once we truly realize that all are his children, it cannot help but change the way we look at and treat our brothers and sisters.

Shared Prayer

I was recently asked why are we using a prayer calendar, why a month of prayer, and what is their purpose? Aside from the obvious discipline building exercise of following a calendar, for me it is like comparing the effect of 5 + 5 + 5 to the exponential effect of 5 x 5 x 5. Recently I read a devotional by Martha Graybeal Rowlett which explains it well.
“Shared prayer adds power to the work of intercession. Christians dare to believe that God needs and wants to hear our prayers, our compassionate intercession for one another and for our world. Through our prayers for one another, circumstances are changed and the work of the kingdom is done. An individual may feel overwhelmed by the needs of the world, or even the needs of a single congregation, but there is strength in numbers. Individuals gain courage for the task of intercession when the community prays together, aware of Christ’s presence among those gathered in his name. And the person for whom prayers are offered feels the added force of multiple prayers.”
If there is power in our prayers (and certainly we all agree on that), then there is exponential power in the prayer of the community that prays together, both as they encourage believers and touch the ear of God.

The Prayer of a Righteous Person

One of the focuses of our Prayer Calendar for Tuesday (yesterday) was the children who will attend VBS. It is easy for us (or perhaps it’s just me) to focus on the programs and music and forget about the children. First, we want the artwork to look great, the schedule to flow, the crafts to be good, the music tunes to be catchy…we want to present the perfect program. Secondly, it’s easy to dismiss them as “just children.” Some are only 4, 5, or 6 years old; how could God speak to or use them? We need to repent. Just as church camp is extremely effective in reaching young adults, Vacation Bible School greatly impacts the lives of countless children. You probably even have a memory of VBS from your childhood (unless, like me, you attended a Catholic Church as a child…then you know in the 60’s & 70’s they didn’t have time for such nonsense. Just ask Sister Dorothy!) Yeah, many have attended VBS before, some at several different churches, and they don't seem to get much out of it, but are we praying for them…for their salvation? Are we praying that those who do know Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior will mature in their faith as a result of our program? Remember James 5:16b? “The prayer of a righteous person is both powerful and effective.” We go to all the trouble to put on VBS, but are we neglecting the most important element?

Attitude Affects Altitude!

Have you seen those posters at workplaces and classrooms with an eagle soaring above the mountains? The caption reads: Your attitude determines your altitude! The message is clear; right thinking enables one to fly higher. This motto also holds a truth for believers to cling to, but not in the way you might think. Romans 15, Philippians 2, and other New Testament passages urge us to adopt the attitude of Jesus Christ. An attitude of self-sacrifice; of compassion toward others; of patience under fire; an attitude bent on making and keeping peace. Popular logic would have us to believe these positions lead only to failure. Yet in reality, they carry us to the heights of a meaning-filled, purposeful life. Jesus, who made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant; dying in our place seemed a foolish act by the Son of God! But, it was by that sacrifice that God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every other name (Phil 2:7, 9). The lowly attitude that took Jesus to the cross, as it were determined his lofty altitude! We are to be like Jesus: God calls us to serve and to soar.

Petty Prayer Requests?

I’m a bit rusty this morning…having not regularly posted blogs this past week due to camp, I completely forgot to post first thing this morning. Hopefully, this blog is better late than never. I will try to do better tomorrow.
As we continue our month of prayer and fasting, I’ve noticed we are in the habit of praying for trivial and insignificant items. Perhaps it’s the comfortable thing to do…might we become uncomfortable if God were allowed to do all he could do with/for us? Or is it we often fail to factor in the great majesty of God? If God wanted to give us only superficial, petty things, Jesus would not have given us such a magnificent model in The Lord’s Prayer. God has plenty of resources and is not stingy. He generously offers us the best gifts available in heaven and on earth. I believe he expects us to ask for all we need and that we will sincerely believe we will receive. Martin Luther wrote, “When we receive what we ask for in the Lord’s Prayer, we are in effect, receiving heaven and earth and everything they contain. For when we ask for God’s name to be kept holy, for his kingdom to come, and for his will to be done, we are overpowering countless devils and engulfing the whole world with one prayer.”

The Church We Ought To Be!

Once again I write from Beulah JHA. It has been a wonderfully busy week here…the weather has been as perfect as one could ask, the kids are very well behaved, and my fellowship time with sponsors and other pastors has been excellent. We (clergy) have speculated on the identity of the next Bishop and solved most of the problems with the church at large! I’ve also experienced something really neat this week. We in the church talk of things like radical hospitality, welcoming, and nurturing, but I have seen it truly practiced by one church this week. This church has eight youth and an adult here and they have shown these kids the love of Christ. Each of the kids and the sponsor has received a care package and multiple cards from several members of the church each day while at camp this week. Some of the kids are here for the first time, and I am sure it makes a big difference to them knowing folks at their home church are supporting them with cards, prayers, and gifts. I am going to guess that rather than seeing these young people as children or as a problem to the church or community; they see them as a ministry and the future of their church...a resource to be tapped! In speaking with one of these young adults she (a 13 year-old) described her church as loving and vibrant. Wow! That is the church we all ought to be. I’ll be back Monday, from Sesser.

Freedom in Christ

Greetings from Beulah Jr-High Alive! It has been a busy couple of days here, we have hit the ground running and now seem to have found our pace. The theme this year is Freedom in Christ, based on John 8:36, “When the Son sets you free, you are free indeed!” There is something unique about our freedom in Christ. For us to experience it…to truly experience it, we must first surrender all to Christ. Surrender is a word that carries with it much baggage in today’s world. No one likes surrender. Usually that means defeat and defeat leads to humiliation. To many youngsters surrender invokes images of destruction and disgrace. From images of warfare video games that look much too realistic to me, to the image of a ball team in retreat; surrender is not something we want to experience. But to surrender to Christ is to say to God there is nothing more important than him. It is to let God take control of everything…absolutely everything: those things I cannot control, and the things I do. Surrender is not easy, for anyone, but hopefully with the leading of the Spirit, these youngsters will find it easier to “let go and let God.” I hope to write again from Beulah later this week…God willing.

He Never Gives Up!

As I begin today, I want to once more say what a blessing it was to help at Cobden last week. It was said by others and it’s true; you receive much more than you give when you serve others. Well, here I go again…all the plans have been made for camp at Beulah this week and suddenly problems pop up. I was notified last night that a sponsor had to drop out so I will be staying with some boys at camp. It makes no difference to me, but had I not been able to do it, a few boys would not be able to attend the camp. It happens over and over; at camp, at VBS, at Cobden, on Sundays: Satan is continually opposing any movement of God’s hand in the lives of both children and adults. He never gives up. Praise God that “greater is he in us than he who is in the world” (1 John 4:4).
I will attempt to post new blogs from camp this week, but just as last month when I was at camp, I will be unable to get online everyday. So, until then, continue to use your prayer calendars and pray with me that God will touch lives at camp this week and that Satan will be foiled in his attempts to deceive these young adults. Also, pray for Jurisdictional Conference as they engage the process to elect a new bishop and appoint a bishop to our conference.

The Power of Answered Prayer

Last Wednesday evening at prayer meeting I shared from the devotion, The Possibilities of Prayer, by Edward Bounds. He writes, “It is answered prayer which brings praying out of the realm of dry, dead things, and makes praying a thing of life and power.” How true! Praying can become so dead and routine, until we experience the power of God by realizing an answer to our prayer. It doesn’t even necessarily have to be the answer we asked for or expected, just an answer. That is the “aha” moment when we truly understand that God can and does hear and answer prayer! From that point on we are energized with an anticipation of God hearing and responding to our prayers. That is where power lies…knowing God hears our concerns and requests and believing that God will act upon them. I am reminded of the child who is at his father’s feet trying desperately to get his attention. He repeatedly calls out “dad” with no success. When we pray to our Father, we experience just the opposite! Once we’ve tasted answered prayer, we realize at the sound of our voice God immediately turns to us with a look of anticipation. Even if our prayers are not answered instantly, we know that God has already given us his undivided attention. My prayer for you is that your prayer life would be a thing of life and power!

A God on the Move!

It seems God will act whenever and wherever his people slow down long enough to give him their total attention in faith-filled prayer, praise, and worshipful waiting. Key words in that sentence is total attention. We see it repeatedly in scripture; God is waiting to break thru, to transform lives and equip people to do things beyond “all we ask or imagine according to his power that is at work within us” (Ephesians 3:20). The condition is that we are attentive. Isn’t that what happened at Pentecost? Using the death and resurrection of our Lord, God got the attention of Jesus’ followers to the point that they became attentive to God and on Pentecost the Spirit moved. I believe God wants to move once more by invading and blessing our churches and wouldn’t the perfect place be VBS, or a mission trip, or Sunday morning worship, or even at a business meeting? All God asks is our cooperation, for us to focus on him…intently. It is my prayer this month, as we slow down and seek God’s face that his power may begin to work in and thru us as we yield ourselves totally to the Spirit of the Living God.

Perseverance

The last couple of weeks I have been intently studying the Book of Acts of the Apostles in order to better understand the prayers of the Apostles and the early church. One difference between them and us is their instinct to pray. When in trouble, they prayed. When intimidated, they prayed. When challenged, they prayed. When persecuted, they prayed. All other options, thoughts, and schemes took second chair to prayer. I realize we pray, but it appears we lack their perseverance. When we ask God for answers, direction, or intervention, we must persevere in prayer, allowing it to build up day after day until the force of it becomes a mighty tide rushing over all obstacles. God said his house is to be a house of prayer…not merely a house of preaching or singing, but a house of prayer. How can we expect to receive great answers from God unless we persevere in prayer? We certainly have much to learn from the first century church about prayer. As we move thru July we have a wonderful opportunity to learn and practice the perseverance of our church fathers. With any luck we might even develop their instinct to pray.

Giving & Receiving

There is one thing I can always count on…regardless of how tired I am, how grumpy I appear, how sad I feel, or how bad I hurt: I undergo a transformation when I am around children. I don’t know if it’s their innocence, optimism, or youthfulness, but their attributes are infectious. It is no wonder Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me” (Luke 18:16)! On Monday seven of us from Sesser began a week of “mission work” at Jesus es el Senor UMC near Cobden, IL. We joined a team from the Fairfield FUMC and served as tutors for over fifty Hispanic children, helping them hone their math, reading, and writing skills. Once again, I received so much more than I was able to give. Yesterday alone I came home with three new friends and a sense of accomplishment. It’s not that I was able to impart great knowledge or skills to them…it’s that I cared enough to show up. More than anything else, some of these kids desperately need to know someone cares. Not everyone can, or is able to spend a week or a day there, but we have a total of fourteen people who have decided to serve these children at least one day this week. Keep us and the team from Fairfield in your prayers, along with “these to whom the kingdom of God belongs.”

Boldness

I recently read a devotion by Ruben Job that asked why we do not pray for boldness in spreading the Gospel. Ruben pointed to several passages in the book of The Acts of the Apostles where the apostles and believers prayed for boldness to share the Gospel. They did not pray for safety; they did not pray for their opposition to be defeated; they did not even pray for opportunities to share; they prayed for boldness. This might only be a passing observation except we all know the explosive growth of the first century church. Job then asked the haunting question, “What is it you and your church pray for?” In my heart I immediately realized we often pray for opportunities to share; we pray that our opposition would be squashed; we pray for our safety; and sadly, we do not pray for boldness in sharing the Gospel. Next I recalled accounts of the Methodist Church in Africa which has experienced exponential growth the past few years. What I remember hearing about the Church in Africa is they are desperate and they are bold. Now why do you suppose the Church (including the UMC) is failing in the United States? We are neither desperate nor bold. Why is that? Why is it we do not pray for boldness to share the Gospel? As we continue our month of prayer & fasting, I would ask you to add boldness to your daily prayer requests. That is now my focus of prayer and my prayer for each of you: boldness in sharing the Gospel.

True Freedom

Happy Fourth of July! Today we celebrate our independence from Great Britain, and we should celebrate (though I wish we would also use the occasion to teach history to our children). We enjoy freedoms that others in our world only dream of. And while our world today is very different than it was in the 18th century, it was the convictions and actions of people then that helped shape the world in which we live. I truly doubt if the Committee of Five (Adams, Jefferson, Livingston, Franklin, & Sherman), who drafted the Declaration of Independence, were aware of the impact their labors would have on our country and the world! I mention this to ask if you are aware of the impact your actions and convictions will have on future generations. Of course not, I don’t believe we can know the extent to which we impact others. However, we do know we impact others, and the greatest impact we can have on anyone has eternal implications. People are watching you, and your words, actions, and convictions will both directly and indirectly impact them. Are you living every moment of your life so to be an example to others? I've often heard how the preacher & his family live in a fishbowl. Might I suggest that every believer lives in a fishbowl, observed by countless others to see our reactions to injustice, disease, setbacks, & loss. They really just want to see if you experience the true freedom in Christ you speak of.

Distracted?

If you’ve not yet experienced the prayer labyrinth in the basement, you ought to try it. Some seem a little intimidated by this new-fangled method of praying. Fact is they are nothing more than a maze that takes the participant on a journey, and they are centuries old. Christian use has often paralleled the journey of Christ and it allows the participant to travel at his/her own pace stopping for reflection, meditation, and prayer along the way. There is nothing mystical or magical about them, instead it is another tool, like prayer beads or devotions, to help guide us into the presence of God. Again, it is much more important that we pray than how we pray (see yesterday’s blog). Someone also asked me, “Why July?” My reason for July is that summer is a time when we are so distracted by everything the world has to offer that many people seem to drift away from church activities. There’s the lake, ballgames, visitors, traveling, riding Fatboys, camping…you get the picture. None of these are bad things, but to misquote Paul, “we are to pick the most excellent thing!” If your prayer life remains constant during the summer…praise God! Please add prayer for those mentioned on our prayer calendar (also found on the website at the Prayer Requests page). However, if you struggle at all with the distractions that summer throws at us, consider trying something new or different to help you re-focus on God. You might just find it helps.

The Response to Prayer

As we move into this month of fervent prayer, have you ever wondered if your prayers are effective…that is, if they are getting thru to God? Is there something we should be doing differently, or better? Are we to pray on our faces or on our knees? With lifted hands or folded hands? When a friend delivered the message of Lazarus’ illness to Jesus he said, “Lord, the one you love is sick” (John 11:3). He based his appeal on the perfect love of the Savior. He didn’t say, “The one who loves you is sick.” He said, “The one you love is sick.” The power of our prayers does not depend on the one who makes the request or how its made, but rather on the one who hears the prayer. Knowing this, we have reason to rejoice! It really doesn’t matter how we pray, all that matters is that we pray! We can and must repeat the phrase in many ways. “The one you love is tired…is sad…is hungry… is hurting…is lonely…is depressed…is afraid…” The words of our prayers will vary, but the response never changes. The Savior hears our prayers. Then, just as in Lazarus’ case, he moves. But he moves in his perfect time to answer our prayers in ways that sometimes surprise…sometimes stun. Psalm 34:17 says, “The Lord hears good people when they cry out to him…”

Saying Goodbye

Yesterday we said goodbye to Annett. It was a sad day. She has been with us for nearly 11 months and now she has returned to her family in Germany. We’ve done this before (sent an exchange-student home) and it has never really been easy. If you want to receive love, you must be willing to give it. There is something about teenagers that is both challenging and rewarding. They quickly open to you and become part of your family if you invite and allow them to. Annett blessed us this past year and I said goodbye to a daughter, perhaps forever. Still, she has forever touched my life and the life of our family and some in our church family…for this I praise God. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 says something like: “Be joyful always, pray continuously, and give thanks in all circumstances.” I praise God that he brought Annett into the life of our family. I pray she grew from the experience (I know we did), and I give thanks that she has now returned home, safe, at least for a time. We look forward to seeing her again in the coming years, but even more we look forward to the next blessings God will send. Please keep Annett, and all of our family, in your prayers.