finding grace in the moment and living a life of Joy!
Spiritual encouragement for wherever you are right now. Read more Virtual Chapel
When I was a child I was afraid of the deep water. When someone said, “we’re going to the deep end” of the pool, I was immediately full of fear. These days, I live in the deep water. Sometimes it’s fun. Sometimes it’s scary. I’ve finally learned that no matter the circumstance (scary, fun or otherwise!) … Read more About
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May the blessing of the LORD fall upon you
May the grace of God open the way of your steps
As barriers fall, give thanks and grow courage;
When the unexpected arrives, trust that
The LORD remains near.
Look upon the people you love with peace
Give attention to that which your spirit desires;
…even the impossible.
Offer blessing wherever you go
Pray for what appears as an enemy
Watch.
Like the bird and the river,
Fly unencumbered and flow.
May the blessing of the LORD fall upon you.
Amen
In moments or seasons of difficulty it can be hard to find words in prayer. Anger or tears are sometimes our deepest expressions of what is in our hearts. God is the one who created us with both of these – the anger of emotion that lets us know something we care deeply about is at risk. The tears that are literally our bodies expressing deep joy and deep sorrow.
Many of us are praying for people we love who are grieving recent loss, struggling with illness, being courageous in healing, and some humbly preparing for death. Words tend to fade. Silence comes. Tears, anger, hope and love sit in every situation we hold in our hearts. Someone else sits there too. The resurrected Christ. Yes…the resurrected Christ. By the bedsides, in the surgery rooms, at the caskets, in your living rooms and parking lots; at the desk of your virtual classroom; walking down the street. Christ is there.
If you need words to pray for the people you love, I offer this familiar Psalm as a way to give words to your heart. Fill in the blanks with the names of your people. Write in the situations, even “enemies” that war in this moment. Name before the one who created us, all of your heart. God meets you right here.
The LORD is ______’s shepherd, _____ will not want.
The LORD makes _______ lie down in green pastures,
He leads ______ beside still waters,
He restores _______’s soul.
The LORD guides _______ in paths of righteousness
for his name’s sake. God is present with her/him;
the LORD is shining light on ______’s path for this day.
Even though ______ walks through the valley
of the shadow of death,
_______ will fear no evil, for the LORD is with her/him.
The rod and staff of the resurrected Christ,
comfort and guide __________.
The LORD prepares a table today for ________
in the presence of enemies (like cancer, death, betrayal, grief, addictions, illness; despair)
The LORD anoints ______’s head with oil, providing a special blessing upon her/him.
The cup of _______ overflows with God’s love and presence.
Care and hospitality and grace are abundant.
Mercy stands guard at _______’s door.
Surely goodness and love will follow _______
all the days of her/his life,
And ________ will dwell in the house of the LORD
forever. Amen.
Psalm 23
We are not alone. We are with one another in spirit and in prayer. The resurrected Christ is also there.
The Prayer with Andrea Bocellli
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nexnnrYyTmc
Then God said, “Yes, but your wife Sarah will bear you a son, and you will call him Isaac. I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his descendants after him. – Genesis 17:19
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Abraham has just received a word from God that is more than he can comprehend. In their old ages of 90 and 100, Abraham and Sarah are going to have a son. There is going to be a birth! All Abraham can say, is something like: “what about Ishmael…can’t he be blessed?” Ishmael is the son born out of impatience; trying to take care of what Abraham and Sarah had expected God to do. When Sarah did not conceive a child within the timing she and Abraham expected it should happen, they sought other means.
It is not necessary for us to manufacture or create ahead of God. The LORD’s timing and way is not like ours. It is not limited to what makes sense. God does not work under the parameters of age or status or education or even economics, as we understand these things on earth. God has greater purposes than we can see and invites us into that holy unfolding.
What I love about this moment in Abraham’s life is that he wants the best for his family, and he asks for it, as perhaps any faithful father and husband would do. The LORD does not ignore his desire or plea. God meets him exactly there (yes, Ishmael will also receive a blessing), and God still invites Abraham into what is being fulfilled. A promise…an everlasting covenant. It is more than Abraham can comprehend but it is exactly what God is bringing to fruition. Abraham’s lack of confidence that this could actually happen is not a hindrance for the Creator of the universe.
When Paul writes to the early church in Ephesus he offers a benediction that also speaks of this way of God. The prayer ends like this: “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.” – Ephesians 3:20-21
It may seem that something God promises is impossible. And with human parameters, it may indeed be. But God is not limited by the things of this earth!
Lord, help us to follow you instead of trying to guide or manufacture your promises into being. Our intention is humble obedience and we are grateful for your constant presence as we walk through this life. We trust you and we love you. We yield ourselves into your hands with joy; for you are faithful and your mercies endure forever. Amen.
Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the man who sows to please the Spirit will reap eternal life.
– Galatians 5:7-8
This teaching of Paul to the people in Galatia provides an unchanging principle about the way God created the order of our lives: we reap what we sow. In the whole letter to the Galatians Paul is urging them to focus in certain ways. The people have been distracted by other things and teachings. Confusion, doubt and even lies have settled in where they don’t belong. It is wreaking havoc in their lives and in their community of faith. These verses jump out for me today.
I wonder what we are sowing in our lives right now. If we think of our lives as a garden, the question would be: what seeds are we planting? What will our families be eating when harvest times comes? Will it be food that gives our bodies and minds strength for the time ahead? Will the labor of weeding, tending and harvesting bring peace at the end of the day? Or will our work bring doubt, despair and destruction? I wonder.
I can point to specific moments and even seasons when I was sowing seeds that didn’t help my life at all. It may have been too much marijuana to escape the struggle of my teenage years or long periods of neglecting health; or buying into the lure of distracting priorities. Ughh….we all have those times!
I can also point to moments and seasons where I asked God to help me realign what I knew wasn’t working. And in those moments God always led me back to sowing the seeds that would feed me well. I love this line from Psalm 40:2. I have been pulled thousands of times from the slimy pit!
He lifted me out of the slimy pit,
out of the mud and mire;
he set my feet on a rock
and gave me a firm place to stand.
Today is the observed national holiday to remember Martin Luther King, Jr. I didn’t know Dr. King personally. I was alive but really young when he was assassinated. I do know of the seeds he planted because we still read, listen and even apply much of what he taught. Dr. King planted a garden from which we still feast. It was a garden of peace and justice. It was a dream that he shared with the people of our nation, and ultimately, the world. A dream God gave him to share at a specific time in our nation’s history. A dream of which the prophets of old, also spoke.
As I read Paul’s letter to the Galatians today it begs me to ask myself: what seeds am I sowing with my life? It’s an adult question. Our lives have lasting impact. From within our homes and wherever we walk; there is a trail we are always leaving for others. Perhaps this is the practice of today…to recognize that we do reap what we sow. Whether we are working or resting or marching or studying or speaking or playing: whatever we sow, we reap. I do wonder if we are brave enough to ask ourselves:
What seeds are we sowing in our families?
What are we sowing in our work and in the way we work?
What are we sowing in our relationships with friends and others we love?
What are we sowing in our rest and recreation?
What kind of community and nation are our seeds growing?
What dreams are being dreamed in us?
Paul believed our actions yield results that shape our lives. His prayer was that our lives would be shaped for eternity. Jesus also prayed that for us. I am praying it for us too.
Lord Christ, have mercy on us. Pull us from the slimy pit and set our feet on solid ground. Where we are distracted, please have mercy and realign our steps. Where we are sowing seeds that bring destruction, we humbly and boldly ask you to free us from those chains. Remind us that you gave your life for our freedom and salvation, not for shame and condemnation. Where we are sowing the seeds of the Spirit in our lives, give us strength for the labor of love needed to continue with that work. And by your grace, merciful God, please don’t stop dreaming your dreams in us. We need your dreams in our spirits and minds right now. Give us courage to live into what you reveal as your kingdom is fulfilled on earth. We love you and we trust you completely. Thank you for not giving up on us. Amen.
Zach Williams: Less Like Me
Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go. – Joshua 1:9
Moses has died. The LORD gives Joshua his marching orders. He will lead the people across the Jordan River and into their next long season – the “promised land”. Joshua will have to be focused, he will need to meditate on the spiritual teachings and ways of God. He will have to lead with complete trust that the LORD will be with him. It’s going to take a lot of courage to take these next steps.
Walking into a new year when a lot of uncertainty remains can be disconcerting. The plans we make at the beginning of the year look different after you have lived through nearly 10 months of a pandemic. Travel….hmm; family reunions? Weddings? Fiestas? Workshops? Conferences? Vaccination lines…
So maybe our planning is more fluid and our hope is placed on what we know will not change in 2021. Where we have asked the God of heaven to guide and lead us with wisdom, we can anticipate that divine presence. Where we open our hands and let go of what we “want” and invite the Lord to give us what we need, we can trust God to provide. Risky? Perhaps. Trustworthy? Without question. Adventurous? Absolutely. It’s time to walk into our Mondays.
Prayer
Lord we are all walking into rooms and situations today where we need strength, courage and hope. We need you. Please go before us and stay with us. Guide us in moments of discernment. Free us to be joyful along the way and to trust you.
In the exam rooms and surgeries; Lord, bring peace and healing.
In the U.S. Congress; Lord, bring order and wisdom.
In the recovery rooms of AA and so many others; Lord, have mercy.
In the offices of leaders making plans and decisions; Lord, let your light provide guidance and clear steps.
In our homes and all the places we come and go today; Lord, reveal your presence already there.
In shelters, alleys and all rooms where desperation is eroding the dignity of another; Lord, send your people with compassion, hope and unconditional love.
In hearts full of grief and sadness; Lord, bring your hope.
In spirits where joy is strong and hope persists; Lord, overflow the blessings for your world.
Fill us up and rise us up for we have no good apart from you; Lord, with you ALL things are possible.
We love you and we trust you. Amen.
Lord give us strength to dust off our wings
and rise up from the places across
the world where we’ve been waiting
for healing…for peace… for love to
cover the wounds of this life.
Lord give us faith to move mountains
especially the ones we created
without knowing or necessity;
striving for what will not
feed us or help and guide us,
and often for what is killing us.
Lord give us courage to follow the
star of your leading.
Be our help and our guide
our wisdom and discernment;
the clarion voice that pierces
every noise, alarm, explosion
and constant static.
Creator of Hope, who brings order
out of chaos
Light into darkness
Redemption of our failures
Forgiveness of all sin
Love everlasting,
humble us that we might fly again.
Or perhaps…for the first time we have
ever taken flight for you.
We place ourselves into your merciful hands.
Amen.
So how do you say “adieu!” to a year like nothing we have ever experienced? I’ve thought about it all day as I’ve walked through each hour. Gracious! Who would have ever imagined such a year?
I do think transitions are important and even holy. Even transitions that are messy, complicated and full of infection – can still be holy when God is with us. Actually, these may be some of our more important and holy transitions. God’s people have always had messiness surrounding holy events. Can’t imagine that? Remember where and how Jesus was born? Pretty messy situation– and the angels sang!
I wonder where angels were singing in 2020?
It has definitely been a year packed full of challenge, stress and a lot of disappointments, but there have also been moments that I will forever hold in my heart. Moments that seemed like gifts from God. Moments that are precious; better than gold. Moments that still take my breath away when I recall them. Words never justify when we experience “awe”. Perhaps that is when the angels were singing!
God, thank you for moments of awe this year that reminded us that we are more than simply human. We are yours. And you will often involve us in what you are doing on earth, even taking us by surprise and giving us roles we never anticipated.
We name these holy moments before you now and we are grateful.
There has been peace where it was least expected. Peace about hard decisions made. Peace in accepting things outside of our control. Peace in the middle of storms that were destroying what we hold dear. It is the “peace of God that surpasses all understanding”. It doesn’t make sense when we look at what’s happening around us, but God gives it anyway to make sure we know that even in the darkest, most difficult situations, the resurrected Christ has pulled up a chair beside us and will not leave
One event when that peace showed up happened when my sister and I were with our mom at her apartment this summer. Mom was fragile; recovering from a fall and she was eating her first good meal in several days. The three of us were there. A few minutes into the meal Mom said, “I don’t feel well”. We started to prop her feet up and she slumped over; total loss of consciousness. We got her safely from the chair to the floor; my sister called 911. Oreo (my dog) came to her side and pushed himself up against her; not budging. EMS launched and the 911 dispatcher held presence with my sister. I opened Mom’s airway – no breathing. Positioning her for CPR, our seconds felt like long minutes. She finally took a breath. And after what felt like way too long, she took another breath. Not awake; not alert, but some breathing. Praise God!
When EMS arrived, Oreo jumped up to greet them. First with a warning bark and then quickly with a jumping welcome to the Paramedic. She recognized him: “is this the dog from the church?” Mom is breathing and conscious by now, though still very foggy. It turns out that the responding EMS crew is the same crew that had recently stationed in our church for a month. Oreo works at the church too, so he knew them. Peace. They placed the EKG leads on mom’s chest and ran a 12-lead. Oreo positioned himself between mom and the EKG monitor as we prepared for transport. Peace. She’s alive. She’s breathing. God sent someone who knows us. Peace.
God thank you for all the peace you have given in so many difficult situations of 2020. Thank you for bringing peace into decision making when we had to go against the norm and follow what we can only name as divine wisdom and discernment. Thank you for the peace you brought to every hospital bedside as doctors and nurses were making decisions.
We recognize this peace as your gracious gift in very difficult times. We name those experiences of peace now.
There have been friends, colleagues and family who have navigated through this year with us. We may have been alone physically, but we have mostly not had to travel this road without others. The blessing of “presence”, however it comes, is immeasurable. There are not always words. There are not always actions that can take away the sting of life’s disappointments and heartaches. But the presence of another who is simply willing to “be with” is a divine provision.
My extended family (Aunts, Uncles and cousins) is very large and we discovered the Marco Polo app in 2020. This place of technology has become a family reunion that comes in daily excerpts as someone in our group of 44 people, shares a story or a greeting from their life. For the past few months we have shared family stories across 4 generations. A priceless gift of presence that has changed everything. We’ve visited each other’s homes (through the app). We’ve had a full tour of Uncle Bill’s antique tractor collection and seen the blueberry bushes of our cousin in Oregon. We’ve heard stories of my mom’s generation and we have said prayers of peace and goodbye as mom’s sister, my Aunt Sarah, reached the end of her life on earth. We have lived “life” together across the distances, offering the gift of presence in the way it was possible.
God thank you for the many ways you have provided the presence of friends, family and colleagues when we need it most. We could have had no one, but you created way after way for us to be reminded someone cares.
We name those people who have given us the gift of their presence in whatever way they could this year.
For the year 2020 – I bid a peaceful farewell! May we take every blessing and let go of every curse. Let our anger remind us of our passion for life and what we hold so dear. Where loneliness lingers, may we remember to reach out for the hand of another. The gift of life and presence is ever more beautiful. May our tears turn to joy in the coming days as we shed the weight of burdens carried. Lord, ready us to take up the wings you have given us for flight!
Thank you, God, for the richness of life. Humble us enough to fly! Amen.
How is it that all the hope and joy and tragedy and sorrow of the world can be held so completely in an obscure place where love is being born? Does God really want to be that close to our mess? We celebrate Christmas 2020 with all of this “life” dumped into our laps and living rooms. A year that words cannot contain. Tears. Laughter. A glass of bourbon. Extra visits to the AA room and Al-Anon groups. Zoom family reunions. Limited capacity weddings and funerals. Exam rooms and ICU’s too full and too loud with alarms and the labor of ventilators helping weary lungs. Long walks in the woods that seem unaffected by our chaos. Reaching out to a friend who can simply hold the tension of the day with us until night comes and we sleep again. And then, there is Monday.
The amazing grace of God that is in the middle of our chaos is an unlimited favor. We experienced Christmas Eve worship in our homes this year and woke up to a bomb in downtown Nashville on Christmas Day. The announcement of the angel: “Do not be afraid for I bring you good news of great joy for all the people!” could not arrive soon enough. And despite all that would silence our joy or damper our hope – love is born into it all anyway! We sing carols. We offer gifts. We look at one another across the room and we are thankful. Thankful because, yes, God shows right up in the middle of our situations and doesn’t leave.
Jesus works his way into our corners and, even in the deepest darkness, he feels around until he finds our hand. Reaching through the dark, the God of heaven invites us once again to open up our clenched fists and receive the offer of the Messiah. Like a tiny baby curls its hand around your little pinky finger and squeezes tight. God is right here with us.
Sometimes our Creator reaches out to hold our hand in surprising ways. Today, on this Christmas Monday, may the hand of the Messiah meet you in the joy and sorrow of life and just hold you and give you peace.
It was always a special gift. Once the tree was up and the ornaments were on, or perhaps we were getting a bit rambunctious and bored, she would pause the activity and begin her presentation. It was the “special ornament” giving time. Mom and us. We loved it! We couldn’t wait to see what she had so carefully chosen. When we were very young those ornaments were often themed, which somehow connected our experience for that year, that moment…for forever. She created something we could never forget.
I don’t always put up a tree. Occasionally I decide to let the trees I pass while driving be my “Christmas tree”. If I’m spending time in Guatemala, I let that be my “Christmas tree”. And for the past many years…being with the church community serving, worshiping and celebrating together with parties, feasts and special music…that all serves more than enough for any Christmas decoration for me. It doesn’t bother me a bit to look at my schedule and determine a more minimal approach like setting out a nativity, hanging my stocking and using some Christmas napkins to call my home “decorated”. But it’s 2020. I’m not traveling. I’m zooming from my home or office for most everything. Any COVID “risk taking” is reserved for the most important in-person moments. And I need the Christmas tree!
So it is up! The lights are shining. Every ornament is hung; each with its own memory. The tattered and fragile ones are from my childhood. I hang each one with memories of my brother and sister, mom and dad; the family celebrations – all complete with tears and meltdowns; laughter and love; the life-shaping ordinary moments. There are ornaments from special places I’ve traveled; places or memories I wanted to remember every year for the rest of my life. On this tree are ornaments my friends have given me over the years that add grace and joy to not only this moment, but all the ordinary days too.
For this Advent season of 2020, I am grateful for the many ways memories and people are woven into the fabric of life that a global pandemic cannot unravel. I’m glad the tattered ornament that looks like nothing to someone else, still causes my heart to fill up with hope that just can’t stop. I’m humbled to see that over a lifetime of years that were challenging, amazing and all uniquely blessed, there is a theme of Joy running through that I cannot miss. The tree is up! Ornaments are hung. Nativities are placed to make the true visible. We are blessed beyond measure. Advent has begun. Come Lord Jesus, come!
Prayer: God help each of us and all of us to know what to do this week to increase our sense of wonder, hope and joy. We know you are here. We trust you are guiding us and shaping us for heaven no matter how tattered or worn we may be on any given day. Thank you for the ways you are coming to us right now…making sure we know how deeply we are loved.
The Petersons
God of Creation, meet us before the sun rises
and make the path clear.
Holy God who creates day and night,
hold us in places of safety no matter where
our feet must travel today.
God of mercy and peace, grant us trust enough to let go
of all we hold so tight
so we can embrace what you offer now.
We love you. We trust you completely.
Amen.
Life in the Deep End 