Nudges of your Spirit come in the wee hours. Perhaps, Lord, someone you love is reaching for your hand of grace. We are seen. Even in the wee hours. Reaching into the dark spaces of grief and uncertainty of pain. Come now, Holy Spirit, come. Come now with your mercy into the wee hours of our lives.
Where suffering has interrupted the days of a focused life; Lord have mercy. When grief grips our souls and tugs against the pursuit of healing; Lord have mercy. For the past that returns unwanted, for the futures we dare to dream; Lord have mercy. Bring your arms of grace around our trembling bodies. Offer your blanket of peace to cover the places of our lives left out in the cold unattended.
Lead us to our simple prayers: Help! Mercy! Come quickly Lord Jesus to help us! Remind us again that your love persists In the wee hours In the waking hours In all hours.
For you, Holy God, created us and placed us in time on earth Where your grace is never offered too early, and never arrives too late. We find our peace in the arms of the resurrected Christ holding us all again. One miracle moment at a time. Bring rest. Restore our breathing. Bring peace. Let your love lead us back to sleep. Amen.
I confess to praying for snow. It is selfish and I know not everyone needs or wants it. I need the falling mystery that changes everything overnight. I welcome the joy of overwhelming delight; the invitation to play. I hope for it every winter and even in the quiet of the night, I sometimes pray, “Lord, if we can experience the snow, please bring it.” This morning we woke up to beautiful snow. How absolutely wonderful! A gift.
I realize now that I was waiting for it…the snow. Perhaps even this particular snow on the 3rd of January 2022. The “word” for this year came a few weeks ago and was confirmed as we listened and let the days pass through the new year. The year of Peace.
Jan 3 2022
Lord, we embrace the peace you give: Peace in your timing; it is perfect, we trust you. Peace in our life’s work; it is meaningful, we need it. Peace with our pace; not ahead of you and never too far behind. Peace in our serving; for your glory and never our own. Peace in our location; for wherever you are and wherever you send us, is where we need to be. Peace in our friendships; may they bless and encourage; sharpen and never harm. Peace in our joy; let it come from deep wells of your grace, unhindered by circumstance. Peace in our whole being; for how you created us is enough. We are formed in your image.
Gracious Creator,give us Peace in our grounding of you for though the mountains fall and the earth shakes though our spirits mourn and our hearts break though our laughter is fleeting, our joy is unending For in all of this: – you are forever and ever our God. You do not leave or forsake. You are steadfast and trustworthy. You bring possibilities out of our impossibles. You redeem what we thought could never be. You pick us up, dust us off and call us beloved. You are the author and finisher of our faith. Our Savior. In you and through you, we find and hold our Peace.
Welcome to the year of Peace. Whatever comes, we are confident of God’s holy presence with us.
“Is it raining?” “No…the leaves are falling.” How beautiful is the sound of falling leaves and all that the woods speak as we walk along the path.
The prophet, Malachi, writes about God’s interactions with the people of Israel. The people have grown weary of dealing with evil and seeing wickedness prosper. They complain and God responds:
“You have spoken arrogantly against me,” says the Lord. “Yet you ask, ‘What have we said against you?’ “You have said, ‘It is futile to serve God. What do we gain by carrying out his requirements and going about like mourners before the Lord Almighty? But now we call the arrogant blessed. Certainly evildoers prosper, and even when they put God to the test, they get away with it.’”
Then those who feared the Lord talked with each other, and the Lord listened and heard. A scroll of remembrance was written in his presence concerning those who feared the Lord and honored his name. “On the day when I act,” says the Lord Almighty, “they will be my treasured possession. I will spare them, just as a father has compassion and spares his son who serves him. And you will again see the distinction between the righteous and the wicked, between those who serve God and those who do not. – Malachi 3:13-18
When we are surrounded by reports of awful acts in the world or standing face to face with insults and language that attempts to reduce us to dirt, it helps to simply stop and listen to the one who created us. What I love in this brief glimpse into Malachi’s story, is that there are some people among the Israelite crowd that choose to do something different than stay in their weariness and complaint. They talked to each other. They remembered God’s character and faithfulness. They chose to trust God and stay on the path of holiness. And God noticed.
We don’t always feel like God’s treasured possession, but that IS who we are called to be. As messy or weary as we may feel on any given day – what we ARE is God’s treasured possession. As strong and powerful as we may think we are on any given day – what we ARE is God’s treasured possession. These are truths we embrace, receive and acknowledge because they remind us of who God is and who God created us to be. We don’t have to manufacture this; it IS because of God’s presence in our lives.
As you start your Monday morning, may you know that the path of righteousness leads to fullness of life for you. Remember the One who created you and guides you in the way you are to walk through this day. You are God’s treasured possession and no circumstance or person, nor any power operating in this world can take that away. Be loved!
How has God reminded you that you are loved and treasured? Write it down. Remember it in times that weariness is present. God is with you.
Prayer: Lord, lead our paths in ways that honor you. We trust you and we love you. Amen.
Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
- Jesus in the Gospel of Matthew 5:4
Sitting on the granite tombstone of my great grandfather; it always seemed so big. On this day it was a seat that held me up when my body was overwhelmed with grief. My shivering from the freezing cold had subsided under the heaviness of my crying.
I was broken. There in the middle of the deep Golden Pond woods where no one could hear, I lay my flowers on my brother’s grave and sat on the tombstone of my ancestors. And cried. I couldn’t stop. Every breath was too deep and too hard. How would I ever be able to stop?
She walked out of the woods and straight to the flowers. The dirt still looked fresh on his grave, even though the frozen ground and flurries held the space. She smelled the flowers, as if to acknowledge their beauty. And then, she held me. She stared right at me, and my heaving sighs stilled. She didn’t look at me with fear as if to jump quickly away if I made a move. She held my eyes. Her compassion surrounded me. My tears stopped. My breath became so slow and present. She wasn’t leaving. I couldn’t move.
She kept holding my gaze. As if to say:“Why are you crying? He is not here. He has gone on. You will see him again.” Her presence was comfort for my breaking heart. Her compassion immeasurable. She lingered.
Just as quietly as she arrived, she turned and walked slowly back into the woods. It has been a long time since that moment. I still remember her compassion. When I pause to think of this kindness, I am deeply comforted. People also reached out to us during those early months of our grieving. And still…nearly 42 years later, people are still reaching out to say, “I remember”. Whether it is a word or a faded picture or a story he left on their lives; presence of spirit brings comfort.
On All Saints Day we remember the people of faith who have gone before us. In our church we will celebrate them with banners and singing and joy in worship. When we gather this Sunday, we will share Holy Communion with the shared belief that one day we will all feast together at the heavenly banquet. It is a glimpse into heaven on earth. One of our most holy days.
I got up from my great grandfather’s tombstone and stood over the dirt where my brother’s body is buried. The flowers were beautiful even though I knew the cold January air would only hold them for a little while. I walked slowly back to my car. Comforted and in peace.
I knew there would be more days of mourning, some of which would still leave me holding my stomach and heaving with tears. But this moment with God and a doe who came to visit me in my grief is also part of my story, and it never stops giving peace.
God, please bring comfort to your people who are grieving. Open our minds and spirits to receive you in whatever ways you offer your love and compassion to us today. Help us to celebrate the lives of all who have gone before us, and to honor the lingering gift of their love. Amen.
What to do when someone you love is grieving: You don’t have to have the perfect words to say. Sometimes presence is enough. Often, it is enough. Write the letter. Make the call. Stop by. Offer your hand. Give a hug. God takes care of the rest. Trust.
Answer me quickly, O LORD: my spirit fails. Do not hide your face from me or I will be like those who go down to the pit. Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul. Rescue me from my enemies, O LORD, for I hide myself in you. Teach me to do your will, for you are my God; may your good Spirit lead me on level ground. – Psalm 143:7-10
David wrote this prayer. In all seasons of his life, he had challenges. As a shepherd it was protecting a flock of sheep from the wolves and predators. As a warrior it was leading men into battle. As a person called by God, it was the sheer struggle of trusting when things were hard and discerning the way to keep being faithful. David’s enemies were often other warriors, but not only other warriors.
“Enemies” are not only in battle. Sometimes enemies are doubt and fear that paralyze; lies that swarm in our heads or through other voices around us; distractions that lure us from the primary focus of our lives. In each situation, we have access to a deeper wisdom and divine help that comes from our Creator. We need only pause long enough to seek a different perspective. A perspective that brings the wisdom of all time into view. Is this the prayer for you right now?
The LORD loves us right where we are and however we are, right now. It is a love that does not fail. We don’t earn it or buy it or bargain for it. We receive and welcome the arms of God that are reaching out for us. It is a humble and brave embrace.
Holy God, in the same way you heard David’s voice asking and trusting you for help, please hear ours. In the same way you have been faithful throughout the generations to respond as the prayers of your people rise up from wherever they are, thank you for coming near to us today. Do not let us go. Amen.
I don’t know what it is that rushes me But sometimes yes, it rushes me, and hurls me into a day where I begin already behind not quite ready and concerned…. sometimes about something I can’t even name.
And then – I catch you in the periphery a glance across the room. Where light is changing, even rising and I have to pause and see.
It was a fleeting moment impossible to hold A glance to remind me I am loved and you are still creating days of grace for us to discover together. You are here.
God, help us pause long enough to catch your glance from across whatever distance you come today. Amen.
Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth. The LORD Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob in our fortress.
Holy God, you bring the sun to its rising with no help from us. The birds begin their songs the rivers run without any command or assistance from our hands. The dew will dissipate breezes will arrive and just as easily disappear. We created nothing; you established all. We humble ourselves before you and all that you created. We praise you and thank you for all you have established. Let our breath be drawn from yours Let our steps be ordered by your grace Take the work of our bodies and minds; it belongs to you. Please bless whatever we offer. Take the cares and burdens of our spirits; they are too heavy. Bring peace where the deepest wounds and sorrows have lingered too long. May your wisdom that created this day guide our lives through the hours with safety, with love, and your mercy that is offered to us new every morning. By your Spirit, may the moments we live today bring honor and glory to you. What joy we have to live in your presence today! Amen.
Then he touched their eyes and said, “According to your faith will it be done to you”; and their sight was restored.
Jesus in the Gospel of Matthew 9:29
Two blind men start following Jesus and just as soon as he goes inside they present themselves to him. They ask for mercy…neither of them can see; they are blind. They knew Jesus could restore what they had lost. They were confident that mercy was available. So they humbled themselves enough to ask for what they needed.
We don’t know exactly why, but the way Matthew tells the story, Jesus warned them not to tell anyone. He may have hoped to stay under the radar a little longer. But they couldn’t hold it in; they told everyone in the area. It was not the discreet healing Jesus may have hoped it would be. Getting free of something that is holding you back from seeing is pretty awesome; of course they wanted to tell!
We can lose sight in a lot of ways. Sometimes we have blind spots that prevent us from moving in the direction we need to go. Maybe we can’t see our way out of a situation or just simply don’t know how to take a step into the unknown. The mercy of Christ is present; we need only ask.
The night is a good time to ask for God’s mercy. The day rolls back through our minds and occasionally lingers in moments of regret or worry. We don’t have to carry it into our sleep. It’s OK to ask for what we need. We can trust the Spirit to sort out the details. Ask for mercy. Name what’s weighing on your heart and mind. Trust that everything is going to be OK, because God is holding you in the asking. God really is holding you. God is holding us.
Lord, have mercy on me. For the moments I didn’t pause to see you… restore my sight and sense of your presence. For the words said too harshly, or words not said at all… Lord, bring grace to cover the gaps. For the worries stacking up on my shoulders and the situations I can’t fix… Lord, please take it all into your hands. You are our Peace. Amen.
The weather icon cautions me that fog awaits the day and I know instinctively it is good. Low visibility reminds me that God still sees the long view. I learned it several years ago from my neighbor in the country. “We know the sun is rising even though we can’t see it.” She loved to say it; it was a mantra for her and it became one for me. We are people that need to be reminded!
I ran to see the fog and was shocked to see the sun piercing through the shroud as if to say:
I’ve changed my mind. The fog will not linger. The lift is now. Caution is replaced with courage. Clouds are being swept away.
It happens like that sometimes. Life does. A solution emerges with the same immediate announcement of a light bulb in a pitch black room. Or that subtle inching, nudging….even squeezing into our lives like a little whisper that persists until it is shaping us into a way of being we didn’t see coming.
The fog is a friend when it comes. Reminding us in ways we can experience. Slow down and pay attention. Take a breath. Remember that the sun has not been taken away. We are being shielded while new light, new voices, and new revelation are being formed. Welcome the day; it is the careful provision of our Creator.
Sunrise – June 4, 2021
God, thank you forbeing in the fog with us and never losing sight of the long view. We welcome your new day! We love you and trust you. Amen.
Holy God, We empty our souls like we empty our pockets, pouring all we regret from this day into your hands; that holy space where anything and everything can be shared Lord, hear our prayers.
We release from our minds every insecurity, doubt, and shame that attempts to rob us of your presence. They have no place to stay tonight. Lord, have mercy.
We receive your forgiveness And extend forgiveness to others, trusting fully that your wisdom will enter into our experiences and sort out what we confuse. Lord, have mercy.
Where grief has come so close we cannot ignore it; we ask for comfort. Where sorrow has lodged too deeply; Lord, roll away the stone. Where love is knocking out the walls of our hearts; set us free to fly with you. And in any moment where we have missed your grace today, Lord come quickly reveal your presence to us once again.
May the night bring your peace that surpasses all understanding. And may all we love be held safely and securely in your heart of grace. There is no greater gift; there is no better place.
In the name of the One who neither slumbers nor sleeps, The resurrected Christ, Amen.
Life in the Deep End 