Intercessory Prayer Among Friends

 1/6/2022

Prayer of Intercession

Dear Encouraging Sister,

    Here I am writing my loose, stray thoughts to you as we discussed I would do, just as Bonhoeffer wrote his not fully developed theological thoughts to his friend and confidant, Eberhart Bethke. In no way do I mean to imply that my thoughts could hold a candle to those of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a theologian of extraordinary courage and erudition. Simply put, you are my sounding board, a point of reception so I may again begin putting words onto paper and share them with others.

Each day I read a devotion featuring a thought from Bonhoeffer, my current focus of study and admiration. Here is a meditation from today's devotion. “And above all, we must not neglect the greatest service that is left to us, our faithful daily intercession.” (Ringma, Charles. Seize the Day -- with Dietrich Bonhoeffer: A 365 Day Devotional Designed for Influence (p. 17). The Navigators. Kindle Edition.)

Dear one, know that you and your loved ones are part of my daily intercession, along with many others dear to me. Prayer keeps me spiritually close to all of those for whom I regularly pray, those loved immensely and those who have wronged me.

During our recent discussion about prayer, you introduced the topic of preparing for prayer, prompting me to give that serious thought. Prior to intercessory prayer, I come before God with a loving image of the individual, group, or situation for whom I pray, even those considered enemies such as, The Proud Boys. Most often, I pray that God infuses that being or situation with love, holy purpose, grace, thanksgiving, and humility.

As a result of this devotion, I reached out to some of those for whom I regularly pray, and to a support group to which I belong asking prayers for myself. You see, I was feeling quite down and out from this being the second day of feeling unwell with overwhelming fatigue and stomach upset. This was a great blessing since today I received the spiritual support I needed so badly along with validation and affirmation. It prompts me to inquire why we do not ask for prayer more often than we do? Is it because expressing weakness is taboo? Is it because we do not consider ourselves worthy of additional prayer?

This is where I offer you prayer for healing and that your treatments prove to be successful. I also offer encouragement to do the same as I did today, reach out to me or others when you need an additional prayer boost. Reach out to others for intercessory prayer. While expressing weakness or need does make a person vulnerable, I don’t think that is a problem for you. Pray with me Sister that we are healed in mind, body, and soul.

 Your loving Sister,

Sr. Pam 

Sermon: Love is Bound

Love is Bound

Sermon for Grace Episcopal Church

May 13, 2018, 7 Sunday of Easter

Prayer: Lord God, send us your Holy Spirit to strengthen us, and exalt us to that place where our Savior Christ has gone. Amen

Please make yourselves comfortable because I want to read you a poem written by the 19^th century, British poet, G. K. Chesterton.

LOVE IS NOT BLIND;
That is the last thing that it is
LOVE IS BOUND
And the more it is bound
The less it is blind.

Listen carefully to the words of this poem. I’m going to read it two times so the words have time to melt into your soul and season your life.

Through the apostle evangelist, John, we learn the many ways that Jesus unequivocally, clearly communicates the deep and vast love that he has for us, his people. Jesus loves us as a parent, a sibling, a spouse, a lover, and as a companion striding and sometimes struggling through life with us. Today’s Gospel recalls Jesus’ words hours before his arrest and death by crucifixion. His ultimate sacrifice made for taking on our sins, our debts.

Over the past weeks, while further contemplating Jesus’ holy words of love it gradually became clear to me that God’s love reminds me of my days as a nurse watching newborns and parents interact, the parents falling in love with their newborn and the baby learning about the world they are brought into and the people who will love that baby even to the point of death.

We call that interaction, bonding. It’s a dance of love. God loves us in much the same way that new parents love their infant and we respond to that love in much the same way that a healthy infant responds to parents, imitating the parents’ moves, learning the language of the parent and learning how to live in the parents’ world.

Today is Mother’s Day. To honor this day, I will use the name Mother as we explore this concept of bonding. This is no way to be taken as a theological statement about the God’s gender, or, to exclude those who are not mothers in the way that we usually use the term. In any case, in this love dance, we are the beloved infants of our Lord who is the parent.

So, while contemplating God’s immense love for us, I had this silent stirring of unbidden awareness about the bonding nature between the Almighty and each of us.

By fate, I came across this poem of Chesterton that describes the bond between God the Father, Jesus the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and with each of us and with the church which is also the Body of Christ. It’s always awesome to clearly see how the Holy Spirit participates actively in our lives. l

Let’s take a closer look this poem of Chesterton’s in light of our bonding with the Almighty.

LOVE IS NOT BLIND.

God loves us beyond limits, way more than to the moon and back, exactly because God’s love is - not - blind. It doesn’t take much to love someone who is perfect, someone who does things the way we like them to be done, who is healthy, attractive, polite, belongs to the right family, has a nice home and has the same religious and political views as we do.

Yet, that does not describe most of us. We are flawed beings, born flawed and destined to live flawed lives. Yet, in spite of our flawed nature, we are loved beyond measure, we are loved perfectly by the Creator of the universe. As written by the psalmist, Psalm 8:4-5 (NRSV)

“4 what are human beings that you are mindful of them,

    mortals that you care for them?

5 Yet you have made them a little lower than God,

    and crowned them with glory and honor.”

Love would not truly be love if it were blind. Sometimes, it’s often easier to love strangers than to love those whose flaws we know so well.

When we love with open eyes, knowing every flaw, we know that we are loved in a mighty way, in a Godly way. Mystic, Meister Eckhart preached, “He that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God and God in him.”

St. Paul says that we are often spiritual infants. God is our loving Mother. God knows the mess we make of things and loves us anyway. Just like a mother loving her infant when it spits up all over her.

God wants us to abide in that same kind of love, to love despite each others’ faults. You know what I mean.

 There is the person texting in church, the person who always comes in late, the one who picks her teeth, the gossiper, the teen chewing gum, the guy who sings loudly off key, the neighbor who doesn’t mow the lawn as often as you do.

To truly love your neighbor as God loves means loving with our eyes wide open. Love others, faults, and all. That is true love and we are unable to attain that level of love without God’s help.

We know each other’s faults and God the omniscient knows our even deeper hidden faults, God examines them thoroughly.

These include, but are not limited to our prejudices and hatreds, our harmful pride and greed, jealousy, pointing fingers, our false gods of status and wealth, our addictions to all kinds of things, lies, pornography, substances legal and illegal, our excesses and all manner of unloving. God sees these faults clearly and loves us anyway.

So it is with God’s love. God knows the mess we make of things and loves us anyway.

Love is not blind, THAT IS THE LAST THING THAT IT IS.

LOVE IS BOUND,

This happens through the process of bonding. When an infant meets the Mother for the first time, the Infant’s eyes are wide open and look into the mother’s eyes. Mothers are seen holding the newborn enface, the perfect distance to accommodate newborn vision. Bonding includes talking to one another. When the baby is unhappy, or uncomfortable, he cries. As the baby gets older she coos and eventually learns to speak the parent’s language.

We, as the infant, do the same with God as we learn to pray.

Next line of the poem, AND THE MORE IT IS BOUND THE LESS IT IS BLIND

There is nothing that can separate us from God’s love. Sometimes people are afraid that they will not be granted salvation. This week, a member of SNP service died. Louis used to fear death because he didn’t think God could forgive him. Over and over he asked all of us about this and over and over we reassured him of God’s love.

Then, about a year and a half ago, Lewis died and was brought back to life, physically and spiritually, as a man transformed. He experienced firsthand God’s love and forgiveness. He came back to tell everyone to trust God’s love and that there is nothing to fear from death, not because Louis was perfect, rather, God loves us with all of our faults. God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 

Whoever has the Son, - has life; whoever does not have the Son of God - does not have life. Lewis physically died last week knowing that there was nothing to fear, that he could trust God to care for him with all of his sins and all of his goodness. Louis was fully bound to God’s love, a love that is not blind. I pray that we may all trust in God’s love, as Lewis did.

Day 2 Personal Reflections on Catherine of Siena’s, The Dialogue

Page 26 Service by Attaining and Possessing Virtue

“…-for she knew that she could be of no service to her neighbors in teaching or example or prayer without first doing herself the service of attaining and possessing virtue”(p.26)

In this section, Catherine petitions the Father for four actions, the first being for herself so she would be able to serve in teaching, example and prayer after attaining and possessing virtue. This brings to mind the words of the Jesus Prayer, “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner.” When praying the Jesus Prayer, the supplicant is praying for personal mercy rather than praying for another person. Is this not a selfish way to be praying, just as Catherine petitions the Father for her own virtue before other petitions that will benefit others?

In reality, Catherine acknowledges that she cannot possess virtue unless the Father gives it to her. She recognizes that she can do nothing without possessing this God-given gift; she cannot teach, be an example of pray for others unless God gives her the virtue to accomplish these actions. James tells us that, “Every generous act of giving, with every perfect gift, is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change” (James 1:17, NRSV). Catherine prays in the knowledge that she can do nothing or give nothing unless she receives virtue from the Father. Without God’s virtue, she is useless.

Catherine remains true to the theme of uniting with God by using the fruit of this unity for His own purpose. Without this unity, she can do nothing. “Abide in me as I abide in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me.  I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing (John 15:4-5, NRSV).

Catherine is correct in making her first petition to be for herself so she can serve others. The other three petitions are for reform of the Church, for the whole world, especially for peace of rebelling Christians, and finally for a private petition. Catherine lives a life dedicated to bringing about these last three petitions, relying on the help of God.

Catherine’s words remind us of the importance of praying for ourselves so we will have the will, discernment, desire, and ability to serve the Almighty.

I pray, Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.  Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, your servant. Lord, Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, hear my prayer.

References

New Revised Standard Version Bible (NRSV), copyright © 1989 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America.

R.J. Payne & E.H. Cousins, (1980). The Classics of Western Spirituality: Catherine of Siena, The Dialogue. Paulist Press: New York.

St. Catherine: The Dialogue

Become One with the Almighty Through Truth

Day One, Page 25

“And loving, she seeks to pursue truth and clothe herself in it.” p.25

Metaphor distinguishes Catherine’s Dialogue throughout. Here, she clothes herself in the pursuit of truth, by which she identifies herself as a Dominican, bearing the motto, VERITAS. Each time I wear the habit or don the Dominican cross, I commit myself to truth and pursuit of truth so that I, like Catherine, clothe myself in truth. Lord, I repent and ask for forgiveness should I misrepresent the truth intentionally or unintentionally, just as I forgive those who speak falsehoods.

A difficult task presents itself in forgiving those who spoke or speak falsehoods against me, or lambs persecuted by lies, for when touched by falsehoods, I experience the pain of being touched by evil, and so I have been wounded by lies. These servants of lies work for the evil one, master of lies and deceit. I pray out, “Satan be gone.” Lord help me with this task of forgiveness for I find it most challenging to do so. Only Your help will help me deliver forgiveness that bears the fruit of truth.

The pursuit of truth encourages and allows me to follow in Yeshua's footsteps, where no deceit can be found. In doing so, “through desire and affection and the union of love he makes of her another himself (p. 25.) In truth, through humble prayer, I become one with the Holy Trinity.

²² Judas (not Iscariot) said to him, “Lord, how is it that you will reveal yourself to us, and not to the world?” ²³ Jesus answered him, “Those who love me will keep my word, and my Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them (John 14:22-23 NRSV).

References

New Revised Standard Version Bible (NRSV), copyright © 1989 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America.

R.J. Payne & E.H. Cousins, (1980). The Classics of Western Spirituality: Catherine of Siena, The Dialogue. Paulist Press: New York.

Intro

We are quite familiar with the Parable of the Sower and have studied the lessons learned a number of times. In the parable an anonymous sower broadly scatters the seed, which is the Word of God, some seed grows fruitfully while other seed does not.

This parable contains relevant truths for this time of year and this week in particular. This is the time of year when gardeners receive seed catalogues in the mail every day. I brought one along to show you just how many seeds there are! The Word of God is like that as well. The Word of God includes many different kinds of seeds, the seeds of love, seeds of faith, and seeds of justice and on it goes.

With it being the holiday of MLK I became curious about the seeds sown by Rev. King. As it turns out, Rev. King spoke a great deal about the various seeds of the Word. I want to give you a few examples and encourage you to read his sermons which can be found online.

The greatest seed of the Word is love. Here is what Rev. King said about the seed of love.

"Love your enemies; bless them that curse you; pray for them that despitefully use you." This is what we must live by. We must meet hate with love. Remember, if I am stopped, this movement will not stop, because God is with the movement. Go home with this glowing faith and this radiant assurance.

But Jesus says love them. And love is greater than like. Love is understanding, redemptive goodwill for all men, so that you love everybody, because God loves them. You refuse to do anything that will defeat an individual, because you have agape in your soul. And here you come to the point that you love the individual who does the evil deed, while hating the deed that the person does. This is what Jesus means when he says, "Love your enemy." This is the way to do it. When the opportunity presents itself when you can defeat your enemy, you must not do it. Montgomery Bus Boycott speech, at Holt Street Baptist Church (5 December 1955)

Imagine the impact if Christians followed the Word and sowed the seed of love. We see people abandoning the Church and when I talk with some of these people I hear over and over that they do not see love in action. We have our petty squabbles that consume time, energy and destroy the health of the Church. Let’s turn Grace Church into one where the seed love bears good fruit.

Sometimes, we gardeners plant different seeds together. For example, a variety of salad greens grow together or a variety of wild flower seeds to grow a beautiful more natural looking garden.

Rev. King spoke about the seeds of love and justice being planted together.

Whatever we do, we must keep God in the forefront. Let us be Christian in all of our actions. But I want to tell you this evening that it is not enough for us to talk about love, love is one of the pivotal points of the Christian face, faith. There is another side called justice. And justice is really love in calculation. Justice is love correcting that which revolts against love

That is what the civil rights movement was all about. “Justice is love correcting that which revolts against love.” Rev. King used the Word of God to plant the seeds of love and justice. Let’s follow in his footsteps sowing the seeds of love and justice to correct that which revolts against love.

Back Again and MLK

After a three year hiatus the time has come to renew my commitment to writing. Why now? Much has transpired in the three years and the time is right to make some sense of it.

We can never take our civil rights for granted. The cancer of bigotry and misogyny is alive and well in the land of the free, along with alternate facts and people of the lie. This past Martin Luther King Day provoked prayer study of his words, his life and his death. A few of these thoughts are found within this blog.

We are quite familiar with the Parable of the Sower and have studied the lessons learned from this parable a number of times. In the parable an anonymous sower broadly scatters the seed, which is the Word of God; some seed grows fruitfully while other seed does not. We have here, relevant truths for our day and age.

I am a gardener. This is the time of year when we gardeners receive seed catalogs in the mail every day. Thousands of seeds are featured for every type of  growing condition or need. The Word of God is like that as well, as it includes many different kinds of seeds, the seeds of love, seeds of faith, and seeds of justice, seeds for times of prosperity and seeds for the dry years. As people of God, we too, become sowers of the Word.

The seeds of faith and scripture sowed by Martin Luther King yielded fruit in abundance.  Rev. King sowed a great many seeds of the Word to promote justice and equality. Here are a few examples from his sermons. Here is what Rev. King said about the greatest seed of all, love. "Love your enemies; bless them that curse you; pray for them that despitefully use you." This is what we must live by. We must meet hate with love. Recently, I encountered abuse of power. It's easy to hate. It is easy to go to the dark side. These are the weeds in the garden. To grow good fruit we need to meet the enemy straight on with love. That's not to say the enemy becomes a best friend. No, it means that we pray for the enemy, that if we encounter the enemy in trouble, we offer assistance.

"But Jesus says love them. And love is greater than like. Love is understanding, redemptive goodwill for all men, so that you love everybody, because God loves them. You refuse to do anything that will defeat an individual, because you have agape in your soul. And here you come to the point that you love the individual who does the evil deed, while hating the deed that the person does. This is what Jesus means when he says, "Love your enemy." This is the way to do it. When the opportunity presents itself when you can defeat your enemy, you must not do it. Montgomery Bus Boycott speech, at Holt Street Baptist Church" (5 December 1955).

Imagine the beauty own if Christians followed the Word and sowed the seed of love. We see people abandoning the Church and when I talk with some of these people I hear over and over that they do not see love in action within the church. We have our petty squabbles that consume time, energy and destroy the health of the Church. We have power figures who abuse that power to denigrate, demean and degrade the Body of Christ.

Sometimes, we gardeners plant different seeds together. For example, a variety of salad greens grow together or a variety of wild flower seeds to grow the create a more beautiful, more natural looking garden. Reverend King spoke about the seeds of love and justice being planted together. It is not enough for us to talk about love, love is one of the pivotal points of the Christian faith and face. Reverend King said, "Justice is really love in calculation. Justice is love correcting that which revolts against love. Justice is love correcting that which revolts against love.” Rev. King used the Word of God to plant the seeds of love and justice even in the face of our enemies. Let’s follow in his footsteps sowing the seeds of love and justice to correct that which revolts against love.

The Yoke of Light

“Come to me, all who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble of heart, and you will find rest for your soul. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28–30

Tell me of the one who is not weary and heavy laden and I will tell you of the one who walks with God. There is no doubt that life is filled with burdens of all kinds, hunger, thirst, poverty, poor decisions, straying from the path that follows God and leads to the Kingdom of Heaven. Worry about sick friends and family burden me in especially difficult ways for I am often helpless to intervene in a meaningful way. I pray for the best even though my eyes remain blind to what that may realistically look like. Too often, I lean on God and the burden remains heavy.

What of that heaviness? What about the yoke? My temptation is to shed the yoke and be free of it once and for all, to be free as a bird without a care in the world. Without the yoke I will be free to explore new ways, look for a better path, to look for a new light in the darkness. Without the yoke, I may sever the ties that bind me to responsibility, relationships and respectability. Oh, wait a minute, is that what I really desire? Without responsibility, there is nothing to give my life purpose. Without relationships, I will be a very lonely person. Without respectability, I have no standards to maintain. If I stray from the narrow path I may never find my way back and those who love me may give up on searching.   This is not the life I want or desire.

There is a yoke to carry that keeps me following the path that Jesus prepared. The light burden of this yoke keeps me moving in the right direction, one foot in front of the over. When I begin to stray from the narrow path of Jesus guided by the Holy Spirit to the Lord the yoke becomes heavier and heavier.

When life becomes burdensome, when the yoke become heavy, it is time to review my relationship with the Almighty. It is time to call upon the grace of God, examine my conscience, ask for forgiveness, pray for mercy and call upon fellow disciples to help me on the journey. In this way, the yoke becomes light and I carry it with joy.

The Simple Spring Challenge

Well folks, spring has finally arrived following an especially cold, windy and brutal winter in the hinterlands of North Dakota. Believe of not, there was a positive side to this long season of being snowed in from one blizzard to the next. Short days sliding into long nights gifted me many hours of reading, Bible study and contemplation while snuggled in with two dogs, a cat and a cup of hot chocolate.

Suddenly, as though someone threw open the shutters, days are warm and sunny, 14 hours long and lengthening. For the first time in 6 months I can walk around the yard and fields gazing at debris blown in like tumbleweeds and of course the miscellaneous stuff buried in the first snow of last November. Sun pours into the windows through layers of "snert" left by the aforementioned blizzards. 

Home ownership complicates our lives. Many times I mumble to myself, "I'm ready for the condo."

So, just how does a contemplative religious deal with the complexity of caring for a home
and yard while maintaining a simple life? While this is still something I am figuring out, here are a few suggestions.

1. Set priorities
My priority is living a contemplative life in prayer and service to God. Snert can wait, praying the Daily Office will not. My home will never be featured in a magazine, but it is a place of peace and a comfortable retreat for those seeking solitude.

2. Live in the presence of God
Seasonal chores have the potential to be a prayer of praise to our Creator. Raking dead leaves, cleaning flower beds and planting seeds enable one to be intimately connected to the earth, creation and the millenia of human and nonhuman inhabitants who lived on the land.

3. If it doesn't get done, it doesn't get done
We have small field on the south side of the lilac bushes that really ought to be weeded and something useful planted in order to at least prevent the weeds from growing and spreading. It is the last project of every year and quite honestly, not much gets done. I cut the burdock and that is about it. Que sera, sera. I look up to caress the lake with my eyes, cherish the birds flying, singing and swimming and thank God for the beauty of my surroundings.

Simplicity of Buying Consumer Goods

Does it really matter where my clothes are made? Isn't it simpler to just purchase whatever is most convenient? If so, for whom is it simpler or more convenient? Surely it is not simple or convenient for the factory worker in Bangladesh who loses life or limb for working in unsafe factories. Surely it is not simpler or more convenient for the nonunion worker in the United States with no health insurance making minimum wage so we can wear cheap clothing at their expense.

Before I get on my high horse, let me say that I do not always look into the background of every item I purchase. What I do though, is make it known to retailers, when possible, that I am searching for ethically made goods. Until consumers begin to care about the people who make their clothing or household items, change will be very slow. http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/business/2013/05/05/shoppers-face-hurdles-finding-ethical-clothing/2124659/ 

When we neglect the workers who make consumer goods we are projecting the message, "I really do not care about your health or wellbeing; I care more about the few cents or dollars I save than I do about you."

We are all guilty. We will all need to answer to God when asked, "You were blessed with more than any people in history, so tell me why you did not care for your brother and sister in impoverished communities and countries?"

Father Richard Rohr OSF communicates the same message in his meditation blog.

http://myemail.constantcontact.com/Richard-Rohr-s-Meditation--Simplicity-As-Central.html?soid=1103098668616&aid=JFzGNCqUJyo

If you truly love others as God loves, you will desire the same justice for factory workers as you would want for yourself. The next time you buy an inexpensive coat, suit or dress, ask the retailer where it was made and under what conditions. Let's send the message that we care, so retailers will care.

Giving Alms in Simplicity and Avoid Evil Speaking

There is nothing new about the struggles we have with gossip and discerning when to give. The Church Fathers of the second century A.D. shared lives surrounded by ubiquitous gossip and countless hours deciding who is most deserving when sharing their abundance. They offer us simple solutions, walk away from gossip and give to all of the needy.  

COMMANDMENT SECOND.

ON AVOIDING EVIL-SPEAKING, AND ON GIVING ALMS IN SIMPLICITY.

He said to me, “Be simple and guileless, and you will be as the children who know not the wickedness that ruins the life of men. First, then, speak evil of no one, nor listen with pleasure to any one who speaks evil of another. But if you listen, you will partake of the sin of him who speaks evil, if you believe the slander which you hear; for believing it, you will also have something to say against your brother. Thus, then, will you be guilty of the sin of him who slanders. For slander is evil and an unsteady demon. It never abides in peace, but always remains in discord. Keep yourself from it, and you will always be at peace with all. Put on a holiness in which there is no wicked cause of offence, but all deeds that are equable and joyful. Practise goodness; and from the rewards of your labours, which God gives you, give to all the needy in simplicity, not hesitating as to whom you are to give or not to give. Give to all, for God wishes His gifts to be shared amongst all. They who receive, will render an account to God why and for what they have received. For the afflicted who receive will not be condemned, but they who receive on false pretences will suffer punishment. He, then, who gives is guiltless. For as he received from the Lord, so has he accomplished his service in simplicity, not hesitating as to whom he should give and to whom he should not give. This service, then, if accomplished in simplicity, is glorious with God. He, therefore, who thus ministers in simplicity, will live to God. Keep therefore these commandments, as I have given them to you, that your repentance and the repentance of your house may be found in simplicity, and your heart may be pure and stainless.” (Fathers of the Second Century, Hermas, Tatian, Athenagoras, Theophilus and Clement of Alexandria, http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/anf02.ii.iii.ii.html)

A Prayer from the Tomb

Prayer Corner

A Prayer from the Tomb

The Old Testament story of Jonah being swallowed by a big fish and being expelled after three days presages Jesus’ burial in the tomb followed by resurrection from the dead. There are times in this imperfect earthly life when we are cast into the pit or figurative belly of the big fish. We might feel as though we are buried in sorrow, despair or sin. These are tough times indeed.

Here is the Good News. Christianity is a resurrection story. As a matter of fact, we must die to the old self and be born anew in Jesus the Christ. Christianity is also a religion of faith, hope and love. Jesus will not allow us to stay in the pit or make ourselves comfortable there. Like Jonah, call out to God in your distress so you may come out of the darkness into light.

Read Jonah’s prayer, meditate on it, pray it like your own. Resurrection and new birth await.

Jonah 2:1-9 (NRSV)

1 Then Jonah prayed to the LORD his God from the belly of the fish, 2 saying,

"I called to the LORD out of my distress,

and he answered me;

out of the belly of Sheol I cried,

and you heard my voice.

3 You cast me into the deep,

into the heart of the seas,

and the flood surrounded me;

all your waves and your billows

passed over me.

4 Then I said, 'I am driven away

from your sight;

how shall I look again

upon your holy temple?'

5 The waters closed in over me;

the deep surrounded me;

weeds were wrapped around my head

6 at the roots of the mountains.

I went down to the land

whose bars closed upon me forever;

yet you brought up my life from the Pit,

O LORD my God.

7 As my life was ebbing away,

I remembered the LORD;

and my prayer came to you,

into your holy temple.

8 Those who worship vain idols

forsake their true loyalty.

9 But I with the voice of thanksgiving

will sacrifice to you;

what I have vowed I will pay.

Deliverance belongs to the LORD!"

Simplicity Avowed: Accect the SNAP Challenge

Simplicity Avowed: Accect the SNAP Challenge: A couple of weeks ago, my husband and I accepted the SNAP Challenge for 7 days. Actually, SNAP is an acronym for, Supplemental Nutrition Ass...

Accect the SNAP Challenge

A couple of weeks ago, my husband and I accepted the SNAP Challenge for 7 days. Actually, SNAP is an acronym for, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, the new name for what most of us call food stamps. The SNAP Challenge is based upon a $4.00/day/person food budget, the amount a person receives who receives food stamps. The purpose of the Challenge is to learn firsthand the choices one must make to stretch the food dollar and gain empathy for families using government food programs. I plan on learning more about food assistance, who qualifies and who is making use of the program. This is what we learned from our week of the SNAP Challenge.

Living on a limited food income definitely impacted our social life. I was invited to join a small group for a Chinese buffet but needed to decline because I could not afford the cost of the buffet. We hoped to invite guests over for a meal during the week and rethought those plans since our budget did not accommodate feeding guests.

Sometimes, having a limited budget actually forced us to spend more for items than we normally would. For example, we cut soda from our grocery list. Diet Coke is a luxury I found difficult to life without so instead of buying the economy size, I purchased Diet Coke at machines for 75 cents, more than double the cost of Coke in a 24 pack. At church, we have soda readily available. It was tempting to indulge while there. Another example of difficulty taking advantage of bargains is that coupons advertised the requirement of buying ten items in order to receive a discount. We didn’t need ten items in one week and buying them meant going without something else. Since we live in a small town we already pay more for groceries than folks in a larger city because the stores cannot offer large volume discounts.

The biggest sacrifice of eating within a $4.00/day budget was nutrition. Fresh fruits and vegetables were prohibitively expensive even during this time of the year when they are plentiful. We finally bought a package of grapes which lasted the week. Alan was given sweet corn by a farmer he was visiting. My husband eats meat while I am a vegetarian. He did get a pound of meat, but that is all. That probably was a health benefit for him.

Some good habits did come from this week. One big advantage of living this way for a week was that we recognized how much food we normally waste. Since our intake depended upon the food purchased that week, we literally ate all of it. It was not necessary to clean out the grungies from the refrigerator as I normally do. We also made food from raw materials instead of purchasing ready made products. I made bread. Alan made his lunch.

Overall, we came to appreciate food much more. We have been blessed with plenty and give thanks for that. Wasting food is certainly not an appropriate way to express gratitude to our Lord for this bounty. We already decided to practice the SNAP Challenge again during Advent and Lent being aware that for many people, $4.00/day is not a choice, it is a necessity.

　

Watch My Tongue

^{Psalm 39:1} I said, "I will keep watch upon my ways,*

so that I do not offend with my tongue."

Life would certainly be much simpler if I paid closer attention to my tongue. I am capable of sticking my foot in my mouth with the best of them. I am learning gradually to keep holy silence. There is a time to speak up and a time to keep quiet, may the Lord help me know the difference. I pray that my words may only speak love.

Change the Plan, Trust in God

To you, O LORD, I lift up my soul;

my God, I put my trust in you; * (Psalm 25:1a)

One of the factors that complicates my life is my lack of trust in people, and for that matter, myself. What I mean by this is that when I am counting on someone to follow through in some way, and it doesn't happen, it complicates my life. For example, a repair person says that she will be coming on a certain day and I must be home while that person is working. Then, the person doesn't show up. Of course, I have done and do the same thing to others, never intentionally, but it still happens.

I've learned to "go with the flow." If plans change unexpectedly, make the best of it. Plan for the plan to change. I forgive the untrustworthy person, just as I want to be forgiven for the times of my untrustworthiness.

The simple fact is that only God is trustworthy. I put my trust in God's word. Anything else is not worth the time and effort to fret about it. God is in charge, for that I am thankful.

Cares of the World

Matthew 13: 22 "As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the lure of wealth choke the word, and it yields nothing."

Lately, the cares of the world have demanded a great deal of attention making life very complicated. Not only that, they literally are thorns in my side that cause pain and distract me from my prayer life of peace and assurance. Without a doubt, the world is a demanding, self important place. As a matter of fact, it is like a disobedient two-year old having a temper tantrum screaming, "Mine. Mine. No. No. Now. Now."

Shush little world. It's time to go for a walk and talk with God for a bit. Now that will be fruitful! The bills will wait. This beautiful day that the Lord has made will not wait.

Helping Hurting People

Simple Presence: With so much pain in the world one might feel helpless in trying to relieve the suffering. It's true that there is only so much one person can do, but I am one person and my simple presence does make a difference.

Last week, while walking to a Fargo Starbucks, I prayed that God use me for whatever came up there. Since I was serious in this request and God was serious in hearing me, I was prepared for a worst case scenario such as a robbery or a lunatic gunman. But, all was quiet at the coffee shop while I prayed and read the Bible.

After getting my second cup of coffee, a gentleman made eye contact and said, "Hello." That was all it took to begin a serious discussion about faith. This isn't the first time something like this has happened.

In summary, we are able to help others by simply talking with God, saying that we are ready for direction and know that we are empowered by the Holy Spirit. After that, it becomes God's doing.

Company's Coming

Being a summer that kept us running from work to home, from home to Fargo, and home to WI, MN and MT there just wasn't much time left over for summer projects or entertaining. But, don't let me fool you. The main reason we didn't have time for company is because we didn't have sufficient time to plan and prepare an excellent dinner or a shiny clean home.

Today we had 2 good friends over, Stacy and her daughter, Darian. The house was not shiny clean, so what, Alan prepared excellent foil dinners. It was good enough for us to relax and enjoy the beautiful weather and walk to the lake. I hope that they come more often.

Buy One, Toss One

Tip #27: Before Bringing One New Thing into the House, Toss Out at Least One Thing You Already Have.

Take books for an example. Can a person really have too many books? Perhaps not, but I am running out of storage room for them. The solution is to make room on the shelf before buying a new book. Better yet, don't buy books, borrow them.

Clothes are another example. How many old shirts does a person really need? Will I ever truthfully fit into a size 3 again? Turn the old shirts into rags and give the nice, but, too small clothes away.

It may be hard to part with an old cherished tee shirt, but, it is just stuff that is cluttering your life.

Do It in Threes

Tip #26: Three at a Time

As I lamented the accumulation of many detailed tasks, my sister, Sandy, gave me a tip that she uses, do it in threes. So, if there is a pile of mail to go through, pick up three letters and deal with those. If there is clutter to deal with, pick up three items and put them away.

Why three? Do it in the name of The Father, The Son and The Holy Spirit, Amen. In a prayer-filled life, even the most mundane tasks can take on an aspect of prayer. The best part is that it works.