God of love, Some days, I feel like I am running with the wind behind me. It feels like my prayers are answered, my work fruitful, my relationships easy and comfortable, the future bright, and the road ahead smooth. But there are other times too when each step feels heavy and prayers seem empty when work seems to yield only thorns and thistles (Gen 3:17), and relationships seem strained and difficult. There are days when I simply wonder what tomorrow will bring. And yet, it is those “other times” that I find myself more often in the Chapel on my [...]

God, You have blessed me in so many ways. And yet, in spite of those many blessings, I am too often preoccupied with my own concerns. I wonder how I can accomplish the tasks of the day, solve my own problems, and overcome my own obstacles. The core human sin – self-centeredness – seems impossible to overcome. And yet, you have blessed me for a purpose – that I might be a blessing to others and promised me the grace that you might use me despite my fixation on self. God, awaken me to the needs of others. Crossing my path today, somewhere in [...]

God, It is morning again. It’s a new day. Whom shall I be today? It is up to me. I can be a sign of your love to those I meet, or I can hide my light under a bushel. I can be full of gratitude for the life I have, every breath I take, or I can grumble about the tasks before me. I can choose joy, or I can sulk. I can focus my energy and full attention on others, or I can preoccupy myself with my own affairs. I can live each moment by the Christ that [...]

God of love, For those of us who were alive on September 11, 2001, the memories of the trauma are seared into our brains. We grieve the loss. The loss of 2996 of your children, their futures snatched from them by violent terror attacks. The loss of fathers and mothers, children and brothers and sisters. The loss of first responders and valiant passengers on a plane, heroes who sacrificed to save others. The loss of so much potential. The loss of innocence for children, who could not understand such callous hatred. The loss of a sense of security for [...]

Jesus, How do I love you? Let me count the ways. I love you because of the incredible compassion you showed for the hurting. I love you because of the way you spoke out against those who were so sure and self-righteous. I love you because you chose to hang out with the outcast. I love you because you celebrated both the prodigal and the elder sons. I love you because you gathered the children to you. I love you because you inverted the values of the world, launching a kingdom where giving is better than taking, where [...]

God, When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. (Psalm 56:3) When I am weary, I put my trust in you. When I am strong, I put my trust in you. When I am sad and lonely, I put my trust in you. When it seems the world is falling apart, I put my trust in you. When I am on top of the world, I put my trust in you. When I am confused, I put my trust in you. When I am angry, I put my trust in you. When I feel close to [...]

God of all people, I pray today for your world. The images of desperation and fear, despair and anguish fill the media. It is hard to imagine an answer for the problems that plague us, and yet you assure us that the future is in your hands. I pray for the people of Afghanistan, that there might be freedom, peace, and security, for the release of those who fear for their lives or their way of life. I pray for the church in Afghanistan, the underground movement of Christians who claim the name of your son, that you would [...]

Dear Jesus, It seems obvious to say that you were born with skin on. I mean, how else would you be born among us, God? I am sure that you had that soft skin of an infant, supple and smooth. To look at it that way, knowing that it would bear the stripes of the whip, the wounds of the thorns and spear is really hard to bear. But you chose to live with the challenges a human body brings – pain, hunger, thirst, illness, weakness, vulnerability. Perhaps all that was to let us know that our bodies are sacred, just as [...]

Dear Jesus, I just heard the Vacation Bible School kids singing that “today is another day to praise.” They are so right. I love seeing the joy, the dancing and hand motions, the excitement they bring to their children’s worship experience. Praising you can be such a joy. I pray today that you might draw out of me the expression of joy and praise I see in the kindergartener dancing in the front row. But I have more to do than sing and dance today. So whatever my task in the hours ahead, let it be done as a holy act of worship, [...]

God, There are so many other so-called gods that call my name, God. So many other idols that want me to worship them, to give them my love. Affluence calls for me. Ambition beckons for me to follow. Health and Beauty, and Vitality want to be the drivers of my life. Success seeks my heart. Desire for Power wants to own me. Productivity tells me it can make me happy. Respectability and Affirmation seduce me. Comfort and Ease call out to come and simply enjoy. Relevance wants my full energy and attention. So many idols. And yet, even when I let my guard down and [...]