A Prayer for Emanuel AME Church

Heavenly Father,

I know that you are good. I believe that all things are in your loving hands. I worship you for all that you are.

And yet, we don't live in a vacuum. We live, as Christians, in the midst of the brokenness of this world that surrounds us. A world in which a prayer meeting in a church is turned into a crime scene. A world in which people are willing to take the life of another person.

I repent that while I do care about this horrific act, I do not care as much as I ought. I long to be in prayer for this church and yet I do not pray as fervently as I ought. I confess that while I may have never pulled the trigger of a gun, my heart is not immune to hatred towards others.

Father, forgive us. We have seen significant racial tensions in our country over the past 12 months. We have seen significant loss of life. We have seen injustice. 

The Bible says that you are a God of justice. We come believing in you, trusting in you and pleading with you to be at work in our country and in the hearts of people to restore. We ask that you will renew. 

Will you please comfort those children who have lost a parent because of this tragedy. I pray that you will be at work in the lives of the parents of this 21 year old man. Father, you are the God of all comfort so will you do your comforting work in the ways that only you can.

I pray for courage for this church, this faith community. May they be able to stand strong in the face of adversity. Grant that they will stand strong and in unity with one another. Help them to display the love of Christ in the face of brokenness.

I pray for grace. I pray that your grace will abound. That this church will experience how your grace is sufficient even in these times of adversity and trial. I pray that your healing power will be at work. I pray that some how through the ashes and devastation that your name will receive the glory and praise that you are due. I confess that I do not know how you will work. I pray that stories of faith will emerge from this church and that they will bring glory and praise to your name.

In the name of our Lord and Savior
Amen 

Painfully Healing Words

Several years ago a friend of mine taught me the importance of a few words that changed my life. They have proved to be very painful and deeply healing at the same time. They are not difficult to understand or articulate but require significant character and maturity to apply. I admit, my character and maturity are not always up to the task.

The words are:

I am sorry.

I am wrong.

Please forgive me.

You may be thinking that you know these phrases, and you would be right. They are common. I knew them when my friend first shared them with me. What I came to realize is knowing the words and putting them into practice is very different.

Let's examine each phrase.

I am sorry

This phrase is a common apology. When you say you are sorry it is often received by the offended person as an admission of regret. To say, "I am sorry" is a statement of sympathy for the feelings of the person you have wounded. It is often seen as a heartfelt apology.

When you have a friend or a loved one who you have deeply wounded they need to know that you recognize that they are hurt. You may or may not agree that they ought to feel that way they do. However, your opinion of the validity of their pain doesn't matter. What matters is that your friend is hurting and you are aware of her pain.

However, sympathizing with the pain of the person you wounded if not enough.

I am wrong

This is a key phrase. The importance of saying to a person you have wounded that your words, action or tone of voice was wrong cannot be overstated. This phrase takes your first statement of sympathetic apology to a deeper level. You are not merely sympathizing with the pain of the person that you hurt, you are admitting that you played apart in their pain. While you may not be the sole cause of their pain you are willing to recognize that you are, at least in part, responsible.

Taking responsibility for our own wrong actions is significantly undervalued in our society. In our culture it is common to blame our offenses against one another, on our genes, on our family history or even the devil. It has become increasingly rare for a person to admit that he is wrong.

It takes a person of maturity and character to be willing to own his own mistakes before the person that he has wounded. This statement is hard but it is so worth it!

So far, you have sympathized with the pain of your friend, and admitted that your actions played some role in the pain they feel. This is wonderful progress but we are not finished yet.

Please forgive me

To ask for forgiveness is to ask the offended person to undergo a change in feelings and attitude regarding the offense, let go of negative emotions such as vengefulness, and to wish you well. You are asking your friend to now longer use the offense against you ever again.

You were wrong and caused pain to another person. You are inviting that other person to give you what you are not worthy of- forgiveness.

That's it

I want to share with you what I find to be the most difficult part, you stop. You stop explaining yourself. You stop justifying your actions. You stop acting and sounding defensive. You stop talking about you and let the words start the healing process. That's it.

I am not suggesting that this will fix all relationship wounds. There are some relational rifts that require much deeper work and even extended counseling.

I am simply sharing what I am learning and trying to live out. My hope is that the use of these simple words will bring healing and life to the relationships with the people that matter to us most.

3 Important Implications of Hope

"We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope."

Martin Luther King, Jr.

It is hard to put into words exactly how important hope is for humanity. We need hope in order to get out of bed each morning. We need hope to endure through what Martin Luther King Jr calls "finite disappointment." We all face finite disappointment, don't we? We are disappointed by the weather, our kids, our job, our sports teams, our spouse and often ourselves.

Dr King said we must "never lose infinite hope." The Bible speaks about that infinite hope. Christian hope is unlike how we normally think of hope. We often say, "I hope it doesn't rain on Saturday" or "I hope we can go on vacation this summer." The Bible speaks of hope in very different terms. Christian hope is best defined as confident expectation. For the Christian, hope is rooted in the person and work of Jesus.  

Jesus claimed to be fully God and fully man. He was the only person in history to live a perfect life. Jesus died a horrible death on the cross to pay the penalty for the sins of all of humanity. He did not remain dead. Three days later Jesus rose from the dead, overcoming the power of death. Jesus promised that he will one day return and take all those who believe in him to be with him. 

Death is the one thing that no other human can overcome. No matter how moral, good or religious we may be, we will all one day face death. 

Jesus, however, went into and overcame the infinite darkness of death. Therefore, he is the only one qualified to offer those who trust in him infinite hope. Jesus promised that he will return to be with those who follow him through faith. 

Why does this matter?

Here are 3 practical implications to consider.

1. Purpose

The Christian has a purpose and urgency about life because we know we have been sent on a divine mission, to do a divine task, with divine power, for the glory of God until he returns.

It gives meaning to our existence.

It means:
You are not just the sum total of your biology.
You are not just being tossed about on the waves of chance.
You are not just here to muddle through each day and "hope" to eek out an existence.

No, the Bible says:
You have dignity- because you are made in the image of God.
You have been given talents and abilities that you are to use.
You, as a Christian, have the power of the Holy Spirit to help you.
Jesus will one day return to celebrate your faithfulness.

The Christian life is a life of purpose lived for the glory of God.

2. Priorities

Our time on this earth is short. When you realize that your life has purpose, the reality of Jesus' return will help you order your priorities.

We, as Christians, must allow the priorities of God to become our priorities. You know you are making progress in your Christian life when the priorities of God become your own.

I think this is captured well in the popular praise song by Hillsong United called Hosanna.

"Heal my heart and make it clean. Open up my eyes to the things unseen. Show me how to love like You have loved me. Break my heart for what breaks Yours. Everything I am for Your Kingdom's cause. As I walk from earth into eternity."

When we begin to see the world as Jesus sees the world it will have a significant impact on how we use our time, talent and money.

3. Protects

Christian hope in the return of Jesus ought to protect us from wasting our lives. It is so easy to get caught up in the day to day routine of life. It is so easy let our guard down. When you are reminded that you have been given a purpose for your life by God and that your priorities are to align with God's priorities then you will be protected from wasting your life.

What will you have to show for the opportunities you have been given in life?

I fear that we are often more concerned with surrounding ourselves with the comforts of this life than living a life on mission to maximize our impact for God. You only have a finite amount of time to use the gifts, talents and abilities that you have been given until you go to meet Jesus or he returns.
Don’t waste it!

Do You Dream About Me?

My 8-year-old son (soon to be 9) has a morning routine. He wakes up, stumbles down stairs and settles onto the couch to watch his favorite morning TV shows. When I return from my morning exercise I sit down next to him and ask two questions. I first ask him, “How did you sleep last night?” His standard response is “good.” The second question I ask is “Did you dream about Dad?” As of the writing of this post, I have always received a quick “no!” I smile. My usual response is “your dreams would have been better if your father was in them.”

I am not sure exactly how this morning ritual got started. I think my son has come to find a bit of the humor in it. At least, that is my hope! I began to reflect on this silly little morning routine recently. As I reflected, I celebrated my wit. I wondered if our little routine would make it into the lasting memory bank of his childhood. I then began to wonder what it would be like for me to be in his dreams (kinda disturbing).

My reflections on my son’s dreams soon lead me to consider my own, but not the kind I have while I am asleep. I began to consider the dreams and aspirations I have for my life. I wondered what it would be like if I included my father in them. I don't mean my earthly father but my heavenly Father. What if God asked, “What are your dreams? What are you dreaming about?”

We all have dreams. We all have some idea of what we want to be when we grow up or how many children we would like to have or what college we want to attend. Some dream of traveling the world, while others dream of a successful job and career. Dreams are as varied as the people who dream them.

Dreams are important. Dreams are important for people because they are connected to hope. C S Lewis once said "You are never too old to set another goal or dream a new dream." As time passes and life is lived our hope can wane and our dreams are not as vivid. People need hope! People need dreams! We all need something to look forward too. We all need something to inspire our living. What if God asked you about your dreams?

What if God asked, “Did you dream about me?”

How would you respond? My answer to God would resemble my sons answer to me. My answer is “no.” Most of the dreams, aspirations and goals I have for my life are mine. They stem from my desires, my hopes, and my goals. My dreams do not usually stem from faith. They do not include God. That means my dreams must be accomplished by me- in my own strength.

I wonder if God smiles at me and thinks, "your dreams will be better if your Father is in them."

Through the prophet Jeremiah God spoke to his people. He said,
"For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11

Jeremiah sent a letter to the people of Israel who had been carried off by King Nebuchadnezzar into exile in Babylon. The chosen people of God were in slavery. They were in a dark and desperate situation. They had no reason to think that their circumstances would change. If their hopes, dreams and future were solely based on what they could accomplish with their own strength they had every reason to despair, they had no reason for hope.

Against this dark backdrop God sent his word through Jeremiah to comfort his people. God said,"I have plans to prosper you, you will have a future, so have hope!" God let his people know that they should not quite dreaming, that they should not give up hope! The people of God are to be a people of hope because God has a plan to prosper them, give them hope and give them a future.

Are you facing difficult circumstances? Are you mourning the loss of a dream? Don't stop dreaming! Don't stop hoping!

Jesus went to the garden of Gethsemane and wept. Jesus went to the cross and died. Jesus went through the deepest darkness any person could go through and on the third day he rose from the dead.

Jesus defeated the death of our dreams.

He is able to do immeasurably more than all we can ask or imagine....so go ahead and dream but dream with Jesus.

Christian- no matter your age, no matter your circumstances "set another goal or dream a new dream."

I have to start somewhere.....sometime.

Today I was scrolling twitter when I came across this quote:

"A year from now, you may wish you had started today.” - Karen Lamb

I kept scrolling along and then I went back....the reason is because I realized that this quote has an immediate application to me. I have been trying to start this blog. I have been trying to start this blog for quite awhile now.

Excuses
I have amazed myself at all of the excuses I have used to keep myself from writing.
I have told myself that I am a poor writer (this blog may prove my point).
I have told myself I have nothing to say.
I have questioned if there is anything new or fresh that I could possible add to all the amazing content that is "out there."
I have reminded myself of how poorly I apply proper rules of grammar.
I told myself no one will read my stuff.
I told myself that writing so slow.
I told myself that I am not smart enough, creative enough, or insightful enough.

Today
In full view of my fears, reservations and concerns, I am convinced that "a year from now I will wish I would have started today." Thanks Karen Lamb!

So here it is. My first official post. From this point on I will write about faith, life and leadership.....and whatever else I decide to write on. It is my hope that I will grow as a writer, thinker, person and Christian. It is my hope that someone may read my reflections and be helped, challenged and encouraged.

so today it begins.....