WATCHWORD:
Once Jesus was in a certain place praying. As he finished, one of his disciples came to him and said, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.”
2 Jesus said, “This is how you should pray:[a]
“Father, may your name be kept holy.
May your Kingdom come soon.
3 Give us each day the food we need,[b]
4 and forgive us our sins,
as we forgive those who sin against us.
And don’t let us yield to temptation.[c]”
5 Then, teaching them more about prayer, he used this story: “Suppose you went to a friend’s house at midnight, wanting to borrow three loaves of bread. You say to him, 6 ‘A friend of mine has just arrived for a visit, and I have nothing for him to eat.’7 And suppose he calls out from his bedroom, ‘Don’t bother me. The door is locked for the night, and my family and I are all in bed. I can’t help you.’ 8 But I tell you this—though he won’t do it for friendship’s sake, if you keep knocking long enough, he will get up and give you whatever you need because of your shameless persistence.[d]
9 “And so I tell you, keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.
Meditation:
Storm Praying
The fires, the rain, the wind, and those disasters hit us as a nation. But the Covid-19, the virus, is worldwide. It touches the just and the unjust, with equal power and loss. The following is a poem of meaning by Joan Sedlacek, that appeared in a recent edition of The Evangel, a publication of the Association of Lutheran Churches:
The days are alike in their sameness
The rhythm and pattern of life is gone
The days fly by with nothing to mark their passing
Winter leaves, Spring is gone
Summer proves no different
Births, Deaths
The want, the need to celebrate or mourn together is not allowed
The weather is warm and people are emerging from their isolation
Once close friends are nodding acquaintances
We are divided
Essential/nonessential, positive/negative, healthy/unhealthy
Needed/unneeded, loved/unloved
Someday we will shake hands or hug without fear
Someday we will gather nearer than six feet
All in God’s own time
Jesus calms our storms, walks on water, and has given us the tools we need. What we do about all that, is up to us, our own resolve, our own efforts to imitate Christ, and how willing are we to leave our comfort zone on behalf of others. In the face of all that evil, we should never underestimate the power of prayer, for that opens the door for the work of our Lord. When we are uncertain of the way we should go, we must continue to commune with the Holy Spirit, asking, knocking and abiding.
We are talking about God’s love for each one of us. As we struggle with our days, we cannot forget that. Consider this from CS Lewis:
Okay I must take care, on the one hand, never to despise, or be unthankful for, these earthly blessings, and on the other, never to mistake them for the something else of which they are only a kind of copy, or echo, or mirage. I must keep alive in myself the desire for my true country, which I shall not find until after death.
I do believe that all that chaos and confusion of our lives can distract us from the blessed reality that within us we have God. Too often, we march into the storm, and argue for our position, on this and that and the other thing, before it finally comes back to us with even more chaos, and we finally embrace the spirit within us, and recognize that the storm is raging around us, not within us, and we are at peace. There He is, there, walking on the waters of our storm, his arms outstretched to embrace us, His look of love envelops us. Then we know, there is no need for fear. Amen
Just for the Fun:
B.I.B.L.E. = Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth. You guys out there who don’t like to read instructions about anything. Don’t miss this one.
Some of you know this one from Jim Elliot: “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.” Amen?
Morning Prayer:
Heavenly Father, we know your greatness and our weakness. Your majesty and our unworthiness. By these present storms, fires, virus and unrest in our country, You call us to the knowledge of our sin and to the true repentance, lest we forget your just judgment against sin. Do not let us be condemned with this wicked and evil world. Oh Lord, we are helpless and need your protection. For Jesus’ sake abide with us. lift up Your face and be gracious to us in this fearful time of danger, and do not test us beyond our strength. Protect our homes and our dear loved ones, especially those who are weak and helpless. Send Your Holy Angels that we may continue safely in our life’s journey. Give us faith to cast our anxieties and cares on You, who stills the storms and guides our souls through every danger; in Jesus name, we pray. Amen.
