Dear God, I want to be an open-minded person, ready to listen to the opinions of others, willing to change my mind when I am wrong. On the other hand, I don’t want to be a people pleaser, just saying what people want to hear, “a reed, swayed by the wind.” (Matthew 11:7) I strive to learn and grow, be in a state of constant improvement and becoming, to learn from the constructive criticism of others. On the other hand, I want to embrace who I am rather than try to be someone I am not. I want to be humble enough to [...]

God, Heigh-ho, heigh-ho, it’s off to work I go. Today, there are things for me to accomplish, tasks to check off the list. I confess that there are days I feel like Sisyphus, pushing a rock up a hill only to have it roll back down again. Or more appropriately, sometimes I am aware that as a sinner, I live the consequence of that original sin, where God tells Adam that “cursed is the ground because of you; in toil you shall eat of it all the days of your life; thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you.” [...]

God of love, Today, I give you thanks for my friends. These are people who have chosen, for whatever reason, to love me and allow me to love them in return. For their willingness… To support me when I am struggling, To laugh with me and share my joy, To grieve with me when my heart is broken, To care about the things I care about, To challenge me when I stray from your path, To work shoulder to shoulder for your kingdom with me, To walk the road of life alongside me, To lay down their lives in small [...]

God, On this day, I am grateful for the reality of America. For the opportunities she provides to learn, to grow, to become. I am thankful that I have enjoyed the incredible benefits of that reality, the freedom to strive or to acquiesce, to worship or to reject, to support or to protest, to speak or to work, or to witness for whatever cause you put on my heart. Many days I wonder just why it is that I am blessed enough to live here, while across the world there are so many for whom the freedom to believe aloud or [...]

God, John Wesley asked all of his preachers to “never be triflingly employed,” and I agreed to such a promise when I was ordained. What does that mean, God?With the days I have left, what should I do with my time? The psalmist teaches me to “number my days” so that I might get “a heart of wisdom.” (Ps 90) It seems a bit of a silly challenge, as I don’t know if today will be the day I will take my last breath or whether the decades will pass until I am ready and willing to cross the Jordan. So how [...]

God, I thank you today for my father. For his mind, his zealous and relentless pursuit of knowledge, constantly engaging the world outside. For his persistence in teaching me how to think. For his willingness to accept me and be proud of me as I am. For his love of the St. Louis Cardinals baseball team. I thank you today for the other fathers who have shepherded me. Grandfathers who have spoken dreams into my life. A father-in-law who helped to shape my faith into action. Spiritual fathers who spoke the love of God into my heart. Vocational fathers who mentored me with affirmation and [...]

God, “Have I told you lately that I love you? Well, darling, I’m telling you now.” My mom used to sing me that song as a small child. I find myself filling my prayers to you with thanksgiving and confessions and requests for others and myself. But I often forget to praise you, to tell you how much I love you, God. I forget to laud both your amazing power and the pure goodness of your character. You are good. All the time. All the time. You are good. No, I know that you don’t need me to tell you that. You don’t need to [...]

God, how do you feel when I bring you silly questions? Do you really care if I attend my grandson’s baseball game this week or do the tasks at home I need to get done instead? Are you interested in hearing me ask you in prayer whether it is wise to change the way my retirement account is invested? But these questions are all part of my life, the small decisions which placed one after the other create the trajectory of my days on earth. I need you to help me, that I might make them wisely. And then there [...]

Today, Holy God, I give you thanks for those who have given their lives for others and for me. I thank you for the ones who signed up to serve their country, who ultimately gave their lives for a cause they believed in, or even for a cause they didn’t understand so that I can go on living my life in safety and freedom. I grieve the young person who will never be an older adult, who thought they were committing just a few years of their life, who never wanted to be a hero, but instead received [...]

God of Power, You know how hard we have been working to tell others about this campaign, “Transformed!” So many people have already committed so many of their resources toward the projects that are part of it. So many people have given their time and energy, and talents so that this can happen. Children have saved their money in piggy banks for donation. Students have exercised their talents to raise funds to contribute. Videos have been developed, booklets published, websites designed, meetings and gatherings of all sorts have been hosted, all so that the lives of people in the city we serve [...]