The Jesus Prayer

God, be merciful to me, a sinner.  Luke 18: 13

                     "Mercy"             Jackson Jim-George

There is a prayer going around retreat and spirituality circles over the past decade or so. It’s called “The Jesus Prayer” and it goes like this: “Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy upon me, a sinner.” You may have used it on a retreat, or when trying your hand at the Anglican Rosary, or whenever you’ve needed a quick centering prayer, but the genesis of this prayer come from Luke’s Gospel. And in its original form, it did not address Jesus at all; it addressed Yahweh. It is the simple prayer of a Jewish tax collector who has become aware of how far he has strayed from his Creator. His prayer is simply this: “God, be merciful to me, a sinner.”

It is in that closeness, when we sense the presence of the Divine, that we realize our own brokenness and our need for God’s mercy. It is in facing Love Itself that we realize how deeply our attachments to worldly things have confiscated our attention. The Celts call these encounters “thin spaces” where the veil between the heaven and earth is lifted, if even for a moment. And it is those times when we simply must face Love Itself and whisper, “God, be merciful to me, a sinner.”

Use it. Use it at the communion rail. Use it when you notice something beautiful or something disturbing or something that angers you. God longs for us to utter these words. Draw close.

Anger as Sad's Bodyguard

For the time is coming when people will not put up with sound doctrine, but having itching ears, they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own desires, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander away to myths. As for you, always be sober, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, carry out your ministry fully.        2 Timothy 4: 3-5

"Anger"           Aaron Paquette

I am sad today. Sad that truth is so often swept under the rug. Sad that our country is in such distress that we are all angry with each other, calling each other names, and showing intolerance for those closest to us. The phrase “accumulating for themselves teachers to suit their own desires” – while true – is less problematic for me than the phrase which follows it, “they will turn away from listening to the truth and wander away to myths.” Therein lies the sadness I feel.

When we stop listening, we are on dangerous ground. We gather up all sorts of “spiritual books” and accouterments to prop up the lies we chose to believe, but doing so only pulls us deeper into mythology of untruth. Untruths become one’s truth, one’s reality. Perhaps that is what makes me so sad today.

And yet, we have Paul’s sensible advice to Timothy to cling to. We may not change the mindset of those who fabricate truths for themselves and wander away.  We must simply be sober, endure the suffering these myths bring upon us, do the work of Jesus, and carry on.  And so we will.

Pray for us. 

Seeking Joy

Be joyful in God, all you lands; *
sing the glory of his Name; sing the glory of his praise.  Psalm 66:1

Joyful Noise             Nii Teiko Aryeetey - Ghana

As the long days of summer shorten, and the leaves on the trees begin to change colors, and the night air begins to feel crisp, we know we are facing change. The fact is, some people cannot bear this beautiful time of year and the gorgeous fall colors because they live in dread of the onset of winter with all its associated inconveniences. But the Psalmist reminds us to keep the rite of joy in our hearts always.

“Be joyful in God, all ye lands,” the Psalmist pleads, for God has created this mysterious cycle for us. Embrace all aspects of it. Look with wonder as the leaves transform themselves into the brilliant auburn colors without dread. For if you live in dread of winter, you will miss the show of fall.

Be joyful in God when the snow encapsulates us in our homes and brings us close together before the hearth, because we are made for each other. Be joyful in God when the ice begins to thaw, and the first tentative crocus reveals itself as a testimony to God’s plan: that new life will always emerge from death.

Seek after joy and it will surprise you. And in that instant, that instant where you discover it, look up, and thank God for this unfolding, ongoing, eternal joy that God has created for our pleasure. It is there. It is there waiting for us, inviting us into the eternal embrace of the Holy Trinity.

Be joyful in God. 

Enough Faith

The apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith!"

                                                        Luke 17:5

Mulberry Tree      Vincent VanGogh

One of the subjects most often raised with clergy is the subject of faith. People will either ask questions such as, “How do I grow my faith?” or they will make comments like, “I wish I had your faith.” It’s an interesting conversation starter, because of what our Lord teaches about faith in this passage from Luke. Jesus says that if we only had an itty-bitty speck of faith (the faith of the tiniest mustard seed), you could make a mulberry tree uproot itself from the field where it grows and replant itself in an ocean far far away.  On other words, we have enough faith if we have any faith at all. 

Faith can’t be quantified. The issue isn’t about how much faith we need; it’s about God. It’s about believing that God can accomplish the unimaginable. It’s about whether we believe that God is great enough, powerful enough to accomplish miracles. We do not have to wrestle about how much faith we have; we only need to allow God to use what we have and offer it up willingly.

What is God asking you to do or be for the Kingdom this week? 

What's in yoru bowl?

There is great gain in godliness combined with contentment; for we brought nothing into the world, so that we can take nothing out of it; but if we have food and clothing, we will be content with these.  1 Timothy 6:6

We come into this world alone, and we leave it alone. What matters, is what we do between those two events: birth and death. Think of an empty bowl. That’s what you arrive with: nothing. During our lifetimes, we add stuff to that bowl. Things like relationships, money, possessions, children, cars, experiences, and probably lots more stuff. 

Our bowl will ultimately be empty again as our lives here draw to a close. It matters what we put into our individual bowls. Relationships matter. Experiences matter.  Ultimately, we must make an accounting. What’s in your bowl? Is it filled with nourishment or an ever-increasing pile of superfluous clutter?

And where is God in your bowl?

Blotted Out

Remember not our past sins;
let your compassion be swift to meet us; *
for we have been brought very low.  Psalm 79:8

Simon Berger

“Remember not our sins, O God; let your compassion be swift to meet us.”

How often do you think about your own sinfulness? Have you ever wondered if you’re “good enough?”  It seems that, in spite of trying to live a good life, we often succumb to sinful thoughts, behaviors, and actions. It is why we say a confession every Sunday during celebrations of the Eucharist. Having that time to confess, to take stock, keeps us in relationship with God. Our sins are forgiven whenever we return to God and face the truth about ourselves. Scripture tells us that every sin, except one, can be forgiven.*

God’s love is that complete; God’s compassion, boundless. So no matter where you are, no matter how far you have strayed, no matter how many relationships you have broken, you can be pretty sure that when you decide to mend your ways and turn back to God, God will be right there beside you waiting with outstretched arms.

It’s not too late. Return. You are loved. You are safe. You are God’s. 

* ·        For the unpardonable sin, see Matthew 12: 31-32.   

Rejoice

 `Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.' Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.   Luke 15:6-7

The Parable of the Lost Sheep is a story of  God’s love. It reminds us that even when we have strayed and fallen, sinned and sinned again, God will pursue us.  God is not so much interested in judging us as God is eager to welcome us home. God follows us, waits for us, and celebrates with profound joy when we return.

God does the same for those the world deems incorrigible:  the really lost, the really corrupt, the really hateful.  As Christ’s hands and feet in the world, we welcome them too.

Who craves our attention?  Who silently longs for it? Who does not deserve it?
For I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous who need no repentance. 

Marvelous!

I will thank you because I am marvelously made; *
your works are wonderful, and I know it well.       Psalm 139: 13

S.L. Lowry

Can we thank God for being marvelously made? It’s hard for most of us. Prayers are generally petitionary, and thanksgivings often remain unsaid.  It is challenging to thank God simply for oneself. To wonder with awe at the very being of ourselves: that we respire automatically, that we communicate with one another, that our minds can perceive colors and solve problems.

Try it. Just thank God for you. For you are marvelously made. Thank God for the miracle of you, in spite of all the complaints you may have about the shape of your eyes or the color of your hair.  Leave the complaints for another day.

I will thank you, God, for I am marvelously made.    

Where is God?

What wrong did your ancestors find in me that they went far from me,

and went after worthless things, and became worthless themselves?

They did not say, "Where is the Lord?”

The priests did not say, "Where is the Lord?"            Jeremiah 2: 5-6,8

Searching                        Agostino Arrivabene

Are we guilty of this?  Jeremiah accused the people of Judah of wandering far from God and not even noticing. Neither the priests nor the laity asked,               “Where is the Lord?” And therein lies the problem.

As we seek to follow Christ, it is important that we become bearers of the question, “Where is the Lord?”  Where is the Lord in the midst of our triumphs? Our tragedies? In the midst of everyday life? For it is in asking the question that we become more attuned to the presence of the Holy One.

This week, as you interact with the world and with your co-workers or partners, ask yourself, “Where is God in this?” In being intentional, we discover how close God really is. 

Standing Tall

Now Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues on the sabbath. And just then there appeared a woman with a spirit that had crippled her for eighteen years. She was bent over and was quite unable to stand up straight. When Jesus saw her, he called her over and said, "Woman, you are set free from your ailment." When he laid his hands on her, immediately she stood up straight and began praising God.         Luke 13:10-13     

Farmers at Work                                                 Georges Seurat

On Sunday, we will encounter the passage of the woman who has been bent over for eighteen years. She comes to the synagogue to worship, encounters Jesus, and is healed. This is one of Jesus’ lesser known miracles, but a miracle nonetheless. 

How old were you eighteen years ago? Do the math. Imagine being in some sort of pain for that long. Pain that crushes you to the point of bending you in half. And while the woman's pain is of a physical nature, your pain may be psychological. Or spiritual. Pain we carry around with us (whatever the kind) will ultimately cause us to bend. Our pains weigh us down and less able to become what God dreams for us. 

What causes you to bend? What are you carrying with you that weighs you down? Guilt? Grief? Broken relationships? Lay these burdens at the foot of the cross and allow God to carry them for you. 

And stand tall.  

Reflection and Hope

What more was there to do for my vineyard that I have not done in it?

When I expected it to yield grapes, why did it yield wild grapes?

And now I will tell you what I will do to my vineyard.

I will remove its hedge, and it shall be devoured;

I will break down its wall, and it shall be trampled down.   Isaiah 5: 4-5

Harvest             Duc De Berry    Samur, France

 

The prophet Isaiah tells the tale of his friend who worked hard at planting a new vineyard:: tilling the soil, removing the stones, planting the vines…. But, alas, when the vines finally started producing fruit, they did not produce the luscious, sweet grapes his friend had envisioned; it produced sour, wild grapes. So, vengefully, he vowed to tear it down, to let it be trampled and ultimately, be destroyed.

Life is full of disappointments. Our children may not turn out the way we hoped, or our career paths may have swerved of the beaten track. Our fortunes may have grown and then waned out of existence.  And our health, similarly. How do we deal with disappointment in our lives? How do we respond to unmet expectations?

We have two choices. We can trample down and destroy all that we have strived for, and reap bitterness and regret all our days, or we can turn and reflect and try to understand what happened, and learn from the experience. Bitterness and regret? Or reflection and hope? Where in your life do you harbor pain and bitterness? What does it cost you? And how might you leave that path behind and choose the better way?

I lift up my prayers. 

Treasure

“For where your treasure is, there your heat will be also.” Luke 12: 34

Sri Chimoy - c. 2005

Have you ever purchased something – a new car or a new brand of shoes -- and suddenly start noticing a lot more of that particular brand?  Once you’ve spent your money on a BMW or on Birkenstocks, you start seeing BMWs or Birkenstocks everywhere.  Our hearts and minds are hard wired to respond that way. I remember my first car was an Opel Kadett – never a lot of those around – but whenever I saw one, I felt like pulling the other one over and inviting the driver over for a cup of coffee.

So it is with wherever we place our treasure.  If we start donating more money to the poor, for example, we will soon start noticing the plight of the poor more acutely. If we spend a lot of our discretionary income on concert tickets, chances are, we’ll start listening to music more attentively. On designer clothes? Designer clothes.

To really discover what we treasure and where our hearts lie, we need only take a look at our credit card statements or at our checkbook registers. Where does our money go? This is what Jesus is asking his disciples this week.  Where are our hearts? On what do we spend our time, our talent, and our treasure?