Getting Ahead of God

Getting Ahead of God

Between the Waters: Part 5
October 12, 2025

Exodus 33:1-23

The Lord said to Moses, “Go and leave this place, you and the people whom you brought up out of the land of Egypt. Go to the land I promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob when I said, ‘I’ll give it to your descendants.’  I’ll send a messenger before you. I’ll drive out the Canaanites, the Amorites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites.  Go to this land full of milk and honey. But I won’t go up with you because I would end up destroying you along the way since you are a stubborn people.”

 ~ Exodus 33:1-3 (CEB

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God is everywhere.  God is with us.

These are truths we so often take for granted, even if we don’t always feel them.  But what if that weren’t so?  What if God stepped away and left us entirely to our own devices?

That’s the situation the Israelites faced, and at the worst possible time.  God had led them out of slavery in Egypt, brought them to Mt. Sinai, given them the law, and made a covenant with them to be their God in the promised land of Canaan. 

Yet no matter how much God provided for them in the wilderness, they kept turning back.  The voices of the “Back to Egypt” committee were often louder than the voices calling them forward in faith.  So loud, in fact, that they made idols in the form of other gods, golden calves, and credited them for their salvation.  Why?  Because unlike Yahweh, these were gods that they could see and control. 

By bowing to the gods of their own making, they broke covenant with Yahweh before the journey had even begun.  God was angry.  So angry, in fact, that God told Moses, “I will not go with you.” 

Even then, God still promises to prepare the land for them.  The blessings would remain, even if God’s presence did not.  To some, that might sound like a dream come true.    We get all the blessings with none of the responsibility.  We can make all the idols we want and still have the land that was promised.  We can do whatever is right in our own eyes.

But this is not how the people respond.

They panic.  How will they survive in this unknown land without the God who carried them this far?  Perhaps they are starting to realize that God is their blessing, not just the land.

They are quick to repent, at least for now.  Moses pleads with God on their behalf and eventually God relents and goes with them.  God’s goodness prevails.

Sadly, this will not be the last time they turn away, despite God’s mercy. Again and again, the people will do what is right in their own eyes.  Eventually their descendants will lose the land that was promised because of their stubborn rebellion.  People just don’t seem to change much.

But here’s the good news: even when we are unfaithful, God remains faithful.  It is not an excuse or a license to go our own way.  There are always consequences to our choices.  But we are reminded that in the end, God will not leave or forsake us.  The real question is, will we leave or forsake our God?

When have you been tempted to settle for the “benefits” of faith without the presence of God?

Out of the Melting Pot

Out of the Melting Pot

Between the Waters: Part 4
October 5, 2025

Exodus 32:1-10

The people saw that Moses was taking a long time to come down from the mountain. They gathered around Aaron and said to him, “Come on! Make us gods who can lead us. As for this man Moses who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we don’t have a clue what has happened to him.”

Aaron said to them, “All right, take out the gold rings from the ears of your wives, your sons, and your daughters, and bring them to me.” So, all the people took out the gold rings from their ears and brought them to Aaron. He collected them and tied them up in a cloth. Then he made a metal image of a bull calf, and the people declared, “These are your gods, Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!”

 ~ Exodus 32:1-4 (CEB)

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What are we willing to give up for a sense of security?

Moses had been on the mountain for quite some time, amid the fire and smoke, and the people panicked.

If Moses didn’t return, or if this God who led them through the Red Sea changed his mind, they were in trouble.  So, they cried out, “Make us gods who can lead us.”  They couldn’t turn back to the gods of Egypt, and they barely knew this new God who only goes by “I AM.”  They wanted protection and security on their terms.

We like to think we only have one God, but the truth is that we have as many, if not more, gods today than they did in the Ancient Near East.  They don’t have names like Baal, El, or Astarte, but we still make tremendous sacrifices upon their altars.  We bow to the gods of money, technology, sports, entertainment, fame, political power, image & appearance, relationships, national security, guns, comfort, news media, and the list goes on. 

Howard Snyder offers a few questions to help us examen what might be serving as an idol in our own lives:

1. How much time, devotion & unquestioned loyalty do I give this “diversion”?

2. Am I willing to question or evaluate my loyalty?

3. What public symbols or displays show my devotion (social media, clothing, flags etc.)?

4. How does the time, money and energy I spend compare to the intensity of attention to God?

5. How does it affect my values, attitudes and behavior toward others?

The people of Israel poured all their gold into the melting pot, and as Aaron said, “out came this bull calf,” as if by magic (Exodus 32:24).  That’s the thing about idols: they consume everything we have.  They shift our priorities and our core values.  They capture our constant attention.  They keep us fixated on them above all else. 

We are out of control, and we are literally killing ourselves and each other at the whims of our idols.  These idols are merely tools of the rich and powerful, keeping us enslaved. 

They cannot save us. They do not bring freedom; they blind us to what is good and true.

Lord, have mercy. Set us free.

What is one idol in my life that keeps me from God’s freedom?

When Hearts Become Stone

When Hearts Become Stone

Between the Waters: Part 3
September 28, 2025

Exodus 20:1-2

I am the LORD your God who brought you out of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.  You must have no other gods before me.

~ Exodus 20:2-3 (CEB)

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This week we’re looking at the Ten Commandments given to the Israelites in the wilderness.  They are often used as weapons against a more secularized world, but we too easily forget that these were commands given specifically to God’s people.  They were not for Egypt, or Assyria, or even the Cannanites. 

In fact, the first few commands would not even make sense to those who are not already followers of God.  How can “Have no other gods before me,” for example, have the same meaning to an athiest, a Buddhist, a Hindu, or anyone else who does not already identify as a follower of this God?

God begins by reminding the people that He has rescued them from slavery in Egypt and He is making them into a new nation, a different kind of people who live by a different set of values than any other nation then or now.  

As God’s people, this is the way we are called to live, but too often I think we get distracted by trying to enforce the rules on everyone else that we completely miss the point of first setting people free from whatever holds them in bondage so that they can live fully in the love and mercy of the God who saves.

excerpt from The Lost Message of Jesus, Steve Chalke

A few years ago I was taking part in a live debate on the BBC’s Radio Five Live, Drive Time show. One of the stories the program was covering was on the issue of adultery. As we chatted the presenter chipped in, “Why is God so miserable? Why has he got such a downer on everything we do?” And then, building into a real anti-God kind of rant, she added, “Don’t do this and don’t do that. Don’t commit adultery. It’s pathetic.”

I interrupted her with a question. “Does the Bible really say, ‘Don’t commit adultery?’”

 “Yes, it does,” came her rapier reply.

 “Well, I’ve never read that bit,” I said.

“You know very well it’s in there,” she retorted. “In fact, it’s in there twice. It’s one of the Ten Commandments.”

“Oh, now I know what you are talking about,” I exclaimed. “It’s just that I didn’t recognize it at first because of the tone of voice you were using.”

“What do you mean?” she asked.

“You’re absolutely right,” I continued. “God does say that we shouldn’t commit adultery, but not in the way you’ve read it. You see, before he gives any of the Ten Commandments he introduce himself as the God who loves Israel. He lets them know that his is for them not against them. He wants the best for them. God didn’t sit in heaven making a list of all the things he knows human beings like to do and then outlaw them all to spoil our fun. Rather he knows the pain and heartache that we will cause others and ourselves if we pursue agendas that are contrary to the way he made us to be. The Ten Commandments is a loving God saying, ‘Look, I am the God who loves you. I’m on your side. I got you out of slavery. I’m the best deal you’ve got going for you. Trust me. Don’t steal. Don’t lie. Don’t abandon me. Don’t commit adultery because if you do it will unleash destructive powers that will slowly overshadow you, destroying you, your families and your society. Trust me. Don’t be stupid.’”

The presenter looked at me in astonishment. Quietly she said, “No-one has ever explained it to me in that way. That makes so much sense.” Within minutes the phones were ringing with dozens of people all saying the same thing: “Why hasn’t anyone ever told us this before? I’ve been going to church all my life and no-one has ever explained it to me like that.”

• How does this story resonate with your own experience of the Ten Commandments?

Enough

Enough

Between the Waters: Part 2
September 21, 2025

Exodus 16:1-30, Romans 12:1-2, Psalm 23

The whole Israelite community complained against Moses and Aaron in the desert.  The Israelites said to them, “Oh, how we wish that the Lord had just put us to death while we were still in the land of Egypt. There we could sit by the pots cooking meat and eat our fill of bread. Instead, you’ve brought us out into this desert to starve this whole assembly to death.”

~ Exodus 16:2-3 (CEB)

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As we reflect on this week’s scripture about God’s provision in the wilderness, I invite you to take a moment to read through the lyrics of Sara Groves' song Painting Pictures of Egypt. This song delves into the tension between the comfort of the familiar and the uncertainty of the unknown. Groves draws inspiration from the Israelites' journey in Exodus 16, capturing the struggle of moving forward when the past still calls. As you read, consider how these themes resonate with your own experiences of change and longing.

You can also listen to the full song here:

Painting Pictures of Egypt – by Sara Groves

I don't want to leave here, I don't want to stay
It feels like pinching to me, either way
And the places I long for the most
Are the places where I've been
They are calling out to me like a long-lost friend

It's not about losing faith.  It's not about trust.
It's all about comfortable, when you move so much
And the place I was wasn't perfect
But I had found a way to live
And it wasn't milk or honey, but then neither is this

 I've been painting pictures of Egypt
Leaving out what it lacks
The future feels so hard, and I want to go back
But the places that used to fit me
Cannot hold the things I've learned
Those roads were closed off to me
While my back was turned

 The past is so tangible, I know it by heart
Familiar things are never easy to discard
I was dying for some freedom, but now I hesitate to go
I am caught between the Promise and the things I know

If it comes too quick, I may not appreciate it
Is that the reason behind all this time in sand?
And if it comes to quick, I may not recognize it
Is that the reason behind all this time in sand?

No matter how good a new season may be, we humans have a way of thinking the grass is always greener on the other side, even if that other side is the place we left behind for good reasons.  No place or time is perfect.  There will always be struggles.  Yet, like Israel, we are often quick to diminish the struggles of our past and exaggerate the difficulties of our present or the challenges we imagine in the future.    

God’s provision of manna calls us to a different rhythm of life.  Like the prayer Jesus taught us, we are invited to rely on our daily bread.  So long as we pine for past nostalgia or agonize over a future we cannot know or control, we are not truly living.  Israel’s life in slavery was marked by striving and production, much like our modern lives.  God invites us to a life of trust, of presence, and of rest.

For Further Reflection:

• When you find yourself longing for “Egypt”, what parts of your past are you holding onto, and what might you be overlooking?

• What would it look like for you to receive God’s daily provision with gratitude and trust?

Out of Egypt & Back Again

Out of Egypt & Back Again

Between the Waters: Part 1
September 14, 2025

Exodus 14:1-31, Romans 6:1-14

Then the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the sea so that the water comes back and covers the Egyptians, their chariots, and their cavalry.” So, Moses stretched out his hand over the sea. At daybreak, the sea returned to its normal depth. The Egyptians were driving toward it, and the Lord tossed the Egyptians into the sea.  The waters returned and covered the chariots and the cavalry, Pharaoh’s entire army that had followed them into the sea. Not one of them remained.

 ~ Exodus 14:26-28 (CEB)

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There are so many angles we could take with this familiar story of God bringing salvation to the Israelites through the Red Sea.  But this last part, the drowning of Pharaoh’s army, is the part I usually skim past.  I don’t believe God directly causes tragedy and violence the way some parts of Scripture appear to describe.

A second look, however, shows that what happened here is not a random act of a wrathful God, but the inevitable result of human arrogance and oppression.  If we only see it as “God’s action,” it’s too easy to claim that God is on our side, and will destroy our enemies for us, or at least bless us when we destroy them ourselves.  That kind of thinking is still alive today, fueling cycles of nationalism, violence, and oppression in God’s name.

But what if the real tragedy of the Red Sea is not a violent God avenging God’s people, but two nations who never really got the point?  Let me explain:

On Egypt’s side, the ending is a simple case study in pride and power.  In Exodus 12:31-32, Pharoah finally relents and sends Israel away to worship. But he can’t live with defeat.  His arrogance leads him to a reckless pursuit into waters he cannot control, all to prop up his own power and keep Israel enslaved.  His pride destroys him and his army. 

Israel’s reaction is more complicated.  Their joy is understandable, after centuries of slavery.  But in celebrating the downfall of their enemies, they may have missed a deeper point.  God did not free them so they could become another nation like Egypt, but so they model a different way and extend God’s blessing to the world.  But over time, they built their kingdom on the same foundations of wealth, military might, and idolatry.  Under Solomon, they even returned to Egypt to acquire horses and chariots.  And like their former enslavers, their own arrogance led to destruction, first at the hands of Assyria, then Babylon.

The point was never that Israel was so special God would always slaughter their enemies.  The point is the same truth Jesus teaches many centuries later: the first will be last and the last will be first; the powerful will be brought low and the weak and poor will be lifted up.  God is always on the side of the oppressed.  And the oppressors will always bring disaster upon themselves, even if the oppressors are God’s own people.

For Further Reflection: 

• How do we guard against celebrating political or cultural “victories” that come at the expense of justice, compassion, or the dignity of others?

• Where are we aligning ourselves with God on the side of the oppressed and marginalized, and where are we complicit with the oppressors?

A Promising Future

A Promising Future

Where Grace Meets Shiloh: Part 4
September 7, 2025

1 Samuel 3:1-21, 1 Samuel 7:3-17

So, Samuel grew up, and the Lord was with him, not allowing any of his words to fail. All Israel from Dan to Beersheba knew that Samuel was trustworthy as the Lord’s prophet. The Lord continued to appear at Shiloh because the Lord revealed himself to Samuel at Shiloh through the Lord’s own word.

~  1 Samuel 3:19-21 (CEB)

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Samuel grew up in Eli’s household as a servant of Lord’s tabernacle.  In some ways, we might say he grew up in church, literally.  He became comfortable around the holy things and learned early on to appreciate their significance.

He also had a front row seat to corruption in the house of God.  He saw Eli’s sons taking advantage of the offerings and even abusing the women who served at the tent of meeting.  Samuel knew both the best and worst of religion firsthand. 

The story in chapter 3 is familiar: God calling to a young boy in the night and giving him a vision for Israel.  Samuel did not recognize God’s voice at first, but Eli taught him how to respond and listen. 

Unfortunately for Eli, God’s word to Samuel meant bad news for his family.  The corruption of Eli’s sons and Eli’s unwillingness to confront it had reached its limit.  Their priestly service would end, and justice would be restored.

To Eli’s credit, he accepted God’s judgment, even when it came through a child.  Samuel grew to be a great prophet, trusted by the people. 

We often hear this story in individualistic terms: a young boy hearing God’s call to ministry.  This is the way we often hear it at ordinations alongside the hymn, “Here, I Am Lord.”

While there is nothing wrong with that reading, I am struck this week by what this text says to us as a community.  The tabernacle was not a church in our modern sense, yet it shared a similar role as a center of worship, and was not immune to corruption, even within its own leadership.  In every generation, God’s people have wrestled with the tension between the holiness we are called to and the reality of our brokenness.

But here is where I believe it also points to a promising future.  Despite all the faults of the tabernacle, or the church, God continues to speak.  Just as God spoke to Samuel, the Spirit still raises up leaders to call God’s people back to their holy purpose.  Chapter 3 ends with the hopeful reminder that the Lord continued to appear at Shiloh because the Lord had revealed himself there to Samuel, and Samuel remained faithful to the word he had been given.

To whatever degree we are faithful with the word entrusted to us, this church, and the church throughout the world, can still bear witness to God’s faithfulness, even when we have been unfaithful.

For Further Reflection: 

• How have you heard God’s word spoken to you through the church?

• What is yours to do in helping the church live faithfully?

A Purpose Forgotten

A Purpose Forgotten

Where Grace Meets Shiloh: Part 3
August 31, 2025

1 Samuel 4:1-11, Jeremiah 7:12-14

When the troops returned to the camp, Israel’s elders said, “Why did the Lord defeat us today before the Philistines? Let’s bring the chest containing the Lord’s covenant from Shiloh so it can go with us and save us from our enemies’ power…”

…So, the Philistines fought. Israel was defeated, and everyone fled to their homes. It was a massive defeat: thirty thousand Israelite foot soldiers fell, God’s chest was taken, and Eli’s two sons Hophni and Phinehas died.

~ 1 Samuel 4:3, 10-11 (CEB)

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Israel thought that bringing the Ark of the Covenant into battle would guarantee victory.  Surely, if God’s presence was with them, they couldn’t lose.  And yet they were still defeated.  The priests’ sons were killed, and the Ark was captured so the Philistines could mock their God.

The problem wasn’t the battle itself, but the fact that Israel had already rejected God’s presence through corruption and idolatry.  In 1 Samuel 3, God tells Samuel that Eli’s family would face judgment for desecrating God’s name. 

When things fell apart, the people wanted a quick fix.  They used the Ark of the Covenant like a magic talisman or a lucky charm, while ignoring the evil and injustice they had long tolerated.

This story is more relevant for the church today than most of us care to admit.  For centuries, we’ve turned a blind eye to evil done in God’s name.  We’ve aligned ourselves with power and wealth over justice and mercy.  We’ve let politics override the way of Jesus and then put on public displays of faith hoping God will restore our former greatness.  But no performance or virtue signaling can substitute genuine repentance.    

While parts of the church may indeed repent and thrive, a large majority of the church in our nation finds herself in Israel’s shoes.  We have lost our integrity and any credible witness we once had of God’s loving presence among us. 

God has not stopped working.  In 1 Samuel, the capture of the Ark sets other events in motion.  Even now, God is  calling the church to repentance.  The Spirit is moving in places of hope, love, compassion, and justice beyond our walls, through people we might least expect. 

But for our part, we must own the ways we have misrepresented God and live with the consequences.  It’s not just about individual morality or living a good life.  It’s about our corporate witness, across denominational lines, and the negative image of God Christians have, and continue to put forth in the world.

We are not being persecuted.  We are being called to account. 

Like Israel, we are being refined by fire, until all that remains is Christ.     

For Further Reflection:

• Where have we confused displays of faith for actual faithfulness?

• What would repentance look like for the church today?  Beyond words, in tangible action?

A Prayer for New Life

A Prayer for New Life

Where Grace Meets Shiloh: Part 2
August 24, 2025

1 Samuel 1:1-2:11

“How long will you act like a drunk? Sober up!” Eli told her.

“No sir!” Hannah replied. “I’m just a very sad woman. I haven’t had any wine or beer but have been pouring out my heart to the Lord.  Don’t think your servant is some good-for-nothing woman. This whole time I’ve been praying out of my great worry and trouble!”

Eli responded, “Then go in peace. And may the God of Israel give you what you’ve asked from him.”

1 Samuel 1:14-17 

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It’s easy for small churches to get an inferiority complex.  Everything in our culture says that bigger is better.  And yet, small congregations make up the majority of churches in the U.S.  Over 61% have less than 100 in weekly worship and 31% have less than 50.  Less than 10% have over 250 people, and yet these are the ones that get most of the attention.

Healthy small churches have many strengths.  They can adapt more quickly to change, nurture closer-knit intergenerational relationships, stay grounded in their local communities, and equip a higher percentage of members for meaningful service, both in and beyond the church.

As a woman who cannot bear children, Hannah is easily dismissed and misunderstood.  Her grief is mistaken for disorder and even drunkenness by Eli, the priest.  She prays fervently for a child and boldly tells Eli, “Don’t think your servant is some good-for-nothing woman.”  That line echoes for me when I think of how easily small churches are written off today.  “Don’t think your servants are good-for-nothing because of our size. 

From this misunderstood woman in this often overlooked place called Shiloh, God brings forth new life.  Her son Samuel will lead Israel as a prophet, confront the corruption of the priesthood, and anoint David, the youngest and most insignificant Son of Jesse, as King of a nation.  Hannah’s prayer in chapter 2, much like Mary’s Magnificat centuries later, celebrates a God who lifts the lowly and fills the empty.

This story isn’t directly about small churches, but it is about a God who tends to do great things in hidden and humble places.  It’s about new life beginning where others have given up hope.  At Shiloh, we are reminded that an entire movement can begin with a single prayer, a vulnerable act of faith, and a God who has not forgotten us.

Diana Butler Bass once said to a group of anxious church leaders, “I don't think I've ever heard so many people who claim they believe in the resurrection be so worried about the death of their church.”

For Further Reflection:

• Do you think more about life or death?  Why?

• What signs of new life are you seeing in unexpected places?

• What overlooked places in your life or in your church might become sacred ground?

A Place of God's Presence

A Place of God’s Presence

Where Grace Meets Shiloh: Part 1
August 17, 2025

Joshua 18:1-5, 1 Corinthians 3:16-17

The whole community of the Israelites assembled at Shiloh and set up the meeting tent there. The conquered land lay before them. Among the Israelites, seven tribes were left that had not yet received their legacy. Joshua said to the Israelites, “How long will you avoid going to take over the land that the LORD, the God of your ancestors, has given you?

Joshua 18:1-3 (CEB)

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Names matter… especially in Scripture.  Yet we often miss their significance.  Many churches are named after Biblical places with little thought for how God showed up in those places or what those stories might reveal about God’s presence among us today. 

Shiloh is one such name.  As the people of Grace UMC and Shiloh UMC have become one church family in this place called Shiloh, it’s worth asking: What does Shiloh mean for us?

The ancient city of Shiloh sat on a hilltop nearly 20 miles north of Jerusalem and served as Israel’s center during the period of the Judges.  It was the first place the Tabernacle was set up as a permanent structure, where it remained for 369 years.  God’s people were no longer strangers and wanderers.  They were finally home.

But there was a problem.  Once they settled in, they got too comfortable.  And why wouldn’t they?  After years of wandering, Shiloh felt safe.  This was a sacred place.  They were finally home. 

Joshua challenges them, saying, “How long will you avoid going to take over the land that the LORD, the God of your ancestors, has given you?

Let me be clear.  Passages like this have been misused in harmful ways to justify conquest, colonialism and oppression of every kind, all in the name or Christ.  The church is not called to domination over a community or even a nation.  Nevertheless, God may still be asking, “What are you waiting for?  How long will you avoid going into the places I have sent you to be a blessing and bear witness to my love?”

Shiloh is a beautiful place to gather for worship, fellowship, study, community, and serving together.  But God’s presence doesn’t stay here on the altar all week.    We are still being sent out.  God is still calling us into the surrounding community, to be a city on a hill and a light in the darkness.  We cannot hide from the world in our tabernacle made of stone. 

How long will we avoid being God’s people out there, beyond the walls? 

God’s presence cannot be contained.  Neither should we.

For Further Reflection:

• Where might you be avoiding God’s call to go?

• What is one concrete step you will take this week to share God’s love with someone beyond these walls?

• What comfort or routine might you need to let go of in order to follow God more faithfully?  

Pray Always & All Ways

Pray Always & All Ways

Back to School Sunday

August 10, 2025

Matthew 6:5-8, 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, Psalm 139

When you pray, don’t pour out a flood of empty words, as the Gentiles do. They think that by saying many words they’ll be heard.  Don’t be like them, because your Father knows what you need before you ask.

Matthew 6:7

Rejoice always.  Pray continually.  Give thanks in every situation because this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

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This week we are focusing on prayer, but not just the typical prayers we pray to ask for God’s help to get through the day. We’re digging deeper into what it means to pray continually, to pray without words, and to cultivate a lifestyle of prayer that will keep us in tune with God’s presence in every moment.

The recorded message above offers some brief reflections on the ways our perspectives and experience of prayer changes through life. These reflections are shorter than usual because we had table conversations about prayer for a portion of our service.

I invite you to listen and then take a look at some of the prayers below that you may want to try on your own.

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The Welcoming Prayer

The Welcoming Prayer is the kind of prayer that is especially helpful when you are feeling triggered throughout the day. Most of our challenges and tempations come from a feeling that our security, our approval, or our control are being threatened. This simple prayer is a way of welcoming whatever emotions / reactions are stirring in us and releasing our need for security, approval and control to God, trusting that God’s grace is sufficient in whatever it is we are facing in that moment.

The Welcoming Prayer

First, Gently become aware of your body and your interior state.
Then pray the following:

Welcome, welcome, welcome.

I welcome everything that comes to me in this moment

because I know it is for my healing.

I welcome all thoughts, feelings, emotions, persons, situations and conditions.

I let go of my desire for security.

I let go of my desire for approval.

I let go of my desire for control.

I let go of my desire to change any situation, condition, person, or myself.

I open to the love and presence of God and the healing action and grace within.

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written by: Mary Mrozowski (925-1993)
The creator and spiritual mother of the welcoming prayer practice

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Breath Prayer

Pray without ceasing. (1 Thessalonians 5:17)

Just as breathing goes on naturally in the body, prayer can go on naturally in our being. Thus we can understand the origin of the name more completely when we recall that in Hebrew the word RUACH has three meanings: “wind,” “breath,” and “Spirit.” Practicing the breath prayer re-grooves/rewires/renews our mind, slowly shaping it into the “mind of Christ” (Phil. 2:5)

Gifts of Breath Prayer

The breath prayer helps us re-groove our brains to be more Christ-like. Practice helps us let go of bad tapes and commentaries thus dismantling what is false within us and awaken what is true and good. Clarity develops. Understanding of scripture deepens. Daily chores go faster while engaged in active prayer. Interior detachment develops. Peace of mind emerges. A deeper awareness of the presence of God is experienced. A deeper bonding to Christ and the human family occurs.

Examples of Classic Breath Prayers

• Lord, come quickly to my rescue. God, make haste to help me.

• Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner.

• God, grant me peace.

• Open my heart to your love, Jesus.

• Father God, Thy will be done.

• Lord, hear my prayer.

• Lord Jesus Christ, enter Light. Do not let my darkness speak to me.

• Jesus, abide in me.

• Jesus, keep me simple.

• Holy One, help me.

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Pray All Ways

~ compiled by Dr. Reginal Johnson, author of Your Personality & The Spiritual Life

Although you may occasionally engage in almost all of the practices listed below, I invite you to note which ones most represent your regular pattern. You should also note a few that you may like to try and begin experimenting with them in your regular prayer life.

A Small Sampling of Prayer Practices for Every Personality Type

• read prayers from a book, or from the Psalms, or recite prayers you have memorized

• write your prayers

• follow an outline or pattern in your prayer time

• talk to God, spontaneously, in your own words

• express your feelings to God

• intercede by entering empathetically into the feelings of others and bearing these feelings to God in prayer

• intercede by talking to God about other’s needs.

• intercede silently by visualizing the other person in Christ’s presence.

• intercede for others while looking at their photographs

• intercede for others with the use of a “prayer list”

• spend time just “feeling” the presence of God

• spend time quietly thinking about God

• listen in silence for what God wants to say

• pray a phrase or verse from scripture in order to focus your attention and rest in God’s presence.

• imagine Christ present with you, or visualize yourself as present with Him in some gospel scene, and let that lead into conversational prayer with Christ

• read a passage of scripture and try to allow God to show you how it relates to or applies to your life.

• read from a devotional source which raises your thoughts to God and helps you think about His attributes and qualities and stimulate your worship

• pray over your day’s schedule, offering persons & situations to God in anticipatory prayer, and to seek God’s help in ordering your priorities

• read a selection from a devotional source which relates stories about how real people have experienced God in their circumstances, using it as a “faith lift”

• “daydream” or follow a stream of consciousness in God’s presence allowing it to take you “wherever” as you open yourself to God--all the way from confession of sins, asking for help, or receiving creative ideas

• think about something in a focused way, in God’s presence, perhaps with pen in hand

• use symbols in your place of prayer (for example, a lit candle, open Bible, picture, cross, or worship center of some sort)

• sing, play a musical instrument or listen to music during your time of prayer

• keep a spiritual journal or prayer diary

• set aside time during prayer in order to reflect deliberately over your day, in order to see how God has been (or may have wanted to be) at work

• set aside time for self-examination into your attitudes, actions or thoughts which are hindering your relationship with God

• “practice the presence of God” during the day by frequent interior conversations with God

• find that there are frequent moments through the day when your thoughts turn to God and you are conscious of God’s presence in you

• organize your schedule so that there are fixed times throughout the day when you remind yourself to lift your heart to God in prayer

• “pray with your body” by using posture (kneeling, lying prostrate, etc.),

• use actions (dancing or movement), or gestures (palms opened, arms lifted, etc.), as a means of prayerful expression to God

• sometimes use voluntary denial of an otherwise normal function (eating, watching TV, sweets, etc.) for the sake of spiritual focus and prayer

• walk / jog / play in order to place yourself in the “path” of God who lifts your spirit through the beauty of creation

• listen to audio readings of scripture selections, as you drive, work, or rest

• read / sing from the hymnal or other worship songs in order to drink in the message which comes through the poetic imagery as a means of being with God

There are as many ways to be present with God as there are to be in relationship with a friend. Once you carve out the space for prayer, you have a choice in what you and God do with your time together.

Don’t let your prayer life grow stale. Be Creative!

The hardest part is showing up and being present. Once you are present with God, the possibilities are endless. Enjoy.