Filed under: dangerous prayer
As part of the sermon yesterday, I shared a prayer that has challenged and inspired me over the years. I have come to call it the “Dangerous Prayer.”
Lord, don’t give me rest.
Give me tasks to do, O Lord, big ones, long ones,
time consuming ones, challenging ones.
Give me jobs that look all but impossible, give me assignments
that others don’t think I can handle.
Give me projects that I cannot finish in a day but must set aside at evening
and sleep on and anticipate for tomorrow.
Give me work I’m not quite sure how to do, Lord, and give me deadlines
and give me people standing there impatiently wanting for the result
— discriminating people who expect it to be right
and who need it very much.
Give me all this today, Lord, and then tomorrow give me more tasks
just as tough or tougher.
All this give me, Lord, instead of rest, because I want to learn, to grow, to be of value,
to accomplish, to have purpose and to anticipate all my tomorrows.
Amen.
I would like to add a couple of thoughts for you to consider. First, let’s talk about what is most inspiring to me and perhaps to you. Just the whole idea that the writer is saying, “God I love life today and I really want to live fully.” That is what I hear when the author says, “Lord, don’t give me rest.”
The next few lines give that same emphasis. My paraphrase might be, “I love to be challenged by new ideas and love learning, so bring it on, God. Plus, I’d like to be part of something that is bigger than myself and anything I could do alone. Help me find my place and contribute everyday.”
The last part of the prayer is the best for me because it tells the “why” of the prayer. The person wants her/his life to be of value and to be able to look back saying “This has been so good, God. Better than anything I would have expected.”
As I have read this prayer over and over for years, I wanted God to be guiding me in all the major decisions, leading me through doors that I might not want to see or walk through because of fear or stubbornness.
Even as I have been encouraged by the words over the years, I want to issue a critique about the prayer, also. Actually, this is why I call it the “Dangerous Prayer.” I think it is important to know that God does want us to rest and be renewed. If you were at church this weekend, during the sermon you heard me talk about how important the quiet times are: the times when we slow down to hear God’s voice. Plus, we have to have rest so we can think clearly and do our best in life. So, I’d add a little phrasing to your own prayers. It might be something like, “Let me have all this and good sleep at night. Plus, let me not forget to play and rejoice with those I love because I need to be renewed, restored and in good relationship with family and friends.”
Lastly, and on a positive note, I named it the “Dangerous Prayer” because it has opened up my heart and eyes to the possibility of doing things that I might not otherwise consider. God has plans for us that we need to consider!
FYI, I was given this prayer with no author’s name attached.
Filed under: pastoral prayer
At the end of my second trip to Africa, I had a great musical surprise. It came at the end of our final worship together with the hundreds of women who had come from all over Africa to the education and worship conference provided by SHADE. These women had confronted incredible pain in their life. From poverty, starvation, thirst for clean water, rape and disease that had killed many of their friends and family. As I wrapped up the service, right before the final prayer I invited them to hear a song of hope that God would help us…an African-American spiritual which became popular in the civil rights movement. And to my surprise, as I began to sing their voices chimed in more loudly and robustly than I could have ever anticipated. As we go to God in prayer, let us know that God will help us overcome the adversity of our lives. And truly God will see us through. I would invite you to go with me to God in prayer now and at the end we will sing together We Shall Overcome.
Let’s pray:
Gracious Lord, what a gift it is to know that we can come to you together to worship you in this your holy house which offers safety and grace for all your children. Lord help us turn our focus to you that we can truly see the beauty of this fall day for it is amazing. Help us to relax and rejoice on this Sabbath day. God, our hearts are full to overflowing as we see your love and grace working through our Matthew’s Ministry, Silver Link Ministry, FaithWork and the SHADE ministries in Africa. Lord God, for all the lay people, pastors and teachers who reach out to care for a hurting world, we thank you.
Yet, Lord God, we confess to you that we can so easily fail you. We know we can be short sighted and selfish both corporately and individually. We can turn away from those who need us both in our families and throughout the world. For all of the ways that we fall short of your desired goal for us, we ask your forgiveness in this moment of silent prayer.
Lord, as we think of the chaos this past week in America, from Galveston and Houston to Wall Street, we know that it is quite possible that for many there may be difficult times ahead. God of all, whether we be in Africa with our friends who need water or in America facing our own challenges, we pray that you would give us the strength and the wisdom to know how to cope as people of God. Help us to remember, Lord, that you will see us through anything…anything. And that nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus We pray all this together as we set our eyes on you that your kingdom will come. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.
We Shall Overcome (African-American Spiritual)
We shall overcome, we shall overcome, we shall overcome someday!
Oh, deep in my heart I do believe we shall overcome someday!
The Lord will see us through, The Lord will see us through, The Lord will see us through someday!
Oh, deep in my heart I do believe The Lord will see us through someday!
Filed under: Uncategorized
S. Kierkegaard said, “We live our lives forward but we understand them backward.” This little saying was the inspiration for our team as we devised ways to walk alongside our congregation. Out of that quote we created a purpose statement: ”Congregational Care… guiding the Resurrection community toward healing and wholeness.”
The staff and pastors work diligently to provide different ways that healing and wholeness can happen. This past week in worship we provided everyone with a bulletin insert that lists and describes all of the different classes that Congregational Care is offering this fall in this effort.
Our “Living Forward” classes include a class entitled “Men in Grief” led by Pastor Russell Brown. It starts this Tuesday, September 16th at 6:30 pm in Room 213. Pastor Jeff Clinger and I will be leading a discussion on “The Last Lecture” on October 9th at 6:30 pm in Room 220. Other offerings include a class on suicide, Women in Transition and marriage enrichment courses.
More about these classes and others…plus our support groups…can be found online.
As you look at this list, we are trying to address the current needs of our congregation and community. Please, let me know if you know of other needs that we might address in upcoming sessions.
Blessings,
Karen
Filed under: Uncategorized
One of my favorite fall activities is the Sacred Steps 5K run. This walk/run was started by a group of us that returned from Africa ready to put legs to our own efforts for Africa. It has been so exciting to see Pastor Adam return from his own trip to Africa – seeing for himself all of the projects that have been funded through this great fun event. Community centers have been built, meals provided, crops planted, fish ponds developed and a multitude of other endeavors. All because people have heard the cries from the children of Africa and want to help.
I would invite you to register early and come out to be a part of the fun on Saturday morning, September 27th. The race begins at 8 am. Take your own sacred steps as we help the children affected by HIV/AIDS. Be there or be square! 
